On the way back home, I started feeling my contractions but they weren’t painful at all. They just felt like I was flexing my abs. Our midwife told me to get home, eat some cucumbers to keep my blood pressure low and to take a bath to help slow down my contractions. I got in the bath and laid on my side so I could rest and prepare to meet our daughter.  There I was with my giant belly, my cucumbers, and a nice hot bath☺️ I maybe ate some chicken strips too😂 Very romantic 🥰

When our midwife arrived, I was fully dilated!!! Like a 10!!! Like, a full 10, 10! What?! How?! I thought I would at least feel some pain by this point?! I was not even feeling slight discomfort! Since I was fully dilated, we were sure we would be meeting Ada any moment.  Long story, short… We did not. We would fill the tub, drain the tub, repeat…I am pretty sure we tried every midwife trick there is as well.

We tried everything we could, even my favorite which was playing an intense game of tag with Norah and Charlie around the house. If you’ve never played tag with your children while dilated to a 10, I recommend it but also say proceed with caution.  Nothing we tried seemed to get my contractions strong enough. Like, I’m running around my house, in a robe, dilated to a 10, playing tag with the girls, but labor just wasn’t happening.  Most labor inducing techniques involve ripening the cervix but I was fully dilated so it was like…what the heck is happening?!  We decided the next step would be breaking my water… Welp, guess what?  This didn’t work either!… Like, that bag was so thick we couldn’t pop it. My midwife encouraged me to eat lots of oranges with as much pericarp during my pregnancy as I could to strengthen everything. We joked that I shouldn’t have eaten that many since apparently it worked.

After a day full of trying to induce labor, laughter, good conversation, delicious lattes made by Chris, surprise pizza’s sent from a sweet friend in Colorado (Thanks Lacee!) we decided to call it a night.  I remember Rebecca asking me what I felt like I wanted to do and just started crying because I was so tired and so confused…Chris held me…Reminded me of how strong I was and that I had this…Rebecca held me and whispered encouraging words to me and then everyone came over, laid hands on me and prayed.  It was amazing.  I felt such peace and security and the presence of the Lord in such a special way🧡

Rebecca, her team, our photographer, and one of my dearest friends all set up camp in the living room and said they weren’t leaving until Ada arrived.  A slumber party it was! Having that many people choose to stay with me and support me was such an incredible feeling.  I felt so loved!

One of my favorite things about our home birth experiences has been \ the wonderful atmosphere and comfort that I feel being in my home.  There was no rush, no other women needing tended to, and no other agendas to be met aside from my comfort & Ada and I’s health. At one point in the day we all got coffee and just hung out visiting by the birthpool:D Everyone involved had a wonderful sense of humor so the atmosphere just felt fun and relaxed the entire time. Rebecca’s team included her two oldest daughters, (she has 11 children! #Goals) and her apprentice.  Her girls played with our girls and braided their hair, and watching the incredible relationship that these teenage girls shared with one another and their mother makes me so excited for the relationship that my girls and I will share one day!😭🥰

I mentioned above how badly Norah wanted to help or at least witness the birth of Ada and I wanted this so badly too, but it just didn’t happen. After such a long day, we decided that maybe it would be best for Norah and Charlie to go to their grandparents for the evening so Chris and I could get some rest and wake up ready to go.  I was super bummed because I so badly wanted to all be together as a family, but also felt like we needed to do it this way.  The next morning I woke up, still dilated to a 10 and was beyond ready to meet our little lady.

Just like the day before, we tried all kinds of things.  Rebecca asked what might be stalling labor and I jokingly told her it might be that the painters tape I still had on our windows in my bedroom from recently painting.  So my friend, our midwife, and I headed upstairs and took down all of the tape. I actually think that helped 😂

We decided it might be wise to try and encourage my water breaking.  Everybody huddled around my bed, I think at this point there were 8 of us, and my water broke! What I should say, is my water BURST! Like, sprayed me and everyone around me kind of burst.😂 Sorry about spraying you with birth fluids, friends😂😭  I remember laughing, and then getting a contraction that was like the mother of all contractions!  Up until this point, my contractions were painless. I would have a few minutes of some soft contractions followed by hours of nothing… It was emotionally so strange and draining because they would start to get a little more intense and I would think, “This is it!  Here we go!” and then nothing. But this contraction, I knew she was coming and FAST!

I asked for help getting down the stairs and back into the birth tub.  I got in and there was another good contraction.  I was on my hands and knees and reached down and could feel Ada’s head.  I remember being asked if I was able to change positions and not feeling like I could. I did just that though and rolled back. Now, this was my third labor and I feel like after all this work and being dilated to a 10 for so long pushing would be so easy, but I’ve never had to push like this.  Norah was 6 pushes, Charlie was 2 painless pushes, but this felt different.   It wasn’t that I was in any pain, I just couldn’t seem to push in a way that seemed to move Ada. Then, with every fiber in my being and and maybe a hint of some scrunting (you know the grunt/scream I’m talking about) I was able to push in a way that really moved Ada down.  Rebecca asked me to slow down. 

This is another area where I am so incredibly thankful for the extra time, care, consideration, and attention that you receive with a well-seasoned, very attentive midwife.  Rebecca had a hunch and thought maybe Ada might be trying to exit with a Nuchal hand.  She was crowing with her hand on her head with her elbow bent out wanting to exit at the same time as her head.  Think Burt Reynolds 1972 centerfold style.  She was just wanting to arrive with extra class, but this class is not so great for your lady parts, and we realized this was the reason my pushing felt so weird and uneventful..

Rebecca used her sweet skills and gently pushed Ada’s hand and arm back while having me slowly push and I am happy to say that no vagines were hurt or torn in any way during this delivery!!! Or in any of our home births! THANK YOU, Rebecca!!! Women will often experience fourth degree tearing in this situation and I am so grateful for the extra gentle and intentional care that allowed me to avoid that kind of trauma.  After this, I reached down and with one more push, pulled my sweet little Ada out and onto my chest!

I then remember something really special. My mom was there with me when I delivered Norah and Charlie but timing was a little off on this one and it didn’t work for my mom to be there this time. Sorry Mom! However, a great friend was there with me.  I remember looking down at Ada and looking up and meeting eyes with her, both us with large tears streaming down our faces.  I remember looking at her as she birthed her son and held him for the first time and just feeling so proud of her and so amazed with her strength and the beauty of birth.  In that moment, I knew what she was feeling and there’s just something so special about it 😭 It was just a special moment I’ll never forget😭

I will never forget the sensation or that moment when each one of my ladies first laid on my chest!  Reaching down and pulling your own baby up and out of yourself and onto your chest yourself is a sensation that is truly incredible! I exclaimed, “You’re here! You’re here!”  I remember kissing her, looking at her hands which were so small in comparison to her sisters, and looking into her face and just being in awe of how perfect she was.  Her pouty lips, her dimpled chin, her soft brown hair.  I remember looking  at Chris and smiling and having this funny sense of relief and while he didn’t say anything, in my head he was laughing and saying, “FINALLY!” 🥰 2 days of being fully dilated is a serious tease.😳

After cuddling with Ada for awhile, we got out of the tub and got settled in our bedroom. Our room was set up with all the necessities you might find in a hospital except it was our bedroom and the exact place I wanted to be. And no painters tape! 🥰🥰 By this time Norah and Charlie were back home with us. I was so bummed they weren’t there when I delivered but it all worked out beautifully. I was on the bed nursing Ada as the girls rushed in screaming, “She’s here! She’s here!”Norah jumped up onto the bed, put her hand on my cheek and said in the sweetest little voice, “I really wanted to pull her out… BUT YOU DID IT!” She gave me the biggest hug was just so proud! Her and Charlie got in bed with us and were so excited! I’ll never forget them smiling, and laughing, and cooing about how much they loved their new little sister and how cute they thought she was! Special doesn’t even begin to describe these moments😭

Then we all just got to cuddle up and love on one another while we watched and participated in taking Ada’s vitals. She was here, we were all together, all felt perfect. What a gift this is that I do not take for granted one bit.

Ada Lynn. 21 inches. 7 lbs 4oz. Born in our dining room on February 5th, 2016 at 5:53pm.
Oh man, I am so thankful for this incredible family and for all if the incredible people who took part in loving and caring for us while we welcomed our sweet little Ada Lynn! Thank you so much toTruly You Midwifery  and to everyone who prayed for us, encouraged us, supported and loved us throughout our pregnancy and welcoming Ada!