44 Week 12lb Homebirth Story (Unassisted)

This is the unassisted homebirth story of our Wombsisters 44 WEEK 12 POUND baby boy.

After seeing prenatal assistance throughout my low risk healthy pregnancy, They "tried" to schedule me for induction at 41+6. I refused as there was no medical need except their policy was to not let women go over 42 weeks. I declined NST the next week because I felt they were only requested so they could find a reason to induce me. After a few "missed" calls and voicemail threats I was dumped at 42 weeks.

I, then, contacted a home-birth assistance friend to help me get a scan. I wanted to make sure fluid and placenta were healthy. Which they were. Plenty of fluids and a grade2 placenta with plenty of life still in her. So at this point I was convinced to keep going and wait for natural birth. My friend wouldn't be able to assist my delivery after 42wks per California law. And with no help from any assistance- I was prepared at home to go unassisted. I had always wanted to go solo.

So right on 44weeks exactly, it was a Saturday...

Contractions started around 2pm after a nap. They were normal real feeling contractions. Not high ab tightening Braxton hicks I had been having since 30 weeks. These were Circulating from my hips into my lower menstrual area. I went to tidy up my kitchen and pace through mild contractions. By 5 pm it was time to move upstairs to our master bathroom. I needed my husband to massage and put pressure on my lower back and hips through every contraction at this point. To distract from the pain. I was standing up through most of the labor to use gravity. Rotating between standing under the shower water... To bending over the sink. Humming in a really low tone to help things. We did this for the remainder of the labor. I had timed contractions during this time... and checked the baby's heartbeat. A nice heart beat in the 130s.

About 7:30 i could tell i was in transition and it was going to be over soon. I had a few contractions that seemed to be two waves on top of each other. My hands feel a bit tingly and my lips go numb. I have had this in previous labors...so then the pushing stage started.

Once I felt the urge to bear down- I knew his head must be near. So I got on my knees and leaned over the edge of my tub.

FER kicked in. The first pushing contraction, I reminded myself to breathe the baby down instead of giving into pushing fast.

Then I reached up about about inch into my canal and felt the bulging waters. I decided quickly that I wanted to pierce my waters to get baby out quicker. So with my finger nails I broke the sack. I should see a bit of meconium..I could feel his wrinkly head and hair at the opening now.

On the next contraction, his head pushed through. His face was facing back...I could feel his neck and knew everything was clear to turn him and let his shoulders through. I didn't need to manipulate him hardly at all... because the rest of his body slipped out before the next contraction.

No tears. I did feel really stretched, during crowning, at the top of my vagina towards my clit... but I didn't tear.

I know the key to that was not to push but to breathe gently, relax and let the contraction push the baby.

Once he was out. Laying on the towel between my legs, I sat down to my left and lifted the baby up to my chest.

We sat there leaning up against the tub while I got him latched. We were waiting for the cord to finish pulsing and also for the placenta.

He was long and thin. All his vervix was completely gone. His nails were really long. He was like a month old! Lol. He was bright red. Dark hair. His eyes were blue like mine. He didn't make too many noises.

My husband was snapping pictures and was absolutely in awe as to how easy that was. While we were waiting for placenta, I thought it would be a good time to call our other 5 kids upstairs to see the baby. They were all downstairs eating dinner cooked by our 12 yr old. They came up and examined us as we sat on the floor. They weren't too surprised by any of it. Once they had all taken a look, they went off to bed.

My husband tied off the cord and cut us free. He held the baby as I got on my knees to let the placenta fall. It was all fairly simple.

I washed off in the shower, put on a diaper and got sent to my bed, where my husband tucked baby and i in.

He went to pick up the towels and clean up the bathroom.

Then we wanted to weigh him.

I knew he was going to be big. Our other 5 kids were all between 9 &10 pounders all around 40-41 weeks.

And with this one, a ultrasound at 42+2 estimated him at 10lbs 6oz. Here we are at 44weeks. but I was still shocked when my husband held him up in a sling and fish scale... and called out 12lbs and .8 of an oz.

I didn't believe him. I had him weigh him again... and sure enough, 12pounder. He was 23 inches too.

After that, we turned in for the night.

This was my first home birth after 5 natural births with assistance. And it was so wonderful to be able to be myself through labor, call the shots, do things at my pace, and then to be able to sleep in my own bed.

#birthstory #unassistedbirth #freebirth