Melissa and Sarah at 34 weeks gestation

I thought things must be happening because the energy I had now felt the same as it did when my water broke last time. I could barely feel some mild contractions and they were less intense than the ones I had just a few days before so I was not sure how soon things would begin. I called my husband to tell him that I thought I would go into labor soon, but that he could probably finish his shift as my labor will probably be very long once it does start.

I then went into the Green Room (our nickname for the room we had set up for the birth) and began to empty the jacuzzi so I could put fresh clean water in it just in case I went into labor and we decided to actually birth in the pool. I found out that the dog chewed a hole in the water hose, which was not an issue for emptying, but now I could not fill the pool which was not good. I tried to find the other hose, but our grass was long and it was very dark out so I went back inside without the hose.

I called Kenneth to tell him I was going to try to get some sleep and that I would call him if things changed. It took me forever to actually get in bed and I finally laid down around 1:30 A.M.. About ten minutes after laying down I had a fairly intense contraction and my water broke right at the peak so I got back up. I wondered to myself why I always go into labor when I have had such little sleep.

I decided to wait to see what the next contraction was like before calling my husband. The next one was three minutes later and just as intense so I called and told him to come home. He had some paperwork to do at work before he could come home and he had to get his tools since he would not be going back. I also wanted him to stop and get some ice and milk at the store. He told me he would hurry and I told him I would rather he take his time and just be careful. The road home is a dangerous one especially in the dark. He never did find a store that was open and finally arrived home around 4:00 A.M..

While he was on his way home, I curled my hair and set up the video equipment in the Green Room. I could still breathe though my contractions, but did have to stop whatever I was doing. About 20 minutes before Kenneth got home, my son, Michael, woke up and was very upset to wake up all alone. He was screaming and crying so I tried to cheer him up, but he just wanted to be put back to sleep. I laid down with him and he went out quickly. I only had three contractions while in bed with him and between them I really enjoyed cuddling with my son for the last time as an only child.

Things really intensified when Kenneth got home. It was as if my body was waiting for it to be safe before really opening up to let the baby out. Kenneth quickly found the other water hose and we began filling the jacuzzi. I got in when it was just half full and was now having to vocalize during the contractions. The hot water heater had run out so he was boiling water so we could continue filling the pool up. I could not wait for it to be full enough to turn the jets on. He also put together something to keep some towels warm for when the baby arrived.

The day before labor started, we painted an image of a baby in the position that Sarah was in on my belly.

Then Kenneth got into the jacuzzi with me and we had a really nice time talking, kissing and cuddling. He encouraged me and gave me little massages and so on. We tried counter pressure, but must have been doing it wrong because it did not help.

My labor was wildly fierce now and we started talking about our son who would be waking up for the day within a couple hours. We had originally planned to keep him home with us, but figured that I would be going through transition when he woke up and that might be just awful for us and him so we called a friend to come and get him.

As my husband was getting Michael ready to go, I got out of the tub to labor on dry land. I was so tired. At first I labored next to the bed so I could lean on it and sway during a contraction, but finally the bed was too inviting and I got in. I slept between contractions for an hour or a little longer. That time was really nice and easy, then transition hit and lasted for two hours.

I thought I had been in transition for a while so I got in the tub and checked my cervix. I had not done so up until now because my waters were broke, but I thought that birth must be coming soon so there should be no harm in a quick feel. I felt around and thought that I could feel a head bulging up against a completely closed cervix. I felt the little hole that was closed tight. I was so very discouraged - all that work and nothing was happening. How could this be? I just could not go on any longer.

I had a brief moment when I thought that if I went to the hospital they would numb me up and get this over with (they do not do VBACs so a trip to the hospital is an automatic c-section). That thought scared me and so I worked on prepping myself for possibly days of very hard labor. I tried to get into a more accepting mind set and was hoping to embrace a whole lot more of this very unrelenting labor. I mixed up some herbs to help take the edge off, but could not drink it due to the smell and my nausea. Little did I know that I was really in transition and my baby was going to be born within an hour or so.

I started feeling an urge to push and that just confused me so much as my cervix was closed. I had heard of women having a premature urge to push at 6 or 8 cm, but not while completely closed. I went to the toilet to try and check my cervix again. That is where I always felt my cervix and figured I could get a better feel of things there. I could not find my cervix or it felt swollen or something. I could feel her head on what I thought was the other side of my vaginal wall and it was bulging toward my rectum. Then I noticed that as I pressed on the bulge of her head I could not feel anything. No pain or tenderness or even pressure. There was not anything between my finger and her head. I was complete and that was not my swollen cervix or my vaginal wall but was her head right there! No way! She was ready for me to push her out and had been for at least 20 minutes now. It was a lock of her hair that I thought was a closed cervix before.

I went back to the Green Room and got in the Jacuzzi. I pushed a little with my contractions and after ten minutes my husband could see the top of her head (about a quarter size) at my vaginal opening. I started to feel the ring of fire, but only on the left side. I call it the strip of fire, lol. It hurt so bad and I got really scared thinking about tearing. I think that fear made things a lot more painful as fear limits the oxygen available to nonessential organs such as the reproductive tract. I started begging Sarah not to rush, just take her time.

I stopped pushing and started panting when I had to so she would come out slower, but I do not think it worked. I had three contractions where the fire was really bad and made me scream a very high pitched "bloody murder" scream. I am so glad that I live in the middle of no where with the closest neighbor about 1/4 mile away. On that second contraction, her head was half way out and I could feel the tips of her ears. I was standing on my knees in the pool and will never forget the feeling of her head cupped in my hand. It was the most awesome few moments of my entire life.

On the next contraction her head came out the rest of the way and I laid back in the pool so Kenneth could see her and catch her. I let my but float in the water and Kenneth said he was watching her rotate. The next contraction came and she slid right out. I screamed again, but it did not really hurt, I was just scared of it hurting. I saw her little face before she emerged from the water. Her eyes and mouth were wide open. Kenneth caught her and handed her right to me. Little Sarah Anne was water-born into her daddy’s arms on June 2 at 9:21 A.M.

It was so amazing to hold her right away and watch her take her first breath. I cuddled her for a few seconds and looked her over then turned her on her belly and rubbed her back to help stimulate her and drain any mucous she might have in her airway. Then I cradled her in my arms again while Kenneth handed me the warm towels. We got out of the pool and on to the bed where I birthed the placenta about 15 minutes later. While waiting for the placenta Sarah and I got to know each other a little. I was really overwhelmed with emotion and could not have been hapier. I really loved holding my little girl right after her birth.

The placenta came out suddenly and I was really caught of guard by the way it just flew out. It was really cool, I could feel my abdomen emptying as it came out. It was more of a closure to my pregnancy than birth was. That was something that I never knew I missed with my son until I experienced it with my daughter. Birthing the placenta is an amazing feeling and is just a really nice end to the whole thing. I took a quick shower and then the three of us just laid around and got to know each other for the rest of the day. Michael joined us a couple hours after the birth. He is just in love with his little sister and so are we. The whole experience was just wonderful and Sarah is perfect!