So why a home birth this time? I had a great hospital birth with my daughter; natural, unmedicated, and uncomplicated. I went in at 5 am, had her by 12:30 pm, and we were home the next day. I assumed I’d do the same thing again. But after one not-so-great OBGYN appointment (mediocre doctor, long wait, zero connection), I started questioning if that route still made sense for me. My life looked different this time around. I wanted something more personal and peaceful. I started looking into midwives and home birth, and once I found the right midwife, I knew I was in good hands. She made me feel safe, seen, and supported. Choosing a home birth was the best decision I could have made, and if I ever had another baby, I’d do it the same way all over again. It was truly wonderful.

Now for the birth story. 

I woke up on August 13 still pregnant. Eleven days overdue and just done. It was a Sunday, so everyone was home. My roommates, my partner, my kid. Plus we had friends coming over. We were planning to have sloppy joes for dinner and hang out. It felt like a normal day… until it wasn’t.

Around noon, I started having contractions. I tracked them for a few hours. I was in the kitchen chopping bell peppers and onions, just breathing through it and trying to stay chill. After being overdue this long, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. No one needed to know I was in labor. We had a Sunday to enjoy.

By 4, I finally admitted to myself that it was happening. I let my roommate know and my aunt came. My aunt was my support person. She was there when my daughter was born. She braided my hair between contractions. I was on my birth ball, swaying and breathing, just trying to stay grounded.

While in labor, I missed my mom so much. She was by my side when I had my daughter, helping me stay strong and focused. I had wanted a natural birth back then, but in the thick of it I begged for the drugs and she reminded me what I really wanted. She held that boundary for me when I couldn’t. With my son, I remember one especially strong contraction before things got really intense, and I just broke down crying and blurted out, “Stupid bitch should be here.” I say that in my head almost every day. Stupid bitch should be here. And I’m not sorry for saying it… she’d absolutely laugh.

I texted the midwife around 4 to give her a heads-up. By 5, we knew it was go-time. She got there around 6:30 pm. After that, things started to blur a bit.

At some point I started passing gas (which I guess is a great sign), threw up, and ended up trying this awful medieval-looking birthing chair. Hated it. But it worked. My body got serious after that.

My water broke with way more fluid than I expected. Things ramped up hard after that. The sun was going down, which means things were about to get serious. At one point, my partner stepped out to cuddle the dog, some emotional regulation. His mom showed up. More people came. I wasn’t really paying attention by then. I was in active labor. 

Then things got tense. Baby’s heart rate dropped, and my midwife had me lay on my side to stabilize things. It worked. She told me to slow down and let my body do the work. I didn’t need to push hard, just follow the rhythm.

Then it was time. I felt that pressure, that stretch, that burn, and suddenly, the head was out. I looked down and whispered, “Oh baby.” One more contraction, and the rest of him followed. Pure relief..

Baby was here. The placenta came soon after. I got to see my placenta and that was super cool. It looks like the tree of life, which is so fitting. I think I caught him and immediately handed him to someone, my partner, my roommate, my midwife… I don’t remember who help him first. But I do remember my roommate gently wiping him clean and everything starting to settle.

I took a shower. Truly the best shower of my life. I wanted nothing more than a shower! Got one little stitch. My daughter came in to meet her brother and burst into tears. It was very sweet. Then, we all crawled into bed just after midnight.

That’s how it went. Wild, beautiful, and somehow still soft around the edges.