My most uncomplicated birth

Here is a short, positive birth report about my completely uncomplicated birth of my third child, which took place at home. In the weeks leading up to, I had several days of regular picking pains that didn't happen anymore. So I didn't believe it myself when the regular pluckings continued on Saturday night when I went to bed and became more and more powerful - too powerful for me to sleep, and actually uncomfortable when I lay down. So somewhere between 01 and 02 in the morning I got up and called my husband. The children spent the night with grandma and grandpa - coincidentally (maybe grandma had a feeling it would be tonight) - so we had the peace and quiet we wanted.

We both got up and went down to the living room and started reaching a little more. At 03 my husband thinks we should call the midwife that we have through the Kendt Jormodederordning. I still didn't really believe that labor had started and expected the contractions to ease any minute. But we got the call and she arrived an hour later. I had wanted as "hands off" an approach as possible, so I was not "checked". I had a really good feeling about the initial labor. I was standing, walking and sitting a lot, and used the ball a lot.

At one point I was in the shower with the hot shower on my lower back. We also have a bathtub that I sat in for a while and had contractions. It was nice, but it also meant that the contractions came with a slightly longer time interval between them, and I wasn't much for that. So I got out of the bath again and walked around a bit. Around 6 (I think time is so fluid when you are in labor) I wanted to be checked, because now I finally believed it myself. 8 cm., it was a fantastic message to receive.

It started to be intense and hard work now. When it had become completely light, JM suggested taking the water. I thought about that for a few moments, and so that's what we did. The water gushed out in great quantities, completely clear and clean. It made labor a little more comfortable in a way, and easier to work with. It still took some time before I started to really push. My JM felt a bit on the cervix and on the baby's head and said that he must have been stargazing and that this could be why the baby took a little longer to descend through the pelvis. She suggested I start pushing a little if I felt the urge, because baby might need a little extra force to come down. So I did. It was hard work. Harder than the last time, when the transition and pushing phase was very short, and my baby almost flew out without me really having to make an active effort. A little more work had to be done here.

On the way down through the pelvis, he rotated, and also got his head properly in place, so that when he had to go the last bit out, it was top of the head first (praise the Lord!) I was honestly feeling a certain amount of panic on due to the intensity of the work. I think I have done that every time at this stage of labor. So it was really nice to have a good midwife by my side, and with my husband's hands in mine. She guided me well through the last piece.

He came out head first, then the shoulders, and then the rest of the body. I held him myself the last bit, and was able to lift him onto my chest myself. He was somewhat purple, but started breathing immediately and was awake. The placenta came a few minutes later, here and fine. It turned out to be a small grade 1 rupture, but it was a huge success for me, as I have had a grade 2 rupture the other times, and it can be clearly felt afterwards that there was no muscle involved in the rupture.

It was 08.29 when the baby came out - a fine and lovely boy weighing 3975 grams! There was a good heartbeat throughout the labor and birth, and all interventions were carried out with my consent. It was great to be able to just walk right into the couch and enjoy baby without having to go on a long drive first. All in all, a fantastic birth experience, supported by my lovely husband and my competent midwife. 3rd birth doesn't have to be mischievous - it was definitely the most uncomplicated and "straight out of the way" birth I've had myself. Although!