Home Birth

I went to the doctor the day after my due date. I was dilated to a 2 1/2. We scheduled a date to be induced, in case she wasn't born in the next 2 weeks. I left and started feeling kind of sick to my stomach and crampy. But I needed to go grocery shopping, so I bought a month's worth of groceries (about $300 worth) and started having contractions while shopping.

I figured I'd overdone it and they would stop when I got home and rested. They didn't. But they really weren't bad. They were about 5 minutes apart, but only lasting 30 seconds. I figured my baby would be born early the next morning.

I rested on the couch. My husband put our 2 year old to bed and laid on the other couch. We both dozed off. I would wake for each contraction but then doze off again. Then suddenly I was wide awake. The contractions were much worse. We called our neighbour who was going to stay with our two year old. She was asleep and said she'd be over in a few minutes.

I remember thinking that if I got to the hospital and was only a four I would need an epidural again. If I was at least a 7,I could tough it out. My neighbour came about 10 minutes later and helped me up. I walked across the room and literally felt like the baby was going to fall out. I told my husband we weren't going anywhere.

My neighbour/friend called 911. They asked if my water had broken and I said no, and it broke just as I said no. They had me lay down and breathe through contractions and my husband rushed around getting towels and stuff while my neighbour talked to the 911 operator and kept me breathing and calm.

The police arrived and were ready to deliver my baby (she was crowning without me even pushing) and then the paramedics arrived literally seconds before she was born. She was born at 10:35 PM on our living room couch. She was 7pounds, 11 ounces and was 20 inches long.
We were taken to the hospital in the ambulance and that was no fun. I went into shock and was shivering uncontrollably. The paramedic couldn't deliver the placenta (although the nurse was able to immediately after I arrived at the hospital) and every little bump felt jarring.

But we were healthy and she nursed well and everything was fine. I had been in labour a total of 6 1/2 or 7 hours, but literally went from almost no pain to being in active labour to delivery in less than 30 minutes.