Kristen

Almost three weeks before my due date I was dialating so we were prepared for an early birth instead of my usual week late one. The next weekend I started having more contractions. The midwife came over and after about two hours of pretty consistent contravtions they stopped. So she went home to get some sleep. We spent some time walking the next day hoping that the baby would decide to come that night.

About 5am I woke up hurting a litle bit not contractions just cramping. I got up and went to the bathroom and found some blood. We called the mw again and she was on her way. I started getting scared though because I had never bled like this. I think if I hadn't known she was only about 5 minutes away I would have panicked! She got here and checked me and the baby and said everything was okay. Apparently the placenta was low lying and when I was finished dialating a little part of it was detached.

My labor lasted 50 minutes and the mw's assistant just brely got here before it was time. This baby was breech too, but it had both arms straight up over her head. That really hurt alot more than Samantha did and she was 2 pounds bigger. She had a big bruise that covered one side of her bottom where she was pressing down.

I was begging to stand up before the mw thought I should and when she finally wanted me too I didn't think I could. Thank goodness Wes was there to help me up! As soon as I stood up Kristen popped out with the placenta right behind her. The mw was holding on to her with one hand and tossing the placenta on the bed with the other. They suctioned her and gave her a little oxygen-three of my four have been a little sluggish after birth we think because of the really fast labors-and gave her to me. Wes and I were talking to her the whole time. She nursed right away for about thirty minutes. Then Daddy got to hold her while Mommy got cleaned up.

She was really sleepy the rest of that day and night and I kept having to wake her up to nurse. We decided that she really was about two weeks early-there was some question about that because I only had one period before getting pregnant with her.

I am really thankful that she was born at home, with her being breech and the position she was in, not to mention the placenta - I'd hate to see what would've happened in a hospital. People are usually shocked when they find out that I've had a breech baby at home not once but TWICE! They can't understand why I would choose to do it this way. I hope by telling this some other mom to be will learn she can do this at home even though it may be a little different than other births. My dh even thinks it's easier to deliver breech than head first! Of course I told him that he needed to have a baby before making comments like that!(G) I'm now my mw resident breech birther-she says no one else can do it so well!