We have all our children at home. By God’s grace, this has been possible every time. My labors are usually textbook-typical and uneventful, so we don’t have a problem with the fact that our midwives always seem to live an hour or more from our home.
But #6 was a little different. After 5 previous homebirths, we thought we knew the routine. My labors start off slow, gradually gather momentum, and there’s a baby at the end. We call the midwife once when we’re reasonably sure it’s not false labor, and again when we think it’s time for her to head our way.
With our 6th child, we suspected the labor was real as soon as it started – unusual in itself. Maybe that should have been the warning signal. Hubby encouraged me to have the midwife come right away but I hesitated because I didn’t want her to drive 60 winding country miles in the middle of the night for a false alarm. How could we know after just 4 or 5 contractions?
But after 4 or 5 more contractions, I took his advice and made the call. She picked up on my indecision, I think, but said she would gather her things and head our way.
Hubby and I dawdled about in front of the TV for a few more minutes, then I decided to get in the tub. I was getting uncomfortable already, and laboring in the tub helps me relax.
Hubby followed me up and hung about to see how I was doing. It had now been about 30 minutes since we called the midwife. I assured him I was fine, labor was moving along but still in the early stages. Could he go downstairs and make me some ice chips in the blender?
He set up an intercom so I could call if I needed him, and trotted down the stairs.
Two contractions later, I was puzzled and startled by feeling the baby quickly descend. Still in the tub, I reached for the intercom, but it was all static.
I called weakly for Perry, but couldn’t make it loud – that would hurt too much. I knew he would never hear me over the blender. As my next contraction started, I found myself pushing; I heard him shut off the blender but was a little too preoccupied to call him.
When the contraction ended, I called him again – over the blender. He still didn’t hear. “Oh well,” I thought. My last labor had been extremely long, and I had been a little apprehensive this time. “If God is letting me off the hook for the rest of this labor, I’m happy!”
With the next contraction, I finished pushing out the baby, right there in the tub.
I heard 19 month old Natalie in the next room, bouncing up and down in her playpen, squealing, “Baby! Baby!” Kaitlyn’s groggy voice replied: “…go to sleep…there’s no baby…”
With perfect timing to the end, Perry sauntered up the stairs carrying a bowl of ice chips just as I lifted the baby out of the water.
He took in the scene, and somehow his hands were empty the next instant. To this day, I don’t know where the bowl went.
“Where’s the birth kit?” he asked in a quiet voice. I thought it was a remarkably calm voice, but after comparing notes later I think “strangled” might be a better description.
I indicated the bathroom cabinet, and he pulled it out. He fumbled with the twist tie for several moments, then ripped the kit open like a bag of potato chips. Blue pads, disposable panties, and an umbilical clip flew through the air.
By the time the midwife arrived, I was comfortably nursing in my bed. Needless to say, we got a discount on her services.
To this day, whenever I tell this story, 4 year old Becca is just astounded at the enormity of the coincidence: she born on the very day of her birthday!
Remembrance: A Birth Story
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Filed Under: birth stories, gone awry, photos, pregnancy/labor
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[...] like to read one more unusual birth story, try the birth of our 6th daughter, Rebecca. I delivered her alone in the bathtub. It wasn’t hubby’s fault he was downstairs and couldn’t hear me over the [...]
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[...] The Coolest Thing About It… Five previous kids, and she managed to get 5 minutes in a row in the bathroom! [...]
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[...] #6 ‘Becca: Her birth story is here. [...]
I love a birth story
Thank you for sharing with us!
Oh that is a really really neat story!!!!
I’m gong to link to it tomorrow if you don’t mind!
That is a wonderful birth story.
I’ve been “fast” at times, but not that fast!
Wow – that is a very beautiful birth story. What a lovely surprise for a quick labour.
I finally had a homebirth in April. It was fantastic, and I can’t wait to do it again.
That was hilarious! I related it to my husband and we had a great laugh together (he, of course, was relating to your husband’s reaction!). What a great story.
Thanks for sharing.
What a great story! I want a birth like that!
Woo-hoo! I tricked blogger into letting me comment!!!!
I’m baaaaaack!
BTW, it’s me, Maggie, from Cappuccinosmom.
Glad to have you back,Maggie! I knew who you were – I love the whole “cappuccino” thing! So cute!
Only our last two babies were born at home, and it was wonderful. But if my husband had read a story like this one before, he never would have let me have those two home-births. =)
WOW! What a birth story. My last two labors were 4 hrs., I thought that was fast. We are preparing for our first homebirth in aprox 7 weeks, not sure if I’m up for an unassisted experience. Would love to hear any helpful advice on homebirthing.
Roberta,
Good idea – there seems to be enough homebirthers around to get a good cross section of tips, advice and anecdotes on the subject.
I LOVE birth stories! What a great one!!
I especially like stories with no interventions… yours really tops the charts on that!! 
We have some good friends with seven kids. Baby #5 (their first homebirth) was born into dad’s hands before the midwife got there. It was one of the most amazing experiences of their lives.
Kim Brenneman,
If you’re still interested, please feel free to link this – or any of my posts – from your site. I love your website and check it daily!
That whole coincidence of being born on her birthday made me laugh out loud. What a great story.
I was laughing at your husbands reaction. That’s about how my hubby is, too. I was just thinking about his shock…and yours!
God is good!
I’m glad your little one was/is healthy and you are too!
I’m praying for this next one!
I love this story! Thank you so much for sharing! What an incredible birth. I don’t know how you called out to your hubby during transition; I can barely do anything at that time! Blessings!
I keep coming back to this story. This is probably the 5th time I’ve read it. It makes me LoL and actually brings tears too.
This will be my 5th. My last labor was loooooong. 4 days at 6 cm long.
So something shorter would be nice…I think.
Thanks for sharing the link to this story Kim. I’m expecting my sixth and have been for some reason, very apprehensive about the whole birth process this time. It is a good reminder that it wont necessarily go how it went last time (which seemed long and unlike the other births). God is good and I know he will be with me and it will be another beautiful experience. Thanks again for sharing Kim! Hoping that you are very close to delivery