How it all went down #freebirthing

It’s taken me a few days to get to the point where I was ready to write out ‘how it went down’ on Friday the 13th.  The much anticipated day was nothing like either Ali or I had imagined but there was definitely excitement and tenderness all the way around. Here is a recap of the birth story for my processing and your enjoyment!
 
A few weeks ago I joked with Ali that Friday the 13th would be a cool birthday- who knew it would be baby boys birthday!! Ali and the girls flew in Wednesday the 11th and the week was jam packed with fun things, going to the circus, school carnival, some pamper time, a girls night out, maternity pictures. We had it all perfectly scheduled which left the weekend and following week wide open for baby to come....welll my Bryce woke up sick Wednesday night and Christian and I tag teamed the puke fest all night long. I don’t do well with puke. The smell, sound, clean up etc. is enough to make me hurl. So I wasn’t surprised that I started feeling nauseous that night and into Thursday. I didn’t feel like eating or drinking and pretty much napped all day. Bryce and I stayed home from the circus Thursday evening and I got to bed early, desperately needing a good night of sleep. 
I didn’t sleep great, which seemed to be the usual lately. I lay in bed Friday morning thinking how I needed to really pull it together today. I wanted to get my room cleaned up, birth plan printed, hospital bag packed and house picked up. Not to mention today was the busiest day of the week and one I was really looking forward to! I still wasn’t feeling great but was sick of feeling sick so I got up and hopped in the shower around 7:20am hoping to get a fresh start on the day and to make it to my 9am OB appointment. I lost my mucus plug right before my shower and after a little examination I deducted that I would go into labor within 2 days....according to my hypnobirthing class. 
 

• Before we go any further I feel like its important to mention that this was my second pregnancy but first labor experience. I was induced with the twins and had an epidural so I never experienced labor. I felt informed from educating myself but still a complete newbie because I wasn’t sure what my body would do. 
• Secondly, I had been vigilantly planning my hypnobirth, reading all the books, taking a hypnobirhing class, listening to hours of affirmations and hypno meditations through the day. My birth plan was well thought out and I was excited to share this special experience with my sister, and husband. 

 
7:21am my friend Brett text me to coordinate babysitting for later that day. I responded at 8:12am that I needed to cancel because I was “starting to cramp and feel uncomfortable”
8:11am Ali text “How did everyone survive the night” (referring to sickness that had been going through the family)
 
I started feeling really crampy in the shower but chalked it up to being exhausted and dehydrated. After I got out of the shower I barfed in a grocery sack- save yourself the trouble and just don’t ever trust them not to have holes;)
 
8:15am I called Christian to come help me clean up my puke- thanks babe! He then left for work....we still thought it was the flu! I did tell him he needed to keep his phone on him just incase I needed him to come home. 
 
8:26am Chelsey text Ali “I just threw up a bunch a few minutes ago”
            Ali replied “Really!!???”
                                “ohh chels I’m so sorry”
 
8:23 and 8:38am I called OB office to see if they wanted me to come in for my appointment since I had just thrown up. No one answered.  
 
I couldn’t get any relief and finally realized that I was now having contractions. My go to stance was kneeling at the foot of my bed. As I was kneeling there I thought to myself. If this is the beginning of labor please kill me. I cannot do this for 12 hours! I timed a few contractions. Each was ~40 second long maybe 40 seconds apart. Which according to my class the contractions needed to be about 1 minute long for dilation to happen. So then I thought, "SCREW mother freakin’ hypnobirthing. I’m going to the hospital and getting an epidural and if I’m not dilated at all, I’ll have them induce me and give me an epidural!"
 
8:53am I called Christian to come home and take me to the hospital- luckily he hadn't gotten too far. 
 
I was either going to be having a baby or getting an IV or something strong because I was NOT going to keep doing this. 
 
9:03am I text Ali “I think I’m in labor. Its hard to say since I’m so dehydrated” Ali responded but I’m not sure if I even read the response. I definitely was past the point of thinking clearly.  
9:10am I text Danielle our Doula “I think I’m in labor. I’ve been not sleeping and I’ve been sick so it’s hard to tell what’s going on. I keep throwing up. I’m dehydrated and don’t think I can keep going without and epidural.” She text back a few minutes later and I couldn’t mentally pull it together enough to respond to her either. 
 
Christian got home and started doing counter pressure, which felt amazing. We were chasing our tails trying to pack the hospital bag. I think I turned every drawer in my room inside out looking for a dang phone charger adapter! I only had a few seconds between contractions to do anything and then BAM another one would hit. 
 
Mom walks down to check on us and sees Christian doing counter pressure then asked if she should call Ali. “YES!” She then stepped in the hall to call.
9:26am Mom called Ali to tell her that this was for real’s labor and to meet them at the hospital. Ali was just about to get in the shower in Bluffdale. She asked if she had time to shower and mom said "NO!" Ali then asked when she should meet us there. Mom asks me when we are leaving and I said “NOW”. She tells Ali “now” and hangs up.  Ali, Jumps out and gets dressed and practically flies down to meet us. Made it to us in about 12 minutes- thank you guardian angels for watching over her!
 
I had finally gotten dressed and then I had the world’s longest contraction. I think I was sort of crying to Christian saying “it won’t stop!” and as soon as that one stopped I sort of fell over sideways on the floor. Christian came over to put pressure on my hips and I said “don’t touch me!” Mom had just come back from talking to Ali and asked what she could pack for me and I said “not now.” 
 
I then proclaimed, “I've got to go to the bathroom!!” which thanks to my birth class I new meant the baby was ready to come out. Christian tried to help me up- I was half squat standing with my arms around his neck.   
My mom said, do you think the baby is coming and apparently I said, “will you check mom?” so she felt between my legs and could feel the head. As soon as she felt the head she ran out of he room to grab towels without saying a word. I was then kneeling down and reached inside my shorts and delivered the baby!
After I pulled him out (guessing it was about 9:33am) I said, “Baby’s here”. I looked up at Christian, whose eyes were the size of golf balls, and then at my mom. Time stood still for a few seconds or maybe it was just one second as we tried to let our brains catch up to what just happened. 
I remember thinking, “oh no! This was NOT how it was supposed to happen. Ali was supposed to be here (or rather THERE at the hospital) to catch baby!”
 
Somehow after baby came out I ripped off my shirt to give more skin to skin to baby and help stimulate him. 
 
9:33am We called Ali and I said, “you have a baby!” Ali:“OMG are you serious?” “at home?” ME: “Ya- we had a home birth” “I’m keeping him warm for you- hurry here!”
Christian suggested we call Danielle and tell her we had the baby at home. 
9:34am We called Danielle doula (26 minutes) she told us to call 911
9:35am Mom called 911 (12 minutes) in between running back and forth to the dryer to get warm towels. 
 
While on the phone with 911- Heidi (who was amazing btw). asked us if baby was breathing or crying?? Told us to hold baby down and rub his back. He started to cry 
I think we tilted him down twice to pink him up and get him to cry. 
She later asked if the cord was still pulsing which it wasn’t by then and asked if we had any clean string to tie the cord...we all just sort of looked around the room and Christian eventually found an elastic to tie around the cord. 
 
9:41am I text a picture of baby to Ali and Bryce, Ali responded that she was 4 minutes out. 
9:46am I tried to nurse 
9:47am The paramedics showed up 
9:49am Ali ran in
The paramedics clamped the cord and Ali cut the cord and then was finally able to hold her babes. 
 
I was still wearing my shorts sitting on the floor while the commotion swirled around me. I felt very calm and peaceful but so shocked at how radical that last 30 minutes was. 
 
9:54am Casey came to pick my mom and kids up for the school carnival. Mind you I’m supposed to be at my OB appointment.  She drives over the hill to our house and sees all the emergency vehicles outside. Sorry for the scare!
 
The kids were outside with the police officer when Casey pulled in. Our neighbor Anna had come out to see what was going on and Casey sent Ivy, Junie and Brooks in with Anna while she ran inside to see what was going on. She was shocked to find us all there in my little bedroom with the baby.  
 
9:55 One paramedic said to the other you will probably deliver the placenta on route to the hospital and just about that same time I felt the placenta slip out. I guess I said, “placenta’s here” sort of like “pizzas here!” lol sorry if you never enjoy pizza the same!
I wanted to take a good look at the placenta to make sure it was all there. So I grabbed it and looked at it before dropping it in the bag. There was a tear on part of it, which we later learned that a portion was still inside. 
They gave me a shot of Pitocin which I wish didn’t happen because it made retrieving the small pieces very painful since everything had already began contracting. 
 
9:58am They hoisted me onto a tarp and carried me out the house and down the stairs to where they had a fancy wheeled stretcher all ready for me. They strapped me down and then loaded me into the ambulance and off to the hospital. At this point all I was wearing were my knee-high compression socks!- woot woot!
10:01am Ali, baby and I traveled together to American Fork Hospital. 
 
My mom hurried back inside to clean up the birth scene and then drove Ali’s car to the hospital. Christian grabbed my stuff and met us there in our car. 
 
Dr. Thomas met us shortly after arriving to the hospital. He sewed up my tear. 
When they were checking my uterus he realized there was some placenta still inside so the worst part was everyone helping me “remain relaxed and calm” as my uterus got scraped out. I did feel very grateful for my people during those hellasous moments. 
 
Soon after, I was transferred to recover and the rest was easy peasy. Ordered some food, took a nap, snuggled the babes, and visited with my mom and sister. There is still so much more to share but this is all for now. 

Thanks for following along, loving and supporting us through this amazing adventure! We sure love baby Koda. Growing him inside me will always be one of my greatest joys.