This birth is our first out-of-hospital birth and its such a great story. I love it. Many thanks to the wonderful Katie for submitting. Katie birthed all her babies at home (or in a home...) and she's just down right awesome!
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I was 18 years old. Living about 45 minutes away from my midwifes house. We decided that I would have the baby there, because we were living in this depressing apartment that had literally no windows. It was like a cave and I didn't want to have a baby there. So about 3 AM I woke up having some contractions that were pretty strong. I got up and woke up Maya's father. I figured we should probably head that way since it was a bit of a drive. Only problem, was the car wouldn't start! So we called a friend to come get us. I get fully dressed, and start getting stuff together, and what happens? My water breaks all over the place! But by that time Tommy is there with the car so I just throw on a dress and off we go to the car. Well, at the time, my best friend lived next door and her mom happened to be my midwife so she had to come. Plus her baby and her two step daughters. So we all squeeze into Tommys Dodge Omni. It was me, Mayas dad, Tommy, Joy (my friend) and her three kids all crammed in this tiny car, lol! So we take off to my midwifes house. I'm having some major contractions by that time and Joy is laughing from the back seat. Telling me it's gonna get a whole lot worse! She had just had her baby 6 months before so it was still fresh in her mind.
Well, we finally got there. Now my midwife is a total hippy. They have this big half finished house in the woods and the do ren fairs and they always have extra people staying there. You know the ren fair hippy type! So she kicks everybody out and tells them to go find something to do while her preggo lady gives birth and she'll let everybody know when they can come in. And I proceed to labor. I was about 4 cm when I got there at about 7 am. Soon my family shows up. My mom and dad and my sister and my brother in law. I still have no idea why he wanted to be there so bad, but he did, bless his heart! He basically stared off into the corner the majority of the time while I groaned and carried on!
My mother brought champagne and strawberries to celebrate with when the baby came, but I didn't get any. (we''ll get to that later, lol). So anyway, I remember everyone was hanging out laughing and talking and looking at some big Calvin and Hobbes coffee table book. It was totally pissing me off because here I was in labor and they were all talking and laughing and just having a good ole time, and boy was it getting to me!
Well, the labor went smoothly and around 3 pm or so I felt pushy. So I pushed and pushed and pushed my baby out at 3:45 pm on January 18th 1997. She was beautiful and had a great set of lungs. She crapped all over my midwifes tye dye dress! I held her a bit, and then decided to take a shower, where I delivered the placenta. When I got out, I realized that everybody had consumed my champagne and strawberries! Someone must have given the all clear because here comes the hordes of hippies flooding through the house. Admiring and blessing the baby, playing music, making food. One guy made me this fresh beet/garlic/apple juice to "restore my strength". It was nasty, but I thanked him and choked it down.
We waited about 2 hours to make sure me and the baby were both alright and off we went home!
The end!
