While waking up to officially start the day, I remembered that I had been up several times overnight to pee and the most recent time I'd thought that I was overheating and sweating. That wasn't strange to me, especially after dealing with the stress of a "half labor" for 2 weeks.
When I sat down to pee and start getting ready for the day, I realized that I wasn't peeing yet but I had liquid flowing out. I quickly wiped and checked the paper to find yellowish fluid that I immediately knew was NOT urine. I locked eyes with my husband, Willie, and stated that I believed my water broke. He beamed and told me to send a photo to our midwife. Which I promptly did. It was 7:48 am, Nov. 7, 2024.
I put on a diaper and walked out with Willie to go wake Lilith. He immediately told her she was gonna get to meet her sister today and we all got to smile and cuddle up together. The three of us went downstairs to start making breakfast. Once down there, I put a load of diapers into the wash, and puttered around while Willie got Lilith situated with breakfast. I noticed my first contraction while in the kitchen and loudly remarked that I didn't really feel a stomach tightening feeling but the most strange almost bruised feeling directly in my vagina. I started keeping track around 8:20 am, after a quick call with Hannah, and they were already over a minute in length but not consistent in frequency.
I had told Willie that I wanted to go get myself a coffee because today was going to be the last time I could drive for a few days, but it became clear very shortly after I said that to him that it was maybe not the best idea for me to go drive. I asked him if he wouldn't mind going to get it for me, as everything at home was taken care of and we pretty much just needed to wait and see how my body was going to handle labor for the second time. He agreed and mentioned that he was going to go to the drive thru location, which I agreed to, as both of us believed we still had at least an hour or so before Rynnie's arrival. It was about 9:30 when he walked out the door. For another 10 minutes, Lilith and I hung out, she continued eating breakfast. She asked for pancakes, I got them through the air fryer and set on her plate. I went to the bathroom to pee and actually poop, and Hannah
called, but I explained that I was just going to the bathroom and would call back. I was nervous to contact Hannah because I didn't want another false alarm. I returned to the kitchen, Lilith intently watching me from her helper tower.
At some point, my hind brain must've kicked in and noticed that my forebrain was not going to accept that what was about to happen was going to happen, and it was gonna happen FAST. The contractions became unpleasant, not painful but like a more intense bruise solely in my vagina, which I couldn't wrap my brain around. The sensation was so alarming that I reacted by standing on my tippy toes while leaning against the counter. I knew Lilith was watching, though she'd moved to the living room for some toys, so I was focusing on remaining as calm as possible...I didn't want her to be scared. I managed to gather the majority of items I thought might be necessary to get through the contractions while waiting for Willie to get back. Lilith was eating her breakfast and casually watching this unfold. I grabbed an ice pack for my neck, a bucket for vomit just in case, my robe in case I got too
cold, poured some juice for myself (with ice and straw), refilled my water bottle, and toddled off to the bathroom, taking my pants off on the way. I wanted to make sure that I didn't completely traumatize my toddler if Willie didnt make it back. I called Hannah back at about 9:46 am. It wasn't a very long conversation, but we agreed that she should probably pack and head our way. I remember telling her to head out "in like 10 min", and went to end the phone call when a groan escaped my mouth. I had stopped timing contractions before heading to the bathroom the last time, so by this time I really wasn't sure how fast they were coming.
I set up my area, and began shifting my weight between each foot, standing mostly upright, as I was convinced if I sat on the toilet that I was going to immediately push her out. I had also managed to convince myself that as long as I breathed through it, I could hold off on delivering her until my husband was back. Right as a really intense contraction happened, Willie called. I answered in a grunt, as I fell to one knee. At some point on the way down I managed to take my diaper completely off. I later found out that contraction had forced a poo out...which had hit the wall...
He said he was on his way but stuck at a light, and I shouted that the baby was coming, and also that Hannah was calling. He told me to answer her and that he was coming as fast as he could. I answered her call, and she told me she was stuck in traffic in the tunnel, and I responded that she was coming right now. And that I was scared, very scared. She wasn't though, she was calm, and told me that my body knows what to do, and that I've got this. I treated the phrase "I can do this" like a mantra and just repeated it for a moment. I managed to let out a few more groans, and felt her head drop lower, which I'm pretty sure I yelped to Hannah that I could feel her move. She asked if Willie could bring me a towel, and told me to move my hand to touch her head. I responded that Willie wasn't here currently, grabbed a hand towel, and used it to cup her head. I was terrified at the concept
that I was actively birthing entirely physically alone, aside from Hannah on the phone and my toddler in the next room. Yet I was excited to feel her...it helped solidify that she was real and this was happening. I was doing my best to breathe calmly, pant through her crowning, but within a few moments I felt her entire body, and the rest of the amniotic fluid, flow out of me. I told Hannah that she was here, and turned my Fairy to face me. Hannah stated 10:07 am and asked if she was breathing, which she was, but it sounded yucky. She coached me through, telling me to form a seal around her nose and mouth, and gently suck any fluid out. About this time, Lilith came to the door and very concerned asked "mama pee?" As she pointed to the mess on the floor. I responded "yes...Mama Pee...Mama Pee a lot, your sister is here!" Willie busted in the door at that moment, and rushed over to the
bathroom. I called out to him, asking if he wanted to meet his newest daughter. Opening the bathroom door, he threw his arms out, with the biggest look of shock, and asked if he could help with anything, to which I said "towels...". As I was in a bra, covered in blood, amniotic fluid, meconium and still on one knee, holding our covered baby. He grabbed a ton, and dropped them around us, Hannah told him to grab Faieryn gently from me, as I needed to deliver the placenta. I had been feeling weird cramps again, and was becoming curious about what it was. She then told me I needed to grab the cord and gently tug when I felt a contraction, to which I replied that it was really slippery and I couldn't tell if it was moving. "You might need to wrap the cord around your fingers", and with the next contraction I was able to gently remove it. With my bare hand. I'm still shocked.
We placed the placenta in a bowl and waited for Hannah to arrive. After a few short minutes, Hannah greeted us as we headed to our living room. I snuggled up in the corner of the couch with Faieryn while we got checked over. I had some minor abrasions but nothing that required intervention. The placenta and umbilical cord were beginning to pale, so Willie clamped and snipped the cord. Hannah pulled out a gorgeous crocheted scale and we discovered that our fairy baby weighed 7 pounds, 6 oz, and stood 20.5 inches long.
Once both baby and I were good to go, I took my time up the stairs with Hannah trailing behind me. The first shower after birth is blissful, and I was grateful to have her right outside the door to corral my toddler, just in case. I was doing fairly well, and Hannah got started cleaning the birth bathroom of the mess. While I showered, Faieryn and Daddy were cuddled up skin to skin.
After everything was sterilized, the laundry collected, and the trash taken away, Hannah went to wrap an oxygen monitor around baby's hand, just to keep an eye on her. With everything finally settling down, Hannah finished packing and tidying up and we said our final goodbyes.
Photo credit Michaela Freeman
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