M and J started care with me in the first trimester of their third pregnancy.  This was their second home birth with me.  You can read their first home birth story from my perspective here, and from M’s perspective here. On M’s due date day, she sent a text saying she was in nesting mode, and I told her I really felt the baby was going to come that weekend.  Her previous two babies were born at 40.2 weeks, which would have been on a Monday, but neither of us thought this little one was going to wait for that. As the day progressed, the braxton hicks became more like contractions that were coming every 10-15 minutes apart.  Around 7pm, M was feeling anxious because her little ones were preventing her from getting her floors clean and that was huge for her at that moment because she didn’t feel like she could relax until her floors were cleaned. Around 8pm that night, her floors were finally cleaned and her contractions picked up, coming every 4-8 minutes apart.  Around 10pm, M sent me a text saying she really needed some sleep before active labor picked up so she took a Tylenol PM and hoped to get a nap before labor picked up, but baby had other plans! A little after 11pm, M got in touch with me and said she wanted me to come over.  Contractions were coming every 3-5 minutes, lasting a minute long.  I made some coffee and headed out the door. I arrived and found M walking around her house.  She was chatty and smiling in between, but when a labor wave would come over her, she would lean against the table and breathe through it.  Around midnight we did the first cervical check, and found M to be 4cm dilated, 90% effaced and baby at a 0 station. It was very important to M that her mom be at her birth, but her mom had to drive from Louisiana.  I asked M around this point if her mom was on the way and she said yes, but didn’t know where she was at.  We estimated her mom’s arrival time to be after 2:30am, and I knew we were most definitely not having a baby until after her mom arrived, simply by observing and watching M’s demeanor. M made some coffee and ate some pizza, pausing to breathe through labor waves.  We laughed and talked in between as we got supplies set up for delivery.  Around 12:30am, M decided to lay on her left side in the bed since things felt more intense in the bed.  Her wonderful doula was at her side, massaging her legs and feet. Over the next hour, M changed her position around a few times.  She rocked on the birth ball for awhile, then labored on her knees while her doula provided counter pressure and then tried laboring on her right side.  Contractions appeared that they may be getting more intense.  As 2am neared, M said she thought she might want to labor in the birth pool soon and would like an exam.  M was 6cm dilated, 90% effaced and baby was at +1 station. After feeling baby’s position, I suggested to M that she try three captain morgan’s with hip circles on each leg before getting into the pool to help baby’s position. Around 240am, she tried laying on her left side in the bed.  After a few labor waves, she asked for J to lay with her and to turn on her hypnobabies tracts to help her focus.  She rest while listening to her tracks for close to an hour.  Contractions were coming every 5-6 minutes, lasting 90 seconds long and were strong. At 3:40, M’s mom arrived and she got into the birth pool and labored on her knees, before moving into a squat.  She asked for counter pressure and her doula jumped in and provided that support. Through out the 4am hour, M snacked on some pretzels and changed to a sitting position.  She said she could feel the baby moving down some.  Contractions were coming every 3.5-4 minutes now. 5am M got out of the birth pool for awhile.  She labored on the toilet, before moving back to the birth pool, laboring on her knees.  She began to gently moan through surges at this point.  As 6am became closer, M asked J to get in the birth pool as she was beginning to feel pressure at the peaks of the contractions. Prior to getting in the pool, M’s mom really wanted this picture so you could see J’s wedding ring. M wanted to be checked so she moved into a semi reclining position leaning against J in the birth pool.  She was now 9cm dilated, 100% effaced and baby still nice and low at a +1 station. M continued to moan through surges and decided things didn’t feel right and wanted to get out of the birth pool for awhile around 630am.  She got out and immediately went back to kneeling on the bench through her bed.  We protected it with a shower curtain and chux pad in case delivery happened in that position.   After a few contractions, she moved to laying on her right side in the bed.  The birth assistant and I started to drain some of the water out of the birth pool and add more hot so it would be ready if M wanted back in for delivery. A few minutes after 7am, M got back into the birth pool.  She alternated her position between semi reclining and hands and knees.  J was out of the pool and supporting her from the outside. M began to spontaneously bear down at the peaks of contractions.  At 730am, I found M to have an anterior lip of cervix that was starting to feel swollen.  I discussed with M that she could blow through contractions or I could reduce the lip.  After one contraction, M decided to have me reduce the lip. I reduced the lip at 7:34am, and the sweet baby began to “slide” (as the hypnobabies tract says) down the birth canal.  I told J that if the kids and her mom wanted to be in here someone needed to yell or get them.  Her water broke at 735am, quickly followed by the baby’s head and the body at 736am.  In 90 seconds, M went from a baby at +1 station and an anterior lip to holding her baby!  The baby was well wrapped in her cord, so after unraveling her, I brought her above the water and to her mama’s waiting arms. Welcome to the world Amelie, born earthside on December 13, 2015 at 7:36am, weighing in at 7lbs 6ozs, 20″ long.  She is so loved by her big brother and sister.  It is the sweetest thing to watch big sister, who is 2, assist with breastfeeding the baby.  It was a privilege to serve this family for a second birth journey.  <3 #sacredjourneymidwifery #houston #midwifelife #houstonhomebirth #houstonwaterbirth