Jordan Michael’s Home Birth Story
Our son Jordan was born Wednesday November 20th, safe and healthy at home (just like we had envisioned and planned!) Jordan’s birth was another incredible experience and testament to the human body & uninterrupted labor!
We planned for another home birth, just like how we had with Natalie. Home births are seen by society as bit of wacky and unsafe; I truly think it’s just because of 2 reasons: number 1 being the of lack of education & awareness around it, and number 2 is that we have been taught to “fear birth”, so that being in a hospital is in fact the safety, best place to be.
But home births are in fact safe and can actually lead to better labor outcomes than if in a hospital. I’m not here to tell you that home birth is for everyone. There are many factors to consider, and with our circumstances, it was the most ideal scenario and environment. I truly recommend having it as an option though and doing your research!
I had no complications with Natalie or Jordan and a fantastic labor & delivery. It was “fantastic”…?! Yes! I was connected with my body, in a space where I felt heard & respected, in an environment that felt safe and comfortable, and I was able to do what felt BEST in order to have a healthy labor & delivery.
We had the same midwife (Colleen Schroeder of The Village Midwifery) that we did with Natalie. I had my 38 week appointment with her on Monday November 18th. Our meeting went well as usual and baby boy was growing healthy & on pace. We both had intuition (and based on Natalie being 1 week early) that baby boy would also come before due date.
Monday progressed as normal, but that night I had an (extra) hard time sleeping. Then I woke up Tuesday the 19th and said “hmm something feels different”. I was 38 weeks pregnant, so of course I was going to feel some constant pressure of baby & posture. But this felt REAL low & a deeper, more intense pressure than normal.
I did my morning run like normal and then headed to the gym for my leg workout. I told Brian (and texted my midwife) that I noticed a shift in how I felt, but just being aware & not overly cautious. However, I definitely did scale back my workout & modified certain exercises. I noticed sitting down low (like on the toilet) and bending forward was really uncomfortable. But, I went along with my day, “doing life” as Colleen says, until something else changed.
The rest of the day went on with this on off pressure. In the afternoon, I contacted Colleen and this time our doula Sarah to let them know of these cramps (or contractions) I was having on & off (no pattern yet).
That evening I had a few virtual coaching calls, and I knew by that point they were mild contractions!
Brian Natalie and I had dinner together; while I wasn’t very hungry, and a low appetite because of the contractions, I made sure I ate a solid meal, knowing I’d need the energy later for labor! 🙂
Around 8pm we did a video call with my family and said, “hey, I think baby is coming!” We had also contacted Brian’s mom and arranged for Brian to take Natalie over to spend the night.
We did our normal night routine & got her in her jammies before saying good bye. I was a wreck, and balling my eyes out. I was definitely emotional; this was going to be the last time it was just me and her!
My contractions were steady at about 4, 5 minutes, lasting 45 sec to 1 min, until Brian got back around 10pm. They weren’t comfortable, but tolerable on my own. I called Sarah and she was to arrive after 11pm. Based on my previous pregnancy, I knew how intense the contractions would get, and I rated them about a 4 or 5 out of 10.
To me, contractions aren’t “painful”; plus, using that description can lead to fear, worry and stress. I just view them as pressure; it feels like a muscle tightness, spasm if you will, that keeps getting lower in your pelvis and around your whole midsection, but also more intense.
Once Sarah arrived at about 11:15pm, the contractions had stayed steady in time but started increasing in intensity.
This whole time since 9pm I had been in our bedroom. While with Natalie I spent a lot of time kneeling over the bed, I actually spent the entire time laying down. (Earlier in the evening I did stand and lean into the kitchen counter & kneeling on the floor positions).
To be honest, I was tired! And I just wanted to lay down & rest…especially knowing I wanted to conserve energy as much as possible! So I labored laying on my side, with a pillow between my knees.
Each contraction, I heavily focused on slow deep breathing, each one relaxing my body, starting at my shoulders. I imagined with each breath, my baby getting lower and closer to delivery, while also my body opening up & “surrendering” to the process.
I kept saying to myself “you can do this, you were made for this, it’s for less than a minute, each contraction has a purpose, these are GOOD things happening”.
For physical support I would grip my head pillow, and later, hold/grip Brian’s hand and Sarah’s the other. That was also the perfect cue to tell them another one was starting; all I had to do was grab their hand and they knew.
In between contractions I still focused on slow intentional breathing & just relaxing as much as possible.
It’s important to change positions in labor, as it facilitates the baby moving downward, so I’d switch from side to side every 20, 30 minutes or so.
Once I switched sides again around/shortly after 11:30pm, I noticed the Intensity increased. We were still trying to time then, and they were getting more frequent as well. I said to them a few times, “Man that one was tough! The intensity is rising”.
We called Colleen at about 11:50pm to make her way over. In retrospect, I should have called her to come when Sarah did…
The contractions kept coming & Sarah recommended I turn to get on all fours on the bed. Slowly and with some assistance, I made it in that position.
I had 1 or 2 contractions here and I could feel a lot of discharge and then a release; my water had broke. The contraction after that came almost immediately; it was so intense & at the end I had the immediate urge to go to the bathroom. I told them “I don’t wanna shit on the bed, so let’s go to the bathroom” (LOL!)
Sarah helped me there and Brian gave me some space (thanks babe haha). We barely get there & I’m having another contraction sitting on the toilet. I got up and said, “I think he’s like RIGHT there, he’s so low!” I’m starting to get a bit nervous and Sarah said she would check. Brian had heard me and had come in at this point. I remember her saying, in her always steady calm voice, “Yes you’re about to crown”. I barely opened my eyes to meet Brian’s and we both had the look of “Holy Moly” on our faces!
My mom intuition was right; he was coming out FAST! With our midwife not there yet, and Sarah assisting with the arrival, I relied on Brian and my own knowledge of how to safely & confidently push.
I let my body take over and guide when to lean into the pushing urge and when to relax/pause. I kept my breathing low and short in outs (Like blowing through a straw). I had turned to lean my upper body on the bathroom counter, & Brian gripping my right hand. I kept my legs and muscles loose & knees rotated in/feet out, as this actually helps open up the pelvis.
Sarah was incredible; just as Colleen would have, she let me know how it was progressing. She would say “ok I see his nose, getting closer” etc and not direct me of when to push etc. We knew the body was capable on its own!
And after one contraction, his head and part of his shoulder was out. I intuitively knew “it was time” when the next contraction came, and with that next push, he was fully here!
Sarah caught him and I was able to get some towels & sit on the floor to hold him. Brian went to go call Colleen to say “he’s here!” We were all a bit shocked at first & realized we should check the time – our best guess was he arrived at 12:15am. This was just probably 10, 15 minutes after the contractions picked up in intensity and frequency. The transition phase for me went so fast, it barely happened LOL!
I sat there for about 10 min until Colleen arrived. I was going to wait until the cord turned white, so there wasn’t anything to do except hold him! She started checking him & me, and everything was just perfect. Sarah cut the cord this time, and I showered while Brian got skin to skin & held Jordan for the first time.
Once I was cleaned up, I got into bed and Brian, Jordan and I got to just relax and enjoy the golden hour. It is so amazing to be in your own home & most comfortable environment!
Colleen & Sarah gave us plenty of time before coming up & doing some more assessments, including length & weight. He was born 19.5 inches and 6lb 2oz!
It was probably around 2:30am by the time they had cleaned up everything, started laundry (!) Got us water and snacks, and headed out.
Brian & I barely slept; we were too high on endorphins & tending to Jordan. We ended up napping/resting throughout the rest of the day (Wednesday).
Around 5pm my Mother in Law brought Natalie back home. Oh man, she was SO excited to meet him! And of course my heart was soooo full seeing them, and now having my family of 4 all together!
I’m so truly blessed for the gift of pregnancy and having 2 beautiful, healthy children. We tried, waited and prayed for years – and now it’s actually reality!
I’m so thankful for our birth team & everything they’ve provided for us.
My goal as a coach & trainer is to educate and empowering women on taking charge of their health. Pregnancy and birth is just another part of this that I’ve grown passionate about!
We all deserve to have birth experience that you feel comfortable, safe, confident and in positive, supportive environment. For us, being at home provided all of that. I think of the alternative and being in a hospital. I am not comfortable at all in hospitals & would have to firmly deny most of the traditional routine/procedures that they do during and after a birth. I know that a reason why my recovery, mood and energy, as well as our baby’s health, has been so wonderful, is because it happened in a safe, calm environment. If I was in a hospital, I would have felt stressed and pressured, which is NOT what you want for labor!
Being a hospital setting would have brought constant monitoring, offering of interventions (that are not always needed) and limitations such as you can’t eat or drink, move around (be in a standing position like I was) among other procedures that we didn’t feel that were necessary. Again, every situation is unique, and we had an established relationship with a hospital midwife if for emergency we needed to transfer. But in sharing our story, I hope that it can help educate those about home birth; the benefits, efficacy and safety!
You don’t have to do what I do – but you SHOULD know your options, rights, and what you’re capable of!
I also hope my story of a natural, unmedicated home birth can inspire other women to do multiple things:
1. Acknowledge your power as a woman and our innate amazing ability to give birth!
2. Encourage you to seek different options for labor and delivery
3. Ask questions, do research, and be your own advocate for your health AND the health of your child
4. Don’t be afraid of labor; again, you are designed for this. There are many different “pain relief” options instead of using drugs (that have side effects for both you and baby).
My biggest pieces of advice for expecting moms? It is about being PREPARED. It is important to create:
- A strong, positive mindset around pregnancy and labor.
- A safe birthing environment
- A strong support system (spouse, family, friends, doula)
- An open, collaborative relationship with your birthing team/professionals with informed consent
I’d be happy to answer any questions regarding natural birth, home birth, pregnancy prep, prenatal fitness etc!! Feel free to reach out to me personally with any questions!
Email: allisonbergstromfitness@gmail.com
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