12/19/2025
β¨οΈ BIRTH STORY: Dec 16, 2020 around 5:30pm, I started feeling cramping. I was sitting on the floor of my son's room watching him play, soaking him up knowing soon he wouldn't be my baby, he would be a big brother. I sat there, breathing deeply, feeling my belly in amazement- every pain, every jab, knowing my baby would be here soon enough, but in true Heather fashion - i held off believing this was it until things progressed.
By 7ish,we knew π my husband took our son to his parents as planned (gratefully they only lived 5 minutes away) while I got in the bath. The contractions were getting strong but I knew I wanted to rest- a luxury i did not get with my first labour.
Around 9:30 I messaged our midwife & doula for the update I was in labour and was going to nap.
I was woken up by a strong contractions at 12:30am. Within the time my husband went to get me water and bring it back, I knew nap time was officially over and asked him to set up a hot bath for me- my safe space during bith pregnancies. I turned on my hypnobirthing app I had been practicing during pregnancy and started the contraction timer- so I knew when to call the midwives. I don't remember doing it so my husband must have messaged our doula to say things were progressing so she was on her way. (This was a planned homebirth)
I sat in the bath, leaning back and breathing through contractions, the candle lit, the hypno tracks on, and my husband near holding the phone to track contractions. I was in such a flow with my body that it was hard to say when they were starting and stopping, my body was just moving as it was led. I went from seated, to all 4s, rocking, swaying, surrendering to my body's wishes as labour progressed.
Before long, I had the feeling to purge, a stark moment I recalled well from my first labour. My husband helped me out of the tub, over to the toilet- less than an hour had passed since being woken at 12:30. We decided it was time to call the midwives- i could feel the pressure of the baby's head as i sat on the toilet, my husband holding the phone in front of me with the midwife on speaker.
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