Kamden Elizabeth Carrelli (Hebrew Name: Fina)

For a couple of days before, I was feeling crampy contractions and lower back pains that were also crampy.

On Thursday, I felt the need to go for a walk with Kalen (my 2-year-old daughter), then go to Home Depot, then the urge to do laundry and dishes. At 6:30, I took some castor oil just to see if the contractions would jump start. At 7:30 I started having contractions about 5-7 minutes apart. Assuming it would be another night of false labor after all (like it had been for 3 weeks), I fell asleep at 11:00.

At 12:30 a contraction woke me up. As I got up to go to the bathroom, my water broke. But, as it did with Kalen, it didn’t all come out at once. I woke Kevin up and told him to fill the birth pool (since it would take 2 hours to fill with hot water). I couldn’t do anything but sit in the bathroom leaking water while I waited. At 1:00, I asked Kevin if he called the midwife—he hadn’t. I urged him to do so since the contractions were really painful and only about a minute and a half apart.

Dotti, the midwife, was here at 1:30, but the pool wasn’t ready and I was already in transition and trying to push. Dotti told me I couldn’t push because—SURPRISE—Kamden was BREECH!!!

My friend Lisa arrived to watch Kalen, but since Kalen was asleep in bed or playing quietly in her room, Lisa acted as a doula for me. Dotti and Lisa tried very hard to keep me from pushing until Dotti’s assisting midwife (Dana) could arrive. Dana got here at 2 am. I couldn’t fight the urge to push. It was so overwhelming. At 2:19 I stood up beside the bed and gave what I knew would be my last long push and Kamden just slid right out.

Had I ever had the thought of changing my mind of having my baby at home, I never would have made it to a hospital. In fact, had I started to think about going to the hospital after I finished leaking water, I would have had Kamden in the car anyway!

I only needed 3 stitches. The cord was around her neck 2 times and her heart only decelerated once. So it was very uncomplicated. This experience was incredible. I feel great—the stitches don’t hurt like they did with the episiotomy from hospital birth the last time. I am so glad that I did this at home. And it is really funny—that pool never did get filled up!

Kamden is doing great—looks like my side of the family. My husband, Kevin (the “warden”), allowed me to come downstairs to send out this message, but I have to stay in bed another day to do what is best for me and baby.

Kamden is already a champion nurser. She has Kevin’s laid back temperament and sense of direction. Kalen looks like Kevin and has my personality—so Kevin says we now have a complete family: one for each of us. Kalen went in, looked at her sister, and said, “She is beautiful. I am proud of you!” And then said, “I love her. It’s my turn to hold her.” Today, she held my breast to Kamden’s mouth to help her nurse. She is adjusting quite well.

It has been a great experience so far.