I read a ton of birth stories the last three months, mostly at inappropriate hours of the day. My favorites were those that really are “before birthing” stories, as the process is what I was most interested in. Here’s my up-to-a-birth story.
Let’s start back, way back, after eight puzzling weeks of weight loss, nausea and general WTH? I already had one negative pregnancy test a month back, so I chalked it up to book touring. But on a whim I decided to take another test, using an old test I had bought the year before, when I was pregnant with my son.
Did I mention I had a 9-month old when I took this test?
Picture this: Me, peeing on a stick then holding said stick up to the window saying to my husband “they should really put a “Don’t hold this stick up to the light, as embedded blue line will appear darker even in the absence of pregnancy” disclaimer on the box.”
I actually said this. Out loud.
Then picture this: Me, placing the aforementioned stick on the counter, noticing the line was still visible.
And then picture this: Me, sitting on the floor, holding the aforementioned 9-month old, for about 17 hours saying, Are you serious? And drooling. I believe there was drooling.
Flash forward 8 months (I was 2 months pregnant when I realized it). I’m super-thrilled the new baby is about to come. And, while I understand that all babies take their own time, my first one came at 38 weeks, so I’d be lying if I didn’t *expect* this one to be the same. Ha ha, I know.
At 38 weeks, I decided to participate in the local family fun run-walk. It was only a two mile course, a great way to spend a Saturday morning, and I didn’t have to carry the kiddo. The Huz was going to carry that load.
It was awesome: the walking as well as watching all the people freak out because not only was I so pregnant, I was also hurdling the hay bales. Did I mention it was an obstacle course? I walked, hurdled and tire-ran with the best of them. Or with the last of them. Although not the absolute last. As it turned out, my slow-but-steady walking (compared to those who shot out running but then slowed) allowed me to slowly take over one person…and then another…and then another. Pretty soon I was at the front of the back-pack. The leader of the slow-pokes. My competitive streak (huge!) had kicked in and I started to walk fast.
My pace was not even hindered by one of the obstacles featuring a guy in a giant Mr. Potato Head costume (don’t ask), which scared the Little Man into my arms. No big deal, just me carrying my 35-pound pregnancy + a 26-pound one-year old scanning furiously for a very tall man in a very disturbing costume.
This is what really kicked me into gear though: the woman behind me saying “there’s no way I’m going to let a pregnant lady beat me.”
Oh yeah? This is a picture taken by the race photographer.
Note the 38-week belly, the 26-pound kid, the back pack of supplies and the worried look on everyone’s face in the background. Also note the fact that I was running. Like the guy in Chariots of Fire. I do not deny my competitive streak. And, because the story goes on (for a few more weeks) you don’t have to worry. Nothing happened more than a super-huge nap that day.
And nothing happened the next week.
Nor the week after that.
Nor the week after that, except that my friend arrived expecting to help “post-baby.” We got to hang out for a few days which was awesome. Especially because the weather had officially turned to Fall, my favorite.
This is what a night of fog does to spider webs. It gives the place a Halloweeny feel which is awesome.
Beautiful, yes?
By my final week of pregnancy, walking with the fam, which usually looks like this:
looked like this:
The kid, walking by himself and me, looking down my shirt and scratching something inappropriate.
And then, finally, It began. Which was good, because my What to Expect When You’re Expecting App started to sneer: YOU ARE PAST YOUR DUE DATE. AND P.S. YOUR BABY IS THE SIZE OF AN OVERSIZED PUMPKIN. YOU MUST BE MISERABLE.
Or something like that.
I didn’t have any pre-labor contractions with either kid, so it just started with a little show in the morning. I took a walk (of course) and then just hung out, tidying the house and eating and resting. These were things I didn’t do with Number One that I should have done, and I’m a good learner 
.
Nothing was really happening beyond a contraction every hour until about 7PM, when I started getting a little more regular. How did I measure my contractions, you ask?
With THIS handy Contraction Tracker App:
Because I’m such a data-head, I wanted some way to keep track of the stats. I chose this one because 1) it wasn’t pink and 2) it wasn’t made by the same people who make What to Expect When You’re Expecting. I was afraid the WTEWYE timer would say stuff like, Congratulations, only 298 more contractions to go! or, Don’t worry! If anything goes wrong now, there is still plenty of time to drive yourself to the hospital where they can save you!
The one I used looked like the cockpit of an airplane and only had one button to push. I was smitten.
At about 10:30PM, I decided to go to bed. The last time I labored, lying down was a necessity for me to progress (yes, there is such thing as walking around too much or being too active I was told). Once in bed, I slept in between my increasing-in-length-and-intensity contractions. As a Vipassana meditation student, I found a particular ease in stillness throughout each one, where the same thing ran through my mind with each contraction: All you are doing is making space. Hardly any parts are moving and the tissues that are changing are only barely doing so. And then I’d scan my body from my head to my toes and see that while it seemed that everything was in painful tension, almost nothing was — a realization that allowed me to relax which, of course, led to less resistance against the opening of my parts.
I did this until 3:30AM, silently sleeping next to my husband and son. This will always be a treasured event in my life — this five-hour stretch of time. Everyone in the house was sleeping and there was a sweet stillness in the house that matched the stillness I was trying to cultivate in my mind.
At 3:35AM the contractions jumped from five to four minutes apart. Time to call the midwife. By 4:30 the house had five more people in it: the midwife, her two assistants, a five-month old son of an assistant, and my sister. Although I’m a public personality (hello, people reading this on my blog and on Facebook!) I’m actually a very private person. Keeping focus was now a challenge so everything seemed to escalate pretty quickly. After five “public” contractions, I needed more space, more quiet, and less heat.
To the birth tub!
(No monkey bars or rings were used in this birth, but do you like my Giraffe-camouflage sheets?)
I had no idea of my progression. Last time, I had contractions for 8 hours and I was at 1 centimeter when the midwife came. Groan. This time (the only time) when the midwife checked, I was at 8 centimeters just after getting in the tub.
After being in the tub for about 75-minutes (which was, what? about a million contractions?) I yelled that I had to push.
“So, go ahead and push” my midwife said. To which I thought, WELL IF IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO PUSH, WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THAT I SHOULD BE PUSHING? (See how difficult it is to really really really comprehend how other people aren’t in charge of your birth, but that your body is?)
My water broke with that push.
Still on my hands and knees in the tub I heard my midwife say something about seeing the head. Something like, “see the head there?” to my husband. And then she told me to put my hand down there to feel it. To which I said “All I feel is slimy.” And then I PUSHED while my hand was down there and HOLY CRAP the head was already coming out.
Then it (the head) was out.
Then, I was JOY. I didn’t FEEL joy, I WAS Joy. I thought I was going to be in labor for another 4 (or 100) hours, but the head was out.
And then I said “stop pushing on me!” because someone was poking my tailbone and hips.
And the midwife said “No one is touching you, Katy.”
And then I realized it was the baby squirming on the inside. And I said “It’s the BABY moving inside me!” and on the next contraction, out she slipped. Like a rocket. Or a squid. Or some rocket-like sea creature. And I pulled her out of the water and up to my chest.
Roan Eilish, born at 6:25, the morning of September 26, without a hitch or stitch.
It was pretty freaking amazing, and even better then not coming in last at the family fun-run.
Congratulations! xxx
Beautiful story and beautiful baby! Good work, Momma!
I said it before. I’ll say it again with this one. I want this baby. Love the story. You are my hero.
That was so beautiful to read. You took me way back. I loved reading that, thanks Katy.
She is exceptional. Congratulations! And my son is 16 months older than his sister. You will survive … you just may not remember much. I even just had number three – that’s how amazing it’s all been.
Awesome! Kind of anti-climactic compared to your last, but exacgtly as it should be!
I am (predictably) crying now. Blessings to you and your family, and thanks for sharing!
This is the BEST birth story I’ve read in so long… I love your sense of humor and the giraffe sheets and what you said about making space. If I have a third, I shall meditate on this story much and much more.
You rock Katy! Natural birth rocks! and I loved your birth story! FYI I don’t progress when I walk either. I likened it to trying to run from my birth. Things didn’t move until I stopped moving
Happy Baby Moon!
As someone who has never experienced childbirth, that was truly an awesome story…thanks for sharing.
Your story reminded me of my second labor. Me: “can you see him” My husband looks at me like I had grown 3 heads and says “his head is out!” I remember thinking: “oh thank god this is almost over!”. The nurse timed my delivery: from 7 cm to delivered, took 11 minutes. To this day I am still great full for how quickly the end came and went.
Congratulations to you and yours!
Beautiful! So glad you shared the story.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story! You made me cry. : )
Congratulations Katy! A birth just like it should be. It’s amazing when you feel the baby turning just before they pop out. Interesting that there is such a thing as too much walking for some. I had a very speedy second birth and for me staying upright and moving was the key. Thanks for sharing and all the best to the whole family.
Lovely! Thank you for being public with your story. It’s fun to share in it with you. Did Finn sleep through it all?
Yay! Congratulations and thank you for the awesome birth story, told with your usual flair! What a beautiful babe.
That was such a positive, joyful birth story–thanks for sharing! She’s beautiful, and so are you!
Beautiful story! Thanks for all the fun details. What an angel
Congratulations!! Thanks for sharing- always wonderful to read another positive birth story. Enjoy these first few days!!
BEAUTIFUL! Muah xoxoxo
Congratulations, Katy! I’ve loved following your pregnancy as you’ve shared it here on your blog, and your birth story is fantabulous! Thank you for the inspiration & for shining a light on healthy mamas, healthy birth, and healthy babies. You rock!
Huge congrats, Katy. She’s positively darling…and her name is just beautiful.
Thank you, congratulations, I loved the whole thing, just like I loved my home birth many years ago. I’m so glad you get to have a little girl, too. Blessings and good wishes.
Yeah, yeah, beautiful story, beautiful beautiful baby but …..but…..like you had sex within DAYS of giving birth the first time?!?!?!!!! AMAZING! I am VERY impressed.
So happy for your family!!! I love that you love being a mommy. Keep up the good work , they are lucky to have you as a mommy….
Such a change from #1, I’m glad it was so easy. Can’t wait to see more pictures
Tears are welling! Thanks for the great story! The power of birth never ceases to amaze me! Kisses to all of you!
Congratulations on your new baby! Congratulations on your awesome birth experience! And THANK YOU so much for giving us a true story where being pregnant and giving birth isn’t a terrifying part tearing experience. That was my first cathartic birthing story.
Congratulations once again 
Congrats Katy, well done. This took me back 43 years to my jogging in the park at 42 weeks. Wonderful story.
Yay! That’s all I can say. My only personal regret is the not really being present for the last few minutes of Angeliese’s birth. I was just pushing like “they” told me to. And it was all over so very quickly…and I’m not doing it again. I’m glad you got to experience that. That’s awesome.
Congratulations! Thanks for telling us the story–beautiful!
Congratulations! A great and very helpful story!
Congratulations!!!! She is beautiful. I recently had a terrible hospital birth and am seriously contemplating a home birth for number two. What made you decide to do a home birth despite the ‘risks’ (esp given what happened during your first delivery)? Do you think anything that you did different this time around eased the labor? I would love to hear! Congrats again!
I’m so happy for you and the family. Congratulations
)
Congratulations Katy!!! Such a beautiful story and beautiful baby girl!
Congratulations Katy and Michael! She is beautiful and I love me a great Irish name, Roan Eilish! Looks just like her daddy…in this picture anyway. Blessings to all of you – it is a great day when a new sweet spirit enters the planet. She picked a great mom and dad. Love you guys- Carmina
What a wonderful birth story. Congrats!
I don’t know you personally, but hope to come study with you someday in the near future. I am a glutton for birth stories, and this is a beauty…..Always amazing that we do it at all. Mazel Tov! Beautiful baby.
Congratulations!!! Such a beautiful baby and birth story!! You always inspire me and it is so wonderful to read such an amazing birth experience. As a meditator, I especially loved your mention of of ease of stillness bewteen each contraction. Happy Baby Moon!!!
Beautiful story !!!!
Congratulations! I’m so happy to hear that the birth went smoothly this time. My 2 girls are 17 months and 11 days apart
Which is a lot of fun now that they’re getting older (13 months and 2.5). Enjoy!
Mazel Tov! (Congratulations (Jewish Talk) You have a very beautiful person. We would never consider any less for the beautiful things you share with all of us. Wishing you all the very best…
Cool story, bro!!!
I *love* that last photo of you digging in your shirt. It’s really the definition of motherhood, right there.
Beautiful baby, beautiful birth!! Many congratulations to you all!
Congrats Katy! Amazing story!
Thank you for your wonderful Baby Story 2! Congratulations to you and Michael! I was touched and I laughed, and I am so glad you chose to share this story.
Thanks for sharing this with us Katy! She’s beautiful and I can’t wait to meet her.
Congrats from all of us in Dayton, OH! What a beautiful birth story. I remember when she was but a tiny bump in our tiny studio
Beautiful! Congratulations – both on the race and the birth of your baby!
Fantastic story. Congratulations on your beautiful daughter. Thank you for sharing the story!
I am deeply moved by your birth story Katy. So happy for you and your family. Congrats and thanks for being such an amazing role model in so many ways. Welcome, beautiful Roan, to our magnificent world. Life is going to be so much fun for you! ♥♥♥
What a wonderful birth story,I shared this with my pregnant coworker, who at 38 weeks remarked that is exactly like her and her son, walking behind while she does something inappropriate! She also really liked your “stillness” and will try to remember once her contractions start. Thank you for sharing so that I got to share
Oh so sweet! My newest is only 7 weeks old and I also had her in the water. 2.5 hours of labor (my 6th birth).
Love the name
Congratulations Katy! Thanks so much for sharing! She is beautiful!
Welcome, Roan. Can’t wait to meet you. Glad you had a safe and relatively easy voyage down the canal. Glad Great post,mom is OK as well. Great post KBC.
Congratulations to you, darling! Just had my second two weeks ago — also at home. What an amazing journey! Our two boys are 19 mo. apart. It is CRAZY, but our oldest loves our youngest. It’s amazing. I could cry, just had a baby, so of course I could ha ha
But really, bringing a baby into the world just completes something in you. It did for me anyway. Loves, and blessings for you all!
THank you!
Lovely Lovely birth story, welcome Roan Eilish! But, Katy, I’m kickin your ass for running an obstacle course carrying a toddler on one hip AND spouting a website called Aligned and Well!
Let’s call it Aligned and well except when crazed by close pregnancies that make you forget, well, that you’re pregnant and shouldn’t be doing such unaligned activity!
Oh, sigh, what can I say with such a lovely labor and birth as Roan’s! You know I’m a big fan of yours and I love ya.
Noooooo — Alignment does not imply constant, symmetrical activities, but constant, symmetrical strength to handle them! Alignment is balanced FORCES, not just balanced MOVEMENT. Which is why one must cultivate years of balance in order to move without disturbing parts. Human movement is not symmetrical but fairly dynamic. Carrying children, crossing unnaturally flattened surfaces is a fact of nature. We must understand the deeper workings of the body in terms of force production to know how to utilize a muscle to stabilize asymmetrical movement so that the delicate process of life is not affected. It’s possible
Think of all those roaming (and pregnant) mamas who needed to carry their littles over branches and up hillsides. (Although I will bow my head in shame at the running part. No need for that at all **sheepish**) xxoo
After all this extra time, how much did Roan weigh? How does that compare with your son’s weight at 38 weeks?
Ha! She was 7lb 2 oz — 5 oz LESS than her brother at 38 weeks. Turns out she needed to bake a little longer to get up to weight
Isn’t birth amazing???
Heartiest congratulations!
Your birth story is so similar to my first home birth. I, too, felt my baby’s head in my hand and it was one of the most wonderous moments of my life and I’ll never forget the feeling. Best homebirth ever.
I have to share this on our FB and twitter page. What a beautifu’, funny, real story of pregnancy and birth. I thoroughly enjoyed the read. I’m 38 weeks myself right now hoping for a VBAC
Yay! Congratulations!!!
Congrats on your baby, she’s beautiful! I used that same app for timing contractions when I had my now 5 month old boy. I wish that I’d found your blog sooner, though. I had so many problems with this last pregnancy, and now I’m seeing that they were all related to my love affair with high heels. My pelvic floor muscles were really weakened, and by the time my third baby came along, I felt like they barely supported his weight in there! Since finding your blog, I’ve ditched the heels and started walking more and already I feel improvement. I bought your book and have started doing the exercises in it and my whole lower half feels so much better. I’m hoping that my next pregnancy will go much smoother thanks to everything I’m learning from you! (And I’m hoping that the time between pregnancies is much healthier too, of course!)
Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing!
Woohoo! I started reading this on my phone in a restaurant in Fillmore and had to stop so as not to garner looks from other patrons at the crazy lady laughing at her table for one. What a great story, Katy, with the most perfect ending. Hugs to you and little Roan!
LOVE this story!! Thank you SO much for sharing with all of us. She’s gorgeous! Congratulations!!
Yaaaayyy!!! Go Katy! I’m so happy for you – Love and Light to you and family from Vancouver Island!
Katy,
Thanks for sharing your private moments of your birth of your beautiful daughter. Blessings to you and your family!!
Beautiful story, well told. May you have more strength for the journey.
Beautiful story, well told. May you have more strength and joy in the journey.
Congratulations. Roan is beautiful!
Congradulations! So happy (but not surprised) you had a smooth and healthy labor! A little disappointed at the shocking lack of monkey bar use in this story, though…
This is sooooooo incredible.Beautiful mama gave birth to gorgeous and so adorable baby girl.Welcome to this world Roan Eilish:)
WOW! A boy and a girl…..perfecto!!!…..Thanks for sharing your wonderful story! She’s a beautiful little girl!!!
Congratulations on your beautiful girl, Katy! So glad it went easier this time (no hematoma) so you could truly stay home. Enjoy these sweet early weeks! xoxo
What a great birth story! I love it. I’ve never laughed so loud and hard at a birth story…and I’ve read tons of them. You are a wonderful writer of real.
Tell me about that bed. How fun is that? I’ve never seen anything like it!
What a wonderful birth story. It makes me want to stay away from the hospital for my second!