Our Birthing Story - Miles Anderson Pham

Immediately after birth. I don't know how John took pictures and delivered the baby!

On Sunday night, September 27, 2009, I was having terrible bladder problems. I was using the bathroom every 4-5 minutes and felt so much pressure and irritation. I just couldn't get comfortable. Around 10 p.m., I sent John to the pharmacy to get an antibiotic because I was certain I had another UTI. I took the antibiotic and another medicine to help give me some relief. I was able to fall asleep around midnight and probably got a good hour of sleep before waking up at 12:55 to a big gushing feeling. My water broke abruptly. Turns out all the bladder pressure was the baby's head pushing down getting ready to make his entrance. The doctor thinks his head is what busted my water. Anyway, I woke John up and told him the great news. He jumped out of bed and started running around crazily gathering stuff. I was still in the bed and I said, "John, relax! We have time. I'm not even having contractions." It was so funny to see him panicking. He calmed down and we called the doctor. We told him we weren't having any contractions. He asked if we wanted to go to the hospital and we told him no that we wanted to try to have the baby at home as we had planned.

The contractions started around 2:30-2:45ish. We were praying they would start because we didn't want to end up at the hospital if it wasn't necessary. Anyway, once they started they came every 8-13 minutes and were medium in strength. We called the doctor and he came around 3 something. I was only like 3-4 centimeters when he came. I had been 3 the week before so I hadn't really made much progress. I think I was like 80% effaced though.

Anyway, John refused to let me sit down. He just wanted me walking and moving so the baby would come out sooner and faster. I knew he was right, but I was so tired. After all, I had been up for so long (pretty much since the morning before). I swept and talked to the doctor and called people in the middle of the night to let them know Miles was on his way.

The contractions were still like 10 minutes apart so I started squatting for a minute or two at a time. OH MY WORD! If that didn't speed things up! :) I had read to do this, but wasn't sure if it would work. It was insane how much things picked up after that. They started coming MUCH, MUCH harder and about 5 minutes apart. The doctor checked me around 6:30ish and I was 5 centimeters and 100% effaced. I was a little discouraged because the pain was getting almost unbearable at only 5 centimeters. And sometimes I would have contractions that would last for 3-4 minutes. UGH!! John kept encouraging me to squat, but there were times that I just couldn't because it intensified the contractions so quickly.

Anyway, around 6:35ish, the doctor received a call from a woman who was 9 weeks pregnant. She was bleeding and he went to the clinic or his office (both are like 3 minutes away) to see if she was losing the baby or if everything was okay. He said he would be back in 20. I told John, "He's not going to be here for the birth. There is no way." We were fine with that thought, as we had researched, just the night before, what to do if you found yourself in a birthing situation without a doctor. We learned about what to do with the chord and also nose/mouth suctioning. Plus, we knew he'd be coming back at some point.

As soon as he left, I hopped in the bathtub b/c I knew he probably would tell me no baths after my water broke. But I remembered that during my last homebirth, I was able to take a bath after she broke my water. The hot water really helps make the contractions more bearable.

The contractions picked up harder and stronger (if that was even possible) and I felt like I was going to die from the pain. :) If someone had offered me an epidural, I probably would've taken it. My last labor was a piece of cake in comparison to these strong contractions.

Around 6:50ish something, I could hardly talk or stand up and told John I just needed to push. I climbed on the bed (which we had already prepared) and I started to push. John went to get Ally as she had wanted to be present during the birth. She stayed by my head. He asked if I wanted him to call the doctor. At that point, all I wanted was the pain to end and the baby out. I said, "No, just help me."

So, with Ally by my head and John at the other end, I pushed and pushed. Within 2-3 pushes his head emerged. A few more pushes and Miles Anderson made his grand entrance into this world. I pushed so hard that I seriously felt like I went to another realm. I know that sounds strange, but I felt like it was an out of body experience. It probably was just that I was holding my breath and was about to pass out. :)

Anyway, the pain was immediately gone after he was born. John tried to give him to me, but honestly I needed a few minutes to recover from the intense pain I had just experienced. So after a minute or so, John put him on my chest in towels. We kept the chord attached and then delivered the placenta and put it in a bowl next to the baby. The dr. called and was shocked that we had just had a baby at home, unassisted, and that he came so quickly. The doctor arrived within minutes to help take care of everything.

All the kids came into the room, 1 by 1, as they woke up in the morning. They were shocked and so happy to meet their little brother, Miles, who was born on September 28, 2009 (5 days early) weighing 8 lbs 14 ounces and 20 inches long. What an incredible adventure.

Our first Phamily Picture

Me and the baby when he was 3 days old!