How to accidentally have a baby at home

First: You must be willing to be thrown off your groove!
Don’t go “by the book” with your labors.

Second: Please make sure that you go in and out of labor a LOT!!
Especially with your first two pregnancies
so that way, when your third comes along,
you will not even realize you are in labor until it’s delivery time!

Third: Try to make sure someone is with you to catch your baby.
It’s cute to have a 4 year old witness your labor
but let’s not scar them for life
(Note: Elli did not witness my labor. She missed it by about 1 min)

Let me start with the history of my previous deliveries.
Otherwise, I sound like someone who just wasn't paying attention.  

Here's the history:

Elli’s stats
December 16th, 2009
7 hours of rhythmic, painful contractions.
Then, NOTHING! Labor stops for 9 hours.

December 17^th, 2009
Labor begins at midnight!
12 hours of labor
Baby Elli born at noon.
Welcome baby!
Arrives 7 days before her due date.

Sophia’s stats
June 22, 2012
3-5 hours rhythmic contractions.
Then everything stops.

June 23, 2012
3-5 hours rhythmic contractions.
Then nothing!

June 24, 2012
3-5 hours rhythmic contractions.
Then nothing!!!
(Are you sensing a pattern here?)

June 25, 2012
6 hours rhythmic contractions.
Then NOTHING!!!

June 26, 2012
Labor starts at 6 am and she arrives at 9:00 pm.
15 hours of labor
AFTER they gave me Pitocin to speed things up.
(horrible choice that I would never make again.
I literally felt like I was dying!!)
Yes, your labor typically speeds up with each baby.
Remember, we’re not going “by the book” here.
Welcome baby!
Arrives 7 days before her due date.

Ruby’s stats
July 24, 2014
4 hours rhythmic contractions.
Then everything stops.
(Here we go again!)

July 25, 2014
3 hours rhythmic contractions.
Then nothing!

July 26, 2014
3 hours rhythmic contractions.
Then they stop.
Then they come BACK for 3 hours.
Then nothing for the night.

July 27, 2014
6 hours rhythmic contractions.
I feel like this is the night!
Baby will be coming!
But…she doesn’t.

July 28, 2014
6 hours rhythmic contractions.
On and off, all day long.
Then they stop. Still no baby.

July 29, 2014
Contractions on and off all day long.
Rhythmic, noticeable contractions begin at 6:00 pm.
This baby has fooled me before
so I decide to wait until they hurt.
We call my grandma at 7:30
and let her know we might need her tonight.
She says she can come around 8:30.
That’s fine. Labor’s just starting.
Just in case, we call my friend Jen
to see if she can come be with the girls.
But the contractions are sporadic and not consistent.
So we wait for them to hurt before we make any solid plans.
Guess what happened?
They didn’t hurt until my water broke
after 8 o clock.
By then, she is already coming.
Weeeeee! Here we go baby!

I call Caleb into the bathroom and tell him he needs to call 911
because I’m about to have the baby.
Literally, he says, “Are you kidding me!!?” And runs to get his phone.
I love Caleb. Calling it like it is =]
While he’s getting his phone, Elli comes out of her room.
“Daddy, I’m hungry”
Caleb looks at her and says,
“Elli, mom’s about to have the baby so you need to go back to your room”
Elli says, “Okay!” and pops back into her room.
That’s a miracle!
Good listening kid!

So he gets dispatch on the phone
and talks to them for probably 1 minute.
But guess what? It’s time to push now!
I don’t even say anything to Caleb.
Maybe a warning would have been nice. Ha!
He’s washed his hands and he’s hanging out to catch the baby.
So, I start to push. Here was the conversation with dispatch.

“Yeah, the baby is crowning already and…wait, WAIT!! Her head is out! Her head is out and…oh, wow! Okay. Yeah, she’s out now. The baby is here!”

Caleb wraps her up and hands her to me.
I get to sit with my little girl
And I am in love.
I cannot explain the type of peace I felt.
I felt like it was the most sacred, special experience of my life.
Just me, Caleb and this precious little girl.
I got to just be with her for maybe 5 min.
Just me and her.
I get to hold her and talk to her.
I have never been so happy to be with anyone. 










Let me tell you something.
It was not scary at all.
I was not scared or in shock.
I just felt really…peaceful.
I didn’t even feel rushed or overwhelmed at all.
I just felt really happy
and that it was time for her to be here.
It was incredible.

In case you are wondering,
this type of labor is called Prodromal labor. 
Some doctors and moms don't believe
this type of labor even exists. 
But let me tell you something: It certainly does.
This is not braxton hicks.
They feel the same as real labor pain.
You go in and out of labor over the course
of days or WEEKS (yes, weeks!) before your baby arrives.
It's sure exciting
and exhausting.
But it's worth it

So Ruby Mae was born
on the bathroom floor in our apartment
after 2.5 hours of labor.
9 days before her due date.
Welcome baby!
We love you so much!
She was ready to come
and I’m glad Caleb was home to catch her =]