FOR MATURE FEMALE EYES ONLY

So, I had to wait a day to write this to really be able to decide what I thought about the home delivery. Here's the play-by-play...

On Tuesday, September 1st, right after I put Sophie to bed at about 9:30 PM, I thought my water broke. I didn't have to pee and there was a whitish/pink liquid running down my leg and it wasn't just one trickle. I put a pad on because it kept coming. I called my midwife who had just finished up another delivery (lucky timing!). She said she'd be at my house in about an hour and that things usually go pretty quickly after water breaks. Adam and I were chilling out. He went and got a Dr. Pepper and rented a movie we thought we'd watch while I was laboring (haha!). My midwife arrived about a 5 minutes after we started the movie (which we then turned off) and we headed downstairs to fill the birthing tub. So, at around 11:00 PM, I got in the tub and contractions weren't too bad. By 1:50 AM, I was having such bad back labor and my midwife thought I was progressing much slower than I should be, so I got out so she could examine me and try to figure out what was taking so long. She discovered that my water hadn't actually broken (so we assume the trickling liquid was just birth goo). She broke my water and I got back in the tub. The back labor was HORRIBLE! I was grateful to have the tub where I could move easily into weird positions that helped with the back pain. My midwife thought I must have come from a family of acrobats the way I was moving. All I know is that if I were birthing without drugs on a bed, I would've been absolutely miserable. A little after 3 AM, my midwife talked me into getting out of the tub and moving to the shower to see if the gravity would help. I was in the shower long enough to rinse off and I laid down pretty quickly on my side, threw my top leg up onto the side of the tub and pushed mystery baby out. This part was hard because everything in me wanted to fly that baby right out, but that would've caused a major tear, so I had to push slowly and wait for my skin to stretch (OUCH!!!!!). But I survived and once the head was out, it was a tiny push for the rest and wallah - a baby! No tears - big hooray!

It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life and physically, I'm absolutely sure the most pain I will ever feel. Those women who say - what pain, it was only pressure are lucky, because the back pain I experienced was hell. Nevertheless - would I do it again - absolutely!! The recovery has been amazing. To be in my own home with my comforts and food and not bothered by nurses and doctors every hour is so worth it. The body is amazing and I didn't know truly what a miracle child birth was until this experience. I certainly wouldn't say this experience is for everyone, but for women who don't have any risks and are healthy and mentally able to prep for it, by all means, give it a shot!!

Landon is absolutely perfect. He had a little gas and 3 poopy diapers last night from about midnight until 4 am , so that was hard to be awake through. I was so tired, but he's been sleeping great otherwise and I'm anticipating a great night tonight :)

Everyone has been requesting more pics. I'll get to that tomorrow.