Home birth after Cesarean (HBAC): Tiffany’s birth story

“After my traumatic hospital birth in 2016- which ended in an emergency c-section, I was determined my next pregnancy I would have a home birth.

In October 2019 I found out I was pregnant. I immediately messaged Toni the night I found out, met with her and texted her on the way home that I wanted to go ahead and have her as my midwife. My whole pregnancy it felt like there was obstacle after obstacle. First I had placenta previa which resolved and then baby was breech up till 37 weeks. I prayed and prayed because I did not want to go to the hospital and have a repeat c-section and it was answered.

The day after my due date, I started having a few contractions: I had upper and lower contractions and I texted my midwife and told her. She said it sounded like the beginnings of labor. But they didn’t last long.

Saturday, I had few contractions.

Sunday, I had contractions all day long.

Monday, there was only a few.

Tuesday, I went to see Toni (my midwife) and she said everything looked well with baby and me and she was okay with not doing anything if I was okay with it. The next morning, I lost my mucous plug and I was so excited. My body was going into labor on its own!

That afternoon I started having consistent contractions. They hurt so much that I texted my husband to come home as soon as he could from work. I started keeping up with the contractions, they were all over the place with time but they weren’t stopping.

I kept in touch with Toni, and she told me she would come around midnight. I let two of my friends know that I was going into labor and if they would come on to the house. Mary Beth, my doula, also arrived close to midnight. It was getting hard for me to sit during the early hours of the morning so I started pacing the floors and I finally started using the shower for some pain relief.

I labored all day Thursday and after midnight I asked to be checked and I was complete but baby was still high up. The pain was so bad but I kept telling myself I could do anything for a minute. I repeated it to myself probably two hundred times. I started laboring on the toilet. I was back and forth between the shower, bedroom, and toilet. It was hard to lay down or sit.

Early Friday morning Toni had me start pushing. I was finally working baby down.  I pushed off and on six hours with shower and toilet breaks in between. At one point I was being really indecisive and Toni gave me a little pep talk which strengthened my resolve to have this baby at home. I decided to go back to the bed and push. I pushed on my back and then from each side. Toni told me to go try and use the bathroom and we would come back to the bed and push some more. In my head I was like “I am not doing anymore of that!”

When I got to the toilet and sat down I felt her head trying to crown; I was so shocked I lost my breath and was probably having a slight panic attack. Mary Beth checked on me but I didn’t tell her that I thought baby’s head was coming out because I couldn’t breathe. So I got in the shower instead and labored through a few more contractions. Each time I would do a squat I could feel baby’s head trying to come out. I got out of the shower and back on the toilet. This time I hollered for Toni and told her I thought the baby was coming out. She had me get up and she checked and was like “Let’s get you to the bed.”

So I waddled to the bedroom- I don’t remember how I ended up on the birthing stool. By that point I was in my own world. I breathed and pushed with the contractions. In less than ten minutes I held my baby girl in my arms. When Toni brought her up to me she had one eye open looking at me. It was one of the best experiences of my life. She was 9 pounds and 6 ounces, 21 inches long. I was in labor close to 48 hours but every single hour was worth it!

I did end up having to go to the hospital after having her for some bleeding. When the doctor came in she tried to give me [disapproval] for having a home birth after a cesarean section (HBAC). I told her I had a traumatic hospital birth (at that same hospital) and that I wasn’t doing that again. During my stay I showed pictures and talked all about home birth! One of the ladies from the lab came and drew my blood and was like, “Are you the one who had the home birth?” I’m guessing we were the talk of the hospital that weekend.
I plan on birthing all my future children at home. It’s such a wonderful and sacred experience of giving a woman space to do what she was made to do!”