Birth Stories: Haylie Leann Kestler

 

I woke up Friday, February 11, 2005 not feeling very good. I felt like I might be in early, early labor. By Friday night I was having crampy feelings and took some Tylenol to help me sleep.

Saturday I felt better but was having about two contractions an hour. We went out to dinner with our friends Jennifer and Robert and when we got home David and I practiced our hypnobirthing. At 11pm I started having contractions every five minutes.

We watched a movie and at 1am David remembered that he needed to put the signs out for church but seemed hesitant to leave me. I sent him with the cell phone and reassured him that I would be fine. When he got home we went to bed. I did not sleep as I continued to have contractions.

I got up about 4:30am and paced in my kitchen. There was a thunderstorm going on outside and I watched in through my front door for awhile.

About 6am I woke up David and asked him to go to Wal-Mart to buy some popsicles. Hollie woke up about 8:30 and I told her she was going to play with her friend Dalton at his house for the day because it was time for the baby to be born. She asked how I knew the baby was going to be born. I told her "moms just know."

Dalton's dad came and picked up Hollie about 9am and I called my midwife, Laurie to let her know what was going on. David and I decided to take a walk around our neighborhood, the skies had cleared and it was turning out to be a beautiful, sunny day. We walked for about an hour and a half and my contractions were now about three minutes apart.

When we got home David fixed me some cinnamon toast and I took a shower. The hot water was very relaxing and I stayed in there till the water ran cold. I called Laurie again and she decided to start heading to our house.

She arrived about 12:30pm and checked the baby's heart rate which was in the 140's. At 1pm the hot water was back so I took another shower.

After my shower David and I watched the Home and Garden channel. With each contraction I felt best if I was standing and leaning against David with him supporting my weight. At 2:30pm I decided to take a bath. David ran the water for me and I sat in the tub and David sat with me and rubbed my back and we talked. Laurie stayed downstairs and let us have our privacy.

At 3:30pm I started feeling more pressure and David called the midwives. Laurie was there as well as a midwife for the baby. I started pushing in the bathtub and I was on my hands and knees.

Laurie thought the baby was going to be born in the water so she rolled up her pants and got in the tub with me. June the other midwife, thought I needed some energy so she brought me a coke to drink, (you certainly don't get that kind of special attention in the hospital.)

I started having a lot of back pain and we thought the baby was pressing on my spine, Laurie suggested I change positions and the baby might move off my back. I decided to get out of the bath and move onto a birth stool that Laurie brought into the bathroom. David brought me a dry shirt to change into, and then I sat on the stool.

Four contractions later and I pulled my baby up onto me. June put a towel on the baby right away and a hat. David was crying and we both were elated. It was very dark, quiet and peaceful and the baby was very alert and sucking its hand.

We sat there for a few minutes in awe of our new little person. I finally asked David if we should look and see if it was a girl or a boy. I lifted the towel and held the baby up and we saw we had another beautiful daughter.

After the birth I walked back to my bed and David and I begin bonding with our new daughter. Laurie and June cleaned up, did laundry, brought me something to eat and prepared Haylie's first bottle so she could eat as well. We left the cord and placenta attached for about an hour and then we cut the cord together.

Haylie Leann was born at 4:13pm on Sunday February 13, 2005. She weighed 7lbs 9oz and was 21 inches long. She has very dark hair, like her mother and one dimple on her left cheek like her sister.

The only pain I felt through my labor and her birth was my back pain right at the end. Other than that I was only uncomfortable with the contractions. I attribute this to being at home, completely relaxed (which I learned through hypnobirthing) and totally supported by my wonderful husband. This is the way a birth should happen. It was the best moment in my life and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

David and I were extremely close before Haylie's birth but her birth has deepened our bond and I love him more than I ever have before. There is nothing like bringing your baby into the world at home and together.

Back to top | Back to Birth Stories