Nama and Michael Best's Homebirth Story
A race to birth and she wins by a toe?

Chakra James

July 4, 1998

I woke up a week before my due date, having "piddly diddly" contractions that I had been having everyday. My sister-in-law, who was due a week after I was, called and mentioned to me that she was having regular contractions and wanting to deliver first, I sat down at about 1:30 pm, determined to go into labor. Well I was in luck, the contractions increased in intensity and length.

I called everyone (midwife, mother-in-law and sister-in-law) to come and started my relaxation. I was handling the contractions pretty well until about 2:00pm when I told my mother-in-law I felt like pushing. She freaked (just like last time) and told me to pant. The midwife got there at 2:15pm and because I dilate fast, she checked me. "Complete," she said, "but the baby's head is high". Like I cared, now I could push!!

Pushed for like a half an hour... She checked me again. She looked worried. She told me that nothing was happening and the reason was that my water hadn't broken. But my husband and I sensed there was something else to tell. "What is it?" I demanded to know. "Well I can't feel the baby's head." Come AGAIN?!!! My mother-in-law remarked that she knows the baby has a head because we all saw it in the ultrasound. Our Midwife checked me ONE more time. "Well I have some bad news," she said, "your baby is breech. I don't know if the body part I'm feeling is a hand or a foot."

I screamed and my husband hugged me. I cried while he talked with the midwife about our choices. "Well, we can keep on trying this (pushing)." I shook my head vehemently. There was NO way I wanted to keep pushing with no pressure to push on! I asked her if she could break my water. She said she didn't want to. "Too risky," she commented. She reminded us of cord prolapse and such dangers that can occur with breech births. I did not want to go to the hospital. She said she understood. She then proceeded to break my water and checked me yet again. "Its a heel," she said slowly. The silence was unnerving.

I got on the birthing stool (same one I delivered my first son) and started pushing in earnest. After ONE push his leg came out. My mother-in-law told me that it was white, but then turned blue. Everyone in the room was praying to whatever higher being they believed in. I pushed and pushed and he slowly came out. I noticed that he wasn't breathing. They tried to make him breathe, but he wouldn't. They handed him to me. "Come on baby, breathe,” I begged him. Just as I was about to give up hope, the little newcomer coughed and gave a hoarse whine. All who witnessed this gave thanks and laughed as we could all breathe easier knowing he was fine. He and I got into the birthpool, with his older brother following closely. The calm atmosphere was in stark contrast to the earlier frantic scene. My precious bundle and I were glad that was over.

our midwife was AMAZING!! Her quick thinking and commitment allowed us to witness the most unique birth, one we certainly feel would have been replaced with a common enough emergency c/s had we gone to the hospital. Sabrina, her assistant missed the whole thing, but was invaluable in the clean up phase. My mother-in-law once again proved her worth as a doula and we surely would have been basket cases had she not stayed calm even in the face of such danger.