The Home Birth of Alice Grace

In the days leading up to Alice's birth, Braxton Hicks were coming on pretty much non-stop. It didn’t matter what I was doing, my stomach would tighten every 10 minutes throughout the day. With what I had decided was a lack of signs, I was getting frustrated and ready for her to be here. After having had 4 babies before her, you'd think I'd be able to stay patient, but my emotions were through the roof! At my 40 week appointment, my midwife assured me that often with subsequent babies there are no “signs” until labor begins.

This wasn’t my pattern, but it’s exactly what happened! 

On May 29th, the night before labor began, I decided I needed my affirmation cards strung up as the backdrop to the water birth I was (not so patiently) waiting for. That day, I had also decided that I wanted my mom there for my birth, and had a talk with my baby that if that was going to happen, she had to come tomorrow since my mom would be leaving on the 31st. 

The next day morning, I woke up around 2 am with easy but noticeable contractions that made it difficult to sleep. These lasted around 2 hours before fizzling out so I assumed it was prodromal labor and went back to sleep. 

When I woke up for the day around 6/6:30, I showered and went to go get my youngest son Wylder to bring him downstairs for breakfast. Jack ran into his room and told me that Alice was coming today. I said really bud you think so? He was pretty certain! 

Once downstairs, I got the boys a bowl of cereal. I had one contraction and felt like I needed to get the big kids with all of the noisy play out of the house. So we sent the big 3 to nana’s around 8:30 AM and I told my husband Josh I needed extra support today. Still not being 100% sure today was the day, I knew I needed to be less stimulated by the noise, regardless. 

From there, contractions began to come more frequently. They weren’t last a long time and felt like period cramps - uncomfortable but manageable. I thought this is interesting - am I getting to experience an early labor? With things going so fast with my third and fourth (they were born in under 2 hours from the first contraction), I didn’t think my body was capable of a slower build up anymore! After Josh put Wylder down for his morning nap, I texted my doula and our birth team to update them on what I was feeling.

Around 9:40 I noticed that being upright was bringing contractions on a bit more. Alice was still high up in my pelvis so to help with positioning I decided to do the miles circuit. After that, my doula suggested I continue to stay upright and listen/dance to music. I turned on one of my playlists and did my hair thinking, okay I’m definitely having a baby today! 

After that, Wylder woke up and had some lunch and I decided it was time for him to join his brothers at Nana’s house. Josh brought him over and I knew once he was there I could let the waves wash over me. I started clearing out quite a bit and things started to shift once again around 12 PM when I finally lost my mucus plug (a sign I had been waiting for that never came until I was in labor!). When my doula called me to check in, I told her now was probably the time to notify our birth photographer and head over. I wasn’t quite ready for the midwife team yet, but sent a quick text to her to keep her in the loop. 

Once my doula got here, we wrapped my belly in a ring sling for some extra support and went on a walk. That definitely encouraged contractions and we only made it about halfway around the block before I needed to stop and sway through them. After that, we headed back inside, finished blowing up the birth pool, and I went upstairs to use the bathroom. The stairs brought on more intensity and I decided now would be a good time to call my midwife. I’m not sure who did call her (probably my doula!), but I was relieved when both her and the secondary midwife walked in the door around 2/2:30. At that point we decided to call my mom over as well - Josh called her and she was so excited she hung up before he could say goodbye! 

In the meantime, it looked like it was getting ready to storm and we turned on my birth playlist. One of the songs I had on there was the opening song to The Notebook, which inspired us to put it on in the background on mute. With candles going, a cozy movie on, and moody light streaming through the windows, the scene was set. 

At last, my mom walked through the door and my whole team was there! I think that’s when it really hit me - I’m having a daytime baby! 

Soon enough, the tub was getting filled and although my contractions never felt like they had a pattern, I knew I wanted the relief from the tension building in my back that the water would bring. 

Knowing that walking around and climbing stairs helped bring on more intensity, Josh went with me to walk up to the bathroom before getting in the tub. At this point she was still high up in my pelvis but I figured with the movement of my hips +gravity that should help! It was not fun. 😅

After that I walked back down, stopped for another contraction, and got into the tub. The water felt SO good. I think this was about 3/3:30ish? But I was entering labor land and completely unaware of the time at this point. 

The contractions started to intensify to the point where I needed to moan through them, and I kept reminding myself to lean into the intensity. Some of them were coupling but then I would get a nice break. My arms and legs started getting tingly, I got nauseous, and I was pretty sure I was entering transition (or getting close to it).

I felt inside and was pretty discouraged I didn’t feel her head anywhere - I then felt my belly for her head which was STILL above my pelvis. At this point I started to get frustrated. Why was she still so high?! Someone suggested doing a modified Welchers in the tub to bring her down, so I gave it two contractions while feeling like a mermaid. Fun but it also sucked. 😂 

After that, the tub was starting to cool a little bit so I got out while the midwives reheated it to head to the bathroom. I sat on the toilet backwards and almost immediately my water broke! Best place for it too, because it was like a giant balloon popping. Someone said watch out for a head and I said I will absolutely not be birthing this baby on the toilet.

I got off and started to head back to the tub but had to stop for another contraction. While on hands and knees leaning over my birth ball, more water started coming. How was there this much fluid!? It was so wild. Hip squeezes really, really helped at this point and I was happy for the relief of them before getting back in the tub. 

Once I was back in the tub, that’s when I started feeling pushy. But her head was still no where near where I could feel it. I stretched back a lot and started moving my legs back and forth which brought on stronger contractions and I kept telling her to move down- finally I felt her shift. It was like her whole body just dropped and it was a really weird feeling! I got really hot at this point and a cool wash cloth on my head was perfect. My mom took over that part and her touch was exactly what I needed. 🤍 I’m not sure how long it was, but my contractions gave me a much needed break at that point while I took the time to cool down. 

After that, I could finally feel more pressure, especially in my butt. I think I said “it really does feel like I need to poop” (doula-ing myself here) so I knew that was a good sign! I started leaning into the intensity of the pushy feeling, determined to get her the heck out. I started talking to her a lot at this point, telling her she was wise and knew exactly what to do. Finally her head was crowning and the ring of fire was REAL. I felt all of her hair and told my midwife I think she needed to catch her when she came out, even though it was my plan to do it. Her head was coming and coming and coming, and I remember thinking holy shit this is taking ages. I had to keep pausing to let my body stretch, and I moved around a lot at this stage, helping change the shape of my pelvis to get her out. 

Finally, her head was out. I shifted again, felt her move, and then came her shoulders. Knowing my previous wishes, my midwife instead guided me with her words to reach down and pull my baby out of the water, so I did. (I could go on and on about why this is amazing and how important it is to have autonomy and a truly supportive birth team, but I digress.) On May 30, 2025 at 4:53 PM, Alice Grace was here! We did it. 🤍 
 

Very shortly after Alice was born (maybe 5-10 minutes?) I felt another contraction and my placenta detach. It was placed in a bowl and continued to pulse while attached to Alice. Both her and my placenta were huge! Her cord had to have pulsed for a solid 10 minutes (at least) and I remember thinking, this would never be “allowed” in the hospital (or it would be something I had to advocate for!)- how cool is this experience? During this time, her vitals were checked and she sounded great! I rubbed her back quite a bit to get her to cry and clear out her lungs some more, but she was pretty calm and happy to rest on me. 

Finally, the cord stopped pulsing, Josh cut it and I got out of the tub with the help of my team to settle in on the couch for the evening. I was sore but otherwise feeling really good! Josh held Alice as I was examined - no tears!! My doula thought this may be in part due to all her vernix and my patience in letting my body stretch.

Josh then went to go get Wylder from Nana’s because it was nearing his bedtime. He has since become obsessed with Alice, asking to hold her whenever he can! Their first meeting was less eventful - I think he was so tired after skipping his afternoon nap that he couldn’t be bothered about the new baby. 

We then ordered food (I requested chipotle which is the same meal I had my first full night with Wylder!) and while we waited on door dash, my midwife team did Ali’s newborn exam, taking her measurements and testing her reflexes. My guess for her weight was 11 lbs 3 oz and at 10 lbs 7 oz, I wasn’t too far off! 

Each of my babies have gotten bigger and bigger - you’ll hear me say “what is with these babies!” in my birth video after finding out she was nearly an entire pound bigger than her biggest older brother! 

Once newborn exams were done, my dad came over to meet her for the first time, and my mother-in-law (nana) brought the big 3 back over. The boys were all SO excited to meet her and give her gentle pats.

Shortly after, they went back for a sleepover at nana’s, our team and my parents left, and Josh and I curled up on the couch with our new baby girl. It was truly the perfect birth experience; the perfect closing to this chapter of our lives.  

Looking back at it all, this journey I’ve been on the past 8 years with so much life and so much loss, I believe with all of my heart that God’s timing was perfect.

Birth announcement video by Jacinta Lagos: