Madeline's Birth Story -Fast, Unassisted, Unplanned Homebirth!
Our journey to Madeline Rose has been quite the adventure since day one. After getting married in April of 2016 we decided that we wanted to expand our family of 3 to a family of 4 .
We very quickly found out that just because you already have one child together , and you want another - it doesn’t meant you WILL get another one.
After a ton of fertility testing , lots of prayer , and months of disappointment - we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility.
( Insert 2 year long secondary infertility journey)
We were waiting for my cycle to start in March of 2018 so that we could do our first round of IUI when I got a positive test!!
The entire pregnancy was : complication, scare, complication - but nevertheless, it was perfect . We shared every moment publicly with friends, family and strangers - which helped immensely getting through the tough times!
From all day sickness - to 5 weeks of bedrest due to a partial placental abruption - and many things in between - we had a closely monitored pregnancy and got to see miss Maddie often which kept our minds positive .
.
.
37 weeks was the first time I was checked . 3cm and 50% effaced - WINNING !
This is when my doctor mentioned that we could do a membrane sweep , and explained what it was .
38 weeks .... 4cm and 50% .... ok .... so we thought , let’s do the membrane sweep , why not ! Following the sweep I had a prenatal massage - and it was GLORIOUS ! But the day went by and I still felt normal AF , so I lost hope that it was working . Which took us to Friday .
Friday morning was rough . My anxiety and depression kicked in hard and I felt so out of control . So I spent the remainder of the day calming and refocusing my mind .
I started by writing out some affirmations .
“Everything is unfolding perfectly.”
-My baby is coming to meet me at exactly the right time in exactly the right way. I got this !
-I have complete confidence that my body is working perfectly .
-Slow down, calm down, don’t worry, don’t hurry . Trust the process .
-My pelvis is releasing and opening.
-I set aside my worries and allow my body to do its job .
Then went and got the most deluxe mani -pedi my salon had to offer , letting Andy, my nail tech, know that I was trying to have this baby! After that we hit up target to get some last minute things for the nursery and I went home.
That night I bounced on my yoga ball while doing some nipple stimulation - followed by a hot bath and bed .
7am hit and we started getting our 7 year old, Macie, ready to go - she was leaving for the day / night for an overnight Girl Scout camp! While there we all joked about how I would have the baby while she was gone at the camp.
I was signing her permission slip around 8:10 when I started getting cramps. We hung around for a little longer and then went home.
I continued to have these nagging cramps - so I decided to get ready right away “just Incase” .... that is when I started asking myself ... are these more than just cramps? I can’t tell if they are coming in waves? Could this be labor? No .... surely I am just being a baby , these are just cramps.
Between these waves of “cramps” (that I had to breath through) I was putting on my lashes , because ... #priorities! I turned on my curling irons and was going to start curling my hair when I decided to call Claire, our doula.
9:04am
She suggested I try to time some of the contractions and hop in the bath - so I did . But the bath was short lived .... the contractions were too strong and I wanted to labor around the house .
Meanwhile - my app I was using to track popped up with a notification that said “ head to the hospital!” Which freaked me out .... this was becoming so real.
I called Claire again at 9:12 - she listened to my contractions that were 2-3 minutes apart and we decided it would be a good idea to head into the hospital .
Highlight of this conversation : “but my water hasn’t broken yet , will they just send me home ?!” ... she told me no , I should head in.
So , we printed the birth plan and Köhl started running around the house, grabbing all of our stuff to get it in the car .
My contractions were stopping me in my tracks - so I was leaning over the side of our couch when I felt what I thought was my water breaking , and sure enough when I went to the bathroom to change .... bloody show and lots of water ....
This was for real .
After I sat down on the toilet to change - I knew I wasn’t getting up . The contractions were getting stronger and closer together . Kohl brought me new undies and pants to put on for the car ride to the hospital, but there was no chance I was going to get them on. I wasn’t moving from that toilet!
He was on the phone with my doula, Claire, updating her on the fact that I was insisting I wasn’t moving - she told him to just throw a towel over me and throw me in the car .
Looking back - I’m glad that my body kicked into overdrive and sent me the signal to push shortly after that - otherwise our bathroom birth would have been a “side of the road” birth!
After that first push - I felt things opening up down there and I told Kohl , “I think her head is coming out !!!!” To which he replied , “Ok ! Should I call Claire back , or call 911 ?!”
I yelled - 9.1.1 !!!!
As he was talking to the 911 dispatcher , I gave another push and reached my hand down to feel ... that was definitely her head!
The dispatcher told kohl that I couldn’t be sitting up so to have me lay down - again ... not a chance LOL .So kohl threw off his coat - you know, like how they do in the movies when a stranger jumps in to save the day ;) .... picked me up and laid me down on the floor.
Immediately when he did that - a HUGE gush of water came out - and so did her head !!!!
Game time .
I remember thinking - “omg , I still have to push the rest of her body out ! Get it together , girl - this is going to be the hard part!”
I grabbed onto the side of the tub that was behind my head and with about 2 more very loud moans / screams & pushes .... she flew right out of me and Kohl caught her!
9:34am - Madeline Rose Gygi joined her mommy and daddy earth-side.
That moment I felt slight panic and remember saying - “wait , what do we do now ?! Don’t they usually do something when they come out ?!” (Thinking about how they make sure the airways are clear) ...and then we heard her let out a few cries - which put all of our minds at ease!
Shortly after that , we heard a knock at the door and someone walked in the house ...
“YES , the paramedics are here!”
WRONG ... still no paramedics .... just a really sweet cop who kept our minds at ease until they showed up. All the while I was sitting on the floor with our baby girl attached to me - covered in a bath towel , staring up at me - both of us amazed at what just happened.
When the paramedics showed up they helped kohl cut the cord - and I walked out to our garage covered in a blanket ... bloody cord dangling between my legs. The female body is incredible.
Maddie and I took an ambulance ride to the hospital for my to deliver the placenta , while Kohl followed in the car with all of our things. I was SO relieved to see Nicole and Claire waiting for us when we got off the ambulance!
They were both there to support as I delivered the placenta (which is oddly more painful and challenging than you’d think LOL) - while we waiting for Kohl to arrive. Once he was there - I felt so at peace! They checked us in and that was when our postpartum journey began.
Madeline Rose Gygi
Born at 9:34am
7lbs 3oz , 20 inches
