Homebirth at Age 48

The Birth Story of Mary Edith: Our Ninth Child, Ninth Natural Birth

I was expecting my ninth child. This was our sixth planned homebirth. I had hired the wonderful Gerri Ryan as my midwife. She was the midwife for my last two children who were born at our home in Ramona, CA. Gerri provided all my prenatal care.

Contractions were light. I chose to ignore them because having a baby didn’t fit into my schedule for the day. I continued with my plans for the day. My focus was cleaning our house so it would be tidy and sparkle when the new baby arrived and watching two of my older children show their animals at the San Diego Fair in Del Mar. They had been preparing for this day all year. About 4 p.m. when we were at the fairgrounds, I realized that I could be in active labor. Contractions continued while my husband and I stood in the barn for three hours watching two of our daughters show their chickens at the fair. Most of the three hours, I held Caleb (3) on my contracting abdomen but I was too involved with my other children to pay attention to the contractions.

After the show, I tidied our fairgrounds room in jockeys’ quarters and packed up the stroller with things to take home. By this time, I realized that we would need to go home to have the baby rather than spending the night at the fairgrounds as originally planned. Contractions were continuing. About 7:30 p.m., I called Gerri to let her know that I might be in labor.

When I was walking, I saw a mom who was a former childbirth educator. I told her that I was leaving to have my baby at home. She said she wished she could have had her babies at home. I was so glad that I could have my babies at home which is the place where I feel safe, comfortable, and supported. Since contractions continued and were getting stronger, I was glad that I had the stroller to lean on when I had strong contractions.

When I arrived at the pot-luck I announced to the 4-H club parents that we would provide hot dogs and hamburgers for the 4^th of July potluck, five days later. I was asked if I would make beans and I answered it depends on when the baby is born. A few minutes later, our club leader asked if I was okay because I was making funny faces. I said I was having contractions and needed to find my husband, Jeff, so we could go home. I said I had texted him “time to time” and he hadn’t responded. He hadn’t understood my subtle message.

Jeff appeared and we had a quick meeting with the other 4-H parents. It was decided that since Elizabeth (15), Seth (12), and Lydia (9) needed to be with their animals at 6 a.m. because their lambs were being shown the next day and we could not guarantee to get them back in time, the other parents would take care of them that night. The parents assured us that they would take good care of our children.

By 9 p.m. we were on the way home (an hour drive) with Susanna (7) and Caleb (3). Jeff drove and I sat in the front seat. Jeff timed contractions and we called Gerri. She asked if she should head to our house now, and I said “No, I will call you when I got home.” Sitting down while having contractions was not the most comfortable position. I told Jeff when the contractions started and finished. During one significant contraction about 30 minutes from home, I decided that after the contraction was finished, we would call Gerri and tell her to start the hour drive from her house to our house. During that contraction my water broke. Before I left the house in the morning, I had put a big towel on the floor of the front seat so I was able to grab it and sit on it. During the rest of the 30 minute ride home two more large gushes of amniotic fluid came out.

Jeff called Gerri on the speaker phone and told her to drive to our house. When we arrived home, we decided that Ted (21) would clean up the amniotic fluid in the car and that Jeff would focus on me. I had a standing contraction in the hallway holding onto Jeff.

I walked to our spacious master bathroom to wait for our baby to arrive. I went on my hands and knees just as I had for our last two babies. I have now decided this is my optimal position to give birth. That said, standing has worked very well too for the delivery of three of my babies. Ted, Susanna, and Caleb were watching me. I announced when a contraction started and stopped. Jeff wrote down the contractions.

They were as follows: 10:06, 10:09, 10:12, 10:17, 10:19, 10:20.

I told Jeff that the baby was coming and told Ted to take pictures. The original plan had been that Seth would be the photographer but sometimes you must make adaptations to the birth plan.

This was my first time having someone photograph the birth. I am very happy with the pictures that Ted took. Jeff announced, “the head is out.” Then the body came out. Jeff caught our baby. Ted said the time was precisely 10:30 p.m. Susanna’s job was to announce if the baby was a boy or girl. Jeff, Ted, and I had all seen before she announced that we had a girl. Part of my birth plan is assigning jobs to our children during and right after the birth. It is also a top priority of mine that my children get to witness the birth and to be involved.

Jeff handed me the baby (our sixth daughter) and I nursed her. She was born at 10:30 p.m. We wrapped her in some towels. Ted texted Rachel (24), Sarah (18), and Elizabeth that the baby was born. We Facetimed with our oldest daughter, Rachel who was in Massachusetts. We Facetimed with Elizabeth, Seth, and Lydia at the fairgrounds.

Ten minutes after the birth Gerri arrived. Heather, our second midwife, came a few minutes after Gerri. At that point I was sitting on the bathroom floor nursing our baby. An hour after the birth, I delivered the placenta. About 90 minutes after the birth Jeff decided that we would clamp and cut the umbilical cord. Ted cut it since Jeff had already done this for the first eight children.

Gerri and Heather checked me and the newborn, cleaned up and left. All was well. Jeff tucked Susanna and Caleb into bed. We slept with Mary between us going to bed at 1:30 a.m. I was very surprised how many hours our new baby had stayed awake after her birth. Newborn Mary slept soundly her first night. We didn’t wake up until 9 a.m. the next morning. It had been an exciting night.

Mary Edith was my last baby. Her labor and delivery was one of my easiest and very straight forward. In hindsight. I was in active labor for only about 6 1/2 hours. Perhaps I was in early labor for four hours before that.

Two days later, Elizabeth, Seth, and Lydia were so excited to meet their new baby sister. They ran into the room where we were teaching Bradley^® classes. Our couples had offered to come back another evening when they arrived and realized that we had a new baby. I declined their offer because it is so challenging to reschedule. As parents of many children, our schedule is pretty full and rescheduling can be complicated.

When Gerri came to our house for the follow up check, I asked her if she had ever had a mom who was 48 before or had so many babies (grand multip). Her answer was that the letter that my family physician wrote saying that I was a good candidate for a homebirth meant a lot to her. He had agreed to be my back up when I asked him if he would and had offered to write a letter. I had always known that my grandmother gave birth to her last child at the age of 48 and that her mother and sister gave birth to their last babies at 50. In my family I had never heard anyone express concerns about a mother expecting “later in life.”

At the age of 48, I gave birth at home to our ninth and final baby. The labor and birth was simple and beautiful.