Lisa's Unassisted Birth Story of Grace

Grace is our 5th daughter.  Grace was an unassisted birth, born after 45 minutes of labor (belly dancing in the shower) all alone.

Everyone else in my house was asleep; she was born early in the morning, 11 days "late".  I knew, the entire time I was pregnant, that she would be born alone.  I intended to be alone, so I could focus on the needs of my body and baby.  

I didn't realize she would be born so quickly.

I turned off the shower water because it was starting to run cold and I intended to go sit on the birth ball in my bedroom. When the water stopped flowing over me, though I found I didn't want to leave the bathroom.  It was steamy and warm and I felt like I might vomit.

I didn't vomit, I just rested my head on the cold porcelain edge of the tub for a few minutes and was jerked back to reality with the feeling of the baby descending.

When that contraction ended, I was able to shift into a different position, and lean back a little, and put a few extra towels on the floor.  Then I closed my eyes to wait for the next wave of contraction.  I didn't feel one; I just felt the baby rushing through me and into my hands.

I wrapped her up in the softest towel and just stared at her little face.  Her cries woke up the whole rest of the family, my husband came flying into the bathroom and so did the other girls.  

An hour later I was making pancakes for the family, going up & down the stairs to wash a load of towels, putting a roast in the crock pot and helping one of my daughters with math problems.

Later that day we went to the park and I swung on the swings.