On Monday, July 23rd I went to see my midwife because I had a rash on my arms, legs & stomach for a week. She did blood work (everything came out fine) and then checked me and said my cervix was very thin and I was dilated to 3 centimeters (this was around 10am). My midwife’s name is Tiffanie from Well Rounded Momma. Tiffanie told me I would have Thea that week. That night I walked with my mom for one hour, drank two raspberry leaf teas and had sex.

On my due date, July 24th my contractions started. Around 2 am I felt my first contraction. It was an odd feeling, didn’t last long & I wasn’t even sure it was a contraction until my 3rd one. It took me a while to fall asleep. In the morning I told Jesus & said I wasn’t going to time them until they got closer & stronger. I was leaking discharge or something. 

Around 3pm my sister and my three nieces arrived. We walked around the neighborhood for only 17 minutes because we couldn’t take the heat & then my sister had me walk up & down my stairs. The sun went down and we went back outside to walk. Jesus went to play basketball. My contractions were stronger & closer. My sister called into work so she could stay with me even though I told her not to because we weren’t sure it was the real deal. 

At 9:34pm I texted a picture of my timed contractions to Tiffanie and she told me to call the tub people to come over. I called & laid in my bed with Jesus counting contractions for an hour. I wasn’t nervous yet or scared. I was actually wondering if it was really happening. I didn’t want Ady to stay for nothing or the tub to be set up for no reason. I didn’t want to waste any one’s time. 

I asked Jesus to text our bishop & ask if he could come over & give me a blessing. Bishop Michaelson arrived at 11pm. My contractions were stronger but I held it together while he was here. Jesus, him & I went into the nursery and the bishop gave me a blessing. It was perfect. He said everything I need to hear, that the baby & I were both healthy and strong & that she was coming into a loving family. I was confident & excited. 

At 11:20pm the tub people arrived and began to set up. Jesus & I laid in our bed again for an hour & my contractions were lasting one minute and four minutes apart. I forced myself to call Tiffanie at 12:42am. She arrived at 1:20am. 

Jesus & I were in the nursery, the tub was almost ready, Ady took a picture of us all excited & smiling. Tiffanie checked me and I was 6 centimeters. I got into the tub and the water was warm, everything was perfect. Camila, a doula from Well Rounded Momma came also. While I was in the tub every contraction Jesus would massage me & push on my hips. I would breath & hum through my contractions like I learned in my birthing class. I would visualize breathing my baby down and getting one step closer to meeting her. 

After a while I told Jesus to go take a nap & let Ady take over for a little. He did. I threw up twice while in the tub which my midwife said was normal.
Tiffanie told me to tell her when I felt like I needed to poop. I kind of felt like I did but not that strongly. She said I would feel a strong urge. I kept having contractions & Camila helped me through them as they got stronger. She would put pressure on my back, hips & butt and it felt so good! She knew exactly how to help. 

Later, Tiffanie had me get out of the tub so she could check me. It was 11:30am when she saw my cervix wasn’t all the way dilated. My cervix was still intact on the top & it was pushing the baby’s head when I tried to push her out. Tiffanie said she could push it out of the way and over the baby’s head with her fingers during a contraction. She tried to do it a couple times & it hurt really bad. That was the worst pain during the whole labor. I was laying on the nursery floor, it’s daylight and I was very frustrated. The contractions hurt more out of the tub and even more when Camila put a “peanut” ball between my legs. That was the absolute worst. I started to cry because it just wasn’t working. It wasn’t going as I expected.

Although one of the affirmations I had written and hung in the nursery said, “I will accept whatever turn my birthing takes.” I couldn’t and I didn’t. I told Tiffanie & Camila to go home and we would try again tomorrow. I got mad at them. Tiffanie told me to go stand in the shower with Jesus & he held me while I cried. When we got out I was ready to tell Tiffanie to take me to the hospital. Deep down it wasn’t want I wanted but I was just so frustrated. 

Tiffanie brought Jesus & I into our room. She asked if we had gotten a blessing. We told her yes. She asked if I wanted her to tell my sister, nieces, mom, photographer to leave. I said no. She asked what was bothering me or blocking me, why I wasn’t surrendering. She told me to lay with Jesus on my bed for nine contractions. Three laying on my left side with the peanut ball, three on my right side and three with my chest on the bed and butt in the air. I cried and grunted so much during those contractions but I was determined. The last three Camila used a reboso to shake my hips and butt which made the contraction a little easier. 

When I was done I asked Jesus to call Tiffanie in our room. She checked me & said she was going to try to push the lip over again during the next contract. She did it! She almost broke her fingers doing it but the hard part was done. She asked if I wanted to go back into the tub or the nursery floor or even my bedroom floor and I told her no, I wasn’t moving from where I was. I didn’t care if my bed got dirty or anything I was going to give birth right then and there. 

Camila and Tiffanie put things on my bed to protect the sheets. Jesus & I were ready. I was done trying to take control of everything. Tiffanie was right. I needed to surrender. She said the right things to us and really made me focus. She was a strong voice telling me what was going to happen and Camila was the soft voice telling me I could do it. They were the perfect support team for us. I was rude to them during labor and  I wanted them to leave me alone but when it came time to push I didn’t want them to leave my sight. 

At 1:40pm on Wednesday I start to push. My sister recorded the whole event with my phone. I was laying on my side of the bed. Jesus was laying to the left of me and holding my leg. My mom was standing on my right holding my other leg. Camila was on my right next to my mom holding a flashlight. Tiffany was sitting on my bed right in-front of me and Ady was standing behind her. 

Tiffanie told me how to position myself and how to breath during a contraction. I was suppose to let the contraction come, let it build up, take a deep breath, hold as long as I could then let the air out quickly and repeat again before the contraction was over. As I was waiting for a contraction to come Jesus leaned over, kissed me on my forehead and said, “You’re so beautiful.” As I’m pushing my mom is wiping my face and telling me, “Tu puedes mija, tu eres fuerte.” I told Tiffanie to pull my baby out! During the “breaks” Tiffanie would explain what was happening and what was next.  At one point she had me reach down to feel my baby’s head. She said, “that’s her head. You got this.” Her and Camila kept saying I was doing awesome. (They knew I needed the assurance)

Jesus could see everything. He’s looking at me and then down at the baby’s head. I started to feel a burning sensation and Tiffanie told me that it’s the stretching. She told me to just breathe. I felt my baby’s head again. I pushed and Thea’s head came out then pushed again and she was completely out, crying on my chest. 2pm. The perfect moment. I held her and said, “Hi baby” Jesus said, “Baby you are so beautiful” like three times and then he said she cries so beautiful. He was crying & I was crying. She is perfect. Everything was perfect. 

At 2:22pm Jesus cut her umbilical cord and a minute later I nursed her for the first time. Jesus weighed her at 3:30pm, 7lbs 11 ounces. Tiffanie washed her head in my sink and then Jesus put on her 1st diaper & held her while I got cleaned up. She is the perfect baby.

I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for the opportunity to carry Thea for nine months and meeting her and holding her for the first time. I know she chose us to be her parents and God trusts us enough to send her to us. I am forever indebted to Him. He was with me through the journey and kept Thea and I healthy and safe. 

I am grateful to Thea. She is our gift from God. She picked me as her mom! She would move so much inside my belly and every time I would worry that I hadn’t felt her move, she would give me a strong kick always reassuring me that all was well. She helped me through labor and we got through it together. She has made me a mother. She is making me think about things that never crossed my mind and see the wold in a whole new light. She has brought Jesus and I closer. Every day she brings so much joy to me and everyone around her. 

I am grateful for my husband, Jesus. He took care of me during my pregnancy and made me feel beautiful. He supported my ideas and went to every dr apt, attended birthing classes, watched home birth videos and did research with me. During labor he was amazing. He knew exactly what to say to me and how to massage and hold me. He was there with me, going through everything with me. He was so brave and I knew he was doing his absolute best. He is amazing. 

I am grateful for my mom. She wasn’t on board when I told her I was having a home birth and she kept saying she wouldn’t be in the room. During labor she would come in and out of the room just to check on me but her nervousness wouldn’t let her stay. When it came time to push she was there, holding my leg, wiping my sweat, wiping Jesus’s tears, saying encouraging words. I know if she could she would of felt the pain for me. She put her fear aside and came in the room to help. She was brave.

I am grateful for my sister who came as soon as I started having contractions. During my pregnancy she brought me stuff to make help my nausea and always looked out for me. She called out of work and stayed by my side. She took pictures and videos. When Jesus needed a break she would step in. She is a calm person so she made me calm. 

Lastly, I couldn’t have done it without Tiffanie. She was always reassuring me and answering all my questions during the pregnancy. She made me so happy every time I met with her and she would check the baby’s heartbeat she always said, “she sounds perfect” (I’m sure she says that to everyone) While in labor I felt like giving up but she wouldn’t let me. When she took Jesus & I into our room and asked why I wasn’t surrendering I realized I had so much more left in me. I was trying to be in control of everything and it was time to relax and focus on meeting my baby. I told her I was so close to telling her to take me to the hospital and she said she knew. I trust Tiffanie, I trust her with my body and more importantly, with my baby. Three weeks later and I am still texting her random questions and she responds. 

She made the perfect team with Camila. Camila made me feel relaxed. Sometimes I liked her more than Tiffanie. She massaged me and helped me through contractions. She was sweet and kept telling me to imagine my baby, her little hands and tiny toes. She kept saying how great I was doing and I knew she meant it. 

I loved my labor and my contractions. I had the best team helping me and we all wanted the same thing, to meet our sweet Thea. I would do it all over again