Hudson’s Birth Story
On Thursday last week I had a BPP scan done as I was 41 weeks and 3 days pregnant with Hudson, if you haven’t grabbed your popcorn and read through the comments on that post, you might find it entertaining. Somehow that post reached nearly 700,000 views and strangers had all sorts of opinions on our choices. Hudson stubbornly was chill during the appointment and would not move for the tech. Though he had been moving almost the entire one and half hour trip to Tallahassee. I knew this would impact the score so I literally tried everything I could think of to get him to move, drinking cold water, eating a rx bar, pelvic tilts on the floor, and yet nothing. Little man was comfy.
We got in the car and called Jordan Miles, our midwife, to talk us off a ledge. We waited for her to get the scan report and she called to say it was exactly as we had said, docked points in score for lack of movement. Trusting me that he was in fact moving and there was no need for a medical concern at this point, She gave us a few options.
At 38 weeks I was confident there was no way I could make it to my due date. Openly communicating this and most of my providers seemed to be in agreement that I was “ready”. I felt miserable. Then as my due date approached it was like something shifted and in kicked a second wind and my body rallied. Knowing Hudson would come on his time when he was ready and we may have to patiently wait.
The longer I was pregnant the less miserable I became. I had contractions for weeks off and on and several this could be the start of him coming moments, but then I’d just fall asleep to contractions and wake up to tackle the next day. Aware that every contraction prior to active labor was my body doing work and would be one less contraction I’d have to have while in active labor.
On Friday last week, after praying about what to do being 41 weeks and 4 days pregnant, we decided that I would try a concoction of two tablespoons of peanut butter mixed with two table spoons of castor oil and eaten with an apple. (Castor oil only works if your baby is actually ready, if babe is not ready, it won’t do anything). We planned the timing with the doulas and the midwife. Ronny Brown made his way home as I took the last few bites of the incredibly tasty snack, that I actually enjoyed and jokingly asked if I should lick the bowl. I ate this at 2:40 pm.
By 3:30 I was having some contraction feelings, but I communicated to the doulas I didn’t want them to arrive too prematurely as nothing felt consistent and I was bebop-ping around the house putting laundry away and tidying things up.
At 4:30 ish Angela Stewart Dalton, my doula, showed up and found me sitting on the toilet (thank you castor oil) and started tracking my contractions (something I have not done well with). They were coming roughly 3 minutes apart, but I was clueless, continuing to have full on conversations with her as she sat on the floor in our bathroom.
About 40 minutes later Jordan arrived, and at 5:20 Ronny began filling the birth tub up with water.
Sometime after this I decided I wanted to try and get up from the toilet, barely making it to the side of bed before another contraction hit. I crawled up on the bed before the next contraction and as Angela was hip squeezing me through the next several contractions I felt Hudson drop, and my body started pushing. I said “I think I just pushed” to which everyone in the room said “you did”.
I was going to move to the tub, but the water was too hot as things had progressed so quickly.
Not really thinking I’m about to have a baby, I found myself leaned over the birth ball, in probably the tightest spot of our bedroom. Between the window and our bed, the space became sacred as Hudson made his arrival at 6:02 pm. It was so incredibly beautiful and peaceful. Yet I’m 2 for 2 of birthing kids not in the intended birth tub. The real champ, Ronny who caught Hudson before passing him up to me and then asking Jordan if we got a discount because he caught Hudson
Hudson Charles meaning Adventurous - Free Man was born at 6:02 pm weighing 8 lbs 13 ounces and was 22 inches long. He is a precious gift. Praying that adventuring with Jesus would lead to a tremendous story for his life, and that as a free man (in Christ) he would not find himself bound to the things of this world.
By 7:33, I was laying in the bed, eating Hibachi Steak from Senior Sushi, that Ronny had a friend drop off, making guesses on how much he would weigh and watching as Hudson was put in the cozy scale and celebrating as I guessed his weight accurately!
6 days later and I’m still shocked how quick things went and how good I feel, mentally and physically.
Big brother Waylon is still adjusting. He loves “baby Hudson” and wants to know what he’s doing or where he is, but he hasn’t been ready to touch him yet. With each passing day he is growing closer though. Yesterday he insisted they match, including they both must wear sunglasses.
Team Brown party of 4 is working to figure out how we operate and have been incredibly thankful to have my mom here helping us as we adjust.
He was born with a significant tongue tie like Big brother Waylon. To the point that he wasn’t nursing and couldn’t suck on a bottle and get anything out. We have proactively been working on getting that addressed this week. Tomorrow, Ronny and I will drive 4 hours to Pelham, Alabama for him to have a release done at 3 pm and then we will heavily do body work to help release tension in his little body. Would appreciate your prayers that everything goes well with the travel and release.
I cannot say enough great things about With Women Midwifery and Mama's Friend Birth Services! I cannot Imagine a birth without them!
