Margaret's Birth Story

Written by Hattiesburg Midwifery Mama, Meghan Dearman

My sweet Margaret, your "birth story" actually begins at conception for you. We had moved home to Mississippi a year prior to conceiving you and were living in a camper on land that we purchased right after Molly was born. We were trying to save up and figure out what kind of house we were going to build. We knew before you were conceived that you would be a home birth but when I found out I was pregnant with you, I was not stoked about giving birth to you in our cramped camper. It took your daddy about two months of brainstorming to come up with our house plans and to research how to build a house on YouTube.

We had about 6 months to build a house where I could birth you and chose to do it without taking out a mortgage. Your daddy and grandpaw spent pretty much every waking moment they weren't at work up at our land building the house so we could have a comfortable place to give birth. Lots of blood, sweat, and tears (literally) went into creating our home and we had so many friends and family step in and step up to help us!

We interviewed several Midwives in the early stages of house planning. Birth resources were very slim in Mississippi compared to when we had Molly in St. Louis. After several interviews and lots of prayers, we finally settled on a Midwife. She was fine but I never felt that we clicked just right. I was looking for connection on a more personal level especially with our birthing situation. I was so stressed about not finishing the house in time and giving birth in our camper. It just didn't have the peaceful, homey environment I was envisioning for our birth.

During my third trimester, I had started seeing information about a Midwife that had recently moved to Hattiesburg. She seemed so amazing but we were so late in pregnancy and we already had a Midwife. But doubt kept creeping in and then we found out your daddy would be sent to Estonia the weeks leading up to your due date. We finally found our birth photographer, Courtney, and met with her for your maternity pictures before daddy left. I mentioned some of my doubts and how I had seen Amanda, the Midwife in Hattiesburg, and she encouraged me to reach out. That was the push I needed and your daddy and I contacted Amanda the next day. We knew from the first phone call that she was IT! Thankfully she still had a spot left (a God thing considering we were already at 32 weeks!) and we switched care. Amanda was a breath of fresh air in the midst of all the chaos. She calmed my fears and continually reassured me that we would make a home birth work no matter the location. She also discovered that I had gestational diabetes, which had been missed by our previous Midwife. With a modified diet and close monitoring, we were able to keep that in check but it still brought a lot of fear. I needed your dad home and the house finished to feel at peace for your birth and gestational diabetes comes with the risk of an early birth. Thankfully with that diagnosis, your dad was able to come home early.

I started having Braxton Hicks off and on about a month before you were born. I was so stressed with everything going on that I thought you were going to come early. But the weeks passed, the Braxton Hicks continued, and the house was finally ready for us to move in! We spent our first night in the house on October 7th and I was so sure you were coming. But days kept passing and you stayed put! I was so surprised because your sister was a week early and I was so convinced with all that we had going on you'd for sure come early. 

Forty weeks rolled around and I was getting impatient. On October 14th, at 40 weeks and 3 days, I started experiencing some first trimester symptoms and was just generally really uncomfortable. I texted Amanda around 4:30 pm asking for some tips to get labor started. We had tried all the traditional things but you were determined to stay and come out when you wanted. Amanda and I discussed the Midwives Brew but ultimately decided to wait through the weekend. Then just after midnight, I started getting wave-like pains with a peak. I wasn't convinced it was labor since I'd been having Braxton Hicks so often. This was also so much different than your sister's birth. My water broke first with Molly and then contractions started at 2 minutes apart with her so there was no doubt I was in labor. With you, there wasn't much of a pattern in the beginning. 

We texted Amanda at 2 am letting her know we thought it had started and contractions were 5 minutes apart and lasting a minute long. Seth took over texting her not even 20 minutes later when I decided to move to the bathtub for comfort. By 3 am, my contractions were 2 minutes apart and I was having difficulty finding a position to be comfortable in. Seth went ahead and let Courtney and Amanda know to come but they had an hour drive to us. By 4 am, contractions were super intense and there wasn't really a break between them. I remember thinking "labor just started, how the heck can I endure this for hours more?" I kept repeating "you can do this" and "my baby and my body were made for this" through the non stop contractions.

Molly had woken up soon after labor started and was doing so good being there. She watched cartoons and sat in your daddy's lap helping comfort me in the tub and rubbing my arm. Nanna and Nee Nee showed up at some point in the midst of telling Amanda and Courtney it was go-time. My water broke in the tub and I sat up on my knees to drain the bathtub when I felt what could only be described as like a massive head butt to the cervix. I had absolutely no clue what it was and it scared me. I thought something was wrong so I yelled to get Molly out of the house. Nanna took Molly outside and I tried to stand up with Seth's help. I reached down to check and said "that's her head!" So he held me halfway standing and squatting and with one or two pushes, you were in my hands! I was in shock. Courtney and Amanda had just pulled up minutes prior! You came so quick and furious.

Your daddy pulled out his phone and took a selfie of the three of us and l'm so so thankful he did! Courtney began snapping as soon as she walked in but the picture your dad took is my most favorite. It captures the absolute shock I was feeling, your proud daddy, and all of sissy's bath toys on the wall in the house we had just finished. 

You were born at 4:24 am on October 15th. I told Amanda at some point "I swear I didn't take the midwives brew!" Your birth is so fitting for your personality. You are so independent and headstrong and will not be told or forced to do something you don't want to do. You came on your own time and at the perfect time. We are so thankful for you, Margaret Dawn.