
Audrey Roloff's Home Birth Story
If you're not a reader, you can watch my full peaceful pain-free home birth vlog here, or listen to the full story on our podcast here.
My technical due date was May 24. I’ve been late or on my due date with all of my other babies, but I kept thinking this baby might come early. Mostly because of how much I was on my feet towards the end of pregnancy as we were moving back into our house. I typically have non-stop Braxton Hicks throughout my entire 3rd trimester, but they are especially consistent during the last few weeks of pregnancy, so I’m always on edge for when they may take a turn. I don’t typically get other prelabor signs. My water never breaks until the end of labor or not at all.
On May 22nd, I had my 40 week midwife apt. I asked her to sweep my membranes in hopes of getting things going. She tried but then told me she couldn't effectively do it because my cervix was still really high and back. She said I was a couple cm dilated, but that I probably wouldn’t go into labor until the weekend (this was Wednesday). I’ve had my membranes swept at 40+ weeks with all the kids to get things moving, but my cervix positioning has never been an issue, so I got a little nervous about that. That evening I wanted to do some things to help promote good positioning and help my cervix come down. So after getting the kids to bed, I went for a little evening walk while Jer was wrapping up a phone call. It was a super warm evening for Oregon in May, so I walked up the hill on our street and did some lunges. Then I walked the dirt road to my parents house through the clover field. At one point I stopped at the top of the hill overlooking the trestle and just watched the clover dance over the rolling hills as the wind blew. I sensed the word “movement,” which is ironically something I wanted to be more intentional about during this labor. With my other labors I have tended to find a position that’s comfortable and then stayed there.
This particular evening was the Survivor season finale (literally the only show we watch) so we planned to stay up later than normal😜 When I returned from my walk we started watching. I bounced on the birthing ball and did some bridge lifts while we cheered on Charlie (IYKYK). We started watching pretty late, so we didn’t actually finish until midnight. About 30 minutes before it ended, I rolled over on the couch and accidentally peed😳These babies really do get lower and lower with each pregnancy, am I right? Then I kept having to go to the bathroom a lot after that. I even put on a pad because I kept leaking. But again was not at all thinking labor was soon because of my appointment and because I was actually not even having any Braxton Hicks while we were watching, except for one kind of different crampy one that I made note of at 11:45.
When we were getting into bed I started to have some more contractions. Jeremy fell asleep, but I stayed awake to time a few of them. In my previous labors I just go from lots of Braxton Hicks for weeks, to closer together ones for a few hours, and then straight into full on active labor that progresses really quickly from there. From 1:00 am-2:00 am they were maybe 10 min apart but I wasn’t exactly sure because I was half asleep attempting to time them. By 2:00 am I was up walking around the house moving through them and at this point considering that I might actually be in labor. I had texted my midwife at 1:30 (didn’t call) just to give her a heads up that I was having a lot of contractions.. but I told her I would call if they picked up more. She saw my text somehow and was about to get some of her stuff ready just in case - an good thing she did.
From 2:00-3:00 my contractions were about 7ish minutes apart on average. At this point I had the mood lights on, my Christian Hypnobirthing app playing, some calming oils in the diffuser, and changed into my comfy labor clothes. I filled my water bottle and dumped in some LMNT electrolytes. At 2:52 I called my midwife back and said I was definitely in labor, and we made a plan for her to come in about an hour. I think she doubted that I was even close because of how calm I was on the phone through a contraction. I still thought I had a long time because the waves were not super intense, I wasn’t having any nausea or getting shaky (like I did right before labor intensified with my other births). Leading up to her birth I had this strong feeling that she was going to come early in the morning. I had actually written down what I envisioned and desired for her entire birth (have never done this with the other kids). And one of the things I envisioned was the sunrise coming through our bedroom window while holding her for the first time. The sunrise wasn't until 5:30 so I kept thinking it wasn’t going to be until at least then. Basically after I called my midwife, the contractions started getting closer together more like 5 minutes apart. I got a sharpie and wrote Always More on my hand.
At 3:20 I called my friend who was coming to photograph my birth since. She lives 50 min away. I told her I was in labor and that I may still have a while… but asked her of she would just come and welcomed her to just sleep on the couch until things got closer. She was like “wow you’re so calm for being in labor!” At the time I was really questioning myself and if I was calling her and my midwife too soon, but in hindsight my intuition was perfect. I truly believe every mothers intuition is their best guide through birth - and beyond for that matter😜
At 3:25 I called my friend who was coming to help with stuff at the house and also take a video of her being born. At this point I told Jer to start filling up the birth tub, still questioning if it was too soon. We had it already blown up in our bedroom for weeks, so we just needed to start filling it with water. While it was filling, I was walking around the house and had some contractions going up and down the stars, hanging from the kids climbing bars in the playroom, leaning over our bathroom counter, kneeling at the side of the bed, on the birth ball, standing holding Jer and on the toilet (which is where they were the most intense). I kept having to pee, but every time I sat on the toilet a contraction would come and they were always a step up in intensity from other positions. Truly the toilet is magic for getting the baby in optimal position and helping you to relax in a way that allows efficient progress. I almost had Bode on the toilet😅I think that the combo of toilet sitting, all the movement and position changing, and not getting in the tub right away, were all things that helped to speed my labor and get my cervix and baby girl in optimal positioning. At 3:30 I was still thinking I had a few hours of labor at least. I took a video of one of my contractions at 3:29 EXACTLY an hour before she was born and I was breathing through them with no pain no problem.
At 3:47 I called my midwife again and told her she should definitely come now if she hadn’t left yet. She had a 30/40 min drive. At 3:53 I called to wake up my mom and told her not to rush but that I was in labor and to come and not wake up Ember yet. I took a photo of myself in the birth pool at 4:08 shortly after I got in. Both of my friends arrived around this time and my mom arrived shortly after them. By 4:15 I started to have some intense contractions and they were the first ones where I became vocal. I had Jer call my midwife back to see how close she was at 4:18 and she assured me that she was 3 min out😮💨 I felt like my body was holding back and tensing up a little until she got there. The contraction after I got off the phone with her was probably one of my most intense. I felt a shift in sensation. If she was more than 3 min away I think I would have started to push on that next contraction… but since she was so close I knew I could wait. Before her birth I had already come to terms with the possibility that my midwife may not make it and I felt totally at peace about it. We had a good plan in place if that were to happen so it didn’t freak me out in the moment, but I still preferred her to be there.
At 4:22 she arrived and I still had my swimsuit bottoms on but was starting to feel a little pushy. 4:24 I told my mom to wake up Ember during a contraction where I sensed that I was close. My midwife listened to the heartbeat with the doppler and couldn't help but smile. It was such a timely and sweet reminder of the precious life I was about to hold. Then Jer helped me get my swimsuit bottoms off and I had to float my legs back on the water for a second behind me. This was the contraction before I started to push and I just sensed that that movement of floating on the water for a second helped get her in perfect position. At 4:26 I was moaning “ahhh pushy… head!” and started to have some low growls and I felt the fire…4:27 I yelled, “Jeremy catch her!” Ember and my mom came into the room. 4:28 I started to crown and my midwife confirmed it. Her head came out and Jer and my midwife were supporting it as I was in my go to birthing position, leaning over the edge of the tub on my knees. Jer said “you got this Audrey you’re about to meet baby girl I can feel her, she’s right here…” I lifted my head up and smiled so big in that brief moment of pause in between her head and body coming out. My friend got the perfect photo of me at that exact moment. I was still so relaxed and felt in control of my body. I wasn’t gripping anything or resisting. My arms were literally dangling over the edge of the birth pool and my body felt fully surrendered to the miraculous process. During the next contraction I made a loud low growl, and the rest of her body shot out summer salting into the water.
Mirabella May Roloff was born May 23rd at 4:29. On a full moon. Jer and my midwife helped her through my legs and into my arms for the first time. I grabbed her in my arms and said “oh baby girl” and turned over to sit leaning back against the tub in pure euphoria. There is no high like the birthhigh. The veil is so thin. It truly is a “on earth as it is in heaven” moment. She cried pretty immediately and my midwife reassured me that she sounded great. After the crazy transition from labor, to birth high, to back into the world… I finally looked at her face more closely and said “oh she’s so alert!” After clearing her lungs her eyes were open and she was so calm. Everyone else in the room was so happy and crying it was beautiful to have people I love there witnessing it all. Everyone was in shock that it happened so fast and in awe that they made it in time. It was so special to have my mom and Ember there this time.
Looking back now, God gave me the perfect intuition for when to call people and do certain things during labor. My midwife showed up 6 minutes before she was born. My mom woke Ember and they literally ran down the stairs and she was born the contraction after they came into the room. My friend taking photos arrived with just enough time to capture a few photos of me in labor still along with the birth and golden hour. I just knew exactly when call people, when to start filling the tub, when to get in the tub, when to wake up Ember, and when I was about to start pushing. I felt so calm and in control the entire time and never had any fearful thoughts. Contractions were not painful, just intense, except for the one where I was nervous for a moment that my midwife may not make it. I had no hemorrhaging but we did the active third stage management again as a precaution (we did with Radley too because of my hemorrhaging with Bode experience).. My mom woke up Bode right after Mirabella was born so he could come in and watch the rest and soak in the golden hour with us. I thought we might wake him for the birth, but there really wasn’t even time to consider it by the time I started pushing. Kissing the kids while still in the tub holding their baby sister was magical. We woke Radley up once I was settled in bed to get a picture of all of us. It was almost sunrise at this point.
The entire birth was so calm, peaceful, and honestly casual. I felt super capable and in control all the way to the end. I had my Hypnobirthing app playing during my whole labor and the golden hour after, and I believe it helped me stay in the right mental space and brought so much calm to the room. HIGHLY recommend and wish I had this with my other births. I also loved going through her course along with the Pain Free childbirth course which I can’t recommend enough if you are hoping for a physiological birth (whether at home, in the birth center, or in the hospital). The Pain Free childbirth course is mindblowing incredible. I also wish I had discovered this before having my other babies.
I LOVED the home birth experience. One of my favorite things about it was how it was just Jeremy and I in our bedroom setting things up together, hanging out and just trying to be fully present cherishing the experience together with no interruptions. We laughed, talked, kissed, and listened to the tracks playing in the background. It wasn’t until the last 20 minutes of labor that we were no longer alone, which was very different from my other births. It was also soooo nice to not have to pack up to leave, and I think eliminating that stress and the logistics that come with it brought so much ease to the whole experience for me. I never felt tense.. My hands were open the whole time and I felt completely surrendered and trusting of my body and the process. This was the first labor I made it through with no cuss words😂 Mirabella wasn’t born in the sac like Radley, but my water must have broken when she was coming out because I never felt it break. She came out with lots of vernix all over and a lot of dark hair!! Oh how I love birth. And I really just grow to love it even more. The miracle and beauty of it all has me more in awe each time.
Here’s some of the links to things I mentioned that were extremely helpful in preparing me for/supporting me during Mirabella’s birth:
Christian Hypnobirthing course Use code AUJ for 20% off!
Pain Free Childbirth Course Use code AUDREYR10 for 10% off
Our red light Use code ROLOFF for 10% off
2 comments
Hey! These links are no longer working, are you able to send the links?
Jordan Hunsinger
Roloff. Newsletter please
Tracy smith
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