The Birth Story of Rhye James

Rhye’s story began in February 2020. When I randomly decided to take a pregnancy test, I fully expected it would be negative. Two little pink lines quickly appeared and I was SHOCKED. I already had 5 children and I had finally came to a place where I felt like I was done. My family felt complete. I was thankful that pregnancy lasts 9 months because it took that long to accept that another little person would be joining the crew of boys.

My pregnancy was not an easy one. It was my hardest. I ate healthy, I worked out almost every day until 32 weeks, I did everything I could think of to feel better. My body was extremely tired and often very sore. I had insomnia for hours almost every night. This lead me to be irritable much of the time which is not something I am used to! I tried focusing on the positives. I made a detailed birth planned with my doula. I created a birth play list. At night, I would visualize my baby being born as I fell asleep.

Starting around 32 weeks, Rhye was breech. Although I knew he had plenty of time to turn, I knew I needed to starting doing things to help him turn around. I was very nervous. At 34 weeks, he was still breech. My last three children were born at home and this baby would be the first to be born at a birth center. I knew a breech birth was not possible at a birth center. I started exploring hospital provider options in the Twin Cities that supported vaginal breech births, just in case. The options are incredibly slim. The baby would make big movements every morning when I was laying down. He would move from transverse, to breech, to head down, pretty much daily. I tried really hard to not worry and trust that everything would work out. I tried doing some Spinning Babies, I sat on the ball while I worked and I saw my chiropractor weekly.

I kept coming to my prenatal appointments and almost every time he was either breech or transverse. The amazing midwives at Health Foundations were so patient with me. I would come in for position checks to find that he was head down, I would be relieved and then he would move again. The midwives referred me to an OB twice to have an external version done but then he would move. Such a tricky little baby! At around 37/38 weeks, I decided to trust my baby and trust my body. I was going to let my labor and birth take whatever course it would. I had a strong sense that there was a reason that my baby wasn’t ready to stay head down and engage. I knew I needed to trust him. My midwives supported that decision.

My mom arrived at 39 weeks to help me prepare for his arrival and stay with me postpartum. Everyone thought he would come a little early so this felt like a good plan. It was soon after she arrived that Rhye made his way head down and stayed put!

The days passed and I was so uncomfortable. I had so many contractions and they were pretty intense! There were times I thought for sure that labor would start. I was worried that my mom would not get to stay long after he was born and that felt stressful. I was struggling with wanting to get thing moving and also just trusting the process. At 41 weeks 2 days, Amy, one of my midwives, agreed to try and break my water. I was so nervous. The baby looked great and I knew the risk was very minimal but I still felt nervous. I felt guilt for not allowing him to choose his birthday. She tried but he was not having it! His head was still too high. I decided to go home and rest and do some exercises and try again later that afternoon. I went back to the birth center at 4:00pm to try again and she ALMOST had it but he wiggled his little head up. Haha! I think I was actually a little relieved because I felt so nervous about it.

After the birth center, I went and picked up my toddler from daycare and went home. I was standing in the kitchen, holding my son and went I leaned down, my water broke! At first I wasn’t sure so I went to the bathroom and it kept leaking. Amy said to just wait and see what happened and give her a call. I have a doppler at home so I listened to make sure he was doing ok and he sounded great. I called Rhye’s dad and he was so surprised. He came over and we walked around. I was cramping quite a bit but nothing significant. We ate dinner and soon bedtime approached, nothing was happening except A LOT of fluid so I went to bed. I was up quite a bit throughout the night but not because of contractions. I literally had none! The next morning I took my son to daycare and his dad went to work like a normal day. I would have a contraction here or there but I had been for weeks.

I spoke with my midwife to give her an update and she said I should take the Labor Smoothie aka castor oil. I was NOT looking forward to it. I also made a chiropractor appointment for 2:00pm. My mom and I went and collected all of the ingredients. I was supposed to take it by 10:00am. I went home and whipped it up. It looked and smelled terrible to me. I facetimed my best friend Stephanie and chugged it. I can still taste it today and it makes me nauseous! I immediately felt sick to my stomach and I felt really tired so I decided to take a nap and see if that would help me keep it down. I laid down and put on my birth playlist which was so soothing and beautiful. I fell asleep until about noon.

Soon after I woke up, my mom came in to check on me. She laid down with me and we talked. It was so nice. I was feeling incredibly nauseous still. All of a sudden, I knew that I could not keep it down any longer. I ran to the bathroom and threw up for what seemed like forever. Something felt different and I had a little discomfort in my lower belly but still no consistent contractions. At 12:30, my mom suggested we get out of the house and get the older boys some lunch. That sounded good so we went to McDonald’s. I got some fries. Amy had said potatoes can soothe nausea and I was hungry! Amy checked in with me at 1:00pm and I updated her. She said that I should do the castor oil again later in the afternoon. I said ok but honestly, there was no way I was taking that castor oil again! We got back and my older boys started getting ready for the skatepark, their grandma was picking them up at 1:30. I knew this would be a good break because it was VERY distracting to have such a busy and loud house.

When they left at 1:30pm I decided to lay down on the couch for a few minutes before my mom took me to see the chiropractor. As I laid there, I dozed off and on. I was having contractions and they were coming every couple of minutes but they were not strong and I definitely did not think it was labor. Maybe I was in denial but something inside me deep down told me something was a little different. I asked my mom what time it was and she said 1:40pm. I told her we should get ready to go. I got up and decided to call Cyran, Rhye’s father and tell him to be on standby just in case. He was at work and did not answer. I also told my mom to grab my birth bag out of my van just to be safe. Again, I did not think I was in labor BUT something inside said to do these things!

We got into the car and by the time we got to the end of the ally, I said, “mom, we have to get there RIGHT NOW!” I felt the baby coming all of a sudden. I had extreme pressure and a strong urge to push. My contractions were SO strong and long and on top of each other. My mom did not know how to get there so I was giving her directions and also doing everything I could to not give in to the urge to push. It was so intense. The drive to the birth center is about 12 minutes. The entire way, my mom was speeding and I kept repeating out loud, “oh God, please let me make it.” I also kept telling myself, “I can do this.” My mom was amazing. She told me to breathe and she said, “yes, you can do this.” I knew I needed to call Cyran and the birth center and I just couldn’t. My mom asked if she should call my doula, Ariel and I said no, there isn’t time. It felt like every light was red. I kept begging God for a break just so I could get there. Cyran called and I was miraculously able to answer the phone. All I could say was, “please call the birth center.” He knew it was urgent.

Finally, we arrived. I told my mom to run inside and tell them to come out because I was not sure I would be able to get in. Midwife Rachel and our nurse Cassie came running out. I immediately felt relief that they were there. They both got on each side of me and held my hands as I VERY slowly walked into the birth center. I had a break at last. When we got in, the chiropractor was waiting for me, it was exactly 2:00pm. My mom told her I wouldn’t be making it to my appointment! haha! As we walked to the back, I felt a contraction about to start and I said, “I have to get in.” I walked straight to the bed. Rachel asked me if I wanted to get into the hands and knees position and I couldn’t. I placed my hands on the bed and immediately started to push. I asked them to please take my pants off. They get them part of the way down and his head started crowning. Rachel told me I could push and I gave it my all. My sweet baby boy was born right then at 2:03pm. He had a tight cord around his neck and Cassie helped assist in catching him so that Rachel could unwrap the cord. They handed him to me through my legs and I was in total disbelief that he was here! Cyran made it just as I started to push. My mom was there as well. My mom had always wanted to be at one of her grandchildren’s birth and this was the one! I crawled into bed with my baby and took the time needed to wrap my head around what had just happened. I had a 33 minute labor. But for me, because I was in denial, it felt more like a 15 minute labor. I am still in complete awe of how fast it was.

I think one of the hardest parts was afterwards. My mind had to catch up with my body and I felt so out of it. The labor itself was crazy and fast but I actually am ok with that. My last three babies were born in the water and I was glad to have had this one out of the water because it feels so much different.

We stayed at the birth center for almost 4 hours then came home just in time for dinner! The after birth tradition is pizza so that is what we had and it was wonderful.

I am so happy that Rhye is here. I had thought my family was complete before but now I know that it wasn’t until now. Life is full of unexpected twists and turns and this is one that I am forever grateful for. Rhye’s name means ‘healer’. He has already lived up to that meaning.

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