In a hurry and with gusto: The birth of Ella Joy

By Published On: July 23rd, 2012Tags: ,
As I laid in bed I felt a hard jolt and heard a pop and knew immediately my water broke. So off I ran to the bathroom and called for my toddler to bring me my phone. My husband was at work about 35 minutes away, so I called him and told him to head home, it was 6:05a.m. We knew it could be a fast labor, as my very first had only been 6 hours. I decided to take a quick shower and while I was in there I had my first of five contractions. That’s right…

just five inconsistent contractions.

As I got dressed I had two contractions that sent me to the floor. They were strong. The next thing I knew, I HAD to push. I dialed 911, as I was still all alone at home with my toddler. I was terrified and had already pushed out half her head when my husband arrived. I was still standing in the bathtub and he coaxed me to the floor where after one push my sweet baby was born. She instantly cried so we had some relief from the anxiety. Two minutes later the police arrived and a few minutes after that, the ambulance. Ella had been born 45 minutes after my water broke. She was beautiful and healthy; 8 pounds, 5 ounces.

It was a day I won’t soon forget and I know someone was looking out for us, as my husband arrived just in the knick of time.

Send us your birth story! Whether you had a home birth, hospital birth, 37-hour labor or emergency C-section, we’d love to read the tale of your little one’s grand entrance. Write up your birth story (click here for tips on getting started) and email it, along with a few photos, to birthstory@pnmag.com. We’ll share it on our Birth Day blog and may even print it in an upcoming issue!