So no big deal but I labored and delivered my daughter Chloe in my house, in our bedroom, on the floor, on the fairly new carpet to a room full of Mohegan Lake’s bravest and finest.

Let me backtrack first and set the scene a lá Sophia from the Golden Girls.  Picture it...   

It was Sunday July 28, 2019.  My two girlfriends from Howard University undergrad (HU, You Know!) were in town in anticipation of the baby’s birth. (No pressure right?)I was as big as a house, super uncomfortable in my own body and my due date was 2 days prior. I was nearly a week overdue when I had my first child, Carter, I was determined not to repeat that misery. Despite my desperate begging, my ob/gyn had previously told me she wouldn’t even discuss inducing me until I was at least 5 days overdue.  At this point, I turned to almighty “Google”, which revealed to me something called the “Midwives Brew.” With an alleged 85% success rate of inducing labor within 24 hours of consumption I was sold! Though it seemed to work for me, I’ve since heard of it causing elevated heart rate among babies as well as causing stomach issues in the mother, or just simply not working.

I blended it up and slowly drank it warm (while holding my nose-yuck!) as per the directions.  It took me about 45 minutes to finish the drink in its entirety.  As I sat and watched 90 Day Fiancé with my girlfriends, I began having sporadic Braxton Hicks contractions for a short period of time but they ended after about an hour. I wasn’t alarmed as I had been having those for at least a month or so at that point. Between drinking the concoction and contractions beginning, pooping 3 times or so, the contractions really started to hit home.

Around 10-10:30pm, four hours after drinking the Midwives Brew, the real contractions came on strong hitting my back.  By 11, my husband took over timing my contractions and decided that now was the best time to begin packing his hospital bag. Mind you, I had told him to have his bag packed weeks ago, but I digress. Contractions were soon 2-3 min a part but only 45 seconds long. Thanks to my friends’ intel, I was waiting for them to be a minute long. I decided I wanted to take a quick shower in preparation for going to the hospital. My girlfriend sat in the bathroom with me and timed my contractions while I extended my shower time as the warm water hitting my back relieved me from some of the pain from my contractions. It was EVERYTHING!…My husband was still packing.

Once showered and I went upstairs to our room to get dressed and my husband was still packing…I can’t make this up. Waiting for a break in contractions to get dressed I paced in front of the A/C and suddenly there was VERY little time in between them. I pushed through and attempted to put on some underwear, but literally could not get my panties up past my knees because all of a sudden, I had the uncontrollable urge to poop (push).

Husband: “Oh no, cmon get dressed we can still make it to White Plains hospital.” (30 mins away)

We, in fact, could not have made it and I’m convinced I would’ve had the baby in the car had I listened to his irrational butt. I gave into the uncontrollable desire to poop (push) thinking I was honestly just gonna crap right there on the carpet but just a little pee came out, that I caught with my shower towel.

Husband: “Ok, you’re fine, come on get dressed!”

Me: “No, I have to push. I can’t.”

Stop and squat for contraction, little more pee on towel.

Husband: “Ok, get some fresh panties on. We out.”

Me: “No! I’m not gonna make it, I’m having the baby here! Call 911!”

Stop and squat for contraction: feel this huge bolus of a water balloon travel down my lady parts and burst out of my hoohaa.

Shower towel and surrounding carpet are now soaked as are my legs and feet.

Husband: “WTH WAS THAT?!?!”

Me: No words, just pointing downwards and nodding to confirm that was my water breaking as we both feared it was.  This is where the hyperventilating began, which basically never ended until I was in the hospital holding the baby on my chest.

I’ll spare you all the 911 negotiations that began at this point. The abridged version is as follows, 

Husband: We can still make it! Let’s go!

Me: “We cannot-call 911!!” On repeat for several rounds of contractions and pushing. Back and forth with me stopping to wordlessly contract and start pushing the baby out in between the taking turns arguing.

He was finally convinced and obliged to my demand. Listening to the 911 dispatcher he laid me down on my back with pillows propped up.

(This was against my will as I was quite comfortable on all fours, where I had settled.)

Mohegan Lake Volunteer Fire Department showed up in what felt like, just minutes.  The police followed soon thereafter.  Including my Howard girlfriends, there had to be 9-11 people in our bedroom/hallway.  They quickly set up and I pushed once before realizing my husband was not next to me. I called for him, and he made his way from the hallway where he had been on the phone with my parents and came and held my right hand. My hero, one of the EMS guys who coached me, held my left.  I pushed again and her head was out.

They told me to stop because her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck.  I started yelling at them hysterically: “GET IT OFF OF HER!! GET IT OFF OF HER!!” and shaking my husband to get them to get it off of her. 

But they reassured me it wasn’t choking her, I guess it was sort of just loosely wrapped. But I could not be calmed.

They unwrapped it, but I still didn’t hear her crying.

Me: “WHY ISN’T SHE CRYING?! MAKE HER CRY!!! WHY ISN’T SHE CRYING?!”

EMS: “Ma’am it’s ok, she’s breathi—“

Me: “NO! WHY ISN’T SHE CRYING?! MAKE HER CRY!!! WHY ISN’T SHE CRYING?! “

Husband: “She’s fine Nicole, she’s breathing and movi—“

Me: “BUT SHE’S NOT CRYING,WHY ISN’T SHE CRYING?!?!”

Cries a second later after more suction. (hehe) Push again, a shoulder. One last push and she was all the way out. My contractions stopped so I was unable to push my placenta out. So I was strapped to the stretcher and wrapped my new little bundle of joy, Chloe, in the aluminum foil blanket. My husband carried her and they carried me down the stairs to the awaiting ambulance. Before pulling off, I was asked again if I felt like I wanted to try to push the placenta out, but I had zero contractions, so to the hospital I went. 

At the hospital I was given a pitocin, pushed out the placenta, then received stitches on my perineum as I had torn a bit during Chole’s delivery. Chloe’s vitals were checked and she was perfect, thank God. The doc finished up and finally, after what felt like an eternity, I got to hold my sweet baby girl. 

And that’s it. My birth story, in all its glory. I still cannot believe it’s my story, especially because I have always been #teamEpidural. Like, give me ALL the meds.  But I am glad that I got to experience both a medicated and unmedicated labor and delivery. I’m convinced there’s nothing I can’t do after giving birth to my babes, and I’m so grateful to God for the blessings that they are to our lives.