Best Baby Shower Crasher: Hint: It's the Baby

A woman name, Danijela had this amazing birth story and I just had to share it with you guys because I thought you’d get a kick out of it. Enjoy.

My mom was throwing a baby shower brunch on September 16th, three weeks before my due date. Her house was packed with people because she does not know the meaning of a “small” gathering.

But at my house, I had my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and best friend staying with us. What a blast that was!

But I’ll backtrack a little, in order to be able to tell the whole story

At about 28 weeks, I switched caregivers from my OB/GYN to my midwife. After doing the hospital tour, my husband and I both realized we would prefer a more intimate and personal setting for the birth of our first child. We met with the midwife and felt at complete ease with her. We went to our regular visits with Mary Henderson (our midwife) and everything looked great; no complications and nothing to worry about. On Thursday, September 13 I went in for my now weekly checkup (36 weeks) and as I was getting ready to leave, Mary said “Lay down. I want to do an exam”. Ok, I did. She told me that I was about 10% effaced (don’t remember exactly) and that the baby could come at any time. Didn’t think anything of it, other than, of course, the baby can come at any time!

Friday at work, I’m feeling a little different.

My stomach is feeling strange and doing funny things. Realized it was Braxton hicks contractions. my body was preparing. On Saturday, with company in the house, preparing food for the shower and enjoying the swelling in my legs, I was too distracted to notice anything. Until I took a shower! I called my husband into the bathroom to please tell me what this was. He didn’t know. Well, just lost my mucus plug. Ok, on we go with our day. Ran some errands with my sister in law and asked my husband to come with, I just didn’t feel comfortable going anywhere by myself.

That evening we were sitting around laughing at the music I was adding to my baby shower playlist: “I’m Coming Out”, “My Sweet Baby”, “Dirty Dancing”, etc. We all said goodnight and went to bed…See you in the morning!

At 11:15 I awoke having to go to the bathroom.

Realized my bed was wet! Oh my, did I already go? Woke up my husband, told him I think my water broke and he asked how did I know. I didn’t know! Made to the bathroom and then there was a gush of water – yes, I was sure, my water had broken and my contractions started. He called Mary and she said that I should rest between contractions. Since it’s my first pregnancy, it will probably we a while. Contractions were 5 minutes apart and very intense and getting closer and closer and more intense. I was in the shower, in our bathtub and trying to get through the contractions that were not letting up. My midwife was trying to sleep on the couch (because all the rooms were taken by our guests). My husband went to her and said that the contractions were less than 1 minute apart. Sure enough, she checked and I was dilated 10cm and it was time to push. During this time, my mother in law did wake up. She woke up my sister-in-law, but my best friend was able to sleep through everything.

So at 3:16 am, I delivered my beautiful healthy baby girl 6lbs 12oz and 21″.

She came into the world screaming, but once she was placed on my stomach any discomfort that I had experienced was gone! I looked at my husband and said, “I can do this again!”. It was simply amazing. We all woke up, had coffee and could not believe that we went to bed and woke up with a baby.

But our day had just begun.

My best friend stayed with me, while everyone else went to my mom’s to help her with setting up. No one mentioned that I had the baby. So when I walked in, holding a baby, they all thought it was a doll – not a real live baby that was only 8 hours old. The first of the series of questions was: When did you have the baby? Followed by, how did they let you out of the hospital? Finally, what do you mean you had her at home?!?! Priceless!!!

I loved my experience and I did do it again in November of 2010: Water broke and 4 hours later, our second daughter was born at home.

I love my husband and I love my midwife. Without them, I would not have been able to do it.

I guess the baby heard there’d be pie and she just didn’t want to miss out.

Awesome story, eh?