Ford’s Home Birth Story

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Birth Story Details

I can’t believe it’s been 5 weeks since my sweet baby boy made his entrance into the world. I’ve been taking the new mom thing an hour at a time. It’s overwhelming, beautiful and spiritual all in the same moment. More about this in my Postpartum Mom Care and 4th Trimester post coming soon. Overall we are healthy and feeling good. I want to take a moment and thank y’all for the sweet messages I’ve received on Instagram. I appreciate all of the love, support and community of moms that have reached out.

Let me first start out by saying, my birth was the most intense, empowering and loving experience I’ve ever gone through. As I’ve mentioned many times before, what I decided to do, worked for me. Everyone is different and should follow their own path. Through blogging about this, my intention is to be transparent with my journey, in the hopes of helping you all in yours.

If you have read my Birth Plan post, you know I was planning on having a home birth. And that, I thankfully did. Having my child on my own terms, in my home, was such a gift. Luke and I created a safe, welcoming space to have our baby boy. No loud noises, monitors, bright lights, drugs and medical staff saying “you HAVE to do something”. OH and it was NOT glamorous either – no makeup, lashes, and professional photographer. Real and raw is what you’re going to get here. It was just Luke, my Midwife, Erin, and I. It’s taken me a minute to write this post as I have felt overwhelmed with emotion. And by that I mean, happiness, gratitude and love. It comes with the territory of becoming a new mom – hormones are on HIGH, y’all! Today, I am ready to share…

As I have mentioned before, I never thought I had the physical and mental power to birth naturally and second, to even think about doing it outside of a hospital. Even after going through months of preparation and saying I was going to do a home birth, I still surprised myself. I think about my experience and feel grateful for my mind and body during this process. It is SO incredible what we are capable of. I listened to myself, no one else during my pregnancy, and I am thankful I did so. I know many of you that may be pregnant have NO idea where to start. This is why I’m sharing. When I found out I was expecting, I too had no clue what my options were. Read my Birth Plan post if you want more info about how/why I came to make this decision.

The third week of November came, I had hit 40 weeks and still no sign of baby. I was getting extremely uncomfortable, yet I took it a day at a time. He would come when he was ready. I did not want to get induced. Many asked me how long my Midwife would let me go until I would need to do such a thing and/or go to the hospital. By law in Idaho, a Midwife can deliver a baby up to 42 weeks. With that said, I was not looking forward to the next TWO weeks! I kept thinking to myself, how do I have any more room?! Thankfully my water broke 2 days later!! I was also frequently asked how much I was effaced and dilated. In my Midwife’s practice she does not check for these things unless she feels it necessary. With that said, she did not do this to me. I had no idea how far along I was and this is what I wanted. Through my pregnancy and birthing time, I decided not to birth by numbers. I felt like if I knew, it would mess with my mind. As many of you know, a woman can be dilated any amount, even 8/9cm, and still not progress for hours. Everyones body is different and I wanted mine to relax and do what it was going to do!

It was about 10PM and I was standing next to my bed about ready to get in, and boom, just like that, water began streaming down my legs. Labor had begun… The funny thing is, hours earlier, Luke and I were joking about if my water would break! You never know when it’s going to happen. AND yes, I did EVERYTHING to try to induce labor: spicy food, squatting, ball moves, sex, tea and exercise. On this day, I did everything! LOL It worked! 🙂

When my water broke, I was only feeling very mild pressure waves (what most call, contractions). The adrenalin and excitement was running through my body. I was thinking, I am going to meet my baby boy very soon! First, I got into a warm shower to relax my body and once I was out, I started my Hypnobabies tracks. I had been preparing with hypnosis for the two months prior. I mean, I was attempting to do this NATURALLY and needed tools to help me!! If you’re interested in what Hypnobabies is, check it out in my Third Trimester post.

About 45 min into my birthing time, my pressure waves were getting closer and closer together. And when I say that, I mean about 1 minute on and 1 minute off. Since this was my first time in labor, I was thinking I was not far along in dilation. Like, there’s NO way I went from 0 to 9 in an hour – right?!!! Everyone says you birth for hours and hours, even days! I looked at Luke and said, “I don’t think I can do this”. He calmly responded, “This is what you want. You can do it”. Unbeknownst to me, I was about to have my baby very soon! At this point, Luke had spoken to Erin a few times and she was on her way over. Luke’s job was to help support me through my contractions and fill up the birthing tub. When Erin arrived, about an hour and half into Labor, I was feeling pushy. My progression was happening extremely fast. So when I say it was intense, it was!!

I continued to “try” to get in the zone with my hypnosis but the pressure was SO extreme that it was hard for me to focus. I was doing everything in my power to stay calm and keep my body relaxed. At about two hours in, I got in the tub and started to push. If you’ve never been through labor, this is something you can not stop. Your body automatically triggers it. I read that many woman find this part of the birthing experience a relief compared to the contractions. I felt the same way. My body began to push. While I was in the tub Luke talked me through it, again calm and loving. Erin continuously checked the babies heart rate to make sure everything was ok. As I was nearing the end, Erin asked me to get out of the tub and get onto my bed. This is something we had discussed prior just in case she needed to assist getting him out. His heart rate had slowed and Erin did this as a precaution. Once they helped me over to my bed, I pushed a few times, and his head was out. There was no sound, so I asked, “what was going on”… then one more push, and he was out. Calm, quiet and looking around. I grabbed him and put him on my chest immediately. I looked down at him and his eyes met mine. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever experienced. I was looking at my son and he was looking at me. Luke came right over and embraced the both of us in his arms. We were a family of 3.

Ford Jones Dixon arrived at 1:20 AM on November, 28th 2019, Thanksgiving morning. He was 9lbs 9oz and 22 inches long. A big boy! Luke and I could not be more thankful for a healthy baby. And ya, I was in Labor for 3 and half hours!!

In the next 15 minutes, we held each other. There was no “cleaning” of the baby. We patted the vernix into his skin. I then felt another contraction. This meant my placenta was ready to come out. I got on my hands and knees, one push, and into a bowl it went. This was THE most wonderful feeling. All the pressure was GONE!! We then let the blood flow through the umbilical cord from the placenta to the baby for about 30 minutes. Essentially this is giving the baby a ton of nutrients and cleans his blood. Once this was complete, Luke cut the cord.

My body was shaking for a few hours after do to all of the hormones – very normal. After the baby had fed, Erin and her assistant (who had arrived when I was pushing) cleaned me. She then examined me for tears. There was no cutting during birth, also called an episiotomy, which happens frequently in hospitals. My body was going to do what it was going to do, and in the end, would heal much faster because of this. I had two small tears but no stitches. It was Erin’s suggestion to let them heal naturally, and I am SO glad I did. I have never felt so cared for.

While I was being looked after, Luke and baby boy were having skin to skin time. After I was all checked, we weighed and measured Ford. As I mentioned above, he was not small! LOL I can’t believe I birthed a human and not to mention, a large one!!

Luke then cooked me food and brought it to me in bed. I was starving. Birthing is NO joke! Scrambled eggs, avocado and buttered toast have never tasted SO good!

It was such wonderful experience being in my home during and after birth. I felt incredibly calm. At about 5AM everything had settled, we were all fed and snuggled into bed. Erin left and would be back the next day.

On Thanksgiving morning, with Luke next to me and Ford on my chest, we fell asleep as a family. I could not have asked for a better birth. I will forever be filled with gratitude for my husband and Midwife’s support in allowing me to have this experience in MY own way. As I mentioned above, I have never felt as empowered. It’s truly remarkable what women can do.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. I am always happy to help. As I mentioned above, I will be sharing a Postpartum Mom Care and 4th Trimester post soon. I believe this is a conversation that is lacking in our culture. We NEED to support and nurture new moms during this time. I will discuss what my midwife did for me, what I emotionally went through and things I recommend.

Below I’m sharing a few unfiltered, REAL pictures from the day I gave birth.

*If you are interested in using a midwife in the Idaho area or want more information about Erin, check out her website here.

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    COMMENTS

  1. Your birth story was overwhelmingly beautiful. I’m old enough to be your mother. When I birthed my babies 33 and 35 natural childbirth was in vogue along with Lamaze classes. But a home birth was unheard of. After that epidurals were in vogue and have been for many years now in my part of the country. I wish all women could be better informed of ALL birthing plans, instead of just assuming that they will deliver in a hospital. Good job young lady!

  2. What a beautiful story and thank you so much for sharing that. When my son was born that was his exact weight and length and now at 15 years old he is 6 feet tall! Enjoy every second, every minute of every day … it goes by way too fast! xoxo

  3. I loved your post and also loved everyone’s comments about their birthing experience! Your post makes me want to look into hypno-birthing for my next babe—40 hours of back labour with my baby boy took quite a toll but managed to be all-natural….hypno-birthing sounds like a great way to stay focused-thank you for sharing.
    Congratulations on your baby boy, it is the greatest joy we can be given 🙂

    • Thank you Amber! I’m glad you enjoyed it! You are my HERO!!! 40 hours – woah!!! Wishing you all the best on your next birth. xo

  4. Congratulations! This is beautiful… whenever I have children I plan on having a natural at-home birth as well. Hopefully, it will be similar to yours (God willing), I do have a question though. Do you need to take the baby to the hospital to be registered by the state or is this something your Midwife takes care of?

    Also, he’s absolutely beautiful <3

    • Thank you! Wishing you all the best. My midwife did all my paperwork for me. No need to go to the hospital. xo

  5. I loved your birth story and your baby is a doll. My baby boys are 25 and 21 now, and I had wonderful hospital births with epidurals with both. I took hypnosis for childbirth classes but was open to drugs, which after a brief hypnosis attempt, I quickly begged for the epidural. It’s always a wonder welcoming a new baby, and I can tell you, there is joy at every stage!! Enjoy your instagram!

    • Awe thank you, Carol!! I get wanting drugs – it’s INTENSE!! A child is such a gift! Glad you are enjoying my Insta! xo

  6. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story! I am of course in happy tears for all three of you. You have incredible strength and I think it’s awesome you stuck to your plan. So happy for all of you! Sending my love

  7. This story is beautiful Kasey. Seriously, you’re so strong mama. Sending all the love to the whole Dixon crew…even Bentley on your little blessing.

  8. Loved reading this! I’m giving birth to our first baby (a boy) in mid-April. Can you share the foods/drinks/any supplements you took prior to birth to prepare your body for birth, and afterwards to help heal? I remember you saying there was a tea or drink your Midwife made to help prepare the body for birth – I’d love to know what that was! Thank you, in advance!!

    • I’m so excited for you, Taylor! I’ve shared all of those things on my first, second and third trimester posts under my “pregnancy” section. I will be sharing my postpartum recovery post soon. XO

  9. This story is so amazing. And that first picture brought tears to my eyes. So beautiful. Thank you for sharing Kasey! Xx

  10. This touched my heart, in such a way, no words could describe… So many times you’ll wonder what you did before he came along. Sweet little Ford couldn’t have happened to a nicer family. ❤️

  11. Your story was absolutely beautiful. The pictures are as precious as they could possibly be, the scale (ugh so cute, I have NEVER seen anything like that). If I am blessed to carry another child, your words have inspired me to go a completely different route for my next pregnancy and birth. I had a very traditional OB/GYN & Hospital birth, in which I just felt sort of ignored and one of many. I wish I had done more exploration into using a midwife, and knowing what I know now as a mother, I would love to have a different experience.

    • Thank you, Emily! Isn’t the scale cool! 🙂 Sending much love and wising you another baby and birth in the way you would like it. xoxo

  12. Such a beautiful experience!! Wish I had looked into home births with my first pregnancy! Motherhood is truly the most amazing role you will ever play, worth all the ups and downs! Congratulations!!!

  13. What a beautiful story and a beautiful baby boy! I melted on the photo of you both looking at each other. Thank you for sharing a personal journey. I hope more women go this route after reading your birth story if it is an option for them. Hindsight, I wish that I had considered it for my little one that is now 2 years old. P.S. I grew up a few hours from Sun Valley so I feel nostalgic with your Idaho photos. I almost feel transported back “home” when I see the view of the mountains. Enjoy all the those snuggles!

    • It is my most favorite picture. I am so glad we captured that moment 🙂 Sun Valley is the best. Such a magical place xoxo

  14. I had my son Woodland Feb 7th 2019. Your birth story is so similar to mine! Except we drove to Boise to a birth center to have him… We barely made it there in time! I had in him in 3 hours and what a whirlwind experience. My midwives were amazing and being able to pull my own baby out was incredible. I would love to know who your midwife was, my next child I plan to have at home and dont know any midwives in the valley.

  15. I am pregnant with my second. This gave me all the chills and desire to try for home birth. What a beautiful story and thank you for sharing your journey with all of us. You are literally killing it.

  16. That picture of Ford looking at his Mama for the first time is unbelievable! Thanks for sharing your dedication and commitment to a successful home birth with us! You go girl🤗

  17. Thank you for sharing! He’s beautiful and so is your birth story! Very special to have a home birth. Congratulations!

  18. What a beautiful and emotional birth! You are amazingly strong and thank you so much for sharing. Coming from a mom of twins that had complications and spent the first 5 days of my babies being born in ICU without them. Your experience looks absolutely incredible! Congratulations on becoming a family of 3!

  19. Beautiful! I love that you didn’t clean him right away and left the umbilical cord in tact. I wish I had a similar birth story! I used a midwife with my son but in a hospital setting. My daughter was OBGYN and horrible birth experience. Congratulations on your sweet boy. My son was born 11-29! November is a great month for baby boys!

  20. Amazing and impressive you are incredible! He is adorable but no surprise with you two as his parents.
    Congrats and let’s get coffee or wine sometime!

    Xoxo

  21. Got teary eyed reading your story. Made me relive my own. Beautiful baby!! Congratulations and best wishes.

  22. That was such a wonderful post and what a beautiful experience!! I can’t wait for my baby boy in 3 weeks, thank you For sharing such a personal experience and can’t wait to read your Postpartum Mom Care and 4th Trimester post!!

  23. This made me emotional, the strength we have is unbelievable. I admire you for being so strong and researching and deciding to do it your way. I have a 22 year old and a 16 year old, both girls. I had two cesareans and feel grateful I was able to make it through. I completely agree that the hospital,lights,the quick way they take the baby away is not the way I would want to experience it today.
    Thank you for sharing, this is a blessing for new parents to be. I love following your family and send you a huge hug, lots of kisses and a Happy New Year!!! Xoxo B in Boston

    • Women are truly amazing! We all have our own journey. I’m thankful you had safe births. So glad you’re following along. Happy new year to you as well! xoxo

  24. I love this and admire you for going with your heart. I think it’s awesome and I know it was beautiful. Thank you for sharing your story.

  25. So happy for you! What an incredible experience! I too had amazing out of hospital births and I wish every woman knew how capable they are! Truly shifted who I am as a person, having experienced birth that way. And wow! Over 9lbs! 😱 good job mama! 🥰

  26. I admire your courage and recognize that your birth story wouldn’t work for me, you’re so much more chill and calm than I am, I’m full of anxiety about it all. I plan to give birth in the hospital when baby comes in less than 3 months. Was there ever a point where you were scared and wished you had decided to go to a hospital? Congrats again on your perfect little Ford!

    • Yes – we all have our own experience and I’m so thankful to have the choice to do it in my way. There was a moment, when the pain was extreme, that I wasn’t sure if I could do it. Thankful to have had Luke to support me!

  27. Wow! So incredible, thanks for sharing this great story. Do you know what makes episiotomies more common when giving birth in hospitals?

    • Episiotomies actually don’t happen frequently anymore. Based on the research I did it’s down to 29%. When we did our birthing classes the OB confirmed this as well. 🙂

      • Hi Stephanie! Thanks for your input. I’m glad they are down. My wish is that woman take birth into their own hands and feel empowered to do what they feel is best for their body. xo

    • I’m so happy to share! I am not sure why they do so many – maybe quicker deliveries. In most cases, it’s better for the mom to tear naturally than be cut.

  28. This story is incredibly beautiful! Ford is just perfect! I’m so glad you shared. I found myself living vicariously through it. I have an (almost) 2 year old and JUST felt recovered from PP anxiety because everything went terrible in the hospital (even with an amazing doula). Gives me hope for next time <3 I look forward to your next post because ever since my 4th trimester experience I started sharing more openly with other women and try to be there as a friend to any Mama in need. Congrats and GREAT JOB to the whole tribe 🙂

    • I completely agree with you Chrissy on living through her words. I wouldn’t say I had a horrific time with my hospital birth, but there were definitely some things I wish we had done differently. This story is beautiful!

  29. So beautiful what a wonderful experience!! He is such a beautiful boy! I’m 3 and a half weeks from having my first baby too and this brought tears to my eyes! Congratulations!

    • Hi Kate! It was a beautiful experience. I can’t wait for you to experience it, mama!! Wishing you the best! xoxo

    • Such a beautiful story! Great job Mama and the whole tribe. Ford is just perfect <3 I found myself vicariously living through your words. I have an (almost) 2 year old and even with an amazing doula at the hospital my experience was horrifying. 2 years later I JUST feel recovered from the PP anxiety. Your story gives me hope for next time! I look forward to your next post on the 4th trimester because ever since my experience I've tried sharing openly and being there for any other Mamas in need!

      • Thank you for the kind words, Chrissy! I’m sorry to hear you had a bad experience. PP anxiety and what we go through is REAL! I’m so glad to hear you are pen with others – it’s so needed! Sending much love! xo

  30. Absolutely beautiful !! I had both our girls early in 2000 and 2003. This was almost unheard of then. I would have loved to birth this way. I am not a fan of hospitals and did not like being there for several nights. With our second daughter there was no time for an epidural so I went all natural and what an experience it was. Thank you for stating your beautiful experience with us. Ford is just precious.

    • Thank you, Angela! I had never known anyone to do it before I got pregnant. I’m so glad more people are opening up the conversation. I’m so happy to share with y’all! Happy New Year! xo

  31. This is amazing, I’m so happy for you babe ! I believe this is the best, home, comfortable, I love old traditional ways. Extra nutrients for the baby by leaving the cord attached !? Who knew ? No meds in his little body! I mean you should open a birthing home in Idaho ! I would come ! Wake up as a family to snow covered mountains and a relaxation period for new moms. Midwife on call! Whoaaaa! An Airbnb for expecting moms ! Sign me up
    Keep doing you girl ! Xxxx

    • Jessica I am slowly working on it! There are many, many obstacles to opening and operating a birth center. I fancy a birth cottage where women can come give birth if their home space is unusable, but really there is no place like home! ♥️

    • Thanks, Jessica!! What a GREAT idea!! A birthing center in the Idaho mountains – sign me up too!! 🙂 Sending much love! xoxo

  32. That was the most beautiful birthing story. It filled my heart with calmness and gratitude for you and Luke. What an incredible loving experience for Ford to come into the world. Well done and congrats to you and Luke.

      • What a beautiful birth story! Thank you for sharing your personal story. You will help many woman and men think differently about this experience. Keep it coming! You’re right where you should be. Best of Luck to you Kasey, Luke and Baby Ford!