Claire’s Birth Story
Claire’s Birth Story: A Mother’s Day Surprise
An atypical blog post for an atypical birth! This is a long one, so buckle up if you’re into this kind of thing.
The Days Leading Up
Wednesday I thought for sure baby would be here… but Wednesday came and went.
Friday I thought the same—I’d been having intense contractions each day off and on.
Friday night was intense… every 4–10 minutes I thought, this is it. I almost woke Tommy up in the boys’ room where they were comfortably sleeping. I almost called the midwife… I almost called Mom.
Baby is going to be here by 5 a.m.!
One more contraction this close together and I’ll notify everyone.
No baby. Contractions fizzled out around 4:30 a.m. & I finally got a couple of hours of sleep. Saturday I was tired, but I knew baby would be here soon.
Tonight is the night. I always give birth at night.
I started making the birthday cake: sourdough discard chocolate cake with peanut butter cream cheese frosting. I set everything up for Mom to assemble the next day. Baby was coming—I knew it.
Mother’s Day Morning
Saturday night was restless. Every 8–10 minutes, intense contractions kept me up. By Sunday morning—Mother’s Day—I hadn’t slept in days.
I told Tommy it was more of the same. We carried on with our morning. I talked to Mom on the phone while she made a grocery list. She noticed me breathing through contractions.
I started feeling a little defeated—surely this would be another day of intense waiting. I texted a friend and fellow unintentional-turned-intentional free-birthing mom for ideas. I’d already tried Spinning Babies… that’s what got true labor going for Bo.
I messaged another friend, a homeopath and applied kinesiology practitioner, about some remedies I was considering. In the end, I decided to let the day unfold without intervening.
The Drive to Buffalo
We decided to head out to see family for the Mother’s Day celebration—about an hour away. If things picked up, we’d just come home.
Contractions came and went in the car. Tommy finally noticed the intensity since I couldn’t walk it off like at home.
I reassured him:
“It’s been the same the past two days and nights.”
The boys asked questions in the back seat:
“Why are you saying that?”
“Having a baby is hard work, buddy.”
“Is baby coming today?”
I thought: Jeez, maybe we should be home… Nah, I don’t have ‘day births.’
The Panera Moment
Right before the Orchard Park exit, a contraction hit hard. I grabbed Tommy’s hand.
"Okay, maybe we should turn around."
We stopped at Panera to get the boys food and for me to move around. The moment I got out of the car… contractions went to 3–4 minutes apart.
Uh oh.
By the time we got back in the car, I knew: Baby was coming.
Racing Home
We texted Mom and Jen (our midwife) on the way home:
“Heading back home. Contractions are about 4 mins apart. Come up.”
But in the car, they slowed again. Denial was still strong—I figured I had hours.
We pulled into the driveway at 1:58 p.m.
Over the knoll, another contraction. Railroad tracks.
"GET ME OUT OF THIS CAR."
That was the moment I knew: this was happening now.
The Birth at Home
I made it into the tub downstairs with Epsom salt and dried flowers—lavender, chamomile, rose petals.
Dawson was thrilled.
Bo was nervous at first when I roared through a contraction.
"I’m okay, BoBo. Momma’s okay. It’s just really hard work."
Moments later, I reached down: a squishy head full of hair.
Another contraction.
"The head is out."
Tommy darted between helping Bo and checking on me. One more roar, and she was here.
"He’s out, baby’s here!"
I leaned back and met our newest little one for the first time.
"It’s a girl!"
Born at home, in the middle of the day, on Mother’s Day.
Welcoming Baby Claire
She was a bit purple from her wild ride earthside, but her cord pulsed strong. I gave her time, gentle rubs, and a drop of colostrum with a dissolved Carbo vegetabilis pellet. Within a minute, she pinked right up—alert and wide-eyed.
We were euphoric.
Jen arrived about 20 minutes later to find a healthy, thriving baby girl and a glowing mama in the tub.
8 lbs 6 oz
21” long
Quick, beautiful, intentional-in-its-own-way day birth.
Reflections on Birth
This birth taught me, once again, that birth unfolds in its own perfect rhythm.
No amount of “planning” can outsmart God’s design.
I’m so grateful for:
The gift of an intuitive body
A family that witnesses birth as normal and sacred
The peace of home
To every mama reading this—your body was perfectly and wonderfully made to bring life into the world. Trust it.
“For the strength of mothers and the health of generations.”
— Emily Stein
For the uncut/unedited version be sure to check out my Substack post titled Claire’s Mother’s Day Birth Story
