Nashville Birth Videography | Jasper

From Jessica: 

I had finally bought the last of my home birth supplies and felt ready to have my baby nine days before my estimated due date. My husband went out with my daughter and after I took a much needed nap, I had a sudden burst of energy. I happily cleaned the house to my heart's content without interruption. I joked when my husband came home that Jasper now had my permission to be born. Ironically, just a few hours later while we were laying in bed, I began having some slight bleeding and cramps followed by contractions that were irregular, but gradually getting stronger.

I texted my midwife to give her a heads up and she said to let her know if things pick up and try to get some rest. There was no way I was able to get any rest at such an exciting time! Plus, my pain was increasing and it felt better to walk around, sway, and sit on my yoga ball. This was my 3rd birth and first home birth. Up until this point I had quite a bit of anxiety over whether or not I had prepared enough and worried about the all the worst possible scenarios. However, in the moment, I felt surprisingly calm. I realized having the right mindset that allowed me to believe in myself and appreciate the beauty and strength of the birth process was more important than any external preparations I could have made.  

After being up all night with irregular contractions, I started having difficulty talking through them around 8am the next morning. I spoke with my mom, midwife, and Kailee and they all agreed it was best to come on over.  It was amazing to be able to labor in the comfort of my own home surrounded by such a supportive birth team. Everyone followed my lead and assured me my labor was progressing just as it should and I was following my instincts well. Everyone took a hands off approach and I was given all the privacy I wanted, which made me feel very comfortable and at ease.  

A couple of hours later, it became significantly more difficult to cope with the contractions, so I decided it was time to fill up the birth pool and get in. The water felt so much more comfortable to labor in and took the edge off of my pain. My contractions continued to build up even stronger. Finally they had reached an intensity that made me feel like I wanted to quit and there was no way I could endure another single one. But before I knew it, I was having the urge to push. I could feel my baby moving lower with each contraction and took my time pushing. I felt very in tune with my body. In less than five minutes of pushing, baby Jasper was out and I felt immediate relief and joy!   

Jasper arrived at 11:33am weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was 20 inches long.  Although this was probably my most painful birth experience, it was by far the most satisfying. I have never felt better after having a baby.  Kailee did a phenomenal job capturing the love my family felt the day we became complete! I'm so thankful I get to relive one of the best days of my life over and over through her beautiful images and the touching video she put together.  

Birth Team:
Midwife: Jennifer Vines
Midwife Assistant: Carissa McClain
Doula: Andrea Hewitt