Home Birth + Surviving A Uterine Inversion: The Birth Of Gabriel Forest, *TW [Part #2]

11 min readJan 24, 2024

This is a continuation of Part #1 — if you haven’t read that yet, check it out here.

Trigger Warning: If you are expecting, I would not recommend reading my story quite yet. While a uterine inversion is an extremely rare condition — I believe that it’s best to only surround yourself with positive, uplifting birth stories while pregnant, like my home birth with Noah. While my birth story with Gabriel was traumatic, I can’t help but also feel so empowered by it — I am so, so grateful to be alive + to have a healthy baby boy in my arms. My life has been forever changed + I am very lucky to be able to share my story.

Our Last Sunset Walk As A Family Of 3

The bloody show happened at 2:51pm. I downplayed it a bit to Isaac, knowing that labor could still be days away + I didn’t want to overly excite us… but in my heart, I knew that it was happening. I took my last “bump pic” + told Isaac that I wanted to go on a last sunset walk. As we were walking, I started to feel cramping in my belly. I remember thinking — Oh gosh, this is already starting to feel uncomfortable. Isaac could tell that I was feeling things by the way I was walking + he gleefully told a family that we were talking to, “She’s in labor right now!”

On the drive home from our walk, the cramping started picking up. That’s when I started to time the contractions. They only lasted 30 seconds + were 7–10 minutes apart. I sent a screenshot of the contraction timer to my birth team + my midwife said: “These are looking like the start of something.” I could feel the contractions in my stomach + near my rectum… baby was low, low, low.

As we ate dinner [we had chicken soup — I wanted something super easy to digest], I couldn’t sit still when a contraction started… I had to get up from the table + walk it out. I could still easily talk through the contractions, but I didn’t necessarily want to. Isaac repeatedly told me to call our midwife + doula… so I finally did. I was in denial that I was actually in labor… + I didn’t want them to rush over here, although I knew that second time labors typically go quick.

They both told me to keep timing my contractions — once contractions were more consistently under 6 minutes + a little bit longer in length, then they would start heading over.

My Birth Team Arrives

At 730pm, my contractions were coming every 6 minutes, but still only lasting 30 seconds. They were getting a bit more intense, but manageable. Both my doula + photographer lived further away, so despite the contractions not being longer in length — they decided to start heading over.

By 8pm, the contractions became longer in length + a bit closer together — 5 minutes a part + 40 seconds in length. They still didn’t feel too intense… but instead of walking through the contraction, I wanted to be on my hands + knees. My doula suggested trying to feel baby’s head + see how close he was. I said, “I can feel him. He’s a full finger away.” Immediately, my midwife responded — “I’m on my way.”

Isaac started winding Noah down for bed, while I journaled:

8:34pm — “Everyone is on their way + will be here soon. My contractions are not that intense at all yet — 40 seconds + 5 minutes a part. Maybe it’s because my water hasn’t broke? I feel a bit weird having them come right now, but I guess better safe than sorry. I just felt baby’s head + he’s a full finger away. I pray for a healthy + happy + beautiful home birth. I got this. Gabriel, I cannot wait to meet you TONIGHT!”

My doula was the first to arrive. She felt for baby’s positioning [everything looked good] + we talked a bit about how I was feeling, until Isaac came out of Noah’s room after putting him to bed… + at that exact moment, my midwife + photographer had arrived. It felt surreal having everyone here. I was in such a different place [mentally + physically] than when everyone arrived during Noah’s birth. I could talk. I had plenty of rest in between contractions. Not to mention, it was the late evening [930pm — my bedtime lol] — rather than at the peak of the day.

Isaac suggested that we take a moment to ourselves in the birth room to read our letters [so glad he remembered… because I had already forgotten about that… my mind had entered labor land]. Reading the birth letters together almost felt like we were acting. It was a nice moment, but I don’t think my head + heart fully registered that I was about to give birth. Even though I journaled earlier that day “I’m ready!” — I wasn’t. It would still be a a few hours [+ plenty of contractions] before it really sunk into my bones.

Re-reading the birth letter that I had written to myself gives me chills… this was the first line:

“Dear Elisabeth, embrace the magic + the miracle that you are about to witness.”

Little did I know what an immense miracle I was about to witness.

Laboring As A Second Time Mom

The next few hours we listened to my birth playlist while I did plenty of laboring positions — hands + knees, side lying on the bed, sitting on the toilet, squatting, etc. We shared a nice moment with our doula + photographer, telling them the story of how Gabriel chose his name [little did we know that the meaning of his name would take on way more depth after his birth].

At one point, I remember laboring in bed + I became so shakey… my legs were literally convulsing. My temperature was also all over the place… I didn’t know if I was hot or cold. We put a heating pad on me to warm me up, + that helped. My midwife said that the shakes + temperature fluctuations were due to hormones — this was very normal.

The entire time, I felt contractions both in my stomach + in my low back, depending on what laboring position I was in. It was such a nice change of pace from solely back labor with Noah. I also had a lot of rest in between contractions [at least it felt like it!]. I remember thinking, this feels too easy. I wasn’t sure if this was because my body just knew what to do as a second time mom, if I was getting “used to” the contractions, or if I wasn’t progressing. Our photographer prayed out loud, “Let Elisabeth be surprised by how easy + natural labor could feel.” Don’t get me wrong, the contractions were absolutely still painful… but it just felt so much easier than what I remember from Noah’s birth where I felt like I got zero breaks in between contractions.

Things that helped a lot this time around during labor:

I really really really focused on my breath during every contraction — long inhales + long exhales. I leaned into the pain + rode the waves. I think this was greatest strength during this labor.
My doula giving me counter pressure on my back… she is so strong + has the magic touch. During one contraction in the beginning of the night, Isaac was giving me counter pressure, + I was like, “No, I need Johanna.” lol
My photographer + doula giving me cues like “soften your shoulders.” I wish I would have shared that I would have loved more cues + encouragement… whenever they did this, it helped so much. It was easy for me to focus on my breath during contractions, but it was harder for me to remember to relax my body.
Laboring on the toliet. I didn’t do this with Noah at all… so this was a new position for me. The toliet was definitely very intense [+ I wasn’t able to receive any counter pressure on it] — but once I leaned into the pain + relaxed my perineum, I ended up really liking the position + felt like it was progressing labor a lot. I also evacuated a lot when I was on the toliet lol.

Dark Night Of The Soul

Despite contractions feeling easier… when I reflect back on my birth journey, it felt like a dark night of the soul. Not necessarily what I wanted — but perhaps what I needed. Certainly, there’s a different energy to laboring in the middle of the night… it felt both holy + dark.

Despite having a doula, my photographer who is a good friend, + Isaac by my side… I felt very alone. There’s a specific moment during labor that I remember having a contraction on the bed + reaching out my hand, wanting someone to hold it… but no one did. Of course, I wish I would have said, “Isaac, please hold me hand.” But I didn’t speak up.

Speaking up for my needs was a lesson that I thought I had learned from Noah’s birth — but clearly, I didn’t. It’s wild because I “could” speak —rather than during Noah’s birth, I physically could not speak because I was having such intense contractions. This time around, I’m not sure why I held back my voice. Maybe it’s because I didn’t feel fully safe. Maybe it’s because I didn’t want to inconvience anyone. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t sure how to articulate my desires. I’m not sure.

Things I wish I would have said:

I’m having a hard time believing that this is “real.” Can you help me connect my head + heart to the fact that I’m about to give birth to my baby tonight?
Can you turn up the music? Isaac, can you hold me while we sing our favorite songs together.
Please don’t be on your phone while I’m laboring or let me know what you are doing on your phone so that I feel like you are here with me.
Can you check on me every so often + let me know that you are here for me whenever I need you?
I feel alone. Please hold my hand. Please be close to me. Please keep rubbing my back.
Please encourage me. I love when you encourage me. Keep reminding me that I’m doing a good job.

I later spoke to my photographer + Isaac about feeling so alone during labor + it was interesting because my photographer said that she thought I was laboring so well + that I wanted to be alone [which, to be fair, a lot of mamas prefer laboring alone]. Isaac said that he noticed that I was very much alone + that he felt like a bystander. He even described feeling awkard [which he never feels] + he didn’t know what to say or how to help. He also wishes he would have spoken up + asked me what I needed. A big lesson that we both learned during this birth journey is the power of clear, kind communication… + it’s something we both want to lean into this year.

Eventually, I got to a place of acceptance on doing this alone. After all, I was the only person who could birth Gabriel out into the world.

The “I’m Finally Ready” Moment

Midnight passed. I remember Isaac saying, “Elisabeth… it’s officially past midnight. That means Gabriel is going to be born on December 30!” I think everyone thought he’d come by midnight, seeing as “second time labors go faster.” But nope… he wanted to wait until I was really ready.

At that point, we still hadn’t told anyone that I was in labor. We did this intentionally. For Noah’s birth, I texted all of my friends the night my water broke… we called both of our families… I almost posted about it on instagram [I had drafted an instagram post + when I showed it to Isaac + he was like — Please do not post that! So glad I listened to him lol]. Thankfully, I didn’t check my phone during labor because I had so many texts the next morning wondering if “he was here yet” [he wasn’t]. This time around, I wanted it to just be between Isaac + I. I loved the idea of FaceTiming my family whenever he made his arrival — Surprise! Gabriel’s here!

Something shifted within me soon after midnight, + I realized: I’m ready to tell my family. I asked Isaac to send my family a text + tell them that I was in labor. He took a photo of me smiling, saying:

“He’s coming. We will keep you all posted, but expect we’ll have a baby boy by the time you’re reading this in the morning.”

Immediately after texting them, I had a massive release. It was almost like texting my family signaled to my body — I am finally *truly* ready to birth our baby.

I cried so much during the next contraction. My doula put her hand on my shoulder + gently said, “It’s okay, mama, you got this” thinking that I was crying out of pain… but I was like, “No, I’m crying out of joy!’

Through tears, I said:

“I think it’s just dawning on me now that this is actually happening [that I’m about to give birth to our son]. It finally feels real that we are meeting our baby tonight + that I am going to be a mama to two. I finally feel ready.”

Isaac took my hands in his, + had a massive smile on his face while I continued to cry + cry + cry. It was such a special moment. That was the moment that wiped away all of my fears on my capacity to love another baby. That was the moment that connected my head with my heart. That was the moment that I felt so deeply ready to meet our son.

I was so elated. I was so happy to finally feel truly ready. I remember getting up from that contraction + wanting to dance with Isaac, being held in his arms. Maybe we did. Maybe we didn’t. Neither of us really know. Either way — in my dream birth, I’m holding onto the vision that we danced together after that moment.