A 49-Hour Homebirth and a 4-Hour One: Carly's Two Birth Stories

Can two births to the same mother, in the same home, with the same midwife, look almost nothing alike? In this episode of the Happy Homebirth Podcast, Carly Hartwig shares two homebirth stories that answer that question in the most vivid way possible.

Carly is a former special education teacher turned certified fertility awareness educator, living in upstate New York with her husband and two daughters. Her path to homebirth began before she was ever pregnant — through learning to read her own cycle, leaving her OB for a midwife she trusted deeply, and preparing her mind and body with the seriousness of someone who knew exactly what she wanted.

Her first birth tested every bit of that preparation. At forty-one weeks, labor began — and then her daughter turned posterior and asynclitic, ushering in relentless back labor that stretched across two days. Carly walked stairs, lunged, changed positions endlessly, navigated a discouraging cervical check, and endured a catheter when hours passed without being able to empty her bladder. Near hour thirty-six, her midwife gently raised the possibility of transferring — not out of alarm, but out of care for Carly's energy. Carly chose to stay. Not long after, she went from four centimeters to fully dilated, and after two hours of roaring her baby out on hands and knees, her daughter was born — cone-headed, tightly wound, and perfect. A forty-nine-and-a-half-hour labor, start to finish.

Her second birth, just over four years later, was the birth she had dreamed into being. Carly prepared differently this time: she prayed, wrote down what she hoped for, and meditated nightly on the water birth she longed for and the daughter she wanted in the room. Labor began with bloody show on a Saturday morning and moved fast. By dawn she was in the pool, and after her water broke, her body pushed her baby out in five minutes — so quickly her midwife said she "fire-hosed" out. Her four-year-old was there to announce her little sister. "I got everything I wanted," Carly says. "And I did."

The episode doesn't tie things up too neatly, and that's part of its honesty. Carly's "dream birth" was followed by a harder postpartum and a tender breastfeeding journey — a reminder that meaning and ease aren't the same thing. What ties both births together isn't the outcome. It's the woman who prepared for them, trusted her body through them, and can now say that both were hard, both were beautiful, and both were empowered.

Listeners will find companionship here whether they're bracing for a long labor, hoping for a redemptive one, or simply learning to trust that their body (and their instincts!) will know the way.

 Listen to the full episode here: Carly's Two Birth Stories

Watch the full episode here: Carly's Two Birth Stories

FAQ

What does posterior back labor feel like? Posterior back labor tends to feel like constant, relentless pressure in the lower back rather than the rise-and-fall "wave" of typical contractions. In this episode, Carly describes it as pain that never fully let up — so intense that counterpressure left a welt on her back for weeks, and she can still recall the feeling four years later. It happens when the baby faces the mother's front (occiput posterior), pressing the back of the head against her spine.

How long can a normal homebirth labor last? Labor length varies enormously, and a long labor is not automatically an unsafe one. Carly's first homebirth lasted forty-nine and a half hours from her first contraction to her daughter's birth, while her second was under four hours of active labor. Throughout her long labor her midwife monitored both heartbeats and Carly's wellbeing, staying as long as things remained healthy — a reminder that duration matters less than how mom and baby are actually doing.

Can you have a homebirth with a posterior or asynclitic baby? Yes, many babies in posterior or asynclitic (tilted-head) positions are born vaginally at home, though it can make labor longer and more intense. Carly birthed a baby who was both posterior and asynclitic at home after about two hours of pushing on hands and knees, and did not tear. Position changes, movement, and an experienced birth team all support this kind of labor — though every situation is unique and belongs in conversation with your provider.

Why is a second birth often faster than the first? Second births are frequently shorter because the body has done it before: The tissues, cervix, and pushing stage often respond more quickly. Carly's second labor moved from active labor to birth in a few hours, with her baby born just five minutes after her water broke. That said, "faster" doesn't always mean "easier": Carly found the intensity of her quick, all-front labor every bit as demanding as her long first one.

When would a midwife suggest transferring from a homebirth to the hospital? A skilled midwife typically raises a transfer when she has a safety concern or when a mother's stamina is running out and labor has stalled. This does not indicate failure, but it can be a wise next step. In Carly's first birth, her midwife gently offered a transfer conversation around hour thirty-six because the contraction pattern hadn't changed, while reassuring her that both heart rates were healthy and she could stay as long as she wanted. Carly chose to stay, and went on to give birth at home — a decision made calmly, together, with full information.

This article shares one mother's personal experience and is offered as encouragement and education, not medical advice. Always bring questions about your own pregnancy, birth, and postpartum to a trusted care provider.