  
Birth
Stories
Crystal’s Birth Story
I knew prior to getting pregnant that
I wanted to have a natural childbirth. I purposely found a holistic
practice that supported the idea that women and their bodies know how
to give birth without routine interventions. I got a lot of "you
just wait" and "you'll see" from women who had already
had children. Most women are simply not supportive of this choice. But
I was determined to do it the way I wanted. Throughout my pregnancy
and labor I held fast to this thought - "We have a secret in our
culture, it's not that birth is so painful, it's that women are so strong"
- Laura Stavoe Harm
Although I knew I wanted a natural
childbirth I thought it would be a good idea to find a doula. Since
I didn’t really know what I was in for, or how I would react, I thought
it would be beneficial to have a doula assist me and my husband. I met
Wendy for the first time at one of her pre-natal classes. I loved her
immediately. There were couples everywhere and some of then had brought
their children. It was crazy but Wendy remained her normal self. I thought
to myself, “THIS is the kind of person I want to have in case I go
crazy!” My husband, Justin, was very hesitant at first. However, after
reading information about a doula’s role and meeting Wendy he was
sold.
I was due on June 27th.
I started to dilate and efface in my 34th week of pregnancy.
I’m a teacher and am constantly moving and my doctor suggested that
I stop working. So I quit working at 35 weeks and rested at home.
On Saturday, June 9th (37
weeks) after planting my flowers, buying a new car and finishing up
the last of the shopping at Babies R' Us, Justin and I headed to Costco.
I felt a little sick and sweaty. It was close to 90 degrees so I didn’t
really pay too close attention to it. Justin wanted to look at the TV’s
while I checked in the bathroom but I made him go with me! Sure enough...it
did. I was mortified!! I ran out as fast as I could! Talk about having
social anxiety!
In the car on the ride home I freaked out realizing this was really
going to happen. I also knew I was now on a 24 hour time window and
that my contractions needed to start if I didn't want to be induced.
I started getting contractions soon after and immediately started to
breathe through them. They were very easy but I felt like I needed to
get a handle on the situation, to calm myself down. I got home and called
Wendy. We agreed to wait and call the doctor and birth center when things
started to pick up.
My contractions started around 4:30p.m. I laid around at home and went
for a walk around the block. I even asked my husband to get me a whopper
meal from Burger King (and I NEVER EVER eat fast food). The contractions
started to get more intense around 10:30p.m. and I was finding it harder
to concentrate through them. Justin called the birth center to let them
know we were coming. It was so sweet- he asked for the room that had
the tub with the jets! We called Wendy and left for the hospital at
11:00 p.m. When we got there I was disappointed to find I was still
only at 3-4 cm (which I had already been at for a week). I knew the
waiting game had begun!
I labored in the shower and on a yoga ball until about 4:00 a.m. My
contractions were all over the place and not consistent. I was out of
it and had no idea some were as far as 10 minutes apart and others 3
min. apart. I was just relaxing between each one trying to concentrate.
Wendy gave me some special herbs to try and regulate. I remember she
gave me the choice of cranberry or apple. I thought to myself, “Seriously?
That’s what I have to choose from? Why can’t chocolate be a choice????”
I chose cranberry because I figured it was a good preventive for a possible
UTI (hee heee). Around 4:00 a.m. the contractions became more consistent
and I got into the tub.
I thought I would be really excited
to get into the tub. However, looking back I was just happy to have
a change of position. I can’t say that the water was the ultimate
pain reducer I had read about. It was just nice to float aroundJ.
Things went quite fast after that. I progressed from 4-9 centimeters
in about an hour. It was hard work ...no lie. I went from belly breathing
to moaning. You know…the attractive low “OOooooooo” sound. It
was very painful and it felt good to make more noise than the pain.
It was like rising through it. But I knew I could do it. I just needed
to concentrate and let my body do its thing. Not one time during the
entire process did I doubt my decision or my ability to handle the situation.
I knew I could do it. I started to feel the urge to push and got out
of the tub. I was at an 8 so they called my midwife and I got back in
the tub. My midwife arrived at 5:00 a.m. and checked me shortly after.
I was fully dilated and ready to push! I was so relieved to get started.
The pushing was a lot of hard work but I never felt any pain. Like most
women remark it felt painful to NOT push. I felt nothing when I was
pushing. In fact I kept saying, “There’s so much pressure…should
I push now?” Interestingly, when I was done pushing I mistakenly believed
that I didn’t tear! I didn’t feel anything. After an hour of pushing
our baby was born (3 weeks early). Scarlett Caroline made her entrance
on Sunday, June 10th at 6:09 a.m. She weighed 6 lbs. 9 oz.
and was 19 ½ inches long.
It was a truly wonderful experience. And I cannot say enough good things
about Wendy or the Alternative Birth Center. I was laughing and joking
throughout labor/pushing. I even tell people it was fun:). I greatly
encourage other women to pursue a natural childbirth. Don't be afraid
to stand up for what you want despite what people might think or say!

Having fun with Wendy and my shower
toga

Working hard while pushing

Meeting Scarlett for the first time

Scarlett Caroline
Nicole's
vaginal birth after 2 cesareans
It
was the night of the eclipse and a full moon, Feb 20, 2008. Earlier in
the afternoon, I told Craig to be ready for "something" to happen after
my chiropractor appointment. I knew that something was going to get
moving down there.
After
I came back from my Chiropractor, I was too exhausted to make dinner.
I asked Craig to take us out for Pizza. I thought it was strange that
I kept having to go to the bathroom during dinner. Even more strange
was that I was having contractions that were seven minutes apart. We
came back home at 8 pm. At that time, Craig asked if he could go to
Meijer and buy some stuff on our list for the homebirth prep. I asked
him not to be too long so he could help me get the boys to bed.
It
seemed like an eternity while he was gone. I took a shower with the
boys while contracting hard. As I keeled over in the shower while
contracting, the boys were playing London Bridges under my legs. They
were actually quite distracting from the pain.
I
knew that I wanted the boys there with me while in early labor, but
when Nicholas decided to hide in the corner and tear into all the
diaper supplies for the baby and throw each and everyone of the diapers
in the air, I realized they not only outnumbered me, but they were
ready to do what any unsupervised kid would do and tear up the house.
So I called my friend Jaimee to help me get the boys to bed. She
arrived here about 930pm and got the kids ready for bed just before
Craig got back from the store.
I then called my sisters Christa and Noelle and told them I was
contracting regularly every 2 minutes. I told Craig that I didn't want
the kids there any longer. I wouldn't admit to myself that I was in
full blown labor. I kept telling myself that this was going to be a
marathon. After all, I labored for 3 days (with false labor
contractions) prior to having Nicholas.
Craig
called my sister, and my mother to come and get the kids to which they
both said they couldn't come and pick up the kids. I don't think
either of them believed I was in actual labor. I decided to take a
bath while Craig figured out what to do with the boys.
Craig called Christa, his sister who was also my midwife apprentice to
tell her that my contractions were 1-2 minutes apart. And it wasn't
long in the bath before I felt a big WHOOOOSH, when my water broke. I
knew then that the baby was coming and it was time for all the midwives
to come: Christa, Wendy and Stacia. Time
is so irrelevent when you are in labor. But they all got here as
planned, including my sister Noelle. I was having contractions
constantly and consistently which is what I prayed for. I was also
having that crappy back labor. To get me through the pain, I just kept
thinking about what position change I was going to do next. The pain
was the least amount painful when I was on all fours (b/c of the back
labor I'm sure). When I needed to rest, I layed on my own bed with
Craig lying next to me. I told him I wanted to look into his green
eyes. I think it took him everything NOT to puke from my bad puke
breath. That makes me laugh thinking about it now. Remember, we went
out for pizza earlier.
Anyway,
Christa, Wendy and Stacia all took turns being supportive by my side.
At one poing, Wendy checked me for dilation. I told her NOT to tell
me. With both, Isaiah and Nicholas, I had "Failure to progress"
diagnosis from the drs. and I didn't want to hear anything like that.
She reassured me that I would be pleased and that it wasn't much
longer. And it wasn't... In
my tiny little bedroom, along with me there were 4 adult women and my
husband while I pushed. I pushed on all fours on the edge of my bed.
I could feel my pelvis opening up and it was such an incredible
feeling. Stacia reassured me that my body knew what to do. Noelle
kept telling me I was a "Rock Star".
I
was free from lying on my back. I was free to "feel" everything
naturally and know that my body was made to birth a baby. I had my
husband there holding my hand looking at me straight in the eyes
instead of next to me flat on a table (like last time) while the drs
cut my abdomen. This is what how I envisioned a homebirth to be.
Free. There was noone there telling me that I can't do this or that.
If I wanted to birth upsidedown, my midwives would help me achieve a
healthy birth that way.
Christa
could feel the baby's head now, but his shoulders were rotated sideways
so he was stuck. Stacia and Wendy told me how to move so they could
rotate the baby. Yes this was the most painful part, mostly b/c it
felt like Stacia had put her large hands in the wrong hole. And at
that point, you could imagine I may have said the most comical graphic
question with some cursewords asking why she was in the wrong hole.
But whatever she did worked and Voila, at 3:30 am out came the most
beautiful and largest newborn I have seen (or birthed).
Immediately
I layed the baby on my chest. This would have never happened if I had
another Csection. Stacia playfullly guessed that he was 10 lbs or so.
Christa measured him at 9 lbs 8 oz. Isaiah was 7 lbs 1 oz and Nicholas
was 7 lbs 15 oz. And yes I delievered a baby boy 2 lbs heavier
naturally, and at home. I
wish the story ended here, but it didn't. I did have a tear that was
beyond my midwive's comfort to suture. So I had to go in the hospital
to get stitches. Christa stayed with me the whole time. And the
adventure didn't stop there after either. When we got back, the baby
was breathing too fast and wasn't eating. So we, Craig and I and
Christa and Wendy, took the baby to the NICU where he was there for 4
more days.
I
was so thankful that my midwives not only helped me to have a healthy
homebirth, but that they stayed with me the whole time this other stuff
happened. They knew what to do and when they needed to get dr/medical
help.
It
took us one week to name the baby. We even took a poll. We couldn't
decide between Paul Adrianus or Adrianus Paul. If you must know how we
finally decided his name, Wendy-our midwife who helped bring him into
the world, flipped a coin. |