Sadie
January 22, 2008
EDD : January 8, 2008
5:50 am
9 pounds 10oz
20 inches

Another drug-free birth...

Well little girl, today I am 9 days past the original due date and you still haven’t been born. So I’m starting to write the story of your birth as it has happened so far.

Last week, Monday January 7th we went to bed and to help things along we had the S-E-X and at about 10pm the contractions started. I was so excited that I came downstairs without waking anyone up around 11:00 and turned on a movie and started walking for about 30 minutes. The contractions didn’t get any stronger and so I went to bed although I was still having them every 10 minutes. I woke up around 2 am and the contractions were still every 15 minutes or so and so I came back downstairs and did the same thing again. This whole time, the contractions were sometimes 5 minutes apart, sometimes 10 minutes in sets and a few 20 minutes apart. For the most part they would stop every time I got up and started being active. The strength of them was only strong enough for me to breath differently but not strong enough to have to stop and relax or breathe through. I eventually went back to bed but I was having such a hard time falling asleep, as I was so excited to think about you being born.

Well, every time I went to fall asleep that night it took me like 30 minutes to fall asleep as my adrenaline was going and my nerves at what was to come or so I thought. So I finally woke up again at 5 am and got up hoping they would continue, but they didn’t. Later that morning I went walking with our neighbor. No contractions again. To this point I was still hopeful as this was exactly almost to the hour of what happened in my labor with Noah and so we still thought today would be the day.

Daddy came home from work and we took the whole family to lunch and then to the harbor to go walking again. By 2 pm that day I hadn’t had any more contractions and so I was losing hope of meeting you that day. Nothing for the rest of the day or night.

The Tuesday and Wednesday to follow I did have contractions but nothing notable to keep track of and nothing strong enough to care about.

Then Thursday night we went to our home group and just as it started I had my first contraction at 7:15 pm, then another 30 minutes later and then they moved to 20 minutes for the next few contractions and they got a little stronger and then went to 15 minutes and then went to 10 minutes and stay there for almost an hour. At that point we thought for sure this was it and then left just a little early. We went home and called the O’s and Diane and Lisa (the midwife) and told everyone where we stood and also called the babysitter to let her know we may call her later if things continued to progress.

I learned that I needed to go to bed and sleep, so we did. I woke Jonathan up at 4 am to tell him the contractions were now 5 minutes apart. So we got up, cleaned up and got ready and were ready at any minute to call the midwife and the babysitter and go to the hospital but again the contractions stopped. Ugggg…… back to bed.

Friday morning we went to the midwife and we told her everything that had been going on and she asked us if we wanted to have the membranes stripped and we said yes mostly out of thinking this would really do the trick. Also the midwife was leaving the next day for vacation and I really wanted to have the baby with her here, so I made an impromptu decision. It wasn’t a big deal to go through with that but we hadn’t researched it on our own and we didn’t really talk about it. In hind’s sight, I should have held out. I was emotional after everything that had gone on that week and I just really wanted to meet you and hold you. I went home crampy and sore and just laid around for the next 2 hours and didn’t do much of anything. Then I rallied and just hung out with the kids that day. That night we were tired, the week was wearing on us, we had not slept well and so we decided that instead of having sex again in hopes of something starting we would go to bed and wake up in the middle of the night and then have sex so we could at least get some sleep. So we did exactly that and yet noting. Not even one contraction.

Saturday morning we woke up got ready and just took the family to breakfast. I had the greatest amount of food I had eaten in a long time. We had a great time eating together, drinking hot chocolate and then we all went to the pier and just walked around. Looked at the surfers, the birds, and the fisherman and of course the trains that pasted by. That night we went to the O’s and had dinner and again contractions started at 4:30pm and were every 15 minutes until 9:00pm and stopped as we got home and that was it.

Today is now Thursday January 17, 2008 and you are still in my belly. I have had contractions over the last few days and felt crampier and more uncomfortable. Some say I’m holding out sub-consciously for Lisa to come back from vacation. I feel like I’m just ready to have you out and in our family. So today Friday January 18th I go back to the hospital and do all the same tests again. Tomorrow Lisa comes home and so it will be interesting to see how long you stay in me and how long this pregnancy continues.

Stay tuned to see what happens next...

Well, you have now finally been born. God knew the perfect birth date for you, which happens to be my very favorite number in the world. So you were born on the 22nd!!!

We were having sex trying to get un-pregnant the way other couples are trying to get pregnant and it finally worked! So at 9:30 p.m. I started having contractions. We laid in bed and talked and didn’t really invest too much - yet. Then at 11:30 p.m. I finally got up and decided I couldn’t go to sleep and rest b/c with my history of my contractions stopping every time I get up and move. Well, this time they didn’t stop. They continued with the same intensity and so we called our mid-wife at 12:45 just to let her know what was up and then at 1:45 we had the babysitter at our house, my contractions were 5 minutes apart, and we left for the hospital. We got to the hospital and we felt like we were there too early b/c I was talking and laughing between contractions. But we wanted to be there early this time as I barely made it to the hospital with my 2nd child (Noah).

We were so glad to be with my midwife, Lisa. She was absolutely amazing! This was my best labor by far. I sat in the shower on the birthing ball for about an hour and she took the showerhead that detaches to a handheld and just ran it over my back with hot water and that was SOOO great. After that I just sat on the ball and leaned over the bed with my upper body. Lisa had massage oil and massaged my back pretty much the whole rest of my labor and Jonathan sat opposite of me holding my hands, timing my contractions and prepping me for the next contractions as they came. He rubbed my arms and helped my to relax my body.

Then I noticed my breathing changed, I got very serious and the contractions got much more intense. Just after that probably 20 minutes later I said to Jonathan, "Okay, I’m ready for the epidural. So that means I’m in transition. This is almost over." Of course he laughed at my self-diagnosis. Sometime after that I started to push for comfort but still mentally wasn’t ready to push her out. I think I had about 2 pushes like that and then it clicked in and I was ready. It took me about 2-3 pushes for the head and then I remember being so tired I just needed to rest. I think I rested for about 1-2 minutes and then it took me another 2 pushes for her shoulders. She didn’t just slide out like my second son did. I really had to work to get her out. Although it felt like forever till she was completely out, Jonathan says it was only like maybe 5 minutes.

I had her up on my chest right away and this time they didn’t cut or clamp the cord right away. She was quiet but her eyes were open and she was quietly alert. She just looked at me and was still. With the boys everyone around me told me to talk to them so they could hear my voice. That didn’t happen with Sadie, I was so excited to have a girl, hold her, have her out of my body, see what she looked like and just be with my daughter. I was elated.

After the cord and placenta were done in about 30 minutes or so, we nursed together and she took to it right away. 15 minutes on the left and 20 minutes on the right. I’ll never forget what a nurser she is. I never really had to teach her to latch on. This was by far my best birth. I loved my midwife, she was amazing and I loved that we labored in the hospital this time and that Jonathan just got to be with me in it instead of having him trying to do everything my midwife was doing. It was amazing, the birth was amazing! Even though Sadie was so big and I didn’t use any drugs, the birth was great and I would do everything exactly the same all over again. She was worth the 2-week wait!!!

Amber, Jon, Jacob & Noah

Ava Krislyn
January 12, 2008
2:48 am
8 pounds 8oz
21 inches

Our journey began in early April unbeknownst to us. We had decided that we would start trying for baby #2 in June 2007. In late May, I began to feel completely exhausted and wondered if by chance I might be pregnant; so on May 30, I went to the store and bought a pregnancy test. Within 30 seconds, the test was positive. I was so excited!!!! I had no idea how far along I was since my periods were not regular. I called Martin at work immediately to let him know the good news. He was excited and also a little anxious. When I asked why, since this should be "old hat" by now, he disagreed saying this is only baby #2.

My first trimester was pretty uneventful physically. I did not have any of the food issues I had while pregnant with Sara, nor the migraines. Since we were unsure of when conception occurred, we decided that I would have an ultrasound when we thought I was around 17 weeks so that we could hopefully learn the sex of the baby at the same time. On July 27th, the ultrasound showed I was 15 weeks along and that we would be having another beautiful baby girl. The ultrasound also showed the baby had an Echogenic Cardiac Foci. Sue told us not to worry, that it usually means nothing, but the tech felt the need to mention it because of my "advanced maternal age". Needing more information, I foolishly went looking online for more information and in the process stressed myself completely out. After talking with credible sources, we decided not to worry and not to focus on any potential negative outcomes.

The second trimester was also uneventful. I enjoyed an increase in energy, although keeping up with a toddler took all the extra energy I could muster. During this time, Sara became very attached to my belly. In order to fall asleep, she had to be touching it, not over my shirt, but skin on skin contact. We began talking to her about the baby growing in mommy's tummy and that she was going to have a little sister. Toward the end of this trimester, we took a "babymoon" to Cancun for a few days. It was so nice taking time to relax. The only downside was the humidity. My feet and legs were so swollen that it hurt to walk.

The third trimester saw the return of complete and total exhaustion. I had to take at least one nap each day. Sleep was nearly impossible due to having to get up several times a night to use the bathroom, body aches and generally uncomfortable, not to mention having Sara still in bed with us (which left me a sliver of bed to sleep on). I was so convinced that the baby would come on December 27th. Once that day passed, I was convinced that it would be by the end of the year. I was really hoping that she would at least be born by the time my sister moved to Washington (the first weekend in the new year). Once all of those deadlines I had set came and went, my body finally started to relax even though I had been sick since Christmas with a sinus/allergy/cold thing. I also started to listen to some Hypnobabies CDs in preparation for labor. Once my due date came and went, January 8th, I began to wonder if it was even possible for my body to go into labor being so sick.

On the morning of January 11th, I went to the chiropractor for an adjustment as my back and left hip were really bothering me. That afternoon, Sue came by for my prenatal visit. I had her to an internal exam to see if I was dilating. I was only 2-3cm dilated. She went ahead and stripped my membranes to see if that would trigger anything to happen. Around 4pm, I went and lay down for a while trying to rest. I started having minor contractions every 8 - 15 minutes.

Around 6pm, we called papa to see if Sara could spend the night because I had a feeling that the time had come. I also sent a text message to Andrea letting her know I thought I was in early labor. The contractions continued without any regularity or increase in intensity or duration so around 8pm, Martin and I went for a walk to see if we could encourage the contractions to regulate. Just before 9pm, we called Sue because the contractions had gotten down to ever 3 1/2 minutes, but they were lasting a maximum of 45 seconds. She told me to go home take a warm shower and lie down and see how my body responded to that. Her thought was that why physically labor was progressing, physiologically it was not. She was right! As soon as I lay down, contractions returned to 15 minutes apart. We decided to go to bed (it was around 10:30 at this time) and try to get some rest just in case I did go into labor.

Slowly, the contractions returned to every 8 minutes. The intensity was light to moderate and still not lasting very long. This continued for quite some time. I finally woke Martin up around 12:30 to time the contractions because even though they were still 8 minutes apart, the intensity and duration began to increase. Andrea had stayed over and was asleep on the couch. At 1:30am we decided that I had finally progressed to active labor. I had Martin call Andrea upstairs while he called Sue and blew up the pool. Remembering that I had to get out of the pool to use the bathroom with Sara, I decided to labor in the bathroom while Martin got things ready.

After what seemed like forever, I had Andrea help me to the downstairs bathroom in between contractions. As I was waiting in the bathroom, I remember getting worried that Sue might not make it in time because I was already feeling the need to push. I remembered from the Hypnobabies CD to not fight the contractions, but to allow your pelvic floor relax during each contraction. I did this and was amazed at how working with the contraction actually lessened the pain I was feeling. I also remember being worried that I wouldn't have the energy to push out the baby because since labor was progressing so quickly, I didn't have time to rest in between contractions.

Sue finally arrived at 2:15. She helped Martin complete the pool set?up and at 2:30, I got in the pool. When the water first hit my stomach, my pain level increased substantially. I was having such bad back labor that nothing I seemed to do relieve any pain until I leaned back in the water. At 2:45, my water broke and the baby's head and one arm came out. A couple minutes later, with one more push, the rest of the body came out. Since Martin was behind me stabilizing me with one arm, he reached into the pool with the other arm to catch the baby and place her on my chest. Fifteen minutes later, with once push, the placenta came out and the cord was cut at 3:10am by Martin. Even though the birth happened so quickly, there was no tearing and minimal bleeding afterwards.

Our beautiful, but unnamed baby had finally been born on January 12th at 2:48am. She was 8lbs 8oz and 21 inches long. All of the names we had chosen did fit, so we decided to get to know her a little before naming her.

Annaliese Paige
January 11, 2008
pm
pounds oz
inches

Waiting for the story.

Rhea Elizabeth
December 3, 2007
9 pm
7 pounds 2 oz
20 inches

In 2002, my son was born via c-section. I never physically labored with him. Instead, I went through "mental" labor for a month and then finally gave in to my caregivers and "elected" to have surgery.

Through a routine sonogram to check his size, a frank breech presentation was discovered. Talks of scheduling surgery were immediately discussed. I desperately tried to get him to turn. We tried everything including moxibustion and acupuncture, working with a medical intuitive, hypnotherapy, the Webster Technique, Reiki, yoga exercises, hanging upside down… I won’t even mention the quirkier things we did.

I finally opted for the in-hospital turning procedure (ECV), not once but twice, with an epidural the second time around. My Breeched Boy’s heart rate plunged extremely low during the second procedure. As a result, my midwives and doctor pressured me into having a c-section.

Five years later, I was surprised with my second pregnancy. Even long before this realization, I firmly believed I’d have a VBAC.

I began doing research and talked with midwives/doctors. Yes indeed, I was a perfect candidate for a healthy VBAC. However, while birthing is perhaps all about letting go, there was no way I wanted to surrender to a Kaiser medical staff. My desperation for a vaginal birth the first time left me vulnerable and ultimately full of regrets. This time, I wanted to be the one making decisions, which included being the one to decide on a whim whether I needed to walk, squat, eat, drink, or dance during labor, all of which would never have happened in a hospital.

A hospital VBAC attempt is highly controlled. There was no way I would emotionally or physically be able to handle being constantly poked and prodded during labor. I didn’t want to be hooked up to an IV or a slave to what would have seemed like a gazillion monitors. This time, I didn’t want to keep an eye on baby’s heart rate or be pumped with drugs. I even wanted to steer clear of sonograms.

I found a homebirth midwife I really liked and felt safe with. Yes, in the back of my mind, I was a little unsure about this path, but Dr. Jen and so many other mamas were a source of strength and inspiration. I knew it was vitally important to at least attempt to have a home birth. Basically, though intimidated about birthing at home, I was far, far more scared to go to a hospital. When doubts started running around in my head, I did my best to bury them and remembered how much I hated the hospital birthing mentality.

Signs of labor started Sunday evening. I took a hot bath and decided to go to bed. The next morning, I went for a chiropractic adjustment. I knew that what I was experiencing was bringing my baby closer to me but at the same time, since it was my first "physical" labor, I had no idea it was the real deal and went about my day. A couple of hours after seeing Dr. Jen, a friend urged me to call my midwife because my contractions were very close and very regular. Still, I was sort of in denial that I was truly in labor because I expected it to "hurt" more.

My midwives arrived late afternoon. Everyone prepared the bed and birthing tub and after we sent my son off on a sleepover, I got into the water.

The tub was wonderful! My husband put on some new age music that sent me into a trance and I just went within, still not really understanding that my baby was going to be born that night (9pm). We didn’t even have cameras nearby! I was in the tub for about three hours and it was heavenly. Every so often, my midwife would check on us and then leave me and my husband to be alone. It was unbelievably peaceful!!!

By evening I was surprised to learn I was fully dilated! I really was expecting it to hurt a lot more. The pushing part wasn’t all that fun and it took some trial and error before we discovered the tub wasn’t such a great place for me after all. I didn’t feel grounded enough to push in the water. After breaking my water on the toilet, one of my midwives invited me to sit on a birthing stool. A couple of pushes later and Daddy caught his little girl. Though there was some tearing and the placenta still had to come out, I could NOT BELIEVE it was over! With the help of my perfect birth partner and amazing midwives, I did it!!!!

My daughter is so calm in comparison to my son, who had severe colic and still is a high strung kid. I can’t help but attribute the difference in temperaments with the type of births they each had.

The first time, I succumbed to "expert’s" advice. The second time, I listened to my heart, body and baby. My HBAC left me empowered. And, importantly, free of regrets.

Nico Givanni
Unassisted home waterbirth
November 27, 2007
11:26 am
8 pounds 8oz
21 inches

One week shy of his guestimated due date...

And, here’s the unabridged version. You may want to grab a cup of tea and get comfortable...

My husband, Joe, and I both yield from medical backgrounds. I was an OR nurse for 14 years before obtaining my master’s degree in clinical social work and Joe was a master’s educated physiologist, specializing in cardiac rehab. When we became pregnant with our first child in 1999, there was little discussion about birthing anywhere else but in the hospital I worked at in La Jolla with one of my favorite OB/GYN colleagues in attendance.

Knowing the rate of electively scheduled and emergency c-sections, we felt it important to do our due diligence in preparation for our child’s safe arrival. Desiring a natural childbirth, we enrolled in a Bradley class that equipped us with not just information, but confidence and a well-written birth plan.

We were attending a lecture at UCSD when my labor began. Since we lived in Dana Point and I was one day shy of my "due date," we had taken to traveling with our hospital bag packed and infant seat in the car. When we arrived at the hospital at 10:20 pm, I was checked in the ER and told I was a mere 2.5 - 3 cm dilated. This was very disheartening since I had been 2 cm and 80% effaced for weeks. Since our goal was to have a natural birth, the recommendation was to come back when I was farther along. So, we left and began driving up the I-5 to Dana Point. As we were driving, my contractions became 3-5 minutes apart and were double peaking. So, we turned around at the last exit on Camp Pendleton and headed back to the hospital. This time we officially checked in and I was admitted to the L & D floor. Another exam revealed I was now 4 cm. along. To which I replied, "That’s it, you’re kidding me." This time the advice was to sleep. Joe crashed out on a cot and I tried to sleep amid the discomfort of the contractions and the excitement of the immanent arrival of our baby. The morning brought a shift change and the most delightful natural birth friendly nurse my way. She suggested we call our doula in for additional support. When she arrived, we’d been walking the halls with little more progress. After determining our steadfast commitment to a natural birth, it was suggested we check out, go home and rest. We went to our doula’s house in SD where I was able to take a bath and sleep a bit. The contractions were relentless, double peaking and all over the map. I was tired. Certain I was in transition, we drove back to the hospital and I was readmitted. Another exam revealed I was at 6 cm. I was devastated. I got into the shower and cried. I thought to myself, I cannot do this any more. I do not want drugs for the pain, I want a c-section. I stayed in the shower for a long time reclaiming my composure and fortitude to continue laboring. I sat on the birth ball, I hung from the birthing bar, I walked laps around the darned nursing station over and over again, I hung on Joe, and I swayed on the edge of the bed rubbing a small pink quartz heart against the sheets, begging this baby to come. The pain in my back was unbearable and nothing I was prepared for. I was a non-compliant patient. I ate, I drank, and I wouldn’t let them strap me down for regular monitoring. Finally, my water broke. I felt like an animal, moaning and dripping fluids. Another exam revealed I was 8.5 - 9 cm. I was getting close; more walking, more swaying and more pressure in my back. My dear nurse went on break and another nurse checked me again, determining I was ready to push. Sweet justice. Not really having an urge, but also being so relieved to finally get the baby out, I pushed fervently for an hour and a half to no avail. The anterior lip of my cervix was swollen and I was back to 8 cm. Unbelievable.

Another shift change brought forth new nurses and a need for another FM strip to be run. The OB/GYN, who was the on call doc, as mine never did arrive at the hospital since it was his off day, pulled Joe into the hallway and told him, "She’s not going to get this baby out, she’s tired. I’ll give her another 20 minutes and then she’s going in for a c-section." Joe calmly replied, "If you go in there and tell her that, she will kill you. As long as she’s OK and this baby is OK, you let her try." My hero! 45 minutes and one fractured tailbone later and our precious daughter, Alexa Gianna, was born on her "due date", weighing 7 lbs. 8 ounces at 7:58 pm. She presented posteriorly; head strong to this day. My/her labor was 26 active hours. I had a grade 2 tear, requiring many stitches. To my great humility, I realized the joy of having an unmedicated and natural childbirth. We checked out of the hospital 12 hours later. It would be years later before identifying that I struggled with post partum depression for months following Alexa’s birth.

Alexa’s birth experience was transforming. Joe and I both realized the power of my body, by God’s grace, to achieve something completely natural and awesome. After sharing our story, we discovered truly what a unique hospital experience we had. Several people said we were lucky and after hearing repeated tales of misfortune and outright trauma, we began to question the relevance and safety of birthing in a hospital. We questioned the arrogance of the doctor’s involved. Thus, we started exploring the possibility of birthing elsewhere. The only birth center in OC, at the time, left us with a poor impression of the midwives being unprofessional and scattered.

Since birthing at home wasn’t something Joe felt comfortable with, we discovered our birthing options were best served by going to a low intervention hospital based midwife. When we found ourselves pregnant in August of 2001, we discovered hospital midwives in OC were few and far between and our options were very limited. Thus, I began care with two local CNM’s, who accepted our insurance. Our prenatal visits were unrushed and the midwives were supportive and motherly, yet professional and competent, instilling confidence in them. Because of my "mature gestational age" of 35, I consented to every test there was, just as I had with my first uneventful pregnancy. Only this time, the testing revealed a positive AFP result. Knowing we would welcome a child with Down’s syndrome as any other, we met with the genetic counselor, but opted not to do an amniocentesis. However, assured of the safety and accuracy of a higher-level ultrasound, we did subject our unborn child to a 30-45 minute U/S to rule out Down’s and a congenital heart defect that Alexa was born with. While all looked well and nothing unusual presented, it would be many more weeks before his birth would reveal his ultimate identity and good health. The ensuing stress was terrible. (<sigh> I only wish I knew then what I know now about the exposure of that U/S on his developing body).

With the AFP stuff behind us, the positive GBS test didn’t seem like such a big deal. My midwife explained I’d have two courses of antibiotics during labor and the baby would be just fine. So be it. I didn’t realize at the time, there were alternative and natural treatment protocols (not that she would have offered that or followed my lead on it anyhow). My son’s birth-day was much like every other, I was busy chasing around my active toddler. While at the mall, buying nursing bras, I had a contraction that was attention grabbing. However, since I’d been having BH for weeks, I didn’t put much stock in it. Upon returning home, preparing dinner, bathing and putting my daughter down to sleep, I noticed that I was having contractions, although not painful. I decided to finish some laundry and get in the shower, just in case. Sure enough, the contractions were getting closer and timing between 5-7 minutes apart. Although we lived in San Clemente and were a stone throw from the local hospital, our midwives had only recently received privileges to practice at Orange Coast Memorial in Fountain Valley , which was a 45 minute drive. Taking into account my long first labor, I was determined to stay home as long as possible. We called our midwife at about 8 pm and she suggested we get Alexa situated and head in to the hospital since I needed the IV antibiotics.

We arrived at the hospital around 10:00 pm and I took the stairs, however slowly to the L & D floor, being greeted by my doula and midwife. Upon exam, it was determined I was in transition at 8 cm. Imagine our surprise. After yet another bathroom visit, I sat on the edge of the bed while my IV was started. I sat on the birthing ball until the pressure was so great I had to stand. My water broke and I climbed onto the bed to lie on my side. By this time, the assigned OB nurse discovered my IV had not been running, so she turned it on. I began involuntarily pushing. While it felt necessary for me to vocalize, my midwife instructed me to stop, bringing the energy into my body to push out my baby. I felt scolded. Three really strong pushes and his head was out, one more and our dear son, Dominic Anthony, was born, weighing 9 lbs. 5 ounces at 11:58 pm on his "due date." My/his labor was six active hours. I only had a small tear this time requiring a few stitches. What joy! I once again realized the humility of having another unmedicated and natural childbirth.

But wait, I was supposed to get medication; two full bags worth of antibiotics for the group B strep, which I did not receive. Because of hospital policy and my midwife’s inability and/or unwillingness to advocate for us, our sweet son was admitted to the NICU, where he was to remain for seven days being pumped full of antibiotics and anti-fungals for the yeast to rule out possible sepsis. I had to move into a hotel near the hospital, so I could be present at every feeding to ensure they weren’t going to formula feed him on top of everything else. Our family was so disrupted. My poor young daughter hadn’t a clue why her baby brother had bruises all over his body from the blown vessels. She’d come for a visit and all the while I’d be praying she wouldn’t leave the hospital physically or emotionally ill. Dominic’s "first haircut" was the two patches they shaved on his head for IV sites. I pumped around the clock because I was so engorged and they placed him on a three hour feeding schedule. I did not sleep for ten days. Although my son’s labor and birth had been wonderful, I now knew the pain of birthing in a hospital and putting all my faith and trust in my midwife and a technocratic institution better reserved for sick people. She failed me, the hospital failed me and my own ignorance failed my son. Never again!!! Unfortunately, though not as significant this time, PPD set in again.

I share with you my first two birth experiences to give you a construct or framework to understand my evolution and growth as a woman, a wife and a mother. I take nothing away from either of my children’s hospital births because that was where Joe and I were at in our journey of parenting at those respective times. However, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have regret. But, yesterday ended last night and what I was gifted with from birthing Alexa and Dominic, as I did, was the strength and courage to charter my own course the next time, God willing.

Fast forward five years. The first time I heard of an unassisted birth, I thought rather smugly, that it was the height of irresponsibility. I had visions of hippie-type women squatting on tie dyed bedding, birthing their babies, naming them something element based, like Skye or Ocean and then burying the placenta in the backyard or worse yet, leaving it attached and calling it a "lotus birth." None-the-less, there was something that seemed elusive and yet intriguing at the same time about their stories. The more I read, the more I was empowered to believe in the collective consciousness of ancient women wisdom. Through my research, I came to accept that the height of responsibility was in birthing solo! To birth unhindered was to accept the full weight of responsibility, otherwise displaced upon a MD or midwife.

My chiropractor, Jen, a woman whom I deeply admired and respected, had two unassisted home water births and talking with her set in motion the course of our next pregnancy and birth. I contacted two other women whom I knew and admired who also birthed unassisted. I devoured every book I could on homebirth, water birth and birthing unhindered. I poured over websites and watched videos of women receiving their own babies. I was selective in who I spoke with and spent time with, so as to surround myself with supportive and holding thoughts only. I prayed a lot!!! I journaled my dreams, my expectations and my fears. I scripted my dear unborn child’s labor and birth. I received regular chiropractic care and prenatal massages. I ate well, took supplements and drank copious amounts of water. I did prenatal yoga and saw myself as a youthful, healthy pregnant woman. At five months pregnant, we spent three weeks in Costa Rica , climbing waterfalls, hiking and playing on the beaches. At seven months along, we spent ten days in Maui, walking, hiking the lava fields and going on the waterslides. At age 40, I had to make the decision of what I really believed from my core about who I was and what my body, mind and spirit was capable of.

We had one initial in-home consultation with a midwife, just enough to establish some measure of rapport and also solidify the confidence to birth without her, with all due respect. During my pregnancy, I honored and listened to my body, foregoing standard prenatal testing. I did on occasion weigh myself and take measurements of my burgeoning belly. Measuring about four weeks further along and certain of my conception date, I did consult with a sonographer and had a <30 second peak ultrasound to make sure there was only one baby inside. As unwavering in his support as my husband was, that was one piece of information he felt we should have. Armed with the knowledge of one baby growing miraculously inside my womb, my unassisted pregnancy was uneventful.

Like many women, I had all day morning sickness my first trimester, a brilliant and easy second trimester and an anticipatory and complaining on my part third trimester as it was difficult to sleep and I had kankles. After many weeks of braxton hicks, the Friday following Thanksgiving felt like the real thing with contractions coming 7-10 minutes apart, but not painful. Was this to be my pain free birth that I read about? Alexa and Dominic were asleep, so it was to be a romantic labor after all. We lit beeswax candles and played Sade. We danced to our wedding song and I cried with deep gratitude for the man that I married, who grew into the husband and father of my children that I adored. We made love to "guarantee" this was the night. For what puts the baby in there is also said to get it out! Finally at 4 am, tired, we slept, only to awake to no contractions. Disappointed, but also charged from our amazing evening, we knew that a practice round was indeed preparing us for the day soon to come.

On Monday I went in for a chiropractic adjustment, which proved to be more of an attitude and emotional adjustment, for my body was in complete alignment; a foretelling of Lady Labor’s near arrival. You can imagine my delight when I woke up on Tuesday morning at 6:30 am after a "good" night's rest to a contraction that felt oh so different. I began preparing Dominic and Alexa's lunch for school and breakfast when by 7 am, it occurred to me that I was actually in labor with contractions coming every 3-7 minutes apart and building in intensity. Donning my labor necklace, I told Joe that I didn't think he should drive the children to school after all. So, he called our other ride pool families and nonchalantly told them we were keeping the children home for a family day. Shortly thereafter we called our friend, Jen, and told her the great news. She arrived within the hour, camera in hand. The day was gorgeous, with the sun streaming her rays over the ocean and lighting Catalina Island aglow. The hummingbirds sang and sipped nectar from the honeysuckle trees outside my window, unaffected by my swaying and opening song. The labor was so beautiful!! I knew we were finally having our baby and I welcomed every embrace of my uterus with gratitude. Alexa and I were making whipped cream for the birthday cake, made two days prior, while Dominic and Joe filled the birthing pool. As my dear children were licking the beaters, my water broke; ahhhh, the warmth and confirmation. No turning back now.

As I descended the stairs, I collected dust bunnies that had wedged in the corners. The nesting instinct, so intense, makes me smile. Having converted our bedroom into a birthing sanctuary, I entered into my own womb, if you will. The windows and mirrors were draped with a deep crimson velvet, to which I affixed pictures of my Lord and Prince of Peace Jesus as a child and adult, a water color depiction of Venus of Willendorf Goddess representing Gaia, Mother Earth, and Mothering in all her raw and fertile splendor, a sketch of Hawaiian Mama Pele, embracing her swollen belly, numerous poems, verses and prayers and a small black and white sonogram photo in the middle.

On the fireplace mantel was a beeswax candle that Dominic made to light the way for his baby sister or brother, several stones and minerals from Alexa’s special treasures, homeopathics and tinctures should I need them, a fish net for ahem, debris, a couple soft washcloths and umbilical tape.

On the bench, at the foot of our bed, was a baby scale and tape measurer, a couple of receiving blankets and hats for the pool and a pan and colander for the placenta.

On the changing table laid an organic cotton ecru gown, pants, hat, socks and diaper waiting for a little person to inhabit them.

On my nightstand was a gorgeous vase of flowers, Traumeel, Arnica, salves and balms for the baby and me.

In the center of the room was the birthing tub, nearly full, beckoning me to surrender fully into the moment. After a few contractions upon the toilet to empty my bowels, I slipped into the birthing pool, which was absolutely amazing! My only wish was that it was warmer (such is the reality of an old and tired water heater). Having had two land births to compare it to, I was quickly convinced the water was the only way to go! I felt so free and alive in there, moving just how I needed to to birth our dear baby as he/she needed. As I lost myself into the primal place of birthing, I was delighted in those moments of absolute clarity and lucid presence of what I looked out upon. For in front of me was my contemplative daughter and energetic son, sitting upon my bed, eating their lunches from their lunch baskets, reading books and taking pictures. At one point, I asked them if watching me was better than watching a movie, to which Dominic replied emphatically, "Way!!!" I then jokingly asked if they wanted Papa to go make popcorn. With a resounding "yes!" We had to tell them we were joking because the time was getting near that the baby would arrive. Sensing some trepidation upon their faces, I asked them if they were OK with me making noises and sounding like a wounded moose. We all laughed as Dominic said, "You sound like a moose, but look like a dying cockroach." Out of the mouths of babes.

As I reached down to feel for the baby’s head, I will never forget the feeling of that firm round head with downy soft hair just within me. The brush of my fingers against my clitoris, made me realize how beautifully womanly and sensual I was in that moment. I announced our baby was getting close and that I could feel its head. Now everyone stood poolside. With my supportive family leaning in for kisses, I was flooded by love and knew that was exactly what I wanted our newest family member to be born into. As the head began to crown, I was reminded of the two times prior. Isn’t it humbling how you forget about that intensity of pressure just minutes after it happens only to be reminded when it happens once again? A necessary amnesia, I suppose. Ohhhh, breathing and working through it, supporting my perineum while holding onto the edge of the pool, as this child left my body on her/his own terms. Dominic says, "You’re doing such a good job, mama. Thank you for making the baby." We both wipe away our "happy tears" and I am overcome with humility and transcendent peace. So many emotions and memories being captured in our hearts and on film that day. (Thank you Joe and Jen for the amazing pictures! )

Within minutes his head is outside of me and I will NEVER forget the feeling of stroking his hair as we waited upon the next wave to bring this wonderful boy into our lives. Assisting him through the water and into my arms is a truly unforgettable and defining moment in my life. All glory to Him who delivered this gorgeous boy into my hands, safely and perfectly. It would be five minutes before we think to discover that he is a boy, something I intuitively knew all along but refrained from sharing. Alexa’s disappointment was short lived as she fell in love with her new brother rather quickly.

Once the cord stopped pulsing, we tied Nico’s end with a piece of dental floss and Alexa cut the "biblical" cord as Dominic initially called it. Complete reverence and divine grace flooded our home. Time stood still. It would be another two hours and ten minutes before his placenta was born in the shower. In the interim, Joe and the children began their bonding process in taking his weight and length, dressing and cuddling with him. I drank a much needed cup of tea and encouraged him to nurse. With four of us settling into bed, you can appreciate my extreme disappointment when Jen and Joe identified a tear significant enough to warrant a repair.

My mother in law came to pick up Alexa and Domi so that we could drive the 30 minutes to the midwife's home for the repair. Thankfully, she was able to care for me and since we had met previously and she knew of our birth plans, she was very compassionate. She did a wonderful job repairing the injury that occurred several hours prior. While the drive there and back was rather uncomfortable, the sun shone brighter than ever before and the colors outside took my breath away. I *almost* could forget about my discomfort while gazing at my beautiful boy seated next to me; I was keeping my eyes fixed on the prize. All is well now. I have healed, on so many levels deeper than this birth experience and I am reclaiming my core strength. I'm still loving this babymoon, now 10 weeks going!!! I am physically tired, as a mama of three, though I’m emotionally and spiritually high! I am a better woman, wife and mother and I am so grateful. Blessings to you and yours.

Sonia, Joe, Alexa & Dominic

Tia Bella
August 23, 2007
2:09 pm
8 pounds 15.3 oz
21.5 inches

This is our beautiful birth story of our precious little daughter Tia and the journey we went through. It first starts out with me telling my new Midwife that I have bigger size babies even though I don't measure big, therefore; I may need to be induced a little early to avoid my baby getting stuck like my prior birth (so I was told). I was sent to a Specialist in Fetal Medicine where I was told that I will need a MANDATORY c-section due to the size of my unborn child and with the history of my second child’s birth. After answering many questions, I was told that Nyas (my second child) as an infant had indeed suffered a serious shoulder dystocia and a degree of Erb's Palsy. The Specialist then proceeded to ask my husband and I if we took legal action on this mishandled birth and next we were informed on the MUST HAVE c-section. This was a whole LOT of info thrown at us at once and I barely made it to the restroom before I burst into tears! My husband (Mark) was trying to reassure me that everything will work out, but how? Why was Nyas' birth mishandled? What lies ahead for this birth? Why does a c-Section feel SO wrong and who was I going to turn to? On and on...the fearful thoughts ran through my head.

At my next doctor's appointment I was informed that if I didn't agree to the c-section that my Midwife (Lisa) had to recommend that I seek an alternative doctor. I wasn't mad at Lisa as I knew her hands were tied, but I was angry and scared of the situation. Well, I completely lost it; I was yelling, crying and even cursing! Afterwards, it hit me like a brick that I had to stop this negativity and play the OB’s game if I was expecting myself to win. I worked closely with one of the best Naturopathic Doctors in the world (Dr. Abell), who was helping me stay healthy, balanced and positive. I was receiving treatment that included homeopathic remedies which includes; the Brain Protocol (which promotes a neurologically balanced fetus), Rubus Idaeus (to strengthen the uterus) and later acupressure to naturally stimulate labor without the use of drugs (to prevent the already scheduled c-section).

I had two weeks to go and the pressure was overwhelming...UNTIL Dr. Jen came into my life!!! A friend of mine made an unauthorized appointment for me with Dr. Jen (Thank you, Fran). What a HUGE blessing this was and she became my greatest support and strength, besides my husband, of course.

This is where the story turns beautiful! After receiving what I call the "Dr. Jen knowledge", I was beyond empowered. I was being checked (and aligned as needed) every other day and watching birth videos from Dr. Jen - some inspiring and some frightening. I told myself that I can do this without a c-section. I know I can. I can just feel it...no matter what those male OBs say (Thank you, Dr. Jen)!

Well, like I said previously, I had to play the game, so I told my OB that I would schedule my c-section the day after my due date. I can't believe he wanted it scheduled a week before my due date, boy we went head to head on the dates (you could tell he was a doctor who was used to getting his way). He then informed me that even if I show up at the hospital in labor, he was still going to do a c-section. I just smiled and said okay, but I thought to myself, "over my dead body!!!"

My due date was quickly approaching so I tried the old castor oil remedy (twice) and it was unsuccessful and disastrous. The following week I received acupressure three days in a row. I waddled into my last acupressure appointment where I was moving oh so slow. I'm sure I was in labor then but the contractions were so scattered that I was unsure. I was telling myself,"I can do this. I can do this", as I was listening to my two sons fighting in the waiting room. Mark was caught up at work and I was having more contractions during my appointment. Dr. Abell told me that he would drive me to the hospital himself if I feel like I need to go, which put me right at ease.

That night, I was in labor and should have realized it when my dog wouldn’t leave my side and was acting very protective (I wish I would have woke my hubby, but I was waiting for more consistent contractions). I ached all over and there was pressure building in the pelvis. By 5am I thought this has to be labor even though it was different from the boys. I didn't say anything to my husband since I had a doctor’s appointment at 10:30 am that day. By 9am I called my husband and said, "I'm laying on the bed and I'm NOT moving", I just felt like resting my body. My husband picked me and the boys up. The contractions were still scattered but intensify. I was ACTING extremely calm when we saw Lisa, although I told her I was having my baby naturally and if an OB tries to deliver my baby then I will KICK him in the head, he will not touch me or my baby!( I was shocked at the strength in my voice). She was convinced, and then she proceeds to check me and states that I'm 3cm and 80% effaced. I know she tried to help me out because what she did caused some bleeding and intense contractions. I stood up, grabbed my belly, looked at Mark and said, "I’m in labor!" Lisa came back in and said I helped all I could and smiled. Dr. Abell said what she did is called thinning (you go Lisa)!!!

We're driving home and I start to panic, I need to call Dr. Jen!!! We dropped the boys off with our friend, Michelle, and off we went to the hospital. Dr. Jen asked us if we wanted to meet her at her office for one last pelvic adjustment. WHAT?? I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the hospital in time and now I need to go where, and do what? I think Dr. Jen was hoping that I would give birth at her office or in the car - and quite frankly I would of loved to do a home birth if I knew then what I know now. We got to Dr. Jen's office and I was feeling intense pressure so much that it hurt to stand much less waddle. I got halfway through the parking lot and buckled over with intense pain. I had a bright yellow dress on and standing in an open parking lot, boy you couldn't miss us from miles away!

Dr. Jen did her magic and it I felt like it was time to get to the hospital NOW! Instantly, after the sacral adjustment, the contractions changed from 7 minutes apart to 3 minutes apart - and the pressure changed from the abdomen to the perineum.

We jumped in my husband's sporty little car and we were off! Mark loves to drive fast so he wasn't wasting any time. I was on my knees in the back seat facing the traffic behind us and Dr. Jen was faithfully beside me keeping me from swaying back and forth due to my husband's fancy driving (I would have been laughing had I not been in so much pain).

We arrive at the hospital and my contractions are really close together now. Dr. Jen tells me to act as if I'm not in labor so we don't alert the staff and trigger our MANDATORY c-section. This was a little hard since I'm ready to push now, but I have to admit it was kind of fun. Once the contraction was over, we walked in - oh so calm. My husband knew where we needed to go, but then we got turned around from all the commotion and next thing I knew we were on the wrong floor and had to climb stairs! (Come on guys, work with me here!) I had to keep looking down so that I wouldn't show signs of being in labor. Another contraction starts and now I'm hiding behind a pillar, I'm spotted and a nurse runs over to help but Dr. Jen stops her and sends her away. Next, we're in an elevator (not the stairs this time) with other nurses and another contraction hits, I turn away and face Jen trying hard not to breathe too loud or buckle over. We MAKE it to the maternity floor - all our 007 moves paid off!

Dr. Jen told the triage nurse to continue with her lunch and to meet us in an empty room when she's done - no hurry. Dr. Jen came and got me and slipped me into the room without being detected (what a smart cookie)! Dr. Jen told me to labor in the restroom until Lisa gets there because Dr. Jen had already given her a call...and the pressure was so low. I was getting anxious and tired of standing. I want to get on the bed and get off my feet because it was time to push. Lisa got there and she helped me to the bed. She quickly writes up the waivers that she needs me to sign - and I do.

Finally, I'm laying there sidelying and it was so comfortable. My husband was rubbing my arm telling me what a great job I'm doing and being the sweetheart that he is. I then heard Dr. Jen's voice saying, "only do what feels comfortable for you, Debi". I realized I needed to change positions - I didn't want to, but I knew I had to. I had learned that being on all fours was the best position to prevent shoulder dystocia so I flipped over on all fours. Ouch, this didn't feel good at all! The nurse was trying to monitor the baby heartbeat. After a few moments I asked her to stop because it was hurting me by just touching me. She tried to argue her point, so I grabbed the monitor and chucked it across the room... sorry but I just wasn't in the mood to argue. Lisa said when my contractions come - push really hard, so I did just that! I pushed really hard and I heard women shouting, well I guess my water broke and it went everywhere. I felt uncomfortable so I got on my knees and bent over the elevated part of the bed. There was a brief moment of rest and guess what I had to do, sign another waiver of course?? After that the pain was SO INTENSE, I was trying to climb the wall and get out of my body! The transitioning was so fast that I was dry heaving at the same time. The pain was so unbearable because my contractions were right on top of each other that I stood straight up (Lisa was telling the nurse to lower the bed so she could reach the baby), I'm standing there and my inner voice said - kick out my leg to allow my baby's head to come though. WELL, I kicked out my left leg and bore down and out was a little head.

Now I was scared of shoulder dystocia and in my head I was shouting, "please don't get stuck, please don't get stuck!" Fear overwhelmed me and I thought for a moment that Tia and I both were going to die. The voice of a previous conversation a week prior rang through my ears (it was Sarah, Dr. Jen's friend and doula). She was telling me that in that moment where you can't take it any more. . . then you surrender to God. I looked up to God with complete terror in my eyes and said, "I SURRENDER! PLEASE HELP ME!"Then, strength came over me and I bore down with all my might while screaming in total fear of what lies ahead. While standing on one foot in the Flamingo/Swan position, out came our beautiful little girl!!! I looked at my husband with tears in my eyes, "We did it, we did it!!!" Smiling back at me with tears in his eyes, "I'm so proud of you, Sweetie!"

With my amazing support team, Tia Bella was born at 2:09 on 8/23/2002 weighing 8lbs 15.3 oz and 21.5 inches long (Tia was born 19 minutes after we arrived in my birthing suite...no c-section, no tearing, and no birth trauma). Thank you to my beautiful husband who stands beside me in everything I do. Thank you to my dear friend Michelle for taking our two boys during this time. To Dr. Jen, who is a wealth of knowledge - truly a women's advocate and a pillar of strength that kept me focused.

Also, I would be remiss if I did not thank Dr. Abell, who is beyond amazing and always there for my family. Sarah, whose voice came to me in that moment of terror (when I went against ALL traditional doctors), Fran for setting this all in motion. Thanks to Lisa, my Midwife, for catching Tia. Even though she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Thanks to all the nurses at South Coast Birthing Center in Laguna Beach.

Last but not least, God who guided me though the entire journey...THANK YOU FOR A BEAUTIFUL BIRTH STORY!!!

Debi, Mark, Cross & Nyas

Kacie Lorraine
April 3, 2007
11pm
8 pounds 7 oz
20.5 inches

Click here

I wanted to have a water birth with the birth of my first child. Unfortunately for me, I didn't have the support I needed for that to happen. So I ended up at the hospital and had them deliver my son. Even though I initially considered a water birth for my daughter, I was sure I didn't have the energy this time around.

My mother-in-law suggested we look into Bradley classes to enjoy a natural child birth experience. Who wants natural when you can have an epidural? So I researched the classes anyways and decided to proceed. My husband would be my coach and I felt we really needed an outside perspective on the details of child birthing, as we weren't seeing eye-to-eye on how we were going to do this. Boy were we surprised with our outcome!

I had contractions weeks prior to her birth but the afternoon they started, I got this warm all over body rush and then the contractions started coming. Fast and furious for 5 hours I labored out of the pool while my birth team was arriving, setting up and getting ready.

There were supposed to be 5 people - My husband, his mother and sister, his best friend - an EMT and our Bradley instructor Jennifer. Unfortunately, at the very last minute, Jennifer had a family emergency that required her to be in Colorado which means we were really going to be unassisted. We had looked into getting a midwife, but didn't feel it necessary. Jennifer would be acting like a Doula and we were comfortable with that. Well, now we were truly unassisted as no one on our team had done or been part of a home birth. I guess that's how God wanted it because the entire team including myself was completely comfortable with the task at hand. This baby was coming and we were all ready.

We had the pool set up in our bedroom at the foot of our bed. We have French doors off our room that we opened and closed between contractions. It was night time and we had candles set up all over the house and the only CD my husband wanted to play was Birds of Nature. So I kept concentrating on listening for the little woodpecker during each contraction. Now, I didn't think I was a screamer, but I was. And Yes - it was worth it but let me just say the contractions were ungodly. So, with 3 hours left to go, I got into the pool. Boy was that a relief! I immediately embraced the warm weightlessness and comfort the water provided and proceeded with contracting for about 2 more hours. Then came transition, which I thought wasn't really transition. I thought I was giving up early but thank God for me it really was transition and I was ready to push. I did ask them to take me to the hospital for medication and they giggled and said no. I thought to myself, they wouldn't take me anyways. I was so pissed but I didn't have a choice. I just kept going. I just trusted in my body and listened to the encouragement of my husband - who by the way was completely submerged in the pool with me the entire time. It made me feel like he was absorbing some of the pain and he was working with me together to bring our daughter into the world.

Then all of the sudden my body said squat and push - and I did. Then it said turn over. And I did. Then out popped her little head. One more push and she was floating underwater.

We had shared with most of our birth team that when she was born, we wanted her to stay underwater for a minute before we took her out. So, my husband's best friend - the EMT, immediately shouts "Take her out! Take her out!!" and we all yell back "NO!" It was a funny little moment cause the one guy we forgot to prepare is the one guy who was "medically trained."

She took her first breath like and old pro as soon as she came out of the water. You could see the oxygen traveling through her body. My husband takes great pride in delivering our daughter himself - complete with dental floss and a swiss army knife. No - I'm not kidding. The scissors on those work surprisingly well.

Within 2 hours after delivering Kacie Loraine, I was snuggled in bed with her falling fast asleep. It was the most peaceful experience and it felt like that's how child birth should be.

It is amazing to my husband and I just how accurate the stages of labor are. He knew exactly where I was the entire time. We didn't need to know how dialated I was because it didn't matter. And looking back, those 8 hours flew by - especially once I was in the water. It only seemed like and hour and a half!

I look at the newborn picture of my son and feel a bit disappointed in myself that I didn't take the time to find out more about how hospitals "deliver babies." I remember them being so rough with him and thinking "why are they doing all that to him?" Having experienced a water birth at home, I have to believe that coming into this world is traumatic enough. Water birth truly is a gentle birth choice. I'm delighted to know that I'm part of this seemingly exclusive club - even though most of the world births this way.

The entire experience was once in a lifetime - top of my list as my greatest accomplishment this far.

Sara was Born at Home

June 8, 2006 at 3:53 am

8 lbs 6 oz ~ 21 in

Sara's journey into this world began several thousand miles from home. Martin, Andrea (my daughter), my dad and I went to Europe in September 2006 as a celebration of Andrea's 16th birthday. After two weeks, my dad and Andrea flew home while Martin and I continued on to England and Wales for an additional week where as fate would have it, we picked up an addition to our family...a souvenir of our trip you might say.

Upon our return, I began school the first weekend in October. During one of my classes, we had to describe our ideal life (potential changes that could occur within the next 1 1/2 years). One of the items I listed was that we would be able to have a child (we were planning to start trying in 2006). That Monday, October 3, 2005, I began to feel a little suspicious that something might be going on in my body. Martin came home for lunch and stopped at the store to pick up a pregnancy test. He wasn't able to stay while I took the test, so once completed, I called him with the news...he was going to be a dad. The only thing that both of us could say was 'WOW" and "How did that happen?" (well technically, we know how it happened). For years, I was told by my doctors that it was highly improbable that I would able to have more children and that if I did want to become pregnant, I would need medical intervention.

The first trimester was the most difficult. While I didn't suffer from morning sickness, I did have intense food sensitivities. My wonderful husband was kind enough to cook dinner every night while I hid in our room and would cut my meat so I could quickly eat before the smell became too much. While the food thing was inconvenient, my biggest challenge was dealing with continuous migraines, which lasted for several days, with only a day or two in between to rest before another would start. Due to the intensity of these physical ailments, I had to withdraw from school. In November, we began our Bradley Birth Classes.

The second trimester was much better. Not only could I begin to eat more and more food, but my energy level increased significantly...I felt almost human again. During this time, we finished our birth classes and felt very comfortable with our decision to have a home birth with the assistance of a midwife. With the knowledge gained from our Bradley class, we felt very empowered and knew we were armed with enough information to make educated decisions that are not only in my best interest, but also the best interest of our child (both pre-natal & post-natal).

The third trimester was here before we knew it. Everything continued to go well and my Buddha belly grew. Our baby remained in an excellent position for birth and continued to be very active. As my due date approached, I was amazed at how easily I became tired. I guess my body's way of forcing me to rest in preparation for the big event. During this time we gathered all we needed for our home birth, including a blow up pool that took up residence in one of our bathroom so it would be ready at a moments notice. 

We had hoped to not have any ultrasounds during this pregnancy, but found that one was needed at 32 weeks. There was some minimal spotting that had been going on for a couple of weeks, and we needed to determine the cause. Luckily, it turned out to be nothing. At 35 weeks, my body began to prepare for birth with the loss of my mucous plug. We were almost certain the baby would come early and were hoping the baby would wait until at least 37 weeks.

So here I am at 40 weeks and still no baby (kind of a hurry up and wait situation). The little one is still going strong. While I have had several Braxton-Hicks contractions over the past couple months, they are coming more regularly these days. Luckily, the contractions have only been uncomfortable and not painful. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will continue into active labor.

Ok, I guess I spoke too soon, it's the day after my due date (June 6) and my water broke at 11:50 pm. At 2:00am on June 7, contractions began, they were 10 minutes apart for a few hours, but then kind of stopped and I decided to try and get some rest. Martin took off of work since we thought that birth was imminent. The rest of the day the contractions were inconsistent. That night around 7pm, we went to a dress rehearsal of Andrea's dance show since I was sure I wouldn't be able to make the actual performance Thursday or Friday. I guess taking my mind off labor for a couple hours helped. During the rehearsal, my contractions starting becoming consistent at 15 minutes. When we got home around 9:30, we decided to get some rest. My contractions were growing in intensity, but the were still 15 minutes apart. At around 10pm, I told Martin to go to bed and I would wake him when the were closer together.

I woke Martin up at midnight, telling him the contractions were 10 minutes apart and I needed him to stay up with me. At 12:30am, the intensity increased and the contractions were now 5 minutes a part. Martin called Sue to see if I could get in the tub. She had us wait until she got there as the being in the water tends to speed up labor. At 1:00am, I called my other support person, Stephanie to let her know I was in labor. During this time, Martin and Andrea finished getting everything ready for the birth. Both Stephanie and Sue, our midwife, arrived around 1:30am. 

At this time, I got in the water looking for relief from the pain of the contractions. The water felt very warm and soothing. We had candles lit and soft music by Enya played in the background. Active labor lasted around 2 1/2 hours, then transition hit with a vengeance. I would have sworn I was in transition for 10 hours, but afterward, Martin told me it was around 10 minutes. By now the contractions were right on top of each other and I felt like my body was giving up, I was so tired and the contractions were extremely strong. I kept repeating to myself 'I am strengthened by He who strengthens me.' 

I began to feel the irresistible urge to push. After a few strong pushes, I felt Sara's head begin to crown. The pain wasn't as bad as I had expected, and I attribute that to being in the water. I began to worry that she was stuck, because it took 10 minutes for her head to come completely out. Looking back this was a blessing, as it gave my body time to stretch, resulting in the tiniest of tear. Since I was still in a squatting position, Sue had me turn over into a somewhat seated position so that the rest of the body could deliver. With one big push, Sara was born gently into this world.

Since there were not a ton of medical personnel passing her around, poking and prodding, no bright lights or noises, Sara emerged from the water calmly and peacefully. Sara was given to me immediately so that we could begin bonding. Within a matter of minutes, the placenta delivered (without anyone yanking on it, or pushing on my stomach forcing it out). I then moved to the couch where Sara remained with me so I could nurse her. Her newborn exam was done right next to me and when we both declared healthy, we moved upstairs where we have remained (in the comfortable surrounding of our home and bed).

It's amazing, when we would tell people about our decision for a home birth, they either didn't know how to respond, or they didn't know which was worse, having the baby at home or the fact that I was going to bring our child into this world drug-free. I look forward to the day when having a child drug-free is the rule, rather than the exception.

The unassisted home waterbirth

of

Nicholas

May 25, 2006

12:20am

10 lbs 4 oz

21 inches

Well, this birth story starts off in Winnipeg, Canada.  We were attending a wedding of a friend, with our (nearly) 3 year old son, Michael.  He was telling everyone that he had a sister.  It was very convincing.  So convincing, that when we arrived home at the beginning of September 2005, I took a pregnancy test.  It was positive.  This explained my clothes fitting a bit tight and the unexplained crying when things got a little stressful, like flying with Air Canada, but that’s another story for another day.

Since I teach Bradley childbirth classes, and we already had an unassisted birth with Michael, I felt very prepared for this one.  Did I mention that we were convinced it was a girl?  Michael told me the baby’s name was Anna.  I nearly turned white, as when I was pregnant with him, I had a dream that I was carrying a girl and she told me her name was Anna.  In fact, I had 7 of these dreams while pregnant with Michael.

The pregnancy progressed normal, as usual. I did come in contact with Rubella during my first trimester and that worried me a bit, as there can be congenital deformities and that thought hung out in the back of my mind.  I exercised, ate right, had chiropractic care regularly and took the best quality vitamins I could find. I read new books, when I had a chance.  The one thing that was different was that I asked a midwife I know to check me out 3 times.  I was not concerned, as a woman is designed to get pregnant, grow a baby and get un-pregnant without a hitch, if you let her do what she is suppose to do.  I understand that there can be complications, but that is the exception, rather than the rule. I digress.  Anyway, I had this midwife, who is amazing - as a person and as a midwife, come over for 3 prenatal checks, since I always encourage women to use midwives, rather than surgeons, to support them prenatally.  I figure, if I am supporting this, I should know what it feels like to be under the care of a midwife.  I already know what the fundamental differences in care are, but to actually have some emotion involved, I thought it was important, especially, since I was certain that this was my last pregnancy.  We also had planned that she would not attend the birth.

So, not to bore you with all of the details, but my due date was April 22, 2006.  Now, I understand how accurate these “scientific” dates are, so I’ve never had my heart set on them.  I figured I’d watch this one fly right by. Everyone I met asked me, “When WAS your due date?” They could see I was huge.  I cheerfully explained (ok, not always so cheerfully) that I was due “x” weeks ago.  They always looked horrified and responded, “They let you go this long?”  Now, I could dissect any one of these words in this sentence and write a thesis on the brainwashing of American pregnant women, but I won’t. “Let” was the big one.  WHO is in charge of your body and its functions??? Anyway, 4 weeks and 3 days after my due date, our baby showed up.

Anyway, I started having contractions on Tuesday and they were 10 minutes apart, consistently, but I had been having contractions for 2.5 months off and on, so I never got my hopes up.  I just recognized them and went about my day.  Wednesday the contractions continued 7 minutes apart the entire day and simply became stronger as the day progressed, but no closer.  In fact, at 3pm, I told Rob that we needed to go to Costco and I needed to walk to see if these things would change.  We went to Costco and by the time we were leaving, I was barely able to move through them.  We made 2 more stops on the way home: First stop to a party supply place to pick up “It’s a girl!” and “It’s a boy!” banners. I had one REALLY strong contraction in there.  So hard, I had to hang on to Rob and it almost brought me to my knees.  The second stop was to pick up Michael from my parent’s home, as they had been hanging out with him for a few hours. I wasn’t convinced I was in labor…probably to protect me mentally and not get my hopes up.  I was tired, uncomfortable and ready to have this baby, but it wasn’t my decision.  It was the baby’s decision when to show up.

While at my parent’s home, I would have to get off my perineum and go on all fours, while we chatted.  The pressure was just too much.  My mom asked my dad to check his watch - every 7 minutes.  He mentioned that he thought I was in labor.  Ok, maybe.  Still, I wasn’t going to get too excited.  We took Michael home and told my parents to go to bed early, in case we wanted them to come over.

At 9:30pm, I was still having these contractions, getting harder, but not closer.  I told Rob we should probably go to bed in case I need to birth this baby tonight.  He agreed and we were in bed by 10pm.  At 11pm, I woke him up (well, I was doing that every 7 minutes) and told him that I just can’t handle these contractions anymore.  No position was even taking the edge off.  He was silently irritated that I had woken him up, since he figured it would be hours.

I had him call my parents and ask them to come over to adjust me (they are both chiropractors).  In the meantime, we called my friend to come over and take some early labor pictures and another friend who is a massage therapist, in case I changed my mind and wanted to be massaged.

My parents, Mimi and Sarah showed up15 minutes later.  While I had a contraction, my dad was talking and I screamed at him to “Shut the f@%k up!”  He got grumpy with me and started saying something and my mom told him to be quiet.  He did.  When my contraction was over, I explained that these contractions are sensory overload for me.  I needed it quiet, dark and no one touching me.  He got it.  He then adjusted my sacrum and my contractions jumped from 7 minutes apart to 3 minutes, instantaneously. I went to get undressed, put a robe on and came out to get in the birth tub in our living room (which had been there for 8 weeks).  It was 11:15pm.

The contractions continued approximately 3 minutes apart and they were intense.  I changed positions every 2 contractions and still felt like I could not take the edge off.  Between contractions, I was talking and laughing, but once they started, I was practically crawling down the side of the tub.

At midnight my water broke and suddenly, thunk!, the head was in the canal…like a cork.  The burning was soooo intense.  I kept thinking that this is not the ring of fire, so what is it?  This baby must be HUGE.

At 12:10am, I barked at my husband, “Get in the tub, NOW!”  He was slightly confused and hesitant because last time, I was in the tub for 13 hours and he didn’t want to be in there that long.  He hesitated just long enough for me to bark again.  He ran in our room and changed into some shorts and jumped in the tub.

I pushed harder than I ever thought I could.  With Michael, I was so worried about tearing (which I didn’t) and with this one, I didn’t care if I tore to my eyeballs, I just wanted this baby out.  I did back off when I felt a little too much pressure on the clitoris.  With the next contraction, I pushed again and the head popped out.  The feeling was totally different.  I asked Sarah and my mom if the shoulders were out, as I was strategizing on how I was going to push, based on the anatomy showing.  They both hesitated and not so confidently, replied, “No.”  I wondered what that was about, but then another contraction came and I didn’t push as hard. With the next contraction, I pushed with all of my might and the baby shot out of me like a cannon ball.  In fact, my mom reached in the water and stopped baby from hitting the side of the tub.  I reached down and pulled my baby from the water.  Utter relief and joy.  I had done it…again.

By the feel of those testicles, when I pulled him from the water, it was another baby boy for us at 12:20am.  We were thrilled.  The contractions continued just as hard and I didn’t get a break. 8 minutes after the baby was born, he latched himself on. 5 minutes later, the placenta was delivered. I got out of the tub, made my way to the shower, then directly to bed, where I continued to breastfeed and sleep until morning.

Everything happened so fast, that we didn’t have a chance to call everyone we wanted to be there.  My brother even missed it.  Sarah called Sue, the midwife, to let her know the baby was born and we were all well.

Later, I found out that it was a compound presentation.  His hand was on his cheek, so the burning was his hand, head, shoulder and elbow all coming down.  When I had asked about his shoulders, that’s what they saw…which is why both of them hesitated, but it explained the burning all the way down the canal. He also has a birthmark on his cheek, as his hand must have been there for quiet some time in-utero. (Oh, and I didn’t tear.)

So, we are done having babies.  My husband thinks we should have more, since he thinks I birth them so well.  I just trust my body…it’s as simple as that. Anyone can do what I do - they just need to have a little more faith in their bodies and their babies.

We are happy to announce the arrival of

Sebastian

April 18, 2006

10:52 a.m.

8lbs 14oz

21 1/4 inches

This is our birth story:

At about 3am I woke up with my heart pounding, feeling a little hungry and anxious. I ate a little something and went to lay back down and felt my first contraction. I didn’t think anything of it and tried to go back to sleep but about 15 minutes later I felt another contraction. This went on for about an hour and I kept trying to go back to sleep remembering that you said to get rest for as long as possible. At about 4:30am they started to come about every 10 minutes and at that point I woke Fausto up.  I told him that I wasn’t sure but I thought I was in labor. At about 5 am my water broke and then I finally realized this may be it, I had never really "gone" into labor, I always had my water broken at the hospital. Contractions progressed getting stronger and closer.

At about 7am, I decided we should call the midwife. She "listened" to me going through a contraction and suggested I go to the hospital. When we got to the hospital at about 8am and I was 8 centimeters dilated. I did most of my labor both at home and in the hospital standing with Fausto massaging my sacrum (thanks for that suggestion it helped tons!) and in the shower.

Finally it came time to push and my midwife had me get in bed. Pushing was difficult for me mentally. The position I was in didn’t help and I had a hard time with the pain, but when I felt the "ring of fire" (Yes, I thought of the song when I felt it!) I became very motivated to get him out.  Thankfully, I only had to push for about a 1/2 hour and our beautiful boy was born. When his little shoulders came out I was able to pull him up to my chest. That was the most wonderful, fulfilling feeling I have ever experienced! 

Jen, thank you for all you gave us every class. It gave us the power to make decisions that really impacted our birth. Fausto was very supportive, made sure I kept drinking water and I truly believe he is the reason that I made it through without turning to drugs. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Tyler came into the world on March 21, 2006 at 9:13 am, weighing in at 7 lbs. 15 oz. and 19.5 inches long. The birth was amazing…

I had been having trouble with my blood pressure since around the time of our last class. Every visit that I went in for found it to be elevated. They kept screening me for pre-eclampsia and the labs were always negative, but the Drs. were still concerned about the baby and me being exposed to the elevated blood pressure for so long, and this led them to strip my membranes for the first time at 38 weeks already. Nothing happened, other than increased Braxton Hicks for the next two weeks. At my 40 week visit the Dr. stripped me once again, and told me that he wanted to schedule me for an induction the following week, on the 24th. I told him that before being induced I wanted to come in to be stripped one last time on the 20^th, and he agreed.

So on the 20^th I went in for my third membrane stripping, and this time, they really got me good (in other words, not very comfortable). The Dr. also said that I was about 2.5 cm dilated and 75% effaced. I began to notice that I was having mild contractions about 10-11 minutes apart the whole way home from the hospital. As the afternoon went on, the contractions continued and came closer together, until they were 4-6 minutes apart. This lasted for a few hours, but then they started spacing out again. By 10:30 at night they were back to eight minutes apart, so Tim and I decided to go to bed. As soon as I laid down, though, they started coming harder and about every 2-3 minutes. After a few of these, Tim convinced me that we should head to the hospital, since we had a 45 minute drive ahead of us and still had to drop our son off at a friends on the way.

The car ride was super uncomfortable. We got the hospital at about 12:30 am. When the Dr. did the exam, I was completely disappointed to hear that there had been no change in my cervix since hours earlier that afternoon. He said he didn’t want to admit me until I was at least 4 cm, so he sent us off to walk for two hours. Those were the most uncomfortable 2 hours of my life. Every few steps it seemed like I was having a contraction. I started to feel a little queasy from the intensity, and I found myself thinking of reasons why it would be okay to get an epidural. A few times I went to the bathroom and sat on the toilet for ten or fifteen minutes. This was completely uncomfortable, but I felt like it was helping to open things up, so I would put up with it. Finally, 3:30 came around and we went back in to be checked again. Halleluiah! I was at 6 cm! I had dilated 3.5 cm during the two hours of walking. They got me set up to be admitted, and the Dr. asked if I wanted anything for the pain. I didn’t answer because I could feel my resolve slipping, so I just looked at Tim. Thank God he was there. He reminded me of how much progress I had made, told me I could do it, and showed the Dr. and nurse our birth plan.

Amazingly, once I was set up in a room, things became more bearable. The contractions were still painful, but at least I knew now that I was in active labor and that my body was progressing well. I chose to stand for the next two hours. I figured since walking had worked so well before, the last thing I wanted to do was lie down and have things stall out. After two hours, the Dr. checked again and I was 8 cm. He then asked if I wanted my water broken, and after hesitating a little bit and discussing it with Tim, I agreed. At that point I wanted to do anything to help speed things up. Two and half hours later, I knew I was getting close to the end. I started snapping at Tim when he told me to relax, and suddenly I felt like I was having one endless contraction. The next thing I knew I had to push. This was the strangest sensation to me after having an epidural before. I was on my side and still had the hospital panties on, but I pushed anyway because I couldn’t help it. Between the next two contractions they flipped my on my back. Eighteen minutes later the head and then the shoulders were out. The midwife who caught the baby let me reach down and pull him onto my chest myself. It was amazing. Because there were no drugs, there was no one from pediatrics in the room. It was just Tim, me, a nurse and a midwife. It was totally relaxed. Tim gave me OJ right away, and they let Tyler rest on my chest and let the cord pulse so that the placenta was delivered only three minutes after baby was out. They left Tyler on my chest for a full half an hour, letting me nurse right away and everything. I couldn’t have asked for things to run more smoothly.

Jen, the whole thing was amazing… painful, but amazing. I had three small superficial tears, but they were so minor they didn’t even need stitching. Tim was the best coach I could ever have asked for. All through the night he stayed by my side, squeezed my hand through every contraction, and reminded me to relax my face, and breathe deeply. I think we both came to appreciate one another so much more after experiencing this birth together. Tyler came into a relaxed place and has been a calm baby from day one.

The staff that we had at the hospital were phenomenal. After Tim said we didn’t want drugs, they never asked again. The midwife said that it was an honor to be at the birth, that it was births like ours that were the reason she became a midwife.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Orange Slices: A home birth

Midwife Lorri Walker offers expertise and caring at a San Juan Capistrano home birth.

Photo story by LEONARD ORTIZ
The Orange County Register

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The piercing scream echoes through the home as first-time mother Sarah James struggles through the final stages of labor. She looks to husband Chris and says: "I’m scared. I don’t know if I can do this."

A reassuring voice intervenes. "Sarah, you’re a strong woman. Soon you are going to be holding your baby in your arms." It’s certified nurse midwife Lorri Walker who brings a sense of calm to the room.

Lorri owns South Coast Midwifery in Irvine. She has delivered more than 900 babies in her 20-year career. Expectant parents have the option of giving birth in one of the center’s birthing rooms or at home. "I empower the woman by giving her options," she says.

Suddenly, Lorri announces, "We have to move you."

As Sarah requested, she is moved into the dining room where an inflatable pool is set up for a water delivery. The room fills with family and friends while Chris joins Sarah in the pool. The baby’s head appears and Lorri and Chris reach to cradle the emerging head.

Then, exactly at 2 a.m. on Sept. 30, amid the cheers of everyone present, Andrew Thomas James enters the world.

For more information about South Coast Midwifery, visit www.southcoastmidwifery.com