doula | Two Rivers Childbirth

Community Birth Story: Jackson Lee

By Two Rivers Childbirth
July 11, 2014
Birth Stories Project

Jackson’s Story: A Peaceful Homebirth in Water

Around 10am on the 14th of May, just four short days after moving into our first home, my water broke. I was meeting our neighbor for the first time, and baby Jackson really wanted to make a lasting impression. I called my husband at work and told him that while my waters had broken, he should still go ahead and finish out the work day –I could labor on my own until 3pm. His boss told him “No way. Leave now.” And so, he did. He got home around noon and drew me a lavender bath, where I relaxed while he set up the bed and birth pool. Contractions were getting stronger, but were easy enough that I could still talk and move about during one. I put on my Hypnobirthing CD and listened to my birthing affirmations, just reminding myself to relax and have confidence in my body’s and my baby’s ability to birth peacefully.

Our doula, Bergen arrived at 3pm. Contractions were much stronger now, and she gave me a hot stone massage while I watched Seinfeld, bounced on my birthing ball, and breathed calmly through the surges. (Thank GOD for doulas!!) Jon started to fill the birth pool, which was placed in the center of our sun room along with candles, a diffuser for my essential oils and of course, music. My birth playlist was an eclectic mix of funky-folky-bluesy goodness including DMB, Jack White, Grace Potter, Eddie Vedder, Susan Tedeschi, and of course Led Zeppelin! The pool took longer than expected to fill, so I soaked in the bathtub upstairs and Jon poured lavender water on my belly during contractions.

At 5pm, our midwife Nannette arrived with her assistant, Grace. According to them, I was well into “labor land” at this point, roaming around the house in a peaceful, naked trance. I was really having to go inside myself now, humming through the surges and living for the little euphoric breaks in between.

Nannette checked me at 6pm, and I was at 7cm. Shortly after, another water bag broke, with a loud POP! I could feel my body pushing the baby out on its own. It was like an involuntary reflex reaction, moving the baby down for me while I concentrated on breathing and letting my body open up. I remember a swirl of gentle, comforting hands on me, massaging, applying cold cloths, and whispering “you’re beautiful.” Around 6:30, I hit transition. The contractions were right on top of one another and I was starting to get pretty exhausted so I decided I wanted to leave the tub and go upstairs to lie down in bed. My body continued pushing him out and at this point, Nannette whispered in my ear “Julie, do you want to do this here?” and I replied, “NO. I want to have him in the pool.” We started heading back downstairs and I decided I needed to sit on the toilet for a contraction or two. Jon sat down in front of me and I wrapped my arms around him and grabbed on during the next contraction. I reached down and upon feeling his head, exclaimed “he’s coming out!” So we hurried downstairs to the birth pool.

Two contractions later, his head was out. I remember putting my hands down there and thinking “holy SHIT. There’s a head down here.” Jon and Nannette both had their hands underwater, ready to catch him. Then at 7:14pm, to the soulful tunes of Jimmy Paige’s guitar, Jackson Lee Miller made his earthside debut. I remember looking down at our little 9lb 12oz turkey and thinking “my GOD he is HUGE!” After I birthed the placenta, we made our way upstairs to bed and just reveled in newborn bliss while Nannette tended to me, and Grace to Jackson. Once we were all snuggled up and settled in, Grace went out to fetch us a deliciously sinful postpartum meal of greasy chicken tenders and a Georgia Mud Fudge blizzard from DQ. Jon had two hamburger meals. (Holy gluttony!!)

And then, we were alone. Our new little family of three, more in love than we’d ever thought possible. I can’t imagine a more perfect birth day for our little dude, and I am so incredibly thankful for our “birth angels” at Riverside Midwifery and Two Rivers Childbirth. And of course, my amazing husband, who has really gotten this “daddy” business down pat.

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Click HERE to learn more about the Community Birth Stories Project or to submit your own birth story.

Community Birth Story: Elowen Ada

By Two Rivers Childbirth
May 9, 2014
Birth Stories Project

The HBAHBC of Elowen Ada Goerner (aka Sea Dragon)

As told by Megan:

This story has to start with the hatching of our first daughter, Loki. As much as we wanted a homebirth for her (and us), it was not to be. She entered the world on March 30, 2011 via a cesarean after transferring to a hospital. She was trapped in the special care nursery for 7 days and then I had to return for an additional 5 days for IV antibiotics. It was a long healing process for all. So this experience played a rather large role when deciding future births.

Fast forward 3 years…

Sea Dragon’s labor started during our last Bradley class on Friday, April 4th. We had been lazily timing the contractions and they were about 5 minutes apart and 2 minutes long, but very easy to function through. I would punch Dan in the leg to let him know when another one started. We let our midwife, Nannette, and our doula/birth assistant, Grace, know what was happening. Dan was convinced this was going to be “the night”. He ran around like a crazy man trying to get last minute things done. Loki (our 3 year old) took a nice bath with me. We went to bed and the contractions stopped by 2 am. This ended up being a good thing since my due date/have the same midwife buddy was in labor at the same time and did end up having her daughter on April 5th.

Contractions would come and go over the next 9 days, sometimes at regular intervals for a few hours and sometimes randomly. They were always different feeling, though, than Braxton Hicks. We just kept trying to get ready and keep our birth team up to date with anything new. The full moon was coming on the 15th, and most people were guessing this baby would come then. I was going with 4-14-14, because that is a much cooler date.

Dan was getting ready for work on Monday, April 14th, around 6:30 am. I went in to pee. I immediately felt different. I let Dan go to work (he had been working from home quite a bit for the last week “just in case”). The “different feeling” was much lower and more intense than any other contractions I had had up to that point. By 8 am, they were 10 minutes apart. I updated Grace and Nannette. Nannette was in Frederick for a home visit and Grace was about to head there for an appointment for her daughter. Did I mention Dan works in Frederick?

I called Dan to let him know that we were at 10 minutes apart. We decided that he would come home at lunch if things advanced at all. 20 minutes later, the contractions were now 5 minutes apart. I called Dan to tell him to come home. No answer! I put the dogs outside (where they stayed all day) and opened all of the windows (it was an amazing day). Loki woke up at some point and we ate breakfast together in the recliner watching Jake and the Never Land Pirates.

I finally got Dan on the phone. He was walking to his building. He turned around, sent a quick and blunt email to his work that he would not be in that day, and started the hour trip back home.

I told Nannette and Grace what was happening and Nannette decided she would come to our house from her home visit. Grace decided that her appointment would need to be cancelled when I couldn’t decide if it was really time or not (did I need to poop or birth a baby?). I texted my friend, Kim, to let her know that today was probably the day. (Kim was the amazing friend who was at the last few/many hours of our attempted homebirth of Loki. She drove us to the hospital in the middle of the night in her 2-door car. She may have been a bit traumatized after the last time. She didn’t make in time for this birth, but I think this experience did help heal her after Loki’s birth.) I also texted my friend, Roshontia (who would be Loki’s person during labor), that today could be the day. I attempted to write a message to the amazing women from my Mother Blessing that is was candle lighting time, but I didn’t quite get that far.

Dan got home around 9 am. He knew as soon as he saw me that this time was different. He went to work getting all the last minute things done (like cleaning up after our horrible cats, getting the birth kit out, the table for the birth supplies, and things like that). I got my birth alter ready in the corner of the living room and also sat on the giant ball. I took a hot shower while Dan was running around. It felt awesome. It was nice to feel clean, too.

Grace arrived around 11. I was on the ball and my eyes started tearing as soon as I saw her. I was so relieved that it wasn’t just Dan, Loki, and me anymore. Someone who knew what they were doing!!!!!! Grace was a woman of action! She saw what had been done and what needed to be done. She got the birth supplies out of the bin and organized, got the pool ready in the living room, the bed ready, and I don’t even know what else. Oh, and most important of all- she was being there for me!

Around 11:30, Nannette arrived. Grace had been making sure that I tried to go with the contractions, dropping my jaw and vocalizing. The pool started being filled with water. Nannette suggested a check in baby position and to pee on the way to the bed. I had a slightly bloody wipe after peeing (bye-bye mucus plug). I got on the bed and Nannette asked if she could do a check, and I said whatever she wanted (I knew that after Loki’s labor all of us were wondering how this labor would go). The baby’s position was perfect and I was at 9 cm! (Loki was not in a great position and got stuck during her labor.)

We went back out the living room and got into the pool. It was still a little cool, but I think it helped to slow down labor just a tad for me to catch my breath. Loki got in the pool with me (what a shock that the water loving kid got in the pool!). We realized that we really needed someone for Loki at this point. She would tell me to be quiet and would touch my legs (which I did not want). We tried calling Roshontia again, but there was no answer (found out later that her phone was charging at her desk which she was away from). We (I mean Dan, Grace, and Nannette) started calling people that might be able to come over and that Loki would feel at least a little comfortable with. An amazing mom that we all know with 2 boys of her own that lives 15 minutes away whose husband just happened to be home that day was able to come over. Thank you so much Justine!!!

We moved into the bedroom at some point (maybe around 12:30). Nannette and Grace took turns checking on Loki who was still in her fishy pool watching Jake and the pirates. I was leaning over the end of the bed. I know that my hips were getting squeezed during contractions and that I had totally been pushing (at least a little) during parts of the contractions. It felt better so it seemed like the thing to do. My water broke during this phase. I got Dan’s shoes wet this time instead of Nannette’s (Loki’s labor) and the fluid was clear (unlike with Loki)!!! I laid down on my side on the end of the bed for the next bit of time. Doing what I felt my body was telling me to do. I tried to do the horse lips thing but I just couldn’t. (At some point Justine arrived and I had my team of 3 plus me in our bedroom for the rest of labor.)

The next move was to the birth stool. The birth stool rocked. Dan had installed a shower safety bar in the living room for squatting (I squatted a lot during Loki’s labor and did not want to rely on Dan’s hands, especially when those hands could be doing something else), but it never got used. Nannette pushed our bed as far over as it could go so we would have more room (still ended up being only a 4 foot by 4 foot area in the corner of our room).

I have no idea how long I was on the birth stool. The contractions kept coming and I kept pushing. My voice was gone at this point. I wanted my eyes closed. I wanted to keep pressing/digging my nails into Dan’s arms. I did not want anyone to talk, especially Dan (no desire to hear how great I was doing). I was in my birthing zone. I remember Nannette asking if I wanted to see my baby’s head (No, because I wanted my eyes closed. I would have loved to but it just was not happening at that moment). Nannette asked if I wanted to touch my baby’s head (No, because I would have to let go of Dan). Dan says that I was much funnier with my responses. I will just have to take his word. I did eventually reach down to touch the head. So amazing! (I would have loved to touch the head more and actually see what was happening, but I also know that at the given moment in time it was not possible.) At 1:47, the head was out (the ring of fire that I had heard about was not what I felt, just intense pressure). At 1:48, the body flopped/was guided by Nannette to the chuck pads on the ground under me.

OH MY GOSH!!! I did it! WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I reached down to touch our second child. I told Dan that we had another daughter (maybe they saw first but everyone let me find out on my own). I was so beyond amazed. Nannette helped me pick her up and put her on my chest while I was still on the stool. I was holding my slippery little bloody baby that was still attached to me. I was helped to the bed and laid down. Daughter #2 wanted her nipple and made sure that we all knew it. She stayed there, awake, for at least 2 hours.

There was a bit of blood and I was told that I had torn when Sea Dragon made her entrance. My placenta came out at 2:05. It was clamped and Dan cut it. Nannette did a neat little placenta tour for us. Nannette then went to work putting 5 stitches in to fix my speed flap.

Dan and I had not decided on a girl name at this point (we knew the middle name, look up Ada Lovelace). He didn’t like any on my list and hadn’t suggested many alternatives. I had two names I really liked and I asked him when we both super emotional how Elowen Ada sounded. He said he loved it. Post birth baby bliss is a great time to get a name you want.

Elowen measured in at 9 pounds 6 ounces, 23 inches long, and had a 14 inch head. Take that Dr. You Can’t Birth Babies Through Your Vagina!!! (The surgeon that performed my cesarean three years earlier gave the reason for needing it being that the baby didn’t fit through the birth canal; Loki was 8 pounds 3 ounces.)

My mom was the first person I made Dan call. She was in upstate New York, watching my sister’s two daughters (yeah, super timing). She had been calling three times a day to check in. She did call that morning and I told her that it was more of the same (I didn’t know it was really the day yet). She was so shocked when Dan told her she had another granddaughter!

Elowen’s birth was so different from Loki’s birth. It came on strong and fast. There was no time to prepare, no build up. It was a little overwhelming at times, but I never felt like I couldn’t do it, especially knowing that Nannette and Grace were there. It was such an empowering and healing experience. I can’t even say how much it means to me to have been able to have those two amazing women at both of my labors and almost both of my births. I am more grateful than I can say (to Nannette, to Grace, to Dan, to Justine, and to my own body & mind).

(Read Elowen’s big sister’s birth story here)

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Click HERE to learn more about the Community Birth Stories Project or to submit your own birth story.

Community Birth Story: Alexander Miles

By Two Rivers Childbirth
May 4, 2014
Birth Stories Project

As told by Carin:

My labor with my first son, Jasper, was less than ideal. I had an induction (unnecessarily) for possible growth restriction at 39 weeks. My OB ignored my entire birth plan, and I ended up with an epidural and epsiotomy, when I had hoped for a natural birth. So this time I got pregnant, I was determined to do it the way I wanted.

My pregnancy went very well and easy. I met with midwives instead of OBs. I hired a doula, Bergen, in February, which I had wanted with Jasper, but Guy refused. This time he realized how helpful one would be and agreed. I really liked her after our first meeting and was sure she would help me achieve my natural birth.

I continued working up until a few days before I went into labor. At around 36 weeks, I was having contractions if I walked too much. So monday, I called out of work and stayed home to relax. I still had a few minor ones, but nothing serious.

On Tuesday, I lost my mucus plug. I text Bergen and she said that meant we were having a baby sometime but who knew when. Guy and I decided to go for a walk downtown. We walked a few miles, with contractions getting worse and more painful. The last mile back to the car was the worst. I kept telling my husband to just go get the car and come back for me. Once we got back home, the contractions more or less, stopped again. They went back to minor, sporadic occurrences.

I went to my chiropractor appointment that afternoon. I told her that I wouldn’t be back for awhile. For some reason, I knew I was going to go into labor that day. I just knew it. After my appointment, I took a small nap and made dinner. My husband kept telling me that I needed to relax and I wasn’t in labor. So we went to our birth class that evening. I had several contractions each hour during class. Our instructor and my friend, Lindsey was very excited. She thought I was in labor and was so excited about it. She kept saying I was going to have a baby. Finally someone who agreed with me. Bergen had brought her birth bag to class, just in case, but as I clearly was not in full labor yet, we all went to our homes. She told me to relax and that we were going to have a baby some day soon. Apparently she and my husband thought it may be another week or two of this “prodromal” labor.

We got home at 9:30ish that night and I went up to bed, while Guy got on the computer. I was too awake. I still felt like that was the day labor would start, but it was getting late. Jasper woke up and wanted to nurse. So I brought him into our bed to nurse, while playing on my phone. He fell back asleep quickly. All of a sudden I felt my water break. I text Guy and told him to come upstairs. I text Bergen. Guy didn’t respond, so I called him. He answered, saying he would be upstairs for Jasper in a minute, thinking Jasper had just woken up. So I told him my water broke. He was surprised. I told him to call his mom and tell her, in case we needed her soon. Bergen asked about my contractions, which didn’t change. And said to call her when they did. I felt relieved. I had known I was going to go into labor that day, and I was right. I was giddy and awake. But contractions never came, at least not noticeably. I put a towel on the couch and slept in the livingroom.

The next morning, I woke up about 6am. We ate breakfast and went to the grocery store. I hadn’t even gotten a single labor snack that I planned. We got some trail mix to snack on during labor and some things for dinner. Contractions came, but were minor and random. We got home and Guy put together our dinner in the crock pot. Then we called Bergen and I told her I wanted her here, since none of us knew how this labor would go. She got here at 9 and we went to the park again. Walking when leaking water is not a fun experience. At first, I had wanted to stay near the near and not walk too far. But, my contractions were still minor so we decided to walk downtown. We stopped and got some pastries and walked back to the car. Labor was still eluding me.

My contractions were a bit stronger by the time we got to the car, but still minor. We got back to the house and ate, while Bergen had her son dropped off for a bit to nurse. We then decided to do laps around the neighborhood. We also began timing. They were around 6 minutes apart and still getting more intense during walking. We walked around for an hour or two. Contractions were more intense but still not active labor and slowed when I stopped walking.

Around 7, I called my midwife and told her I was in labor. We had to go in for me to receive antibiotics, since I hadn’t been tested for group b strep yet. We got to the hospital around 8. We were taken back to triage and I was checked. I was scared of having no progress in the past 24 hours. I shouldn’t have let the nurse tell me how dilated I was. I was only 2.5 centimeters. I felt very discouraged and tired. I knew if I didn’t kick start labor soon, they would want to intervene. But I wanted a nap so badly.

They started our first monitoring and antibiotics around 9:15. After they were finished, we went for a walk. All of a sudden, things changed. I had to go to the restroom and my contractions were different. I had to stop walking to breathe through them. I was cold. I didn’t realize it but I was finally in active labor.

Around 10:30ish, we had to go back to the room for more monitoring. I stayed on the birth ball, doing wind motions during contractions. I was finally progressing! We finished monitoring around 11. During my contractions, I began to kneel over the birth ball to get through them. I was in the corner, in the dark and in my own little world. My husband went to get a sandwich and my midwife, April, came to check on me and said I was definitely progressing and she would come back later. I started getting very nauseous. I remember telling Bergen that it felt a bit better when I pushed, which scared me. I didn’t think I could be that close to birth already.

My husband came back and I had to go to the bathroom. A contraction hit and I jumped up from the toliet. I held onto my husband and began vomiting. I went back to my corner, while my husband went to tell them I had puked. He came back and immediately left again to tell them I felt like pushing. He came back to me pushing uncontrollably and ran to tell them. I didn’t see anyone come into my room, but I remember them turning the lights on.

I had contractions very close together, pushing each time. April told me I needed to wait to push until they checked me, which wasn’t going to happen. I couldn’t stop. She checked me and I was a 10. Then April asked if I wanted to get on the bed and I said no. So she started pushing things under me, ready to deliver on the floor. They had to call a neonatalogist, since he was preterm. I just remember everyone kept saying “second baby” over and over. I reached down and felt his head, and said that he was coming. I didn’t really feel the “ring of fire” that I had heard about. I had felt a very mild stinging during pushing but it went away before he crowned. I pushed a few more times and felt his head pop out. Another push or two, and his body came out. They counted 30 seconds before clamping his cord and letting my husband cut it.

He was then taken to the neonatalogist and checked over for a little while. I got onto the bed for April to check me for tears. I only had two minor lacerations, much better than an epsiotomy! When I finally got to hold him, I was so overcome with happiness. He was tiny and perfect. He latched on easily.

This birth was everything I had wanted. It was completely natural, from start to finish, save for the antibiotics. My baby got to pick his own birthday, two minutes before midnight! I had an amazingly supportive birth team. Between them and my birth class teachings, I was able to control the pain and remain calm. I loved this birth and hope all to come go as well.

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Click HERE to learn more about the Community Birth Stories Project or to submit your own birth story.