Hallie Natalia's Birth Story
SEPTEMBER 27, 2019
TThe Birth of Hallie Natalia
As told by Hallie’s Mom and The Birth Center client, Mallory
When I learned I was pregnant with my fourth baby, I knew I wanted a better experience than I had with my first three pregnancies. With my previous prenatal care providers, I felt like a number. I never saw the same doctor or nurses at my appointments, and the treatment I received didn’t consider the whole picture of my personal health and history. Rather, it seemed hyper-focused on tests and standardized numbers with the priority of making sure they were legally covered if the worst-case scenario occurred. I had always wanted to have a natural birth, and I came close with my first. If I had the right support people, I think I would’ve gotten the unmedicated birth I desired. During my first labor, I was at 9.5 centimeters for 10 hours. After 29 hours of labor, I got an epidural, and my son was born two hours later. My next two labors were also long. I didn't attempt to have natural births with the second and third because I felt defeated from my first attempt. I didn't see how it was possible in that setting because the hospitals where I delivered required that I lay on my back for at least 20 minutes while they monitored the baby and me. In that position, I threw up after every contraction and couldn't rest in between, so an epidural it was. Three vaginal hospital births. Three epidurals. I was never fully satisfied with those labors. Therefore, the fourth time around, I wanted an unmedicated birth and finally felt that I could. I also liked the idea of water birth, so I began seeking midwifery care.
A Holistic Approach to Prenatal Care
I found Ruth and The Birth Center through a recommendation in a moms’ Facebook group, and I was happy to learn that Ruth was able to accept our insurance. Right away, I could tell a difference in the prenatal care I received. My previous provider had ordered some lab work to test for cholestasis, which occurs when the flow of bile from the liver is reduced or blocked. Looking at my results, they stated there was nothing I could do to help or fix the problem and that I would need to come in weekly for stress tests and be induced at 37 weeks. Ruth, however, patiently explained that my bloodwork was at an 11, and the mildly high category went from 10 to 40. The 11 could’ve been the result of something I had eaten. She saw my numbers and said, “We’ll watch it, but I'm not worried.” She looked at me and all my symptoms as a whole. I loved Ruth’s holistic approach, and I knew I had made the right choice in receiving my care at The Birth Center. I made a few changes to my diet, including reducing fat (no avocados) and adding lemon water, and had no more symptoms.
The Beginning of Labor
At about 33 weeks, I began having prodromal labor. These practice contractions would start in the evening, but in the morning, I would wake up, and everything would be back to normal. Then, in the middle of the night on September 27, I had two strong contractions. Around 10 a.m. the next morning, I started to have contractions again, but they were few and far between. At 1 p.m., I knew I was in labor and called my husband, Michael, to come home. Around 4 in the afternoon, labor started to ramp up. My husband dropped off the kids. When he came back by 4:30, I was definitely in active labor. I continued laboring at home for a while. With my previous labors, I knew it was time to go to the hospital when I started to get nauseous. All of my labors have been pretty long, so I played the limbo game with myself. “Should I go to The Birth Center? Should I not?” This one seemed to be ramping up a lot faster than my others, so we decided to go to The Birth Center. During the 20-minute drive, I had four or five contractions, all of which made me vomit.
Pushing on My Own Terms and Water Birth
When we got to The Birth Center, I was at 7 centimeters. I decided to labor in the tub on my knees, and being in the water was really nice. I was in pain, but I could feel my shoulders relax, and the warm water was soothing. The contractions felt like they were right on top of each other. Being in the water helped me to get into positions that I couldn’t otherwise and allowed me to open things up better. As opposed to the hospital — when I was on the bed, laying on my back, throwing up with every single contraction — I felt like I couldn’t ever get ahead of it. At The Birth Center, I could do whatever I wanted to do. I didn’t throw up at all because I was able to move and be in positions that were comfortable.
While I was in the birth tub, my water broke. It happened in the middle of a contraction, and I heard an audible pop. Because my water had always been broken by doctors in the hospital, it kind of startled me. The pressure changed, and I started to panic. Ruth was able to ground me and help me quickly refocus. As my labor continued, I could feel my daughter’s head descending. The “ring of fire” was there, yet I didn’t feel ready to push. I was holding back, but Ruth encouraged me through it. She said, “It’s okay. You can ease into it. It’s better to hold off and allow yourself time to stretch.” If I pushed before I was ready, I was more likely to tear. Pushing on my own terms also meant a decreased chance of hemorrhoids after the birth. In the hospital, I was coached to push as hard as I could, and the epidural made it hard to feel what was happening. I had hemorrhoids after the first three babies’ births and none with my last.
When I was ready, I flipped over in the birth tub and began pushing. I could look down in the water and see my daughter emerging. It took only five pushes, and she was out! I had been in the birth tub for just 20 minutes! Hallie Natalia was born in the 7 p.m. hour on September 27, 2019, weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 19 inches long. I will always have that image of the first time I saw her in my head. I can still see it so clearly, her hair floating in the water. It was such a gentle birth that she hardly cried at all.
The Postpartum Time
Immediately after Hallie was born, I felt such relief. It was awesome; I did it. After only a minute, everyone helped me walk to the bed, where I delivered the placenta. Ruth waited until the cord stopped pulsing, which was about 20 minutes, before cutting it. Since this was my first out-of-hospital birth, it was the first time my husband and I were able to see the placenta. We noticed that delivering the placenta was a lot gentler at The Birth Center than at a hospital, and we appreciated that. I loved how the baby stayed with me after she was born. No one ever took her from me. She wasn’t even weighed until two or three hours after birth.
While we were still at The Birth Center, Ruth noticed that Hallie had tongue and lip ties. They were pretty significant, and Ruth diagnosed them right away. We were able to start the process of getting a referral and having them treated. Those first two weeks postpartum, I had to pump and bottle feed because Hallie wasn’t able to transfer enough milk at the breast. She’s been fine since the procedure, though.
Overall, I really liked the postpartum care with Ruth. When I had mastitis, the herbal remedies she recommended worked, and I didn’t even need antibiotics. With my other three children, I had gotten mastitis and always had to take antibiotics. What a huge difference! After Hallie’s birth, there were so many appointments to take care of the tongue and lip issues. It was all about the baby. But Ruth was focused on taking care of me as the mom. She would ask, “Are you okay?” and remind me, “You need to take care of you.” Her encouragement really meant a lot to me, just to have someone concerned about my well-being — physical, mental, and emotional — because I was depleting myself with taking care of everyone else's needs. Just knowing someone cares was enough to carry me through.
Reflections on My Fourth Pregnancy and Birth
As I think about my fourth experience with pregnancy and birth, I am so thankful for the chance to feel empowered and achieve my goal of a natural birth. I was hoping a natural birth would be a spiritual experience. In a way it was, but I think labor is just so physically demanding that it's hard to perceive and take in the miracle as an active participant. I was really wiped out afterward and needed fluids. It took me a couple of hours before I could sit up. Sitting here now, my daughter is healthy and happy. I am recovered, and I am just deeply grateful for The Birth Center. Ruth and her team created a safe environment that allowed me to labor and deliver how I wished, in a way that was best for me and my baby.
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For more information about our prenatal care and birth services at The Birth Center, visit https://www.sactobirth.com/prenatal andhttps://www.sactobirth.com/birth-services
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