Faith's Birth Story

JULY 3, 2021

The Birth of Faith

By Faith’s Mom and The Birth Center client, Hannah

When I was pregnant with my first baby in 2018, we were living in Colorado and I was planning a birth center birth. At 40 weeks and 5 days, my water broke. There was meconium in the fluid, and the birth center’s policy was that any meconium at all meant a transfer to the hospital.

I ended up having an unmedicated birth at the hospital, where my baby boy was born on June 11, 2018. Everyone was supportive of the birth I wanted, but it was not the environment I had hoped for

Before I learned I was pregnant with a second baby in the fall of 2020, we were living in Hawaii, but the pandemic changed things. My husband, Brett, and I lost our jobs in hospitality when Maui shut down. We decided to be closer to family and moved to Auburn. I knew I didn’t want another hospital birth, especially with all of the COVID policies.

I began researching birth options and realized that our insurance would cover my care at The Birth Center. I considered one other birth center in the Sacramento area, but it didn’t seem as intimate. Ruth is more natural and holistically minded, and I liked her honesty right away. She cuts to the core of an issue quickly, and I really appreciate that with a provider. With my first birth, I was looking for fluff, light, and butterflies. But birth is a natural, exceptionally primal process that’s divinely inspired. Ruth encompassed that.

In addition, I asked Ruth about meconium, and she said meconium is normal and often part of the process with a past due baby. She told me as long as the meconium wasn’t chunky or excessive, it was safe to deliver at The Birth Center. After that conversation, I started receiving my prenatal care at The Birth Center and looked forward to my due date of June 26, 2021.

During the 20-week anatomy scan, we learned that the baby had two cysts on its brain. I was worried about that, but Ruth assured me that it was the most common, uncommon thing to see on an ultrasound. She said everything was going to be OK and not to go looking for problems. That was so different from my first pregnancy and birth when it seemed as if the providers were looking for things to be wrong. Ruth told me, “If something happens, then we address it.”

Going into Labor

I expected to go past my due date. Ruth never checked my dilation because with my son, I was dilated for a month. At my 40-week appointment, Ruth told me that I would need another ultrasound if I didn’t go into labor within a week. I really didn’t want to go, especially because I have a toddler. I had been feeling Braxton Hicks contractions for about the last two weeks, and I was uncomfortable. I felt done being pregnant, but there were no signs of true labor.

Then, on Friday, July 2, I began having cramps and my mucus plug fell out. That happened with my son, too. About 8 p.m. that night, active labor started. I called my parents so they could stay with our son. I thought it was going to be a while, but about an hour and a half into active labor, my husband said, “I think we should go.” I was hesitant because I didn’t want to waste Ruth’s time by getting there too early.

We left home about 10 p.m., and that’s when I hit transition. As we were walking to the car, I was doubled over every 10 seconds. On the way to The Birth Center, I laid in the back of the car, shaking and listening to HypnoBirthing with headphones. The contractions were nonstop, and I never got a break. I would take one breath in between, and another one would start up again. The only thing that helped me through them was doing horse lips. I also felt back labor because of the baby’s position.

Giving Birth

We live about 30 minutes away from The Birth Center, so we arrived around 10:30 p.m. Ruth checked me, and I was 7-8 centimeters dilated. I labored on the bed for a while, still listening to HypnoBirthing because that coaching really helped me. I felt more mentally prepared this time during birth — more composed and dignified.

My husband and the doula, Amy, pressed on my back, which also helped. Ruth suggested I get in the shower. Not too long after being in there, I prayed and felt a glow come over me. All of the sudden, I knew I was ready to push. Ruth checked me again, and I was fully dilated. At first, I was lying on my back to push, but that wasn’t working for me. I decided to try the squatting stool. I didn’t expect to push out the baby there, but it ended up being the position that worked for me. After just five minutes, my water burst all over Ruth and Amy, then the baby’s head came out. She was turning, and it was surreal to see her head. The rest of the body came out right after.

Our daughter, Faith, was born at 12:39 a.m., Saturday, July 3, 2021, weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 20 inches. I remember Ruth saying, “Are you ready to hold your baby?” I was still on the stool, where I stayed for a few minutes, with my husband sitting behind me. We both got to cradle her, and she never left me after that. Then, we moved to the bed for a while. It was amazing — the three of us sitting there. I was so glad we were not in a hospital bed. It was a really beautiful experience that the three of us got to have. It was so different from the hospital, where there were monitors blinking and nurses coming in and checking us. At The Birth Center, we were just there as a family.

I couldn’t believe that from the time we got to The Birth Center until the baby was born was only two hours. We went home only six hours after my folks had arrived at our house. When we walked through the door, my mom said it was like we went to the grocery store and picked up a baby. With most birth situations, that’s how it should be. Our son had a hard night, so he was happy when we got home with his sister. The four of us got in bed together and slept for two hours.

Reflecting on My Experience at The Birth Center

Faith latched on at The Birth Center in the early hours of Saturday morning. But by Sunday, she seemed to be in a lot of pain, which I knew was not normal. I thought maybe Faith had gas. At our three-day postpartum appointment, Ruth examined Faith and said she had significant tongue and lip ties that were preventing adequate suction. It was a really big relief that Ruth could see the ties and also be the person to correct them. After that, Faith gained weight, and breastfeeding has been going wonderfully. That was my only hiccup postpartum. I was thankful that I had not only a midwife in Ruth, but also an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

Overall, I feel really grateful that Ruth completely encompassed what I was hoping for in a care provider. She’s an honest, direct, and strong woman who’s very caring. I felt 100 percent trust in anything she suggested or told me to do. She guided me but also left my body and mind to do what it needed to.

If you’re a woman who views birth as a natural process and wants honesty, Ruth is the absolute best person you can go to. She believes in birth as a natural process. You have to do your part, but she’s going to walk you through it.

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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