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The Birth Story of Sylvia Rose Briggs

Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Right now there is a five-day-old gorgeous creature sleeping serenely on the couch. I’ve also got a 2 ½ year old napping in her toddler bed and a 4 ½ year old up to something suspiciously quiet in the playroom: all of them bright and beautiful girls with eyes of the sea. Let’s not forget the happy husband home from work hanging about as well. Our house is not always this peaceful. The decibel level jumps up exponentially when everyone is awake and playing, fighting, singing, dancing, screaming, etc. But it’s always this blessed. It’s hard to even begin to describe how blessed we are to have Sylvia join our crazy home. She has been a part of it already, of course, since we first found out of her existence about 9 months ago. We’ve been watching her grow, feeling her kicks, talking all about her and preparing a place for her. My belly has received lots and lots of kisses from her daddy and siblings, too many to count. But as much fun as all of that was, to be able to kiss her skin and hold her in our arms is a blessing beyond measure. And just like the atoning blood of Christ, we do not deserve such a gift. And so, with a little bit of that off my chest, here is the story of how Sylvia came to greet us just before the sun on Friday, May 10th 2013.

I awoke around 2:45am. My mind took a few seconds to gather thoughts out of dreamland and investigate the cause of my conscious state. What was it this time? Tiny squished bladder needs to be relived for the ba-zillionth time? Another Braxton Hicks contraction? A cramp in my leg? A fly buzzing around? Doesn’t take much to wake a 5-day-past-due pregnant lady – that is, assuming she is sleeping in the first place. I’ve decided it’s two: contraction and have to pee. I’ll just wait till this contraction is done before I get up, I thought to myself. And then there it was. That tingle. That sensation. Faint, subtle, and not too painful… but painful enough to widen my eyes and triple my heart rate. IT’S TONIGHT! I wanted to scream it from the rooftop. That estimated “due date” of May 5th had come and gone and every day and night that passed felt like a thousand years. But now, while the whole house was sleeping – all the people and even the walls and the curtains seemed to be snoring – but me: I am suddenly made very aware that the wait is over. The storm is coming. Not wanting to completely freak out my slumbering husband over one tiny little contraction, I went ahead to pee. Getting up stirs another contraction. Coming back from the bathroom, there is another – each one twice the intensity of the last. By now I am freaked. But still I try to wake Dan in a calm, loving manner (I’m going to need him by my side!), “Honey wake up. It’s happening. It’s tonight. (Insert forced smile.) I’m getting in the bath now.” The bath is supposed to stop Braxton Hicks, but I knew these were no fake contractions. Mainly, I just wanted to wash my face and wake up a bit before having a baby! So after just one more, I called out “Get me my phone. I need to call Ruth NOW.” Again, trying to sound calm, but inside was panic. It was just 3:00am now. I left a message on Ruth’s voicemail and as soon as I hung up, another wave crept in. I asked Dan to time it, and as he scrambled for his watch, I went into my mind’s secret room. As the wave subsided, I exhaled and looked over at him – he said it lasted about 60 seconds (if you don’t know, that’s a long time for an early contraction!). Right then, Ruth called and I explained to her what was going on. I felt a little weird admitting I had only been awake myself for about 15 or 20 minutes, but I was sure this was it and I didn’t want to waste any time. She asked about how far apart they were, I guessed about 5 minutes. Then I had one while we were on the phone—it was not as bad as the last and I remember praying, please let Ruth know that there is no reason to wait! She asked if I had any bloody show yet, I said no, and she thought that was odd. Then she said, “You live just a few minutes away, right? Okay, let’s meet at the Birth Center. I’ll leave now and will be ready for you at 3:30.” Whew, okay. We have a plan! Let’s do this! Lets go!!!

The next 25 minutes before we arrived at the Birth Center were pretty stressful for me. I remember looking at the clock with that first contraction, thinking maybe we’ll still have a nice morning birth, perhaps at 6 or 7am. But with each contraction that followed, my estimated time of delivery jumped closer and closer, so that by the time we were getting in the car, I grabbed a couple towels just in case I’d be catching this baby myself on the way! I knew it was happening fast, but Dan didn’t believe me. He did an excellent job not showing it, and still moved quickly to make phone calls and get all the stuff together. But he admitted to me later that had he known just how close I really was, he probably would have panicked and broken multiple laws while driving… so it’s a good thing. He called my mom, assigned to watch the sleeping sisters, and my on-call birth photographer (and long-time friend) Alicia to let them know YOU’RE ON. Meanwhile, I got out of the bath and had that bloody show Ruth was asking about. Contraction. I threw on my swim suit top and dress. Contraction. I rapidly brushed my teeth. Contraction. With shaking hands and quivering lips, I somehow managed to put in my contacts. Contraction. Slipped on my shoes and grabbed the car key. Contraction. I was heading to the garage when my mom walked in, looking excited and a bit jittery herself. I wanted to smile and I wanted to hug her, but all I could muster out was “Thank you for coming! It’s happening fast!!” I didn’t really make eye-contact or wait for a response, just headed to the car, hands full of towels. Dan was close behind, and off we went.

I was thrilled to be in the car heading toward my safe haven for having babies. Oh, how I love the Birth Center. God himself made sure that I would have all my babies there and I am inexpressibly grateful. Knowing that Ruth would be there, the same incredible woman who caught my other two was particularly comforting. There would be no checking-in, filling out paper work, explaining the situation; no need for greetings or introductions like at a hospital full of strangers and commotion. Just walk right in to this quaint little house full of love, beauty, safety, trust, cleanliness, professionalism and familiarity. So you can understand why my thoughts in the car were mostly “Just get there. Just get there. Just get there…” I had at least one contraction on the way, but my memory verses and prayers were more to help me overcome the worry than the pain. I was beginning to doubt that I’d get to have the “picture perfect” water birth I had been dreaming of, but I was determined to stay focused on God and his promises. You are my hiding place, O Lord... You will protect me and surround me with songs of deliverance… my chant and my song throughout this labor. God reminded me that it didn’t matter if I gave birth in a hot tub or a parking lot; it didn’t matter if there were beautiful pictures capturing every moment or not; all that mattered was that He was with me. He was holding baby Sylvia in his loving hand, protecting her and protecting me.

We got there at exactly 3:30am and Dan held my arm as we walked to the door. I had a flash of walking down the aisle with this same man about nine years ago, and my heart swelled for a moment, thinking about all that we had been through together. Ruth welcomed us and led me straight to the side of the bed that was prepared for my examination. Being “checked” can be a little painful, so I braced myself as her fingers went in. But it didn’t hurt at all and she was quick to announce, “Oh ya, you’re between 8 and 9cm.” Nothing too surprising for me, but I think it caught Dan a little off-guard. He made more phone calls and was back at my side. Since labor just started, I felt I needed to do all the things that women are supposed to do in early labor: walk around, sway, relax my face and “open like a flower”… but in reality, my body was way past the need for any of that. As I gazed longingly at the tub still filling with water, my midwife suggested I lay back down on the bed: “it might buy you some time,” she said.

Within about 15 minutes, Jen and Alicia arrived. I was in a very strange state of consciousness—I could see and hear everything that was going on in the room, yet I felt invisible. I couldn’t communicate except for very short requests like “water please” and “is the tub ready yet?” The contractions were so intense and close together that I just didn’t feel as though I could get into much of a conversation beyond that, so instead I just observed. I saw Ruth spending time on her phone (I believe she was texting Amy, an on-call doula, to come quickly!) and calmly getting her supplies in order at the counter. I saw Jen working to get the tub ready. And I saw Alicia with her camera dancing around the parameter of the room as she snapped a few shots here and there. I knew that everyone was there for me and if I just started to push, they would rush to my side… and yet, strangely enough, my progression felt so fast that I thought “if they aren’t looking right at me, they might miss it!” And I felt like I really could have started pushing right then, but I wanted that water birth so badly that I did what I could mentally to keep the baby in.

My contractions became back-to-back: as soon as one ended, another began. So the moment Jen said the tub was ready, I stripped my cute strapless floor-length black dress (that I bought for this occasion and had only been wearing for about an hour) as I made my way across the room. Dan was there to help me get in. It was easy to get comfortable in the warm buoyant water, but all I could think was “how long before I can push this baby out?” And then my contractions started slowing down. And while it was nice to have a few pain-free minutes to breathe normally and rest a bit, it was hard to remain calm and patient. I really just wanted to have a baby, not sit around and relax in a tub!

While we were all waiting for the contractions to start up again, Ruth asked Dan if he was getting in the tub with me. I didn’t realize this, but he had already changed into his swimming trunks. He was sitting next to the tub and holding my hand. He looked at me and asked “Am I getting into the tub with you?” I said, “No.” He looked at Ruth and said “No.” Everyone giggled, including me. That cute little moment brought me joy because up to that point I felt like the tone in the room was too serious (just my perception, which of course was skewed). God gave me a chance to smile right before Sylvia’s birth and I’m so thankful for that. It was hard to put a finger on it then, but now that I’ve had some time to think about it and talk with a close friend of mine who had a water birth, I think what I felt was isolated. With my other births, Dan had his arms around me and everyone felt very close, but in the tub it felt as though there was a force field around me that no one could enter. So perhaps if I get to do it again, I will have Dan join me. It might help the force field to feel less impenetrable. But I was confident in my answer at the time because I wanted the whole tub to myself to freely move around. His offer to get in was enough to make me feel very loved and supported. (For future reference, I was amazed at how clean the water had maintained, which was a concern of mine!)

Ruth was also right there at the edge of the tub on my other side behind me, and I asked her if I could start pushing and she said she didn’t see why not. So I was elated and ready, just waiting for that contraction to come around. My water bag was still intact at this point, so I was (again) hoping for a baby born “en caul,” but just like the others, my water broke with my first big push. I knew exactly what had happened (after all, I’ve had this happen twice before), but it felt so strange in the water because there was no mess or “splash” on the floor. I remember feeling so much pressure right before, that while I pushed I was actually hoping it would break and expecting it to break. But I must have made an alarming face because everyone was quick to say, “It’s okay Lindsey! Your water just broke! That’s all it was! It’s okay!!” I wanted to say, “I know! It’s such a relief!” but I couldn’t muster out a single word. All I could do was breath with my jaw hanging wide open.

What happened next came as a bit of a surprise to me: the next contraction hurt! With my others, as soon as my water broke and I was all set to start pushing again, I could barely feel the contractions. I would (naively) complain about this because I couldn’t tell when to push exactly and ended up with tears both times. So I had prepped myself during pregnancy to just let the baby come out without forceful pushes, even if it meant it might take a while longer, to avoid tearing. And so, I heard a quiet little voice saying, “Take your time, don’t push too hard…” and I wanted to scream back at it “NO! Shut up! I’m pushing this baby out as fast as I can and I don’t care if I tear, dammit!” And so began the real battle for self-control, and honestly it felt like I was losing. God was my rock and I became intensely aware of how much I needed his all-sufficient grace and “power made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Rather than just facing “the wall” once like in my other labors, every contraction now came with an almost irresistible temptation to throw in the towel. I’m not exactly sure how I would do that, given that Sylvia was coming out no matter what I did, but there was a definite spiritual warfare going on for my heart and mind. Instinctively and almost uncontrollably, I made some of the loudest groans and screams I’ve ever made while I was pushing. I wasn’t sure at the time whether it was okay to do-- I was lovingly encouraged to stay quiet during the birth of my first child because it wasted energy that could be used toward pushing. But in this case of the speedy super birth, as I found out later, Ruth believed it was helpful for me to be loud! It was good for me to expend some energy elsewhere and keep myself from over-pushing. So Ruth never told me to be quiet. Jen, however, did say at one point, “Listen! Listen! Listen! Listen to Ruth!” because I think she was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hear anyone over my wailing. I wanted to respond, “Yes, I am listening!” but again could not speak. My jaw had dropped and would not budge. Ruth was mostly very quiet, letting me birth without any intrusion except for checking the baby’s heartbeat, which didn’t bother me at all. She also gently helped me to have a comfortable position with my knees and feet spread far enough apart and was narrating my progress as she saw the baby coming out. She had to remind me a couple of times to stop pushing once the contraction was over, which was hard for me to do because I desperately wanted the baby out in one push and hated having to wait around for that next contraction to push again. I remember triumphantly feeling the head crowning after a push and then as soon as the contraction was over, feeling the head slip right back in. I actually shouted out “She went back in!!” because I was so discouraged. I have read so much about births that I knew this was completely normal and good. It helps to prepare and stretch things out. I think either Ruth or Jen said something like “It’s okay Lindsey! That’s supposed to happen,” but I was just plain irritated and didn’t want to hear it. I continued in wanting the baby out like, NOW.

At that, I knew my sanity was on the verge of breakdown, so I prayed like mad between contractions. I couldn’t recite an entire verse, but instead I found myself softly chanting aloud “You are my God, You are my God, You are my God…” Dan was pretty quiet, but when he spoke it was always so helpful and truth-filled. He recited to me a few times, “You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.” I loved holding his hand and simply knowing he was there and that he loved me, which reminded me of God’s steadfast love for me. I had a flood of emotions that’s hard to articulate, but one thing I remember in particular was how much my expectations for a perfect communion with God were being crushed. Not that God wasn’t there; He most certainly was. But I had expected far too much from myself. I wanted to be this shining testimony of God’s ability to give strength and self-control. In other words, I wanted to be seen as strong and self-controlled. I wanted God to receive glory, but I also wanted a little glory for myself too. So instead, God humbled me and showed me my weakness. In hindsight, I am eternally thankful for the lesson on my need for what Christ accomplished on the cross. It’s arrogant and dumb to think I could accomplish the spiritual piety of a Christian martyr on my own efforts and with the bent of receiving some sort of recognition for it. I need to be reminded that without God’s divine intervention, I am unable to conjure up the “fruit of the spirit” such as gentleness and self-control because once I start thinking I can, I forget why Christ had to die. But in the moment, it did not feel so good and I wondered how in the heck martyrs endured the pain that they did when I can barely keep it together for five stinking minutes.

And so, despite my waning patience, just another push or two later, the head was out and out to stay. The announcement was made and the room filled with joy and anticipation. In a matter of minutes, Sylvia was completely out and before I had a chance to really exhale, there she was in my arms. Ruth had been behind me and helped her “swim” right between my legs and up into my hands. The time was 4:21am. What a miracle! You would think after two, I wouldn’t be so shocked that there was a baby! But I was! Instantly, all the pain was completely gone and I could hardly catch my breath. I was amazed at how clean and perfect she looked, but then realized, well of course, she just had a bath! Suddenly, my ability to talk returned and the first thing I said was, “Hi Alicia!” It was a little silly and made everyone laugh, but I had wanted to say it right when she got there and couldn’t, so it seemed appropriate to me. Then, of course, my focus turned back to Sylvia and even though I was at a loss for words, I tried to talk to her just to let her hear my voice and let her know mommy is here. I kept looking at her and looking up at Dan and looking at her. I really felt like we did it together, because of how involved, supportive and emotionally invested Dan had been. I know how much he loves babies and had loved feeling all the kicks during pregnancy but couldn’t see her or hold her. Talk about patience! I wanted to let him hold her right then, seeing the look in his eyes! And then… she pooped. Right there in my arms! Ha! But I did not care one bit. She could literally do no wrong. It reminds me now of how God loves me and holds me close even when I am filthy. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

She didn’t make a lot of noise except when Ruth was trying to examine her while she was still in my arms. But of course, even her cries were cute. Then it was time to stand up and move to the bed to deliver the placenta. I had plenty of help getting up and out of the tub while I held the baby still attached to me with her umbilical cord. I made a bit of a bloody mess on the floor right when I stepped out, but only felt a little embarrassed because there was really nothing that could happen that would take away from the joy and relief I felt to have Sylvia out. I lied down on the bed and had towels to dry myself and create a sort of curtain so that I could just hang with the baby while Ruth took care of stuff “down there.” Once the blood stopped pumping in the cord and it was apparent to Ruth that Sylvia was no longer receiving nutrients from the placenta, she clamped the cord and asked Dan if he wanted to cut it. He declined, but I jumped in and said I would do it! Something came over me and I decided it would be a special memory to be able to say, “I cut the cord!” and officially gave her the freedom to be her own independent person.

I was in my own little blissful world and didn’t care much about pushing the placenta out (what a difference from the pushing I was doing earlier!), but when Ruth told me to push, I did and out it came. Ruth examined me and discovered a small tear, but gave me the option of having stitches or not! I decided to not have stitches and let it heal on its own. What a blessing!

It was right around this time Sylvia pooped again in my arms, so Ruth got a diaper on her as soon as she could and we all laughed about it. Then I sat up in the bed a bit, got a shirt on (one of Dan’s button-ups) and got a little more comfortable. Ruth checked my vitals and the baby’s vitals while Jen and Amy worked quickly to clean things up and then left us to have special bonding time with baby. She was ready to nurse right away. She knew exactly what to do (even though she had never done it before!) and nursed for over an hour! It didn’t bother me one bit and I became extremely chatty and social with everyone in the room. I called my mom to tell her the news. I figured she had probably fallen asleep on our couch, but I still wanted her to be the first to know. Dan left a message for his parents, who had already hit the road right around the time she was born (Dan had called them right after I was checked at 8-9cm, so they packed up to leave from their house in Sparks, NV – about a two-hour drive).

Alicia was adamant about having us tell her when to leave the room, but it was hard for me because I was so chatty and wanted to visit with her. Then Dan pulled out a surprise. He told me later he had thought about asking Alicia to leave so that we could be alone, but then thought it might be fun to have pictures of what he was about to do. So he just went ahead, and out of the blue, handed me a little gold box with a big gold bow on it. I was SO surprised! Words cannot express how surprised and ecstatic I was over this little box. It was like a Hollywood movie and could hardly believe it was real. I get goose bumps just thinking about it. So as I was still nursing Sylvia, I opened it to find a little black jewelry box containing sweet little emerald stud earrings – the birthstone for May. I was trying to keep it together, but pretty much broke down in tears. Again, he was showing me how much God loves me: so much more than I expect and so much more than I deserve.

Shortly after, Jen came in with a clipboard for Dan to fill out some information for the birth certificate and records. After that, Dan finally got his turn with the baby! Then Ruth came in and did Sylvia’s exam. She weighed 9 pounds and 4 ounces (both her sisters weighed 9 pounds even, so she was my biggest!) and she measured 20 and ¾ inches tall. She sneezed a few times, so they didn’t ever have to suction her nose with the bulb—she was able to clear up her nose all by herself! I loved watching Ruth examine her because it instantly reminded me of when she examined the other girls when they were born and overwhelms me with gratitude to God for the blessings of these beautiful healthy babies. It was also a blessing not to worry about taking pictures. We just sat back and relaxed while Alicia took care of it for us! I was ready for my first attempt to go potty, since I had been drinking a TON of water all morning. I was pleasantly surprised at how sitting up in bed so soon after birth did not make me light-headed like it did with the other births (especially my first). But I was not able to pee, so I went back to bed. My second attempt a little later, however, was successful! Hurray! (An empty bladder is essential to allowing my uterus to go back into its place.) Meanwhile, Dan got some more play time with his youngest daughter.

Sylvia and I both got some clothes on and Ruth came in with a gift bag for me! Again, I was blown away. How was it that I kept getting gift after gift?! I wanted to be the one handing out gifts to all these amazing people who had helped me during this huge event! Maybe with my forth, I will have figured out how to plan ahead and have gifts ready to pass out after having a baby. But anyway, Ruth gave me a pink shirt and hat for Sylvia with The Birth Center logo and some candy goodies. She then began going through the folder of papers, and as she started, we saw the family members pulling up through the window. So she tried to speedily go through it all (how to get the birth certificate, information on breastfeeding, newborn care, new mom care, etc.) and said she knew I knew it all already. Just as Ruth was finishing up, my mom came in with big sisters Natalie (2) and Evelyn (4).

Natalie walked right in, but Evelyn got a little scared or shy and would not enter the room. I was a little disappointed, but I knew she would warm up with time and tried to just enjoy a little time with Natalie. She was adorable, saying “Hi” to everyone and getting up on the bed to “hold” her new little sister. Of course Sylvia turned out to be a little heavier than Natalie was expecting, so she didn’t hold Sylvia for too long (just like the day Natalie was born and Evelyn tried to hold her). My mom was cute when she saw Sylvia because she didn’t realize I was holding her when she first walked in the room. She squealed with delight and got to hold her for a few minutes before Dan’s parents arrived. It was so fun seeing Sylvia get passed around and enjoyed by so many people who loved her already. She slept like an angel, drunk in what I call a “milk-coma.” Everything felt very relaxed, as we all just hung out and enjoyed each other’s company. It was perfect to have gotten a chance to nurse before everyone got there: she had full belly, I was happy for the little break, and everyone else was happy to “have a turn” with her.

I knew I couldn’t keep Alicia forever, though, so we made attempts to get Evelyn in the room for a family photo. She had finally warmed up in the lobby area with Dan’s mom and Sylvia, and had begun playing and acting more like herself. But she still didn’t want to come in the room, so the family photo has her hiding behind her teddy bear. But that’s just real life and I knew that there would be plenty of other opportunities to get pictures all together. (In fact, it was right around this time that Alicia surprised me with another gift: she would come to our house and shoot a newborn photo session in one week! What a treat that was.) So after we got a few more pictures of Sylvia with everyone, Alicia went home and we began making plans to head home ourselves.

My mom took the “big sisters” out to breakfast at McDonalds. It was around 7:30am that Dan began packing and getting Sylvia all buckled up in the car seat. Then Ruth helped me to sit up and stand, and after some evaluation decided to have me sit back down. I had lost a significant amount of blood by this point and was starting to feel the effects of it, particularly when standing or trying to move. So she decided to have me sit on a special walker they have and wheeled me out to the car instead of having me walk. Ruth gave some final instructions about having Dan help me to the bed and making me rest all day. I thanked her and she thanked me for having beautiful births! Dan’s parents followed us home, but stopped at McDonald’s drive-thru to pick up some breakfast for all of us (we aren’t usually big McDonald’s customers, but it sure was a blessing on this day!) We were home by 8am, and I began texting my friends the news as I enjoyed my smoothie and Egg McMuffin!

It all felt like a dream, like I had somehow just woken up with a baby. I loved how God orchestrated the timing of it all, for me to have suffered the pains of labor in the night but then to have those beautiful first rays of morning shine upon a new baby, welcoming her into the world. It reminds me of the psalms that speak of terror and darkness in the nights followed by mercy and light in the mornings. Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” When I started writing, Sylvia was just 5 days old, but now that I’ve finally reached the end, she is 6 weeks old. Once I started recovering physically, it became harder and harder to find the time to sit down and write since there is always so much to do with three girls! But more than that, I needed to take some time to fully process and accept the shortness and intensity of the birth. I’m glad I did, and I can now honestly say that I am thankful for the experience God has given me. To Him be the honor, glory and praise!

Visit www.lindysamommy.blogspot.com for the online birth story with pictures.

(Lindsey and Dan have had 3 babies at The Birth Center! Check out their second birth story.)

The Birth Story of Emily

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 17:00:00 -0700

I did a lot of research on where to have our baby before Tim & I got pregnant. I wanted to give birth at home because the hospital setting made me feel pressured to do what they wanted, but what I wanted was a medication-free pregnancy and delivery. I knew I would have to defend my choices when they differed from hospital routine. I wanted Emily’s birth to be about our new family and not a medical procedure. Tim needed a professional setting because we did not know what to expect and the risk involved in home birth made him uncomfortable. After touring 4 hospitals and meeting with The Birth Center’s RN, Janet, we decided The Birth Center was the perfect middle ground for us. As soon as we got pregnant we called The Birth Center for an appointment and Janet to take the Bradley method childbirth classes she taught.

I love my midwife, Ruth. We spent at least 30 minutes with her each appointment so I felt very comfortable with her and she explained the answers to all my questions so I could understand why. When we learned I had gestational diabetes she gave me a chance to control my blood sugar with diet and exercise instead of transferring my care to a doctor. I believe, with my test results, a doctor would have put me on medication without giving me that chance. This would have been very disappointing for me. I took this opportunity seriously by walking briskly for 20 minutes after each meal (at least 3 times a day), testing my sugars 4 times a day, drastically changing my diet, and logging everything for review. It took some time for us to find the right diet for me. I ended up with a diet of only protein for breakfast, protein with just a few carbs for lunch (usually a sandwich), an apple and cheese stick for snack, a protein-only dinner, and a cheese stick before bed. I drank only water or crystal light. The timing of meals also played a part. Such a change in diet was very difficult at times but my 20 lb weight loss made the gestational diabetes a blessing in disguise. I weighted less at 42 weeks pregnant than I did when I got pregnant.

At 40 weeks, I was 2 cm dilated and Ruth, Tim and I began trying to induce naturally. We tried manually opening my cervix, walking, sex, nipple stimulation, blue cohosh, black cohosh, evening primrose oil, foley bulb, cotton root bark, red raspberry leaf tea, acupressure, and massage. After all this, I was still 2 cm dilated. We waited until the last minute to try castor oil.understand why. When we learned I had gestational diabetes she gave me a chance to control my blood sugar with diet and exercise instead of transferring my care to a doctor. I believe, with my test results, a doctor would have put me on medication without giving me that chance. This would have been very disappointing for me. I took this opportunity seriously by walking briskly for 20 minutes after each meal (at least 3 times a day), testing my sugars 4 times a day, drastically changing my diet, and logging everything for review. It took some time for us to find the right diet for me. I ended up with a diet of only protein for breakfast, protein with just a few carbs for lunch (usually a sandwich), an apple and cheese stick for snack, a protein-only dinner, and a cheese stick before bed. I drank only water or crystal light. The timing of meals also played a part. Such a change in diet was very difficult at times but my 20 lb weight loss made the gestational diabetes a blessing in disguise. I weighted less at 42 weeks pregnant than I did when I got pregnant.

At 42 weeks, December 17th, I was scheduled for induction at UC Davis. I took castor oil in eggnog on December 15th at 9 am. At 10:45 am labor began. The effects of castor oil were not painful like I expected but the contractions were. I spent most of the morning and mid-day on my bed in the sunlight petting the cat and listening to relaxing music. Tim timed contractions at 3 to 4 minutes apart lasting 30-45 seconds each. I spent the evening on the couch focusing on the contractions more. I preferred to walk or stand because my left hip felt the most pain. I liked when Tim put steady pressure on my hip. I had pizza for dinner. Tim’s mom came over to help. At night, Tim and I walked up the block. I began needing to hang on him during contractions. Steady pressure no longer felt good. I liked a feather touch on my neck and shoulders.

At 8 pm, I started getting the shivers even though I wasn’t that cold so I went upstairs to take a
warm bath where I laid on my sides. My contractions changed in the tub. They were 5 minutes apart lasting 1 ½ minutes or longer and became incredibly intense. We called Ruth and she told us what additional signs to look for. I called her back 1 hour later with the signs and we left for The Birth Center at 11 pm. By this time I did not want to be touched at all and moving would trigger another contraction. I felt every single bump in the road. It helped that my mother-in-law announced which exits we were passing as she drove so I knew how much longer I had to hold on. Tim and Chris (my mother-in-law) said they couldn’t guess how far along in labor I was because I was handling labor so well using the Bradley method. I had to be close because the pressure in my bottom made it hard to sit in the car. I knew if I wasn’t at least 4 cm we’d be going to the hospital for drugs because I couldn’t handle that much pain for much longer.

When we got to The Birth Center I was 8 cm! I leaned against a counter or slow danced with Tim for about ½ an hour then I began feeling the urge to push. I kept saying that I couldn’t do it anymore. At this point the only thing I cared about was what Ruth said. She said to lie down on the bed so the pressure would be less. I held the bar of the headboard with on hand for contractions and hugged a pillow with the other for between contractions. Then it was time to labor down. I was reminded every time I wanted to push to pretend to blow out candles instead. I imagined a birthday cake with 50 candles and I would try to blow them all out with one breath. This was hard work because the urge to push was almost uncontrollable. This lasted only 10-15 minutes but it felt much longer to me.

Now I could push. Now I had some control. The pressure was still intense and I could only push during contractions so I had to feel my belly to know when a contraction was coming and going. I learned how to push in childbirth classes but when the time came I forgot everything and followed my instincts. This is why coaching was necessary. I pushed for about ½ an hour. Emily’s head came out in the bag of waters which didn’t break. Ruth said to stop pushing. She needed to break the bag before the rest of Emily came out. After the bag was broken it took one more push and there she was. It was the sweetest cry I’ve ever heard. I looked down but all I could see was my belly jiggling like a waterbed mattress. She was placed on my chest, my husband cut the umbilical cord, and before I knew it the room was cleared so the three of us could have time to bond. It was 1 am on December 16th. Half an hour later Emily’s grandma came in to meet her and take pictures. More time passed and it was time for Emily’s first exam where we learned she was 7 lbs 6 oz and 21 inches long. We left The Birth Center around 5 am.

I want to have all of our future children’s births medication-free and I hope those births are as great an experience as Emily’s. I appreciate Jen and Amy at The Birth Center for their encouragement and support. I appreciate Ruth, Janet, and Chris for being my guides and inspiration. Without them I would have a totally different story. Most of all, I appreciate my husband, Tim, for giving me the freedom to experience this womanly rite of passage how I wanted. This wouldn’t have been possible without him …in more ways than one. Ruth, Tim, and I worked hard to stay low-risk during my pregnancy despite gestational diabetes and being 15 days past due so that I could deliver Emily medication-free at The Birth Center. It was worth it because having the awesome experience of Emily’s birth to dream about whenever I want is priceless. I wouldn’t change a thing.

The Birth Story of Ori Rose

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 10:00:00 -0700

Ori Rose, 6lbs 8oz, 20 inches long

It would figure that after a super easy and almost problem free pregnancy, that labor wouldn’t be be a walk in the park for me. Besides some exhaustion in the first trimester, I was symptom free and my awesome little bump started growing from week 16, much to my amazement and excitement! At 31 weeks pregnant, my husband and I moved back to the U.S. after living in Israel, so my care with Ruth and the Birth Center started only in my 3rd trimester. I felt immediately welcomed and comfortable with the center and the staff and was so excited to finally meet my baby girl. I had done so much research on “natural” birth (all birth is natural, right?) while seeing a traditional gynecologist in Israel, so I was so happy to finally be with the people, and in the place, where my birth dreams would come true.

My doctor in Israel gave me a due date of April 19 and Ruth put it at April 21. On April 19 I had an appointment with Ruth and she did an internal exam. I was 2cm dilated and 60% effaced but she said labor could happen in 2 hours or 2 weeks, so just go home and go about life as I had been doing. Sure enough that night I started feeling some cramping. By 12:30am I was on the floor in the bathroom doing circle 8’s with my hips and breathing through each contraction, thinking to myself naively that this wasn’t that bad! By 2am, I felt I was for sure in labor and not having braxton hicks so I called Blanche, the midwife on call since Ruth was away. Jen was also on vacation until that evening, so I was starting to slightly freak out that I would be without Ruth AND Jen for my delivery. Blanche was amazing though and told me to continue doing what I was doing and call her around 8am to see how my contractions had progressed and determine when I should come in. To make a long story short, after a check at around noon with Blanche when I was around 3 cm, laboring in the tub at home and trying to eat and drink lots of water all day, at 5pm we met Blanche back at the Birth Center and found I was 4cm dilated and 2 hours later, at 5cm, I was cleared to stay! I was not going home again without a baby!

Fast forward to around 3:00am. I was miserable, in pain, only at 6 cm and not amused. Blanche broke my water around 3:30am, after laboring for 27 hours at this point. It felt amazing for a second and then, WOW, my contractions became so intense, so close together and just flat out miserable. I had dreams of epidural needles and how amazing it would feel to go into my back (something I had previously feared pre-labor) and I was doing everything I could to make it through each contraction but between intense exhaustion and too much pain, I was over being pregnant and wanted this baby out now. It would figure that around this time another woman came in, laboring with her second child, and after less than an hour popped out her baby in the water. I could hear her screaming, followed by her daughter’s first scream and at that point I started crying and telling my husband it wasn’t fair. Out in the hall, I could hear the snores of my parents and I was pissed. I didn’t get to have a baby! I didn’t get to sleep! My life is horrible and giving birth is horrible and when will this end!!??

Finally at 7am Blanche told me to start pushing. I got out of the tub, I guess it wasn’t working for me, and alternated between the birthing stool, squatting next to the bed and laying on my back on the bed. All the fears I had about pooping during labor, making weird noises and being naked in front of others, went out the window as I crossed all those things off my list. If you and your husband or partner weren’t close before, well, you will be after you give birth! I pushed for 3 hours, and was supported incredibly by Jen, Janet and Blanche. I can say without a doubt I could NOT have done this without them. They put wet towels on my face to cool me, force fed me juice and water and Janet kept checking and reassuring me that my daughters heartbeat was strong. They gave me such verbal encouragement to go on even when I thought I couldn’t and amazing direction on where to focus my pushing, my breathing and just the encouragement to go on. I asked Blanche at one point if she could just stick her hands up inside me and pull her out. I guess that wasn’t going to happen.

After 3 terrible miserable hours and a sore throat from screaming, I saw everyone’s face change as they ALL stared at my hoo-ha and yelling at me to keep going, that her head was coming out and I just needed to push for a few seconds longer.

At 10am on April 21, 2012, my daughter, Ori Rose, was born. 35 hours after my contractions started here she was. She weighed in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces and 20 inches long. I delivered the placenta soon after and a few hours later we were on our way home. Even though the first thing I said to my husband after her birth was, we are NEVER having another baby again, I hope if I do, it will be with the Birth Center. I have had an amazing post partum recovery, I think in large part because of my unmedicated birth and being given advice and support by the women at the Birth Center before, during and after birth. Had I been in a hospital I think I would have taken drugs and perhaps have had to have some sort of intervention either because I wasn’t progressing fast enough or because pushing for me was hard, long and not productive until the end, making a vacuum or forcep delivery, or even a c-section, inevitable in a hospital setting. I’m so grateful I was able to live out my plan for an unmedicated birth and was able to do so not only because of the Birth Center environment but because of the amazing team I had with me from minu te 1.

As I try to end my story, I can’t find the words that adequately express how I feel. So I stole them from another birth story from The Birth Center, Zen Lavrov. “My husband and I cannot fully express the love and gratitude we have for these women. Their knowledge, expertise, and compassion made me confident during my pregnancy and our daughter’s birth. They helped us create a beautiful memory to last us a lifetime.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

The Birth Story of Lillian Renee

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 07:55:00 -0700

a couple days old

On July 3rd our lives forever changed, we were expecting. From the beginning I knew I wanted an un-medicated birth and not in a hospital. After discussing this with my OBGYN she informed me of the Bradley Method. It was a 12 week course that focused on preparing your mind and body for natural child birth through relaxation. It was through Janet, the instructor, that I became familiar with The Birth Center. Switching my care over to Ruth at The Birth Center was one of the best decisions I had made. Immediately Jason and I fell in love with the staff and facility and I knew this would be the place I would have my daughter.On Monday February 27th is when I started noticing changes in the way my body felt. I began to have sporadic cramping and contractions simultaneously. By the next day they had passed. I felt more energetic and active.

one month old

Knowing the birth of my daughter was drawing near; I made sure I kept myself busy. I went throughout the day just like any another day. Later in that evening, the cramps and contractions returned. This time they were more rhythmic and slowly became more intense as time went on. At 11pm we called Ruth to inform her of the situation. She told us tha our daughterwas on her way and to call her back when the contractions change. For the next two hours deep breathing, relaxation/concentration, and back rubs weremy best friends. Around 1 am is when I felt the shift in labor that Ruth was talking about. My contractions had becomemore intense, closer together, and lasting over a minute. It was time to meet Ruth at the birth center.

1 1/2 months old

Due to the baby’s position, I felt the contractions in my lower back and with each contraction the more pain I felt. It became harder to focus and relax into each contraction and something needed to change. At this point Ruth suggested having sterile water injections in my lower back to ease the pain. After discussing it with Jason, I had the injections done. I had instant pain relief and I was able to relax and regain my focus on what was important. I also got into the tub until it came to a point where the help of gravity was needed to move labor along. Between laboring in the tub and the injections I was feeling really good. There were times when I had become so relaxed I fell asleep between contractions. Once out of the tub I pushed for about 45 minutes. Weighing 6 pounds Lillian Renee was born at 7:55am onFebruary 29, 2012. Having the opportunity to have my daughter at The Birth Center with Ruth, Jen, and Janet was well worth it. We both appreciated how their main focus was on mom and baby. The atmosphere of feeling at home made the experience a joyful one as well. I could not have asked for a better way to bring my little girl into this world. Thank you.

Ryker Andrew Feuerstein's Birth Story

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:54:00 -0700

The birth story of my third baby really begins with the birth of his older sister and brother. Pregnancy and birth is an amazing and beautiful time, a natural part of the cycle of life. Women were designed to carry babies in the womb, nourish them, and birth them. It is natural, it is normal, and it is not a medical phenomenon to be “treated”. Before I was even pregnant with my first born, I knew I wanted to bring my baby into I knew I wanted to bring my baby into this world with as little intervention as possible…but what exactly did that mean? I would soon find out just how challenging a “natural and normal” birth experience could be without the supportive like-minded environment that every woman and baby deserves.

My first born, beautiful little girl was born in Southern California with an OBGYN, a hospital, a nurse pit crew, Pitocin, and a whole lot of unnecessary angst. I didn’t fully realize the power of just saying “no”, I didn’t fully realize that I had the final say in my “treatment”, and I didn’t fully realize the magnitude of consequences that came with entrusting a medical staff to tell me how, when, where, and why I was to labor and give birth. Fortunately, and by God’s grace alone, I was able to stave off the epidural and section that were so dauntingly dangled in my face (regardless of my clearly communicated wish for a natural birth and absolutely no pending medical emergencies). Unfortunately, I was still pressured into artificial rupturing of my membranes, lying down flat, taking an IV for fluids, and constant internal monitoring. After 11 hours of labor I was judged by the “powers-that-be” - my verdict: failure to progress! Thankfully, I refused to go poo in a bedpan and against the orders of the nurse and the doctor I got up out of bed, removed the internal monitor, and walked my tired behind to the potty. That’s all it took to get things going! When my daughter arrived (just 20 minutes after my “insubordinate” display of poo’ing in the potty) she was perfect - beautiful in every way - despite the pressures, annoyances, and hospital imposed policies.

Fast forward 19 months later and my second-born son greeted us in much the same way as his sister. This time, I refused the internal monitor and was able to walk around and labor however I felt most comfortable. The empowerment of bending, moaning, and concentrating on every contraction as it pulsed through my body was amazing! My body was doing its thing - I was in the zone - and everything was moving right along! Unfortunately, my OB must have had plans for that evening and insisted that I receive Pitocin – “just a little” she said (even though she knew quite well that they would up the dose every 30 minutes). Pitocin assisted contractions are not the same as the natural, normal, and solid oxytocin contractions. I was upset that they pressured me with Pitocin, and upset that I let myself give in. After I asked my husband to fire our assigned nurse (she had the gall to blatantly exclaim that I wasn’t having contractions because otherwise I’d be screaming “like they do in the movies”) it only took a few more contractions and I was ready to have this baby! My son was born a healthy, handsome, perfect little specimen of a man. I was elated to add to our family this new bundle of love and was so excited to get – out – of – that – hospital.

Fourteen months later, when we found out we were pregnant for the third time, I did two things: jumped for joy and started researching alternative birthing options. No more hospitals! But what did that mean? Where do I go? Who can I contact? After some careful research and a couple interviews, I found and fell in love with The Birth Center of Sacramento.

Ruth, the Certified Nurse Midwife, was straight forward, understanding, and fostered a “your body was made for this” kind of attitude. She was everything I needed to lead my birth support team. This pregnancy was a dream (aside from a sudden and severe bout of appendicitis that came on in the middle of the night when I was just 18 weeks pregnant)! I was active, glowing, my belly was ginormous, and I never felt more than a teensy bit nauseous. Not much made me queasy, and I craved wonderful chocolaty gooey desserts (that’s okay, right?).

Given the history of my pregnancy timelines - my daughter was born 3 weeks earlier than her estimated due date, and my son two weeks early - it was only reasonable to expect that this little man would arrive a little early as well. Right? So wrong. I was as big as could be! Seriously, my belly stuck straight out and I felt like there were three in there! My estimated due date came and went. I was also dealing with prodromal labor for the last three weeks or so of my pregnancy. What is prodromal labor, you ask? Ah, prodromal labor is early labor that takes an unusually long time and often occurs when the baby is posterior (he was). The contractions would come; they would get stronger, longer, and time-able. On more than one occasion I actually thought, “this might be it!” and then...all progression would cease. The contraction went from strong to completely gone. My prodromal labor went on for so long that I just started ignoring the contractions – they were messing with my mind! The final days ticked by ever so slowly as I constantly reminded myself that my baby boy would come on his own terms – and that’s what I wanted.

Ten very long days after my estimated due date and weeks after I began telling people “any day now” my baby was ready to come meet us! The morning of the big day I woke up to hugs and kisses and “Happy Birthday Mommy” – that’s right; my baby boy would decide to make his grand entrance on my birthday! Somewhere in the back of my mind I must have known that he’d be here soon, because for the first time I actually loaded my birth bag into the car and installed the infant car seat. After I shuttled the kids to preschool I went with my mom to Target, not so much to buy anything but to just get out of the house and walk around. I waddled around a bit and around noon I went to the bathroom in Target and heard a distinguishing ‘pop’ and felt a gush of fluid. I was ecstatic! Woohoo! My waters just broke (on their own) and my baby boy would be here soon!

(Funny side story: I sat on the potty and made a few phone calls. First, my husband to let him know the good news and second, my midwife, to let her know I’d be coming in soon. A sweet lady in the bathroom overheard me tell my husband that my waters had broke and stayed in there just in case I needed anything. I think she was quietly relieved when my mom arrived on the scene.)

On our way to The Birth Center (about a 30 minute drive) I stopped at the house to grab my husband’s swim trunks (a water birth was in the plans) and a snack. What can I say? I was hungry. My husband beat me to The Birth Center and was waiting for me. We went in, settled into our beautiful birth room, and let my body do its thing.

The contractions were strong, purposeful, and empowering. I walked around, swayed back and forth, sat on the birth ball, and sat in the rocking chair – whatever felt right at the time. My birth support team consisted of my wonderfully supportive husband, my mom who had been at the birth of all my babies, my midwife Ruth, her staff Janet and Jen, and our photographer. Everyone was fantastic. Ruth, Janet, and Jen somehow managed to always be there when I needed something while still allowing me this time to birth my way, with as much privacy and respect as I wanted and deserved.

We used Pulsatilla, a homeopathic medicine derived from the Windflower, to help my baby turn.

Just a couple hours after my waters broke in Target I was fully dilated. My cervix was a bit stiff on the right and my baby boy was still posterior. We used Pulsatilla, a homeopathic medicine derived from the Windflower, to help my baby turn and Ruth had me lay down on the bed on my right side to soften up that cervix. I stared at the clock – my focal point – as the next couple contractions came and went. I heard my husband tell Ruth that it was almost “time” – he knows me well. The next contraction came and was definitely the strongest yet! I actually thought to myself: “I’ll let everyone know I want to move to the birthing tub as soon as this contraction is over”. But the contraction never ended! It dimmed ever so slightly and got stronger again. I managed to mutter an “uh oh” and we all knew it was go time!

My husband and Janet helped me move from the bed to the birthing tub – at that moment I knew for sure that I wanted to birth this baby in the water! It was all happening very quickly and very forcefully – I was actually almost frozen as my body’s natural instincts took over. Ruth calmly but authoritatively guided me into a comfortable position. My husband got in the water with me, and supported my back while I bore down. This baby was coming!

My 9lb 14 oz, 22 inch long son, Ryker Andrew Feuerstein, was born into a warm pool of water at 2:54pm on my birthday, January 26th. Immediately, I brought him to my chest and the world around me faded away as I admired my perfect, healthy, beautiful baby boy.

This was how birth was supposed to happen. This is what I wanted. This is what God intended. This was perfection.

We waited to cut the cord until it had completely stopped pulsing and we saved my baby's placenta for encapsulation. I drank water, had a snack, and posed for pictures. I felt wonderful and was elated. We brought our baby home just three hours later, introduced him to his siblings, and ate the first of many, “mommy and son” birthday cakes.

Born January 26th, 2012 at The Birth Center in Sacramento

We used Pulsatilla, a homeopathic medicine derived from the Windflower, to help my baby turn.

This was how birth was supposed to happen. This is what I wanted. This is what God intended. This was perfection.

Birth Story

Born January 26th, 2012 at The Birth Center in Sacramento

We used Pulsatilla, a homeopathic medicine derived from the Windflower, to help my baby turn.

This was how birth was supposed to happen. This is what I wanted. This is what God intended. This was perfection.

Birth Story

Born January 26th, 2012 at The Birth Center in Sacramento

We used Pulsatilla, a homeopathic medicine derived from the Windflower, to help my baby turn.

This was how birth was supposed to happen. This is what I wanted. This is what God intended. This was perfection.

The Birth Story of Zen Andrei Lavrov

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 04:12:00 -0700

Zen Andrei Lavrov

It had taken us a while to become pregnant; so when we were finally expecting, I knew I wanted a positive birthing experience. Like many other expectant couples, we had watched some documentaries about birth in the United States. We quickly realized we did not want a conventional hospital birth where our voices and wishes might go unheard. However, we were also not prepared to have our first baby at home. Thankfully, we learned of Ruth and The Birth Center.

Our prenatal care at the Birth Center began at 12 weeks. I could tell early on that my care would be different from the care my pregnant friends were receiving. The staff was always friendly and supportive, and I was able to work with Ruth from the beginning until the birth. The trust we had in her and her staff grew during each visit and we were confident that this was the team to help us achieve the birth we had been dreaming of. We were so grateful that they were supportive of our other “alternative” choices, such as preparing for the birthing using Hypnobabies techniques.

We had been expecting that our little guy would come sometime around his due date of October 31, if not a little after. I was certainly surprised when my water broke around 2:30 PM on October 21 with no contractions to give forewarning. I called my husband, who hurried home from work. My next call was to Ruth. When it seemed like the contractions were not starting on their own, she encouraged me to help them along by drinking a couple ounces of castor oil. That certainly did the trick, and I was feeling those contractions in no time. Unfortunately, I am not the greatest self-reporter, so it was difficult to tell her exactly what I was feeling and how long the contractions were lasting. After several calls back and forth, Ruth asked us to come in around 8:30 PM. She made the right call considering I was dilated to 7cm upon arrival.

Throughout the contractions and the rest of the birth, I utilized my Hypnobabies techniques and remained focused. My husband was an incredible source of strength for me and he would regularly remind me to relax and breathe through the discomfort. Though uncomfortable, I wouldn’t say that I was in real pain. The labor was not easy, as our little one was in the posterior position and required turning. Ruth, Christa, Jen, and Janet were an amazing support for my husband and me. They helped us maintain a calm and positive atmosphere. They ensured that I changed birthing positions regularly. They also became quite creative in their techniques to turn my baby.

As the hours passed by, I grew more tired. Ruth, knowing how determined I can be, informed me that we may need to consider going to the hospital to possibly have the baby vacuumed out. That was all the incentive I needed. There was no way I was leaving the comfort of the Birth Center to have my baby in a place completely foreign to me. That was when I had my second wind, so to speak. I “got with the program” and employed all of the techniques these women were recommending. I also eventually listened to my own body and did what felt natural. And, at 4:12 AM on October 22 we brought our beautiful baby boy Zen into the world, weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces. Tired and happy, we were home just four hours later. And, in the days that followed, Ruth was especially helpful in providing breastfeeding support. She made herself available to us at all times.

My husband and I cannot fully express the love and gratitude we have for these women. Their knowledge, expertise, and compassion made me confident during my pregnancy and our son’s birth. They helped us create a beautiful memory to last us a lifetime.

The Birth Story of Kadin Campbell

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:16:00 -0700

Our experience at The Birth Center was AMAZING! With this being our third and last child we wanted to try an “alternative” birthing process. Being referred to The Birth Center by a friend was a Godsend.

My labor began at home around 2:00am on October 18, 2011. I was able to stay at home for the first part of my labor until 5:00am. When my husband, 11 year old daughter, 9 year old son and I arrived at The Birth Center I was at 9 centimeters. That was when the contractions became more intense. My husband was right there so I could squeeze his hands through each one. What worked best for me was standing and breathing through my contractions. I personally couldn’t find any other comfortable position even though the staff offered many with multiple devices. It was very peaceful at The Birth Center with minimal noise and dim lights. Ruth, Jen and Christa were very supportive with their words of encouragement and willingness to help in any way they could.

After 1 ½ hours it was time to get into the water. Ahhhhh, what a wonderful feeling that was! The warm water was very soothing and helped relieve the pain of my back labor. During the contractions I was able to kneel and squeeze the side of the soft tub. My son Kyle was so precious going in and out of the room bringing me ice water. My daughter Brianna watched the whole entire birthing process along with my mother and two friends. It was great how the staff included and engaged with the whole family. When it was time to push I sat up with my back against the tub and gave four really good pushes. When Kadin Lee emerged at 7:16am he was immediately brought to my chest where I could see he had 10 fingers and 10 toes. He was so peaceful and barely cried. We contribute this to the atmosphere of The Birth Center.

It was nice to be able to move from the water to the bed in the same room where they completed the birthing process and even had my husband cut the umbilical cord all while Kadin laid peacefully on my chest. After a mere 4 hours following the birth and some attempts at breast feeding, our family of five was on our way home. My recovery time was much quicker than my previous two natural child births in a hospital. I do believe my son Kadin is such an amazingly peaceful baby because he was born in an amazingly peaceful environment. Many thanks to The Birth Center for the extraordinary experience we will never forget.

-Holly, Ricky, Brianna, Kyle and Kadin

The Birth Story of Everett Gardner Landon

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 12:13:00 -0700

I started seeing Ruth at the Birth Center for care during the 20th week of my 2nd pregnancy. I was excited to be preparing for an out of hospital birth, but I had concerns as well. Ruth put my fears at ease right away, and through all my prenatal appointments helped me to mentally prepare for a great birth experience.

I had been having braxton-hicks contractions off and on for weeks. A few days after my due date on the evening of June 11th, I began having noticeable contractions. A couple hours in I started timing them and realized they were consistently 8 minutes apart. I had a snack and watched TV on the birth ball for a few hours then went to bed. I was able to sleep, but awoke at 5 AM to a popping noise. I had a good suspicion that my water had broke. Almost immediately my contractions got stronger, and I knew then that “this was it”. I sat on the birth ball for an hour then called my parents to come stay with our son. At 7 AM contractions were about 3.5 minutes apart. I called Ruth and she said to come right away. When we checked in at The Birth Center I was 4cm.

I spent the next few hours in and out of the birthing tub. Ruth and her staff were fantastic. They were always right there to answer any questions, provide suggestions for position changes or help with anything I needed, but also gave my husband and I privacy. It was nice to feel supported and cared for but there was also a sense that the privacy of my labor was being respected. My husband sat with me the entire time, just holding my head or hands. At 10 AM Ruth checked me and I was dilated to 6cm. The labor contractions were very intense and I was feeling a bit discouraged. Ruth and Janet (the nurse) gave me so much encouragement. Ruth also recognized that I was trying to control the labor and she encouraged me to let go of the control and become more internal. I did and while using various hypnobirthing techniques I relaxed into the contractions as much as I could. An hour later I was fully dilated.

I pushed for about an hour in several positions. In the tub, on the birth stool, on the bed. My son Everett was born at 12:13 PM on June 12th. The pushing phase had been long and hard for both me and Everett. Ruth did a quick exam before putting him on my chest, while his cord continued to pulse away.

The few hours after the birth were wonderful. I rested, ate, and nursed my sweet little boy. Going home with Everett that day was amazing, I felt so fantastic and really enjoyed being home with my whole family.

My experience at The Birth Center was fantastic. I can't say enough how much I appreciate the amazing care I received there. During all of the office visits and throughout the birth, Ruth and her staff were wonderful. They provided completely personalized and professional care. If we ever have another baby I will definitely be birthing with Ruth at The Birth Center.

The Birth Story of Natalie Anne Briggs

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 10:42:00 -0700

Tuesday morning we thought she was coming. She did not. (Turned out to be Braxton Hicks contractions, very regular for several hours.) Wednesday Dan went back to work while I wallowed on the couch all day and Evelyn watched movies and had several potty accidents (she’s potty trained for the most part, but still needs mommy’s help). It was not my finest hour. So by Thursday morning, as I sat around waiting for everyone else to wake up (not getting much sleep at this point in my pregnancy), I convinced myself that it would be a bad idea for me to be left alone with Evelyn. I did not feel capable of giving her or myself proper care, physically and emotionally. So as soon as Dan’s alarm went off, I went to his side and asked if he would go in an hour or two late and help me get to my parents’ house (hoping my dad wouldn’t mind if I crashed on their couch while my mom was at work…). In God’s sovereignty, he agreed. To think, if he went to work as usual, he would have been on the road when I went into labor! I’m brought to tears when I think about how gracious God was to allow for him to be right there with me from the very first contraction!

The morning began in such peace and tranquility – a stark contrast to the day and night before. As Dan joined me on the couch next to the glow of the Christmas tree, not speaking much but simply being there for me, my anxieties began to melt away. I could feel the comfort of God through Dan’s loving arms, and I knew that I needed Jesus to conquer my fears of this impending labor of which the hour was still unknown. And so I asked Dan to read me all the scripture I had written out on index cards for getting through labor. I figured it would be good practice. Little did I know that would be no practice at all, but in fact the only opportunity to hear those verses spoken from my husband’s mouth before holding baby Natalie just 4 hours later…

It was around 7:15am, Dan was having a bowl of cereal in the kitchen and reading his bible, I was sitting on the birthing ball in the living room moving my hips around (supposed to help keep the baby in a good head-down position), and Evelyn was still in bed. I had an itty bitty contraction, very similar to the ba-zillion contractions I had in the past several weeks. Only there was a tiny tinge to it. I glanced over at Dan and said “Hmph. That one hurt a little.” He immediately looked up. “Really?” “Well, just a little. I’m sure it’s nothing. Don’t get excited.” Then there was another. And another. So off to the bathtub I went. Braxton Hicks are supposed to go away in the tub. Well, these didn’t. And that “familiar feeling” that my midwife, Ruth, warned me about came on stronger with each new contraction. I still wanted to deny it though, given the embarrassment of Tuesday, but as Dan watched me completely zone out during a contraction, his eyes really lit up. He knew it was real! So I called Ruth around 7:50 and let her know. She said to call if things changed, but otherwise come on in to the Birth Center anytime after 8:30 since that’s when they were planning to open for the day anyway. My mom arrived to pick up Evelyn and Dan was able to shower and dress. He was so cute and giddy, flustered trying to pack last minute items because of all the excitement. On Tuesday during my make-believe labor, I actually cared enough to brush my hair, do my make-up, and have Dan take the “before” picture in front of the tree. This time, however, make-up was the last thing on my mind! (And not in a “I look crappy but I don’t care. Ba-humbug!” kind-of-way. More in a “God made me beautiful just the way I am, and right now, by His grace, I am having a baby! My heavenly father loves me and is with me now more than ever which makes me feel like the most beautiful woman on the planet!” kind-of-way.)

Allow me to digress a bit and review the 3 main stages of labor before actual birth. First, early labor (0-3cm) which is supposed to be the longest stage, lasting several hours, but also the easiest. I remember this being the case with Evelyn, even after arriving at the Birth Center, in which I was still talking and making jokes and rocking out to music. Next, active labor (4-6cm) in which things get a bit more serious. I could no longer talk during a contraction because it took my full concentration to remain calm. This stage can take an hour or two. And finally, transition labor (7-10cm). This is the final stride before actually pushing the baby out. It’s the most intense but also the shortest phase.

Evelyn’s birth took about 12 hours and followed this structure rather well. (Except for getting “stuck” at 4cm for a while, but with some great coaching and support by my birth team, and by God’s grace, I was able to relax and get things moving again.) So naturally I expected something similar for Natalie’s birth, only perhaps just 8 or 9 hours since second babies tend to come faster. Of course, I also knew God made no promise to give me a birth according to statistics, for He is not a tame lion. My prayer during those anxious times was this: “Lord, if you want me to join Christ in suffering, then so be it. I will rejoice in that. If you want me to have an easy two-hour birth, then that’s okay too. I am excited about what you are going to do, what your good and perfect will is, and I pray that I want only that and nothing else.”

Back to Thursday morning. After getting out of the bath and preparing to leave for the Birth Center, it became apparent that my body decided to completely skip so-called “early labor.” When my mom arrived to watch Evelyn, I had to leave the room during a contraction just to keep myself focused. I know some women like to have their mom with them during labor, but to be totally honest that is just not my preference and let me tell you why. Growing up, my mom was always there for me. I could depend on her no matter what, whether for sympathy-laden chicken noodle soup when I was sick, or a listening ear when I was an emotional teenage wreck. She gave me everything I needed, and more than I deserved. Whenever I was in any kind of pain, she took the pain onto herself as much as she could, wanting so badly to take it from me. I specifically remember getting my ears pierced as a kid and saying “ouch” which then made my mom cry. Now I’m not saying she wouldn’t be able to handle seeing her little girl in the pains of labor, but it isn’t something I care to find out. She has already done so much for me, I don’t need to put her through that, especially when I have been blessed with a husband who has vowed to protect me through thick and thin. She did get to see a few contractions though and I must say handled it quite well! Love you mom!

So from 8 to 8:30 we had just enough time to both bathe, dress, and get last-minute items packed without feeling rushed. Just before we left, I got a text from a close girlfriend saying something like “Great day to have a baby, don’t you think?” and so I texted back “Yes. I’m in labor.” (that was the extent of my social updates during labor ) The car ride was pretty quiet since I already lost interest in talking. After Dan parked and turned off the car, excited to get out, I began having another contraction and told him to wait. After it passed, I told him I was beginning to panic. He reminded me of God’s promises, helped me take a deep breath, and then the feeling dissipated. We got out of the car. All women hit a wall at some point in labor, thinking they can’t go on. I’m still in disbelief how quickly God got me through that moment. Absolutely amazing!

Dan held my arm as we slowly walked into the Birth Center, and Jackie (the doula) greeted us saying “You look a lot different than you did on Tuesday! Now you look like a woman in labor!” I smiled. Ruth (the midwife) checked me in the exam room right away and said I was easily at 7cm. (It had only been 1 ½ hours since that first tiny contraction!) She watched me as I stood up and leaned over her desk, breathing through another contraction and the vibe of the whole office began to shift. I was escorted straight to the birthing room and everyone had a “pep” in their step getting things ready. It was within a matter of minutes that I was completely entranced and my world closed in. It’s hard to explain just how surreal this time is. I could hear voices around me, saying things like “Jenny’s on her way here.” “She’s almost in transition already!” “Great!” And yet, I did not interact with them or even look at them. The contractions came on like waves, creeping up, reaching a peak and falling down. It was extremely intense, but I knew it was pain with a purpose and so I cried out to God to give me the strength I needed to remain calm.

In the weeks previous, I had spent literally HOURS sorting through our iTunes library and making different playlists, and I was obsessed with keeping the iPod charged and synched ready to go. And wouldn’t you know it, Dan forgot to pack the adapter cord to plug it into the stereo. But silence was exactly what I needed, and I really didn’t want to be bothered with questions like “what kind of music do you want to listen to?” So even though Dan kept apologizing for forgetting the cord, I was immensely thankful! God working even through the little things…

The people around me were so incredible, so supportive. I can’t say this enough. The vibe in the room was freeing, knowing I could literally do whatever I wanted and they would do their best to accommodate and support it. But at the same time, I knew these women were highly trained and would keep me from doing anything that would hurt the baby or me. And they were always right there giving suggestions whenever they saw the need. So when I said, “I think I want to try the shower” to no one in particular, I was gently guided in there, the water was put to the right temperature and Dan was showed how to spray the water on my belly in circles. I could hear them talking to each other “Lindsey’s in the shower now” “okay good” but again, stayed in my world. For whatever reason though, my gaze was down and I saw Dan’s shoes getting wet. I muttered “oh no, you’re getting all wet” and began looking up, expecting to see a frantic trembling face, wondering how he got himself into this mess. Instead, I saw the most calm, loving eyes in the whole world. He said “it’s okay,” but he didn’t have to say anything. I could tell from those eyes and the sweetest little smile that he didn’t care about the water and was happy to be by my side. But then I told him, “just give Jackie the shower head, so you can go call your parents and change your clothes” and he jumped on it! He promptly returned, barefoot and swim trunks on, ready for duty. He wasn’t able to reach his parents, but he said he left them a message.

I’m not sure how long I was in the shower, since I had no concept of time, but I’d guess around 30 minutes. I decided to get out and dry off, had a couple of contractions standing up, and then saw their comfy queen-sized bed and thought it looked really nice. So I said I wanted to try lying down, again to know one in particular. “Okay, let’s go to the bed!” “Lindsey wants to lay down!” “Okay!” “Lindsey’s getting on the bed!” After I was escorted to the bed and had help lying down on my side, the first contraction came, and WOW. It was like in The Princess Bride when Wesley is hooked up to the “Machine” and Prince Humperdinck storms in and cranks it. Well maybe not that bad, but it was certainly turned up a notch or two! Then I said something like, “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea!” Then Jackie told me that the first contraction after changing positions is always going to be the worst. Hmph. Some useful information to have BEFORE deciding to lie down!

I should mention at this point that I do not sound like your stereotypical woman in labor. The movies portray us as screaming bloody murder, shouting obscenities, and grabbing our husbands by the throats saying “YOU did this to me!!” Now as tempting as this may be, here are the three main reasons I try to avoid this tactic. 1) Screaming causes tension and tension causes “certain muscles” to close up – “certain muscles” that are supposed to be opening in order to fit a baby through them. Thus: longer labor. 2) Pain + Tension = More Pain. Just plain pain is painful enough, I think. 3) 1 Peter 3:8 does not say “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble, unless you are a woman in labor.” At least not in the New International Version.

So what do I sound like? The best person to ask would be Dan, but I’ll do my best to recount. In the beginning I made low-pitch groans to get me through contractions. But as labor progressed, groans just weren’t enough and I began to improvise. Now that I think about it, it probably has a lot to do with my background in jazz. When soloing on your instrument, I was taught that if you hit a “wrong note” just play it again, over and over and over, in syncopation with a couple other notes and you sound like a genius who knows how to play “outside the box.” So maybe that’s what I was thinking. Who knows. But as I felt a wave coming on, I would blurt out some nonsense word like “aboogaboo” and rhythmically chant it over and over, getting louder (crescendo) as the wave hit it’s peak, then getting softer (decrescendo) as the wave came down. The last “a boo ga boooooo…” would then get slower and fade off like a great sigh of relief (fermata). I know there were other fun words I came up with but I can’t remember them now. And while on the bed, right after my most intense contraction, having just chanted some ridiculous word straight out of a Dr. Seuss book in COMPLETE SERIOUSNESS, the inevitable happened. I caught Dan laughing. I must’ve given him one evil-looking glare, because he immediately shut up and apologized profusely. I just rolled my eyes and tried not to think about it anymore. But we sure had a good laugh about it afterwards!

Let’s get back to the story. I’m lying on my side on the bed, Dan lying next to me and after just one or two contractions, I get the urge to push. I’m told there’s a little bit of cervix left so I need to hold off on pushing, and to do that, pretend to blow out birthday candles. Those were some flaming imaginary candles, let me tell you! It was more like blowing out a forest fire! Jackie was so sweet, just saying things like “Yes, just like that! That’s great! Only… maybe not so fast… we don’t want you to hyperventilate…” It was working so well that while I was busy huffing and puffing, I didn’t hear them say it was okay to push. Because before I knew it they were asking me where I wanted to have the baby. I remember them asking me this with Evelyn and I just thought “Where? I don’t care! Just get it out of me!!” (Yes, in that moment, I referred to my baby as “it” in my mind. Sweet Evie, please forgive me. Maybe someday you’ll understand.) At that time, I didn’t really know what to do, so they suggested the “birthing stool” and that’s where Evelyn was born. And so this time, I just had it in my mind that the birthing stool works so why mess with it? I requested the birthing stool right away and they got it ready and helped me up onto it in no time.

Right before I got on the stool, when I was between contractions, Ruth asked if I would like for her to break my water (if you’ve been paying attention, this hasn’t happened yet!). She explained that it might help things move along, since I was so close and my body was ready, but it was totally up to me. She saw that I was just giving her a blank stare, saying “umm… hmm... I uh...” so she said I didn’t need to decide right then. This is just something interesting for me to note, since it is becoming a trend. My water didn’t break until the first real “push” with Evelyn, too! We think it has something to do with my mack-truck-sized pelvis. Breaking my water right at the end might make going from transition to pushing easier, and I’m curious what contractions would feel like after it’s broken. But… I would just love for the baby to be born “en-caul”— born still inside the amniotic sac! It is an extremely rare occurrence, and becoming even more rare with the onset of interventions and the common practice to rupture membranes to speed things along. I was just reading on Wikipedia that being born en-caul was considered good luck in medieval times, and people believed possession of a baby’s caul could keep you from drowning. For this reason, women would sell their baby’s caul to sailors for a hefty price! I wonder what it would go for on eBay… (just kidding!)

Wouldn’t you know it, my water broke with that first big push on the stool. I actually got the chance to reach down and feel it before it broke. It was just like a water balloon! And it popped just like a water balloon too! I don’t even want to think about the mess it made on the floor. But no one complained. I knew they were all just too excited.

So there we were. Dan sat behind me and cradled his arms around me. (Oh, those wonderful, loving arms.) And all the women were in front, ready to catch and examine this creature coming out. Jackie had our camera and was taking pictures, which was a little odd for me but I had asked her to have it just in case the baby was born en-caul. I sat there, trying to regulate my breath and stay focused, waiting for the next contraction. I glanced at the clock and could not believe my eyes when I saw it was only 10 or 10:30. Less than 2 hours since we arrived! I even had a flash of that morning, sitting on the couch by the Christmas tree. I thought to myself, not that long ago, we were just sitting there not knowing when we might meet this little girl, and yet here we are just moments away!

But the contraction I was waiting for – intense just like the last one I had on the bed accompanied by the overwhelming desire to bear down – never came. Just the tiniest little tingle and I had to keep asking, “Am I having a contraction now? How about now?” I wasn’t hooked up to anything, but Ruth could tell me by feeling the hardness of my belly. I knew that if I pushed at the wrong time, I would tear, so I desperately wanted to just ease that baby out during the contractions. Ruth was great and encouraged me, but looking back I wish I had asked for more help because I had no idea what I was doing. There was only one push I remember really using my full strength (pretty sure that’s the one that got the head out!), but otherwise I only did small pushes. I know it must sound strange, but I did not experience much if any pain during this phase. I think my whole body was numb from the events leading up to it and my endorphins were going crazy! It was an exciting time, yet an anxious time. I remember having the head out and then having to wait for another contraction to push the rest of the body out. Those few seconds felt like a lifetime! But not at all in a “get it out of me!” kind of way. More of an “I can hardly wait to see her!!” kind of way. So amazing!

And so finally, with relative ease, she was born. And right at that moment, Dan’s cell phone rang. We all laughed! It was Dan’s parents returning his call. But it was also like processional music welcoming Natalie to the world! Ruth immediately lifted this sweet, slimy thing to my arms and I held her for the first time. The cord was a little short, so I had to hold her more in my lap than at my chest. Dan reached his arms around to hold her and me. Soon after, Ruth clamped the cord and asked if either of us wanted to cut it. We both declined. (I said, “we’d rather leave it to the professionals”… yes, just gave birth and cracking jokes already). So Ruth asked Jenny if she wanted to do it (Jenny is a new nurse to the Birth Center and in-training). It took her a couple of cuts to get through it, and I could tell she was nervous. Moments later I thought it would’ve been so funny if I had said “Ow!” right when she cut! Mwahahaha. So sad that I missed the opportunity. But at least I can play back the moment in my head and have a good chuckle.

So there you have it. To recap, at 7:15am I had the first teeny-weeny contraction, 7:50am I called my midwife, and 8:45am we arrived at the Birth Center, 9:40am I felt the urge to push, 10:15am I started pushing and 10:42am she was born. She was amazingly calm and hardly made a sound. She was examined while in my arms, and then wrapped in a blanket while I was helped back on the bed. Then she was handed right back to me while I got examined. Ruth was surprised to find that I did in fact tear even though, as she put it, I “eased that baby out so beautifully!” I’ve gone over it in my mind and wonder what I could’ve done to prevent the tear – asked for more guidance of when to push since I couldn’t feel contractions, not pushing so hard when I got the head out, or tried giving birth in a different position like on the bed lying on my side? I know I shouldn’t beat myself up over it, as Dan has reminded me on several occasions, but I just can’t help but wonder… and maybe if there is a “next time” I can do something differently.

And so our first blissful moments together as a family were slightly disrupted by the stitching-up procedure, but the overwhelming feeling of relief easily trumped the discomfort. I also got to nurse her right away on the bed, and what a different experience than the first time I nursed Evelyn! Having 20 months of nursing experience now under my belt, I guess I must’ve been more prepared because all those mushy baby-mommy bonding feelings came rushing back. It is so amazing how Natalie knew exactly what to do even though she had never eaten before – just given nourishment through her umbilical cord straight into her tummy. God’s hand is on everything and I can’t think of a time when that truth has been more evident to me than right after giving birth.

Dan and I were then given some “alone time” with the baby. In a sense, it felt like we were kids being entrusted by their parents with a new puppy. Only she was a baby person. And she really was our baby, not theirs. Although, she’s not really ours either. She belongs to God and He has entrusted us with her! What an honor!

Then the staff came back in and Ruth examined her in more depth. First she measured her to be 20 ½ inches long. But then she weighed her at exactly 9 lbs, and I said, “Wow. Just like Evelyn. Are you sure she isn’t 21 inches?” So Ruth measured her again, just for fun, and sure enough she was 21 inches. (It was hard to stretch those little legs out all the way the first time.) I think even her head circumference was the same as Evelyn’s. Not to mention, they were both due the day after Thanksgiving and both 6 days late. (Evelyn was born December 4^th, 2008, also a Thursday.) And so we all said I had twins two years apart. And they really did look identical except for the hair and skin tone. We were all stunned by the amount of dark hair on Natalie! Her name, Natalie Anne, was then made official. We had decided on it just a few days prior. Natalie was a name Dan & I both just loved since we heard it, we thought it was very pretty and feminine. It also happens to mean “Christmas” which is appropriate for a December baby! Anne is my middle name, as well as my mom’s middle name, so it was special for me to get to pass that down.

Finally, family arrived so that we could show her off. They had to wait a bit in the lobby while I attempted to go potty (also a trend for me to have a very difficult time going pee after giving birth), but finally my parents were able to come in and brought the proud big-sister with them. Evelyn exclaimed “Mommy! Daddy!” and after seeing what was in my arms, “Baby!” Her eyes got so big as she studied her and I knew that she knew this was the baby we’ve been telling her about. The same baby she got to see at the 3-D ultrasound a couple of months ago. The same baby that was in mommy’s tummy that she hugged and kissed every day. Honestly, it’s hard enough for me to understand this whole concept, so for a barely-two year old to get it is so remarkable. She climbed onto the bed and cuddled with Daddy, and our whole family was united for the first time. Then I handed Natalie to my mom and Evelyn got really exited, seeing that other people could hold her too, and immediately held out her arms and reached for her. We tried putting the baby on her lap, but I think she must’ve been expecting something lighter like a doll because she quickly wanted her off.

Then Dan’s parent’s arrived which was such a treat since they had to drive in from Reno to get there. Dan’s mom held Natalie for a long time and was so excited to have her take her “first nap” in her arms! I was so happy for her, especially since they ended up driving back that night, in the snow, so at least she could have that special memory to make the trip worth it. We were all set to leave except that I needed to empty my bladder before they would let me go home. Sadly, we had to resort to a catheter. I’ll try not to go into details here, but let’s just say my breathing and focusing techniques came in handy during the insertion of that stupid thing. And so it wasn’t until 4pm that we were able to get out of there and finally go home. Ah, the comfort of my own bed! I know it’s corny, but there really is no place like home.

The entire experience was such a testimony to God’s grace and sovereignty. I’m blown away by how much He has taught me in just that one day. And even now, weeks later, I’m still learning so much through that labor and delivery. I’ve talked to women who have epidurals with no complications and from then on, didn’t feel any pain. To be completely honest, it has crossed my mind that maybe I could’ve just gone that route and spared myself. But that thought quickly disappears because I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything. (side note: I’ve also known women who have had complications, however, so I know it is not always so black and white. My main motivation in going natural was to avoid interventions that put my baby and me at risk. I’m not at all condemning those who have chosen hospital births, but I do believe the education of those risks in this country is lacking.)

In those moments of pain, I learned what it means to trust God and lean on Him on a whole new level. If I ever doubt His power to get me through something difficult, all I have to do is remember December 4, 2008 and December 2, 2010. It gives new meaning to the verse “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”. I think He must’ve known my tendency to give up when things get hard, because I need that reminder a lot. It’s taken me some time to put the pieces together, but I’m finally beginning to see how He can give me strength to get this house clean and children bathed, dressed, and fed without completely losing my mind just as He gave me strength to give birth. Just the other night, I was up at 3am with Natalie, totally exhausted and wanting her to just go to sleep dag-naggit, and God reminded me that He was there for me then just as he was there for me during labor. I wrote in a journal that night:

God answered my prayer! Remember this. Before I cried out, I was selfish, wanting her to sleep and stop bothering me, with minimal effort on my part. I would wake up in a panic finding her face buried in the bed or my arm over her face… God undoubtedly saved her from me. But after finally soothing her by getting up and doing what needed to be done (diaper change, swaddle, carry her around the house, sing lullabies, rock in rocking chair, look at her and care for her, admire her and stop caring so much about ME), it became a temptation to pat myself on the back: PRIDE again! Remember God softened me and helped me! That is why she is sleeping now. Because of Him.

Learn from my labor: do not worry about “how much longer will this take?” or “will this hurt?” or say things like “I can’t do this, I want to escape this.” None of those thoughts will do any good! They only slow things down and increase the suffering. Trust God, cry out to God, focus only on the task at hand (don’t worry about the past or the future), do what needs to be done.

For Labor and Life: Pray (God I need you), Learn (what do I need to do to honor Him?), Pray (help me do that!), Do (do what He says and shut up about what I wanted to do, He knows better), Pray (thank you God for helping me, and help me to stay humble).

So like I said, God taught me so much though the birth of Natalie Anne, and continues to teach me more every day. I guess that’s why it took a month to write about a 3-hour birth.

The end.

(Lindsey and Dan have had 3 babies - and all born at The Birth Center! They welcomed Sylvia, their third, on May 10, 2013. Read her birth story here.)