Baby Anastasia	Baby Lucas	Baby Emily
Baby Ella

Baby Anastasia

Kelly and Jeff

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Baby Lucas

I woke up having strong contractions at about 1 am on Thursday, March 2. I timed them, and they were about four minutes apart, so I woke Alex up at about 1:45 am. I was nervous because I had an appointment with my midwife, Kelly, Wednesday afternoon, and she said, “Don’t go into labor tonight because the birth center is slammed.” She told us there were moms laboring in the halls in both the birthing center and labor and delivery. Because of that, I rested all evening to try to avoid going into labor and didn’t take my daily trying-to-get-labor-started walk. I made Alex call the birth center right away to see if they had a room available and was relieved to find out that they did. I was four centimeters dilated at that appointment and had been the week before, too, so I wanted to get to the hospital right away. Plus, the hospital was about 40 minutes away. We headed to the hospital at about 3 am. Since there is no traffic at 3 am, we got there by about 3:30. 

When we arrived at the emergency entrance (the only one open in the middle of the night), I didn’t want to go in the wheelchair they brought me, but they said they were required to put laboring moms in wheelchairs. When I realized how far it was to get to the birthing center, I was really glad that I was in a wheelchair. 

When we arrived at the birthing center, I was still only 4 centimeters dilated, and I later learned that my nurse didn’t think I was in active labor yet. She encouraged me to try to sleep between contractions, since I hadn’t had much sleep yet and might have hours of labor ahead of me. Alex and I both slept a little bit in the queen-sized bed in our birthing room, but it is hard to sleep when your contractions are 4 minutes apart. Our midwife, Jess, was sleeping when we arrived, and no one told her we were there. She was relieved that she had checked back in at the birthing center before she headed home in the ice storm that hit after we arrived at the hospital. She was surprised to find out she had another patient. 

For the first seventeen hours of my labor, I was able to stay calm and pretty relaxed. Alex was incredibly attentive, and our second nurse, Julie, was great, too. We brought books, magazines, and games, and there was a TV, but I didn’t want to do anything except concentrate on my breathing and try to stay in comfortable positions. I probably spent about six hours in the Jacuzzi tub in our room, usually kneeling on all fours and rocking back and forth during contractions. At one point, I decided that I would deliver the baby in the water while no one was looking because I liked it in there the best, but it wasn’t that easy. Sometimes I knelt and rocked on the bed or rocked back and forth on the birthing ball, while leaning on the corner of the bed. Alex often put counter pressure on my back during contractions. He pushed on my back with an apple we brought when his hands got sore. He also read me some of Ina May’s birthing stories while I was in the tub and made sure I kept drinking to stay hydrated. Although I ate a good breakfast, I only ate part of my lunch and dinner. 

I liked the tub water to be lukewarm because I felt overheated when it was hot, but when I was getting close to fully dilated, I started shivering, which may have partly been due to the water temperature (but often happens at that point in labor anyway.) I also threw up at around seventeen hours. When I was eight centimeters dilated, our midwife, Jess, suggested breaking my water to speed labor along. She waited to break my water until the baby’s head was facing the best direction because the head often stays in the position it is in when the water breaks because it kind of gets sucked down. I felt much better right after Jess broke my water because there was less pressure, but I was surprised by how much amniotic fluid gushed everywhere. Of course, a lot came out when she first broke my water, but more came out every time I had a contraction. Once, when I was standing up and leaning on the bed during a contraction, Julie’s shoes got soaked, and Jess and Julie said they hadn’t seen that much amniotic fluid come out of one mom in a long time. 

The last two hours of my labor, before I started pushing, were the hardest part. Sometimes, Alex held me, lying in bed, and I tried to relax between contractions. But when I had them, I would shiver and shake in pain and squeeze his arm. It took a long time to get from 9 centimeters to 10 centimeters dilated, and Julie had me rock back and forth and side to side on my hands and knees during later contractions to help get fully dilated. She often moved my hips for me to get me started rocking or keep me going when I was in a lot of pain. I never had a desire for any drugs, but about this time, I decided that I would never deliver the baby because it is actually physically impossible to deliver a baby. I went back and forth between saying I couldn’t do it and saying I could, after Alex and Julie encouraged me. 

When Julie said it was time to start pushing, I was so relieved. Our midwife, Trish, came in right before I started pushing because she had just finished delivering another baby, and the nurse who had been there when we first arrived (and was back for her second shift of our hospital stay) came in to help, too. They had Alex sit on the bed and had me lay on my back sideways on the bed with my head in Alex’s lap. They told me to pull back on my knees during contractions and push, and I usually could push two or three times during a contraction. Sometimes the nurses helped hold my knees, and they reminded me to hold my breath in while I was pushing. They held up a mirror to show me the baby’s head, but it was hard to look at the mirror and push at the same time and the tiny bit of head showing made me feel discouraged. I liked the image I had in my mind better, which was much more encouraging. 

Trish and the nurses said I was really good at pushing, but there was one small tight band of skin that wouldn’t stretch enough for the baby’s head to pass through. Alex remembered working that spot a lot when he massaged the perineum, and Trish tried for a long time to get it to stretch. She said that I would have probably already delivered the baby because my pushes were strong, if it weren’t for that one spot. She finally explained that that band had to either give by tearing or an episiotomy. I had always been strongly opposed to episiotomies, but I knew that Trish had tried really hard to avoid one and hardly ever suggests them. She said that with an episiotomy, she could control where the tear occurred and try to keep it small, but she also wanted the decision to be mine and was willing to let me keep pushing without one. I looked at Alex and immediately felt very comfortable deciding to have an episiotomy. It didn’t hurt at all, and Trish had me push slowly while she held the cut together. She was able to keep the cut from spreading, and I didn’t have any other tears. 

I was soon able to push the baby’s head out, and when they showed me that in the mirror, it was amazing. The rest of the body seemed to just come out on its own, and they placed the baby on my chest. He was so perfect and beautiful. Even though they didn’t clean him off, he hardly had any vernex on him and didn’t have any blood on him at all. Alex and I cried with joy and marveled at our tiny miracle. 

Trish waited to cut the umbilical cord until I was about to deliver the placenta, which was just a few minutes after Lucas was born, and even though the placenta was almost as big as Lucas, it just squished out without any discomfort at all. Having my abdomen massaged was very uncomfortable, but even though it took a long time, getting my episiotomy stitched up didn’t hurt at all. Lucas was right there on my chest and was looking around with wide eyes. He held Alex’s finger, and we were mesmerized by him. Alex held Lucas against his bare chest and then held him where he could look in our eyes while we talked to him. I only had to try a couple of times to get him latched on correctly to nurse, and one of the nurses helped. Lucas nursed beautifully for an entire hour, and the nurse said to just let him nurse for as long as he wanted because it would help him learn to nurse and help my milk come in. 

When Lucas went to sleep, Alex and I were both starving, and the nurse brought us some tuna sandwiches and Lorna Dunes. We called our families to share the news, but they had already figured out that we were at the hospital because Maria tried to call Alex several times that day. When she couldn’t reach Alex, she guessed that we had gone to the hospital, and she happened to see my dad at work and told him her theory. That night, Lucas just woke up to eat every once in awhile and then went right back to sleep. 

Our families visited us in the hospital the next day. Fortunately, since Lucas was born at night, they let us stay two nights because Alex was up walking the halls with him for hours that second night. One of the nurses taught us the “super swaddle,” which proved very helpful after we got home. We didn’t really want to leave in the morning because everyone was so nice at the birth center and took such good care of us, and the room was like a hotel room, and the food was even better than we had expected. We wouldn’t have traded our birthing experience for anything in the world. It ended up being perfect!

Andrea and Alex

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Baby Emily

My first child, a son, was a c-section. I felt like I had “lost out” on the whole birthing experience. I wondered why I can’t have a vaginal birth and experience birth like everyone else. I’m healthy and strong. So, when trying for a second child this urge of experiencing childbirth definitely stayed with me.

So, after miscarrying last June (2006) in hopes of a second child, we tried again and got pregnant in August 2006, due May 2007. I went to the OB who had delivered my first child and after doing some initial research, decided to have a labor coach accompany me. After discussing this with my OB, she seemed somewhat OK with the idea, but not totally, as she commented to me, “she needs to know that I’m still in charge”. So, I began to explore my options regarding prenatal care and labor and delivery.

I began to extensively research anything and everything to do with pregnancy and VBACs. I read everything related to the topic and researched by internet. My research included: doulas, OB’s vs. midwives, VBACs, and classes such as VBAC classes, The Bradley Method classes and Hypnobirthing. In addition, I began talking to everyone I know about the topic and found someone who had had a VBAC who referred me to my labor coach. I took part in chats on birthcenter.org and just began to dive in to find out everything I could. My husband and I decided we would make sure we would do everything possible in order to have a vaginal birth. So, after much research and investigation and many referrals and networking with others, I decided on a group of midwives versus my OB and a labor coach. This was at about 20 weeks into my pregnancy.

I took a risk and changed doctors and hospital to deliver and added some support, a labor coach. I then decided on hypnobirthing and took the class with Pauline and two other couples. At the beginning of the class, I felt quite skeptical about hypnosis as I am a very strong willed person and felt I couldn’t be persuaded into anything. However, as the class progressed, both my husband and I felt an overwhelmingly sense of positivism. We became positive about everything and felt a sense of letting go. We began to talk about how the birth “will” be, not how we hope it will be. We began utilizing this positive thinking in other parts of our life too. A picture of the baby coming through the birth canal was given to us during the class, in which I posted on my mirror. So, daily upon awakening and going to bed at night, I would stare at the picture and reaffirm that the baby was in the proper position and that this is how he/she would travel through my birth canal. I also practiced the breathing techniques and practiced ways to occupy my mind, the counting method, etc. But most importantly was staying positive and letting go of worry about it, which was reinforced in the class. In addition, I felt I had missed out and so I looked forward to the birthing process. As weird as this may sound, I couldn’t wait to feel the pain of childbirth, as I had so much wanted to experience. Therefore, looking at it as a joyful and exciting time and not fearful and painful time also helped.

The day came and the contractions began around 8 am. I knew this was the day. I was 6 days overdue and so it was a checkup day for me. My husband and I (after I hesitated much to go in, as I wasn’t feeling quite right), did go in for my checkup. I was given a non stress test and contractions were appearing. And, a check of my fluid levels and everything looked good. Then, the midwife checked me and said I was 4 cm dilated and 75% effaced!!! I was ecstatic!!!…she said I must have dilated while sleeping the night before. So, I went home and wanted to labor as long as possible at home. I went in my hot tub and turned on my Hypnobirthing CD. I listened and continued to speak out loud, repeating the affirmations and continuously calming myself through each contraction. I continued to contract at home as my husband timed them. We ate a protein and carbohydrate rich lunch, at the advice of my labor coach, and I continued to labor throughout lunch. After that, I went to the bathroom and noticed mucus and a little blood, so it was time to go. I hurried my husband along and we got to the hospital around 2:00. The whole drive there and up the elevator to triage I had my headphones on, listening to the CD, trying to block out traffic and the hospital (stress and fear of being at a hospital).

After being admitted, I was checked. I was still a 4, but now completely effaced! So, my labor coach showed up soon after and I was taken to a room. Contractions heated up and so, from about 3:30 until 6:30, I had major contractions. My labor coach helped to accelerate things by getting me up and moving to the bathroom, on the birth ball, etc…and then when I was unable to get up, I would call for my labor coach and husband and they would press on my back and hips. We worked like a team. This whole time the labor coach and my husband played the hypnobirthing CD over and over again, as I tried to focus on the words and used my voice to open up and let go. I continuously moaned through each contraction which sounded almost as singing (opening the throat during labor also helps open the cervix, something I found in my research). And so, I quickly got to a 7 and then really wanted some relief. However, I knew I could do it and just kept going. I then got to a 9 and there was a small lip in the way and the midwife was able to lift it out of the way and so, now I was able to push. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I was really focused and wanted so badly to push as I had urge to push greatly. So, after a half hour of pushing, she was born. My midwife commented how much of a pro at this I was, I hardly had any bleeding and no tears! My husband was able to call it out “it’s a girl” and was able to cut the cord and she was placed on my chest. All of the things we had hoped for the first birth, now came true for the second. We were so happy! Words cannot even express our elation! So, with the help of hypnobirthing, my labor coach, my midwife, my husband, and my attitude and efforts, I achieved my VBAC!

Jennifer and Jim

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Baby Ella

Alex and I had tried everything that we could think of to start labor. We’d been eating spicy foods for weeks, we had tried intercourse-without luck, and we were quite active doing lots of walking. Between myself, Trish and Dr. Lacoste, I think we stripped my membranes at least 7 times in the last few weeks. After 15 ½ weeks of bed rest, I was now 12 days past my due date with labor seemingly far away! I had been 3 centimeters dilated for about 3 weeks so we scheduled an artificial rupture of membranes induction for 8:00am the morning of August 12.

The day before the induction, I finally broke down and tried castor oil. I had some result a few hours after taking it, but no contractions. Prior to getting ready for bed that night, I was sitting on the birthing ball doing nipple stimulation and NOT contracting!

About 9:00pm we each got ready for bed and then did our last practice session for HypnoBirthing. After the practice session, I turned on the positive affirmations CD and Alex attempted to repeat the affirmations with me, but he was sound asleep only a few affirmations into the CD. I continued listening even through him talking in his sleep! Not long after Alex fell asleep, I was starting to dose when I heard Fisher (our dog) in the living room barking loudly. I stepped out of bed to see what he was barking at as Alex told me to “Just bring him in here and shut the door.” Alex doesn’t remember saying that nor does he remember Fisher barking. The moment I stood up, a wave of intensity came over me. I said “Oh my God” out loud as a grabbed the wall for support. Alex didn’t budge. I thought that I was having intestinal cramping from the castor oil, so I slowly stumbled into the bathroom expecting to have more diarrhea. When I sat down on the toilet, the intensity had disappeared, and I had no diarrhea. Not long after I sat down, I felt another wave of intensity come over me. I started to think that these might be contractions, even though they were very different than the ones I had before. I got down on my hands and knees, which was much more comfortable than sitting and the waves of intensity continued. That was really how I looked at them: waves—I didn’t really feel tightening and I don’t think I would call it ‘pain’—it was just intense. I breathed through them and concentrated on relaxing.

I thought that I should call Kelly, the midwife and our friend and let her know too that something seemed different. I still wasn’t sure this was labor, but I knew it was different. She suggested that I try getting into the tub and told me to keep her up to date.

I got into the tub and continued to labor on my hands and knees, as that was the only position that seemed comfortable. I brought the shower head down and lay it on my back during the contractions. That seemed to help. Eventually, I ran out of hot water and the cool water seemed more uncomfortable so I got out of the tub, placed some towels on the floor and assumed the hands and knees position. The first wave out of the tub told me that the tub was much better!! I knew at that point that I was in labor and that I needed more support. I woke Alex up and he came into the bathroom with me. He asked me if he should time the contractions and I remember saying “sure.” I had gotten back into the tub and he sat on the toilet. The contractions were about a minute and a half apart. At one point, Alex said, “If your body is staying on track, the next one should be in about 15 seconds.” I remember asking him not to tell me they were coming and I assured him that I would know when it was there. Sure enough, it came a few seconds later, like clockwork.

I started feeling the urge to push. Eventually, the urge got so intense that I was having a hard time holding back from pushing. When Alex realized what I was doing, he said, “Are you PUSHING???!!!” I remember saying, “I’m trying not to…” while I was pushing!

I continued to labor in the tub until the water got cool again. Then I tried to labor on the bathroom floor, but I was starting to get tired on my hands and knees and I wanted to try laying down in bed. The contractions continued to be about every 1 1/2 -2 minutes. Alex hurried to put some towels on the bed so that I could lay down, but that didn’t last. The next contraction I had, I was up on my hands and knees again. The following contraction I moved back into the bathroom. The urge to push continued to get stronger and I remember wondering if something was wrong—why was I feeling that strong of an urge already?? I remember worrying that if that urge continued to be so intense that I might want an epidural.

Throughout the laboring at home, Alex was wonderful. He continuously reminded me to slow my breathing down and try to refrain from pushing. He brought the CD player into the bathroom to play some calming music to help me and he tried to start reading a script to me. Things were so intense, however, that I was really focused internally. Every time he talked, it threw off my concentration so I kept asking him to be quiet.

I remember that I was in the tub when Kelly got there and when I had a contraction, she tried to talk me through it and I asked her not to talk to me. I remember her commenting on the bloody show that was in the tub and that dripped down my legs when I got out. I told Alex where to find some underwear and clothes for me and Kelly helped me get dressed. She didn’t want to waste time checking me, she could see that I was active enough that we needed to get to the hospital as soon as we could.

I heard Kelly call the Birth Center to let them know we were on the way and that I was “Very Active.” She told them she would call when we got closer so they could meet us at the door with a wheelchair. I recall yelling to Kelly in the front seat that I was really having a hard time not pushing and that I was sure she was “right there.” At some point Kelly climbed into the back with me and told Alex to “Just get there fast.” When Mary Lynn, the nurse met us at the door with the wheelchair, another contraction came on and I didn’t think I could get into the wheelchair yet, so I got down on my knees and grabbed the chair with my right hand and the handle to the suitcase with the left and worked through the contraction right there in the parking lot! After that, I got into the wheelchair backwards, on my knees, and Mary Lynn flew me through the hospital. I didn’t open my eyes the entire way. I remember her saying “Jess, you’re going to have your baby today!” while we whizzed through the halls of the hospital.

When we got to the birth center, I crawled into the bed and Mary Lynn helped me get my pants off so Kelly could check me. I remember telling Kelly to hurry. She said, “You don’t have to hold back from pushing anymore.” I asked her what she meant and when she told me that I was complete, I didn’t believe her! I couldn’t believe that the labor part was over and all I had to do was push her out!

I remember pushing on my hands and knees on the bed a few times, but soon I got tired-I had been on my hands and knees the whole time and I needed a break. I remember saying that I couldn’t do this several times, but was continuously encouraged and told that “Yes I could do it and I was doing it!” I tried laying on my back and on my side, but that wasn’t comfortable, so someone suggested pushing on the toilet. Kelly had been applying warm compresses to my perineum on the bed and Alex took over that job in the bathroom. I only pushed 2 or 3 times on the toilet when Alex asked Kelly if it was possible that he could be feeling the baby’s head. When Kelly said yes, they both looked and were able to see the baby’s head crowning! Alex and Kelly helped me (practically carried me) back to the bed. That time, I sat in semi-fowlers and Alex sat behind me. He helped to hold my left leg and Cheryl (another nurse) held a mirror for him to see when I was initially crowning. I remember being scared to push at that point because I was starting to feel burning. It truly was a mind over matter situation—I had to tell myself to push past that burning—I knew when I was pushing the right way, those were the times that my perineum burned! Alex says I screamed twice. Kelly, Alex, Mary Lynn, and Cheryl were great. They were all really encouraging and they continuously reminded me that I knew what was happening and that what I was feeling was normal. I remember asking Kelly several times how much longer I was going to have to push and she did just what I do with my patients, she told me that it was up to me and how hard I pushed! The next thing I knew, I was able to feel the baby’s head with my fingers and then her head was out. I kept telling Kelly to hurry when she was suctioning her mouth and nose on the perineum because of the intense amount of pressure that created. Before I knew it, the baby’s was on my chest and it was all over.

Alex and I spent several minutes staring at her and talking to her and then Mary Lynn helped me put her to the breast. She nursed about 20-30 minutes that initial time.

The best that I can estimate is that the first contraction started around 9:30pm. I know I called Kelly and woke Alex the initial time at 10:30pm. We arrived at the hospital around 1:45am and the baby was born at 2:54am. The whole ordeal was so fast and so intense right from the beginning that it still feels like it was a dream and I can’t believe it really happened!

Jess and Alex

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