You hire your care provider because you trust their medical opinion. So why should you write a birth plan when birth never goes to plan anyways.

That being said, should you write one or should you go to your birth with 100% faith in whatever happens is going to happen?

Well... a Birth plan is not a plan. It is actually more of a list of preferences. Even more then that, it is an opportunity to take a in depth look at what your options actually are. It's important to know about those options that you don't want, so that when birth takes its natural path of progression, you know how you feel about the things being suggested to you, if or when they are brought up. No one normally wants to utilize interventions, that's a given.

But what if you need to?

Where ever you choose to have your baby there is a set of tools and/or protocols that the people around you can offer in certain situations. Such as different types of monitors, medications or hands on support, etc. A birth plan is a helpful tool for women birthing in the hospital, birth center, at home or if a transport to the hospital becomes a reality. No matter if your plan is for a vaginal birth or planned c section.

Knowing what you want and don't want is just as important as knowing why you don't want those things.

Being able to make the decisions that are right for you during your birth gives the power back to you and lowers unneeded stress.

Ultimately.... You are a consumer of the services offered by the provider you hire.

As helpful as the tools offered to you are, they are more helpful when used in a helpful way, at a helpful time.

When you are deep in the middle of giving birth, being blindsided by words you don't know or procedures you have no idea what they actually do, can cause your labor to be more stressful or take longer.

Having this discussion about your birth plan before you go into labor gives your birthing partner the knowledge to say " what is your medical opinion and what evidence do you have to back up what your suggesting to do to my partner or baby".

Because they love you and that will be their job... and they will take good care of you... right partners?! :)

Being educated on your options gives you the ability to believe, trust or disagree with the information your care provider is giving you, because you already know what the risks and benefits of the procedure are. You know how you feel about having that done to you and can make an informed choice instead of a rushed or fear based decision.

For example....

You know you didn't pitocin, but the doctor is suggesting it because of what is happening in your labor.... During your birth plan session you learned that pitocin can easily be turned off if you don't want it anymore or if the baby does not handle it well, As opposed to other options which effects may not be as easily turned off or reversed if negative results occur. You know you don't want to use pitocin, but the doctor said a low dose could bring your contractions closer to bring your baby out. Not because he wants to rush your labor but because of x,y,z. By knowing how you feel about it, you can make an informed decision with the information given. Your doctor is suggesting it, but do you still want it or do you want to try any other things first or instead?

You also have the option to hire a doula to remind you what questions you can ask if you feel you need the extra support to help guide you. But even with a doula supporting you, the decisions are fully yours.

A birth plan is an important educational opportunity even if your preferences go completely out the window.

Finding ways to feel empowered and supported are never a waste of time!

There is nothing we want more then a mama to know her options and have the birth she wants while feeling supported in her decisions!

https://austinwombservice.com/freebirthplan

(Copy link and paste into your browser)

The link above is a free resource for you to learn what options you have and create the perfect birth plan just for you.

You also have the option to do a in home birth plan session with a doula (a service I offer as well) to go over your birth plan with you and get a more personalized look on additional things you may not know!

Please feel free to use our custom birth plan as a reference to your other plans, use it as your main birth plan or just skim through it and see what it is you may not know.

After you finish, you can print two copies. One for you to take with you to your prenatal appointment to look over it with your care provider and the other to take with you in your birth bag for when you go into labor.

Not only is a birth plan helpful in labor but it also opens up some important topics with your care provider prenatally that may not normally get discussed without some encouragement on your side.

Finding out how your care provider reacts to how you want to have your baby is a good sign of how they will be towards your decisions in labor. It's a good way to know if you may have to fight for your options in labor and if you are okay with having to fight during this vulnerable time.

You have lots of options during your birth. I hope these birth preferences will help you have a more empowered, educated and beautiful birthing experience.

Happy Birthing from Austin Womb Service!

:)

The first placenta I ever saw was after my cat birthed 7 kittens on my bathroom floor. She preceded to do something I never would have imagined with it and it was not so much of a pretty seen after that. She did not even hesitate to start cleaning up after herself and start taking care of her new kittens.

I asked my mom why she ate everything and she told me that animals ate it so that it would help them to produce breast milk to feed their babies.

I was 7.

Time after time I managed to sneak into the scene of an animal giving birth. Each time they cleaned up after themselves and went about their business caring for their babies.. It was normal to me and I never questioned it after finding out why they did it. When I was a teen, I came in contact with my first human placenta. Although I had seem a few women give birth, I had never been invited to explore it this closely. I had never touched one that didn't belong to an animal. It was heavier, stronger, larger and seemed more powerful then I had imagined it being. I thought about all the milk it could help the mom produce. As it got thrown in the trash I thought about all the ways humans and animals differed.

We were the intelligent species right?

Then why are we the ones with all these problems after our babies are born. How many moms did I know who said they couldn't breastfeed their babies. I had never seen a mom clean up after her birth like I saw so many animals do. Most didn't even get up to use the bathroom let alone be as active as the animals I saw give birth did. I remembered it being a lot different.

it saddened me.

As soon as I could I started learning about the benefits of the placenta for human consumption. I was taught how to clean and handle one from a midwife who had been doing it since she was young. She taught me that she would have a mom use just a piece to help stop her from bleeding to much after giving birth. She showed me how to turn it into medicine and I continue doing it to this day for moms.

When I became pregnant with my first baby I thought about all the reasons

I should use my placenta. All the things I could benefit from it.

But even then I didn't think I would need it.

I had a normal pregnancy. Didn't have any horrible history with depression.

I also didn't have much hormone fluctuations during puberty or during my periods other them normal teenage stuff and the occasional panic attack.

I thought that all those problems that I had seen women go through would not happen to me. I had enough stores in my body to not feel bad after having my baby. So I kept it in my freezer.

and I was right.

After my baby was born I felt great! I didn't have a bad birth experience and my recovery was "normal" for the most part. I didn't lose too much blood and I felt like I was doing pretty good with the normal changes of having a baby.

For about a week....

Then one night at 3 in the morning I woke up with the worst panic attack I have ever had. I did not feel like me. I did not feel like pre pregnant me, which I thought I was supposed to.

I did not know how I actually felt, but my chest felt tight and it was hard to breath. I had to wake my husband up and have him talk me down. After a couple hours I finally was able to feel okay enough to not worry about myself anymore.

That continued every other night for a week. I talked to my midwife about it and she asked if I was a big coffee drinker before being pregnant and suggested I try that. Which I was not a coffee drinker at all, but no one knew how to help me.

It got to the point where I was worried about being left alone. What if I had another panic attack? I did not feel incapable of caring for my baby at any time, but what if I freaked out? I did not feel normal anymore and it was only getting worse. I was not okay, but I did not know that until I came out of that experience. I got to the point where I could not nurse my baby without my legs shaking uncontrollably. I should have taken better care of myself but I was not able to.

It took some time for me to decide to use my placenta.

I cleaned and cooked it into a stew and after taking one bite I felt instantly better. Maybe it was hopefulness, maybe it was the placenta. All I know is that after that one bite I did not have another episode. Not one. My husband also had a bite too and he giggled like a little girl for 20 minutes straight. It was very silly to watch this man I knew so well immediately have uncontrollable laughter because of it.

I chose to not use my placenta because I did not think that I would need it.

I thought that I would feel normal after having my baby. That I would not be someone who would need it. Even with all my experience with it as medicine.

I was normal. I knew I was not crazy.

As it turns out that the majority of women experience some sort of postpartum mood disorder. So in this case the normal I experienced is not okay.

It is not okay that women are suffering after having their babies. When animals do not die after having babies, they do not get depressed or are unable to feed their babies.

After my next three babies I used my placentas and never had a problem with my healing again, both mental or physical. I got back to feeling better faster, I was able to feed my babies years longer then I was able to with my first. I was able to use take a few capsules when I was not able to come down from being stressed out with life.

I was able to take them when I had pms or just was not feeling normal.

The main reason I see women using their placentas are because of their fears of postpartum depression. Studies have shown that 13% of mothers are at risk to suffer from postpartum depression in the first year but it is still a lower chance compared to the high number of 50 - 85% of moms who are at risk for developing some sort of mood disorder in the first TWO weeks after having a baby.

There are many resources for making sure that the postpartum period is healing instead of stressful. Using your placenta is one way to getting back to normal faster.

It takes 2 years to completely heal from having a baby.

That is if your body is in optimal health and able to heal correctly.

Animals do not have problems after having babies. Why should we when there is a medicine that we can use to help us to feel better, or stop us from feeling bad before it starts. In the very least it is nutritional support to ensure that you are not suffering while your baby takes from you what they need.

I recommend it because for me I believe that it is better to have it and not need it. Then need it and not have it. I have never had a mom use it and say they wish they had not. I do in fact know of HUNDREDS of moms who wish they had at least tried it!

There are many things I wish I had done differently with my first baby, but the one I regret most is not using my placenta medicine earlier.

Women's bodies are made to give birth. We are not supposed to suffer after.

It does not have to be that way and if you or a friend are, please get the help you need! You are NOT alone.

Check out http://pphatx.org/ for resources in your area.

By consuming the placenta can you can help to

Decrease your chances of:

Postpartum depression or common postpartum mood disorders

Postpartum hemorrhaging or increased postpartum bleeding

Long recovery time

and Increase your:

Milk supply

Iron levels

Overall wellness

Positive moods

Aids in faster recovery

Helps you start to feel normal faster

Gives you back what your body has lost

Nutritional support

You can take it when you are sick

You can even save it and use it for emotional support during menopause! Lets face it ladies.. All of us will one day go through menopause. Instead of adding supplements or medications to your body to help support you through such a big shift in hormones, using your placenta can give you back the beneficial hormones that your body made for you.

The perfect medicine for you, by you.

The first question to ask a potential birth doula is whether she's available around your due date. If she is, here are some other questions you may want to ask. You can talk to the doula over the phone first — but before you hire her, it's important to meet her in person to make sure you're compatible.

I always suggest meeting a few doulas to get to know the different styles and personalities of them so you can be sure with your decision.

What is your birth philosophy and approach?How many births have you attended? Are you familiar with my doctor/midwife/hospital/birth center?Do you get along well with my caregiver?When would you join me during labor?Which labor-coping techniques do you think tend to be the most helpful? (If you have a specific technique or method in mind that you plan to try, ask about her experience with it.)How would you work with and involve my partner?How do you feel about the use of pain medication during labor?Why did you become a doula?Tell us about some of your birthing experiences.What's your fee?What does your fee cover? How many visits or hours?Do you offer any special services?What type of pre-labor and post-labor support do you provide?Do you meet with us after the birth to review the labor and answer questions or screen for Postpartum Depression?When labor starts, how soon will you be with me?Do you have anyone else due near the time I'm due?Do you have a backup arrangement with another doula or group of doulas in case you're not free when I go into labor? Can I meet them? How often do you have to use your back up?Do you have any reviews that I can see or can I talk to any recent clients of yours?Do you feel like she is listening to you? Did she ask you any questions? Is she interested in you and what you want?Do you have experience with (Insert situation here: VBAC, Twins, AMA, medical condition.. etc. )

As a doula, here are some questions that I like to ask couples that I am meeting.

Have you met with any other doulas?Do you know what a doula is?What did you think of the other doulas you have met? (anything you didn't like, did they answer all your questions?)Did you know about doulas before meeting them or is this your first experience?How do you see your birth?What do you see a doula helping you and your partner with during your birth?How do you feel a doula is going to help your partner?How do you feel about your doctor/midwife?What are some questions you have about what a doula does?What are some things you feel you want to avoid? and how do you feel a doula will help you with that? Fears?Is there anything that you feel like I did not cover?

Happy doula hunting!

The number of couples deciding to use a doula is growing by the day, but apprehension is still a common factor when it comes to deciding

Do I want a doula or not?

Do I want to pay the price it costs to reap the benefits of a doula?

Studies are indicating that more and more couples are desiring to opt for the extra support during the most important time of their lives Just a few of those reasons being:

Doulas lower the risk of unnecessary intervention, lower the chances of having a bad experience and increase the opportunities for the families opinions to be heard.

If you do not already understand the amazing skill set of a doula and how they help expecting families, head over to my "Birth Doula" page and find out more about the wonderful things doulas bring to the table. ( or hospital! )

When talking to couples about why it is a good idea to look into how a doula can help you, I tend to get a lot of the same questions or responses. Here is where I would like to touch base on those common concerns.

" My mom/sister/friend/aunt/father/brother/cousin/best dog pal...... is planning on being in the room with me, she will be my comfort and help me get through my birth. Why would a doula be different" -

The number one thing to remember when planning who will be in the room for you birth is the EVERY PERSON in the room is considered an intervention. Caring as they may be, anyone in the room could bring a new set of boundaries to your birth. Can someone have a baby with their mom in the room? YES! Do they have to be 100% completely comfortable with her opinions on your choices, comfortable to let her see you naked, see you cry, or be as uninhibited as you choose to be? YES!!!

Birth is a very private event. Studies show that the same hormones and connections are happening as the event that resulted in getting pregnant in the first place. So it is very important that the people you choose to have in your room are good interventions. If you are worried about your decisions not being approved of by someone in the room, you may not be able to labor how you normally would without them.

Family and friends can provide amazing emotional support. They can encourage you and support your decisions in every way that they can. Most likely your helpful friend is not trained or has little to no experience in birthing situations. They most likely will not know what the hospitals policies are or what normal and abnormal is. They may not know the medical terms being used or what the natural process of labor is. Or what positions you could get in to help relieve your pain or discomfort.

They are emotionally involved in your birth and only want you to be okay and have the best outcome.

Which is wonderful, but a Doula is not emotionally involved like the people who love you. Your loved ones want to fix whatever is ailing you. Therefore, they may try to convince you to make choices that you are trying to avoid or annoy you because they are in the corner wringing their hands and looking worried.

A doula knows that sometimes a woman needs to curse and cry and scream to get through labor. We see how powerful you are and know that you can do the hard work that labor is. We know that labor can be difficult and we know how to help you through those difficult moments. We have tools and experience to back us up when it comes to helping you push through when someone close to you may see it as not being able to handle it. A doula will know when something is becoming too overwhelming and what you can do to try to get past it. They will know when your doctor or nurse is thinking that something is wrong and ways you may be able to not have an intervention happen. Your doula may see that your doctor is about to do something you may not want to happen and be able to help you ask the right questions to make sure it is medically necessary. A doula may know ways to avoid an intervention all together by position changes that normally would not be suggested, or see that you are just exhausting yourself by doing something a certain way and suggest that you try ways to help you get rest between contractions so that you are able to be as rested as possible. A doula also encourages the couple to work together when normally people are worried that a doula will take the place of a loved one or partner. So in short. A loved one will hold your hand while you get a c section. A doula will do everything she can to try to reduce your risk of intervention with the training and tools she has experience with and help you have those difficult conversations with your provider.

"I trust that my doctor/nurse/midwife/medical team and they will help me" -

It is very important to have a team on your side that you trust. You chose your doctor because you believed that they had your best interested in mind and it is very important that you feel that they do every step of the way. Unfortunately, even your nurse will not be in the room with you the whole time. Their shift will eventually end and you will get a new amazing nurse that will also have other patients to care for. They will have a lot of medical stuff to do and will not be able to focus on you for long periods of time. Most nurses are amazing but some may not be a good fit. Over all your nurse is dedicated to making sure that both mom and baby are healthy. She is wanting you to have your baby the way that you want, but may make calls based on her protocols or accessibility that may not put you in the position that can help you get your baby out, but will help her to monitor the baby better. She is in direct contact with your doctor every step of the way relaying what your doctor wants when they are not in the room.. Your doctor will be in and out of the room depending on how many other patients they have, so you may not see them a lot or it may not be the doctor you wanted to be on call when you go into labor.

The one constant in the room is your doula. They may need to take a pee break or grab you some food, but they are there the whole time you want them to be.

In your pregnancy you can decide how you feel about certain things and know what you want to avoid, but during your birth decisions may need to be made on what to do, even if you wanted to avoid everything. Your doula can help you remember why you wanted to avoid those things but also help you to understand why your doctor may think it is necessary based on how your labor is going or to see things that could help you to avoid because she has been there the whole time and your doctor has not.

For example:

Your doctor may say that babies position is not quite optimal and then leave the room. It would be in that moment that your doula would start helping to you get in better positions to help encourage your baby to move into a better position. Your nurse needs to monitor the baby so she will offer suggestions based on that, but your doula will make suggestions based on optimal fetal positioning to help encourage your labor.

Doctors, Nurses, Midwives and Doulas are all apart of a team helping to take care of you. Your doula helps with emotional and physical support when needed. The other parts of your team make up the medical aspect of it. Sometimes there needs to be a discussion or a difficult decision made but we are all working together for the good of Mom and Baby.

The cost of having a doula varies widely here in Austin because of the different types of doulas you will find here.

Kinds of doulas:

Private doulas -

A private doula is someone who works alone with a selected one or two back up doulas for emergencies and limits the number of clients they take a month depending on their practice. The reason they limit the number of clients they take is to avoid risking being at a birth when another client goes into labor and then having to use their back up doula instead of being available. In this case.. you have 2 doulas that potentially could end up at your birth.

You get one on one support with someone you can bond with over the course of your pregnancy so that you know who will be there to support you in birth. Most people choose this option because their care provider could end up being anyone in their practice and they seek the stability of knowing who will be on their side. Private doulas do all the appointments with the clients and you get to know each other.

My practice size is limited to two clients a month so the risk of having to use my back up doula is very low. It is a good idea to ask the doulas that you are interviewing how many clients they take a month because each one has their own policies.

There are some doulas who charge specific fees for services and some doulas who charge a fee by the hour.

Consultations are always free.

Doula collectives -

There are also different types of collectives. Some collectives are a just a group of private doulas who back each other up and you would choose an individual doula to be on call for you. Other collectives work in an on call model that has a group of doulas who each take a different day of the week to be on call. You are able to choose one specific doula to work with for an extra charge.

Some may have a mix of experienced and newer doulas alike and all have different, but similar ways of practicing. If you were to choose the on call model, the doula who is on call is the one who comes to you in labor. Each appointment during the pregnancy is done with a different doula so that you are able to at least meet a couple of them before you go into labor, but it does not guarantee that you will have met the doula who attends your birth.

Doula Association -

A doula association is a place where doulas can find support for each other, they all collectively agree to abide by the same practice philosophy to care for their client. You can find a large selection of doulas here to research each individual one to find your fit. Events hosted by the association gives clients a chance to view meet many different doulas and attend free information sessions or classes.

Doulas in the association will work privately or with a collective.

Every doula or doula collective charges based on their own reasons.

Each deserving their weight in gold for the caring and nurturing work they are doing.

Some doulas charge based on their experience, some doulas offer specialty services as well as regular labor support. You can contact each doula to find their prices or look on their websites.

It is always a good idea to interview a few doulas to find the right fit for you.

**Read our blog post on questions you can ask during your consultations!**

There is a doula for every budget, but hiring based on connection is always recommended.

Most doulas offer payment options and will work with you in whatever way you need to make sure you get the support you need and not break your bank account.

I require 50% upfront payment and the remaining balance can be paid over time depending on your budget and the remaining balance needs to be paid before 34 weeks of pregnancy. I also offer a discount for paying the total balance at once.

Some doulas offer individual services and some offer them as a package. Most will be easy to customize for your needs.

On average you will find the price of doula care to be between $500-$1000

and more specialized care to be between $900 - $1800 depending on what kind of support you are looking for.

We have such a great community of doulas in Austin.

There is always someone available for every couple.

It is never to late to find a doula!

Some book up months in advance and some will be available to take last minute clients.

During my very first prenatal appointment with clients I give them the option of working with me to create a detailed birth plan. or birth preferences. The reason I offer this as a service is because I want it to be used to empower a couple and not to make them feel like it is a set plan. That if their birth does not follow that plan then they have failed or missed out on what they wanted, but a way to maintain control and navigate the uncharted territory that is their birth.

In pregnancy we use it as a tool.

An informational starting point to know everything that could possibly happen during their birth.

The purpose is to not overwhelm with information but to help be empowered by it.

It is a way new parents can know how they feel about every decision before they have to make it.

Birth is not the time to try to learn new information about things they had no idea could happen.

Each new path during your birth has new things that could potentially call for (or indicate that there is no need for) an intervention. There are protocols and tools your birthing team uses to help you have your baby.

Most of the time none of the things we discuss are needed, but the times when they are, the parents were able to make informed decisions because of the evidence based information they received through our sessions or their own research.

You hire your care provider to be able to trust that they have your best interests in mind, but your opinion and decisions still matter and will still shape and mold the birth that you have. Your doctor is meant to work with you, while you have your baby, and help you when things suggest the need. But it is still a huge team effort, based on your decisions and what is happening in the moment.

Just a few things that are covered in during our session:

- We talk about what laboring at home will look like. Why?

Because if you are getting a GBS (Group Beta strep) test, it will determine how soon you need to go to the hospital or birthing center in labor, or what questions in pregnancy may be a good idea to talk to your doctor about before making a decision on your preferences.

- Different types of monitoring

When in labor it is hospital protocol for the babies well being to be monitored frequently.

But how frequently is necessary and how will they be monitoring?

If labor is progressing normally, most doctors will allow for intermittent monitoring. Which means that you will be monitored for a certain amount of time and then allowed to come off the monitor for until the next time they need to check on the baby again.

There are a few different types of monitors that we discuss. external, internal and wireless.

- Postpartum pitocin

Each hospital has a different protocol for their administration of postpartum pitocin but most of them require it immediately following the birth of your placenta. Most of my clients that I talk to are completely unaware of this protocol. We talk about your ability to ask questions about the necessity of this, what they use it for and contradictions. It is different from its use it labor to stimulate labor contractions but is used to clamp down the uterus to stop bleed.

Whether or not some of the things we talk about are put in your birth plan really depends on who you have chosen as your doctor or practice.

For example: In most of the practices I work with, the doctors do not routinely cut episiotomies. They try to avoid it but will of course offer their medical opinion, in the moment if it is medically indicated or the health of the baby is at risk.

As such, it may not be important to include in your birth plan that you do not want one.

If you are birthing outside of the hospital it may not be necessary to include at all.

We discuss it during our session, why doctors do it and go over the importance of having the conversation with your doctor in pregnancy and make sure every doctor in their practice feels the same. If there is any question as to if they will try to do it or not, then it can be included on the birth plan.

It is important to maintain open communication with your doctor during your pregnancy. Having a birth plan can start a dialog to make sure your doctor is okay with what you want and a great way to learn more about the way they practice that you may not have known before.

Here I am including a example of someones birth plan that we wrote together.

Birth Plan for Molly

We wanted to go ahead and thank everyone who is helping us to have our baby. We appreciate everything you are doing for us and appreciate the help! I trust that my midwife will seek out my opinion concerning all of the issues directly affecting my birth before deviating from this plan.

I would like my husband to catch the baby I would like immediate skin to skin with the baby I would like to delay cord clamping I would like my husband to cut the cord I do want the vitamin k shot I DO NOT want the eye ointment

I am keeping my placenta

In case of a transport or Hospital Induction ----------------------------------------------------- I would like a saline lock if possible I would like to reduce vaginal exams as much as possible

I would like intermittent monitoring if possible and a telemetry unit if bed rest is not indicated.

I would like immediate skin to skin I would like to Delay cord clamping

I am keeping my placenta

I DO NOT want the eye ointment for my baby I do want the vitamin k shot for my baby I would like to delay the Hep B shot I would like to delay bathing the baby

In case of a C section ----------------------------------------------------- I would like a family centered c section where my husband and my doula are present. I would like skin to skin and to breastfeed in the OR I would like my husband to get to do skin to skin while I am being sutured I would like to recover in the L&D Room instead of the recovery ward I would like to reduce the amount of pain medication given during surgery and would like to talk to the anesthesiologist beforehand. I would like to swab my baby's microbiome and would like help in doing so

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Birth plans are very personal. Knowing how you feel about your birth will help you to better navigate the important decisions. It also helps your doula to know how you feel about things as well. She can remind you while you are in labor why your decisions were important to you, why you wanted or did not want them or the reasoning behind why you wanted to avoid them and sometimes why it may be a good idea to use the tools at hand based on your preferences.

A birth plan is a very helpful tool!

Did you write a birth plan for your birth?

In Attendance:

Myself, Brandyn, Brandyn’s dad, Ellie our Doula and photographer, a student doula named Susan, Dr. Miller, Lisa our nurse.

My Goals: Of course, as anything, I had goals for our birthing that I wanted to accomplish if possible.

Have a healthy baby

Keep mental composure, humor possibly

Have baby come out the proper exit

Spontaneous/Mother directed pushing

None/as little pain as possible

Help pull baby out

No Epidural/Pain Meds or meds of any sort

Delayed cord clamping

Friday January 22nd:

For the two evenings prior I had been having birthing waves (what we call contractions), but by morning they had always subsided. Brandyn, out of excitement, wanted to only work a half day and I eventually agreed. A few hours after we got home I could tell my hormones had shifted. I began to feel really tired and laid down for a nap. I had some waves while laying down that were 7 minutes apart and a minute long. I continued to have frequent waves throughout the evening. These were definitely not Braxton Hicks. They were all lower, true birthing waves. I still thought it was too early in the process to determine if this was labor or not, but I took it easy none the less. We went to bed around 10:00pm and was still having waves.

Saturday January 23rd:

1:45am – I woke up after having two strong waves. Just after the second one I got up to use the restroom and while turning over in bed I heard a pop. I thought I had just popped my back or hip which is noting out of the ordinary. As I stepped out of bed my water began flowing out. I guess I had been in the early stages of labor Friday evening! I was a bit shocked, and calmly woke Brandyn up by saying, “Um, hey babe. My water just broke.” It took a second for what had happened to sink in for both of us. The waves subsided for a little while, so I showered. When they started up they were much stronger than they were before. We called our doula, Ellie, and our doctor/midwife’s office to let them know what had happened. The Doctor on call instructed us to come to the hospital at 3:00pm, if not sooner. I couldn’t sleep through the waves so at Ellie’s recommendation I sat on a birthing ball (exercise ball) and leaned on the bed. I was able to sleep a bit in this position. After I learned how to handle them got back in bed and slept sitting up.

By early morning, I had found a good rhythm and method of breathing that worked well for me and allow me to stretch out my birthing muscles with each wave. Hypnobabies techniques and phrases helped me to stay calm, comfortable and confident. Waves increased to 4 minutes apart for a couple of hours but by the time I got out of bed for breakfast they slowed down to 9-12 minutes apart. By morning, Bella (our dog) realized I was in labor and hung out with me more. I felt as if she wanted to somehow help me through the process or protect me. Very sweet.

9:50am – Based on my waves slowing down, Ellie concluded that Aria may not be in the perfect position so she recommended a series of exercises (the Miles Circuit) to get her to shift. Unfortunately, they didn’t help the waves pick up.

1:30pm - Ellie arrived at our home and helped me do a new exercise. This didn’t seem to help either. We knew I would be getting meds at the hospital to speed things along (Pitocin maybe) so I used my breast pump for about 30 minutes to get some natural oxytocin going. I remember thinking this wasn’t how I wanted things to go. I knew that if I would have to have meds, else I would end up in a c-section. I remained calm and found peace in knowing that however my birth progressed, everything and everyone (Aria and I) would be fine.

Just before we left for the hospital I picked Bella up and cuddled her. She had been our “baby” until now. I told her that when we come home we will have a baby with us. This was a moment of clarity for me. Saying goodbye to her for a few days I knew that our lives and relationships would never be the same. While pulling out of the garage I turned to Brandyn and said, “Well, here we go!” What would the rest of our birth experience hold for us? How would it feel? Was I ready to take this on?

3:30pm – We arrived at the hospital and were taken directly into a delivery room. I was thankful they were going to monitor my waves for a few hours to see what my body was doing on its own before determining if medicine to speed things up, or other assistance, was necessary. Dr. Miller was the doctor from my practice that was on call. I knew things weren’t looking good and knew the doctor was going to recommend meds and that’s what she did. She gave me the options of Cytotec or Pitocin. Cytotec targets the cervix and softens (effaces) it, whereas Pitocin causes contractions. This was a hard decision because Cytotec is actually not FDA approved to be used during pregnancy and I wanted to avoid this med especially. On the other hand, Pitocin in known to make labor much harder and many end up getting an epidural because of this. After a lot of deliberating, I chose Cytotec. I chose this because Pitocin would be like trying to pull open a hard resistant cervix, whereas Cytotex would soften the cervix and secondly, cause waves.

6:30pm – I took the Cytotec (2 oral pills), and tried to rest but couldn’t. My mind was racing. Would things pick up all of a sudden or gradually? What were we in store for? I took this time to pray as well. This calmed me and restored my confidence.

As time went on, I found that the waves were gradually increasing. I wanted to get out of the room and do something to help things along so we walked the halls. While walking the waves began to increase in intensity. We saw Doctor Miller in the hallway who, through observing me, could tell progress was being made. She was pleased. Hearing this made me proud and feel as if things may go a bit quicker from here on out.

When we got back to the room we labored on the toilet for a while, then moved the bed into a chair-like position. I labored there for most of our birthing time. I came to like this position as I had figured out how to handle the waves. A seated position was also how I practiced my Hypnobabies techniques, so it was easy for me to utilize them.

9:51pm – I was 5 centimeters dilated, 80% effaced and baby was at a -2 Station.

After this, my memory begins to get spotty as things were picking up.

Random memories: They had to keep adjusting the monitors on my stomach due to them shifting. I labored on the birth ball for a little while and sang to a Gospel playlist I had created for this occasion. I was so thankful to have the mental clarity to sing between my contractions (through a few a bit as well), as it not only brought me some peace, but reminded me that I wasn’t in the journey alone. This gave me strength. At one point, Aria's heart rate dropped. I was given an oxygen mask and fluids through my IV. She ended up being fine. They had to keep moving the IV and re-sticking me. So annoying! For some reason, my blood wasn’t clotting well and each tie they pulled the IV out to re-stick me somewhere else, I bled a good amount. As the evening went on I began moaning through each wave. At first I didn’t even realize I was moaning but it came naturally and felt very primal. It felt good to release that energy with each wave. A bit before midnight we asked Brandyn’s dad to head to the waiting room.

Sunday January 24th:

1:00am – Waves had begun to space out. I was given the lowest dose of pitocin, a dose of 1.

2:22am – I was 7 centimeters dilated, 80% effaced and a -2 station.

5:41am - No progress. Still 7/80%/-2. They also gave me antibiotics (a medication called Unison) at this time due to the fact that my water had been broken for over 24 hours and there was an increasing risk of infection that could lead to a c section. I was very appreciative of this as I knew that if I had any other doctor, I would have, at that very moment, been being wheeled down the hallway for a c section. I will always be grateful for this!

By this time, I had begun focusing much more internally, and had learned how my body felt before a wave began. This helped me get mentally prepared before the sensation hit. This, along with moaning, rocking from side to side and my hypnobabies techniques helped ease the intensity of the waves. I was thankful that my birthing waves weren’t painful, just insanely intense. Praise God! I was having my pain-free birth that I had prayed and believed for.

6:00am – Another dose of Pitocin (a dose of 1).

This really kicked things up. Shortly after, I was getting to the point where I mentally needed to get this done. I stayed seated, moaning and rocking through waves. After a few hours I was "there"...mentally done. I had an urgency and determination to get to the end and to do whatever I needed to in order to help us get there. I kept telling the baby "You have to get out! Get out!" Probably not the most loving thing to say. This is when I really needed Brandyn and Ellie’s support. Brandyn reminded me of all the women that had done this before me that my body was designed for this and that I am strong. Ellie read me some affirmations I had written for myself. Hearing these words gave me strength and helped me get “back on track”. Something she said even made me laugh. After a while I asked to be checked again. I was sure I was at 10 centimeters.

7:45am - 9 centimeters dilated, 90% effaced and Aria was at a -1 station. As the doctor turned to leave the room, I joked "Don't go far! I plan on making this centimeter quick!" Everyone laughed. Within the next 30 minutes or so I was determined to get things going. I knew that if I pushed a bit and put more pressure on my cervix this could help it dilate the centimeter more I needed it to go. I pushed sitting straight up, then leaning to the left. I felt the baby move down a bit.

8:45am - I was finally 10 centimeters, 100% and 0 station. I was given the all clear to push. Dr. Miller also added "your daughter has a lot of hair!" I pushed for a total of two hours. For the first hour, I first pushed sitting straight up, then with my feet up on the squat bar in front of me and pulling on a towel tug of war style with the student doula that was assisting us.

10:00am – Dr. Miller checked me and said, "if you keep doing whatever you are doing, we are going to be pushing for hours. She is still really far up." Since I was siting on my pelvis it wasn't able to open to the sides and allow Aria down. She suggested I lay on my back. She said "I know you didn't want to push this way, but your pelvis will be able to open to the sides." As the bed was being laid down I said "no, no…!" But was cut off by an overwhelming intense wave that had come on. I had to push. With that first push, everyone cheered. We all knew this was the position that would get me to the end.

Delivery –

I pushed for 40 minutes laying on my back. I was feeling everything, just as I wanted to. The pressure began to build and I felt myself bulging out. She was coming! At some point Brandyn turned off my Hypnobabies track and turned on my Gospel playlist. Perfect for the moment! He knows me so well! After some time, I was told to reach down and feel her. A soft, wet head of hair was emerging. Wow! Ellie joked that Aria would be ready to wear bows in her hair right away, to which I comically stated “oh, we’ve got one right there in our bag!”. Everyone laughed! I appreciated the fact that even during pushing I was able to keep a light mood and express it to those in attendance. I noticed that I had the control to choose to not push through some waves. When I felt that I needed to rest instead of push, I did so. I was so thankful for this and the fact that the doctor was ok with me pushing when I wanted and didn’t try to tell me when or for how long I should push. The nurse, Lisa, remarked happily that she was loving the music we were playing, as it made her feel like she was in church! It was Sunday morning after all. I appreciated her adding to the joyful, humorous vibe of our birth. Eventually, I felt that I was about to crown. It was at the peak of crowning that I felt pain for the first time in my birthing. I felt as if my urethra was going to tear. This sensation made me grateful again that I hadn’t had pain throughout my labor. (Looking back, I am appreciative of the fact that the pain I felt in this moment, was only in a very small spot.) Ellie reminded me to rest for a moment and allowed myself to stretch. With the next push I felt her ears pass through. It didn't hit me that her head was out until they told me to reach down and grab my baby. As I pulled her up I could feel her legs wiggle and kick as they left my body. Amazing! I was in shock! My baby was here! I greeted her with a hello, and noticed she hadn't breathed yet. Due to this, the doctor clamped the cord right away and instructed Brandyn to cut it. We wanted to delay clamping the cord so the placenta could pump more of Aria’s blood back into her (giving her nutrients), but they didn’t feel comfortable waiting as they thought there might be a problem. Of course there wasn’t, and she did breathe and cry. I reassured her (and myself) in reference to not getting her cord blood, "It's ok. God will cover you." The next few minutes are a blur, but I’ll never forget the first time I kissed her forehead and the first time we really stopped and looked at each other. I held her hands and just looked at her a while. A wonderful moment, she stared at her mother and I my daughter.