Callie's Birth Story

When I found out I was pregnant, I knew immediately that I did not want a hospital birth. I wanted to be at home where I was comfortable and in solitude. I heard about WRM from a homeopathic doctor I was seeing. We went to a few open houses and began interviewing doulas and midwives. I wanted a doula for my first pregnancy so that I would have someone at the hospital in case the delivery didn’t go as planned. I would later discover that she was so very calming and helpful. (holding my hand, rubbing my arm, giving me sips of water and touching my hair. It was truly helpful and wonderful.)

Tiffanie was the second midwife we interviewed. Immediately we felt very comfortable with her and knew she was a good fit for us. During the pre-natal visits she was very warm and open. Always patiently answering our numerous first-time-pregnancy questions. It was wonderful to not have to sit in a waiting room for 30 min to see a doctor for 15 minutes. We spent an hour with Tiffanie each time. My pregnancy was uneventful at the beginning. I did not experience morning sickness or have crazy cravings. Later in the pregnancy I had a lot of back pain. On the 4th of July, eight months pregnant, I went to the ER because I went over the handlebars on a bicycle ride. I texted Tiffanie and she was available to talk and reassure me though it.

Our baby eventually came 19 days past the due date. It was a stressful time because most women’s doctors don’t “let” them go that “overdue” and many well meaning friends and family peppered me with questions about “when was I going to be induced?!” And have I tried this trick or that wives tale. Why yes, I was walking every night. And making love to my husband. And eating eggplant parmesan. I eventually tried acupuncture, which for me did not go so well. And then I used Clary Sage essential oil and I “felt” like something was different with that. Along with my baby “being ready”, I truly believe that was what did it for me. “Delivery day” was another normal boring day waiting. I didn’t do much. I was going to watch a chick flick to pass the time, but then a friend called and we talked for a good long while. I had made a roast chicken and potato salad. In the evening my hubby and I made love and watched some TV episodes on Netflix.

We went to bed about 11:30. He had been letting me sleep alone so that I could use the incline on the bed to help my back pain. I fell asleep and woke with a jolt 30 minutes later when I felt the floodgates open with her water. I yelled for him but he didn't hear me so I texted and called him and thankfully he was still up. He came in full of excitement and we went into action mode. We striped the sheets off the bed and threw them in the wash. (Thankful for the waterproof mattress cover). Hubby went to fill the labor pool. Within ten minutes of the water breaking I started having contractions. And they were definitely stronger than any I’d had in the weeks before. I also spent a good amount of time on the toilet with bowel movements.

I went to the room to get in the labor pool, but then realized I felt I needed to throw up. After several minutes of doing that, I finally got in the pool, but the water was pretty cool. I had hubby wrap a blanket around my shoulders as I was shivering some. I thought I was only in the water alone for 5 to 15 minutes before Tiffanie and my doula arrived, but hubby said “no it was about 45 minutes.” Time was a blur and I felt like my body/brain went on auto-pilot, as I don’t remember much and it felt like no time at all. I have no idea what everyone else was doing.

When Tiffanie arrived she said I could labor in the pool, but that I couldn't deliver the baby in the water because it was too cold. So hubby bailed water out and boiled more to put in. It did get better then chilled off again. I was still hanging over the edge with a blanket wrapped on my shoulders and my doula holding my hand and giving me sips of water. As contractions came, my body would tense and I would poo. (Having a baby is definitely not clean and glamorous!) Eventually Tiffany wanted me to pee. She said I could do it in the water or get out and use the bathroom, so I got out. After I was done she wanted to check my dilation, so I laid on the floor and then just decided to stay there.I really don't remember much. I do remember two things going through my head. 1. breathe. I tried my best to take deep meaningful breaths. 2. I remember thinking “this isn't so bad”. Hubby said I laid there about 30 minutes pushing and relaxing, pushing and resting. My husband wanted to catch our baby girl so he, Tiffanie and her student patiently waited, watched and encouraged. And my Doula and her student made me as comfortable as possible.

Finally our beautiful baby arrived, just under 4 hours from when my water had broke. It was all very personal and peaceful. As the days went on, I found that I was really struggling with breastfeeding. My baby did not latch very well. Neither she nor I knew what to do to make it work better. Tiffanie was just a text away 24/7. It helped calm me knowing that she knew what was happening. Her expertise and on-call care was such a relief to me. I would NEVER have gotten that from my OB. After a visit with Tiffanie in her office, she got my baby to latch within a minute (which made me cry with such an emotional mix of relief and frustration). And I never had a problem with her latching after that. The entire process was amazing. I’m so thankful for Tiffanie and would highly recommend her and home birth to anyone seeking that avenue.