Cristina's Birth Story
I always looked forward to being a mama ever since I was a little girl. So when our first daughter, Grace, came along, I was thrilled. We had the opportunity of having a midwife deliver in a hospital. For a first time mama, this was a great experience. I developed a good relationship with my midwife at the prenatal apts, and my birthing instructor was also my nurse which made me feel incredibly supported. It was comforting to know that if anything went wrong, I was in a great place for myself and my baby girl.
When we moved to Vegas several years ago, we found out at the time they did not allow midwives to deliver in the hospital. I was disappointed but just went with it. A friend told me she had done home births, but I knew that “wasn’t for me” for several reasons. I had group b strep with my first and was told I always needed to be monitored after for the baby’s health, and secondly, I tore to a third degree so needed stitches. Also my husband had concerns about what happens if things go wrong at home. Because of that, I didn’t think I could do a home birth.
We had 2 babies 17 months apart at the hospital, and let’s just say neither experience was ideal. I would often wait 2 hours for my prenatal apt just to meet with my dr who never remembered me and said the same stuff every time. I found out when I arrived at the hospital that my dr wouldn’t even come to the hospital and was just referred to the dr on call. I got an infection from the hospital after that was quite painful. My son was born only a few minutes after we arrived, and I was not allowed by the dr to hold him until an hour after he was born because he was trying to sew me up. For these reasons and more, I did not want the same experience with my last son.
So I set up a consult with Tiffanie and laid out all my concerns. She met with my husband and answered all his questions. He walked away saying, “You can tell she is an expert in her field.” So this round, instead of going to a prenatal apt and waiting for hours to be another number to a dr, I got to go every month and get a warm hug from someone who became a great friend.
The entire 9 months was an incredible experience. I could text Tiffanie with any questions, and she responded right away (which was completely different than waiting on hold to leave a message for the Dr.) The actual birth was unlike any of my others. Tiffanie and Sarah were both so calm and supportive. We had set clear expectations, and I felt very empowered through it all. My super chunky son Titus was born at 10 lbs,1 oz, and it was amazing! I created the environment I felt most comfortable in, and we brought my son into the world in our own bathtub at home. I so wish I would have done this with my other 2 babies born here in Vegas, but I am incredibly grateful to have ended my birth experiences this way. Recovering in my own bed was priceless. Even though we had 3 other children at home, this was by far my best delivery and recovery.
God has been so good to give us 4 healthy children and allow us to have such an amazing final birth experience to complete our family of 6. I am forever grateful to Tiffanie for her love and support through it all; she is priceless.