Tiffany's Birth Story

Our story starts like most, with a conversation had in a Home Depot. For a while I had been having ‘baby fever’. It seemed like EVERYONE was having kids or announcing pregnancies. Growing up I never thought about not having kids, but I never really considered myself really wanting to be a mom. Turns out I just needed the right man that I wanted to build a life with. Jameson and I had been married just about 2 years at the time. Our original ‘plan’ was for 4-5 years just being us and then start our family…Momma here only made it 2 years! So after thinking about it and dropping subtle hints we had a serious conversation about life…in the middle of a Home Depot. I still remember how nervous I was about the whole thing when Jameson actually agreed. I was kind of shocked to be honest. But I was excited and I knew I was ready to be a mom, however long it took.

Fast-forward about 4 months and like 20 pregnancy tests later…I was 2 weeks late. I had been that late before so I didn’t want to get my hopes up. Jameson told me one Sunday evening to just go test. I had snapped at him and raised hell about him not helping me cook dinner that night. Despite the obvious hormonal outburst, I was convinced I wasn’t pregnant. I had taken enough tests I didn’t want to get my hopes up again. But it kept nagging at me. So just to ‘make sure’ I wasn’t pregnant I went into our bathroom and took a test. My hands started shaking and my heart raced as it was an instant positive. I walked out of our tiny room at our first condo in shock and unable to really say anything and tears in my eyes. He just looked at me and knew …“It’s positive isn’t it?” he said with a big smile on his face. It’s a moment that I will remember forever.

We originally went Tiffanie and Well Rounded Momma for some simple blood work. But after a bit of a run around at a OB/GYN, and compared to the wonderful treatment I had got at Well Rounded Momma, I realized that I wanted the care of a midwife. I never thought I would be someone who would want a midwife, a natural birth or a home birth but in my heart I knew it was the right decision for us.

Honestly, pregnancy was one out of a fairy tale. I was healthy the whole time, I never got any morning sickness or any pregnancy crazy symptoms. I only really started to feel how everyone else describes ‘pregnant’ around the 3rd trimester. I always felt bad when Tiffanie would ask ‘Do you have any questions?’ or ‘How do you feel?’, I never had much to say. In the final few weeks though we did have a lot of questions. It was our first child and there’s stuff you don’t think of until you’re faced with the situation. To get the one on one time with Tiffanie who has so much experience delivering babies made us feel at ease with the whole process.

My due date was August 30th. It came and went and we waited patiently for Averi’s birthday. Finally, at 2:30am on September 1st I woke up with what I thought could be contractions. I stayed in bed until about 3:30am I decided that if it was actually d-day that I was going to need to eat some food. So I went downstairs and made myself a peanut butter sandwich (it was heaven at the time!). I got out my app on my phone and started timing the contractions. I was almost convinced they would stop and that I was in false labor. Almost everyone in my family had had 2 or so scares before their littles actually made their debut, so why would I be any different, right? I was very wrong. Haha! I labored by myself for a while and when my contractions started to ramp up a bit I decided it was a good idea to get Jameson up. I woke him up at 5:30am and told him that Averi may be on her way! He called into work and at the same time I had text Tiffanie and told her that I thought that I may be in labor. I continued walking around, used a birth ball, and ultimately just laid on my side on the floor for the next little bit as my body did it’s job. Jameson started setting up the birth pool and I called my ‘doula’/ sister at 6:30am. I was able to still talk through my contractions when I was on the phone with her.

Based on everything I told her she thought I wouldn’t have Averi until that evening and just to call her when things started to pick up more. I thought I was going to have a longer labor as well, after all it’s my first child. Fast-forward 2 hours later, I could no longer do the contractions alone and was totally crushing my husbands hand with each one. I honestly thought I was just being a giant wimp at this point, but looking back I think I had started transition. Poor Jameson was running up and down the stairs caring for me and keeping an eye on the tub that was filling with water. When he was upstairs he was timing contractions and texting Tiffanie. My water broke at 8:30am. After a few intense contractions I tried to go downstairs and collapsed on our bedroom floor just clinging to Jameson with the urge to push. I was totally convinced I couldn’t do it anymore. I was still thinking that I had 10 more hours of these crazy contractions, not knowing that I had progressed as far as I had and that it was all normal. To make it all more overwhelming it was still just me and Jameson. Both Tiffanie and Amy were fighting through rush hour traffic and it was all happening so fast we didn’t get a chance to call my sister to come over.

When I was able to make it downstairs between contractions and get into the birth tub I found instant relief. It was utter bliss for a few minutes! We were still in a panicky state without having anyone there and it being our first child, but the second Amy came running up our driveway I knew we were going to be ok. She came in and checked babys’ heart rate and asked mom some questions. I was relieved when she said that she was nice and low and that I could push with the next contractions. I was so excited to know I could do something about what was happening! At some point Tiffanie joined us (I was totally in labor land at that point) and was so encouraging. She offered different positions to push, kept telling me baby was ok, gave suggestions for Jameson to help me out. I just remember knowing “I got this!” when they showed up. They were my knights in shining armor!

At 10:55am we welcomed our Averi Grace into the world. I couldn’t believe I actually did it. I just remember thinking ‘Oh my goodness I just had a baby!’. It was for sure one of those out of body blissful moments as she laid on my chest. From that moment on I was on cloud nine! Tiffanie and Amy’s care of momma and baby were superb. They were kind and careful and never once made me feel embarrassed or awkward. They made me feel like a champ for what I just did! I’m forever grateful for having them at my daughters’ birth!

From our first appointment at Well Rounded Momma I knew that we were in the right place. The one-on-one care made the whole journey absolutely wonderful and I don’t know how anyone could possibly do pregnancy and birth without the care of a midwife. After our experience, I truly believe it’s the way having babies is supposed to be! I’m so happy that I found Well Rounded Momma and Tiffanie and can’t wait for the day we get to go back with baby #2!