BirthWise Maternity Care, LC

Gentle Births Happen at Home    

Birth of Tobin

The birth of our son Tobin is something we have both anticipated for years.  It is an experience that we both thought a lot about and wanted to be just the way we wanted it.  Hospitals have never been my idea of a good place to have a baby—so full of sick and dying people.  I think that personally I could not have been as relaxed in a hospital, just by association because of my past experiences.  Birth always seemed like the best time to feel comfortable and relaxed and I always had my theories about why some women couldn’t progress in hospitals without the use of medication.  For me, the sense of comfort and the ability to have the freedom to labor how you want to seemed tied to healthy and quick births.  During my birth, I had everything I wanted and three wonderful people who took great care to get me everything I needed, too. 

 

Before I even got pregnant Richard and I discussed homebirth and soon decided that if we had a low-risk pregnancy it would be our birth place of choice.  Once I was pregnant, I started talking to a few people about our choice and was surprised to find out that many of my friends had had homebirths with at least one of their children.  The whole experience sounded like exactly what I wanted and once we met Heather, the deal was done.  Not only did Heather give her precious time to us to help me understand my fears, but she also provided a calming atmosphere that always put me at ease.  Throughout my pregnancy I felt very comfortable asking questions and asking Heather for advice on various subjects related to nutrition, health and birth. 

 

Once my contractions started, it was easy to remain calm and relax my body to let it progress at my normal rate.  I spent early labor cleaning Tobin’s room, doing laundry and doing yoga.  Once I needed some help Richard came home and set up the pool and laid tarps and towels everywhere as I continued to labor.  Once I was ready, I called Heather and she came right away and started setting up for the birth.  I also called our doula, Laurie, who came as a huge favor to me to help me with my birth.  After a few hours of contractions, my water finally broke and Tobin started to get ready to come and meet us.  With Heather, Richard and Laurie’s help, I remained calm and focused (most of the time!)  and always had something to eat and drink. 

 

Once I was ready to push everything happened so fast it felt like a dream.  Before I knew it, I had a baby on my chest and he was so beautiful it’s hard to think about without crying.  The whole experience was so wonderful and not only did I get a healthy, beautiful baby, but also the knowledge of my own body’s abilities, which I will never question again.