Birth Stories

Emma Rose
 by Rachel Domenick

The birth of our second child, Emma Rose, was more amazing than I hoped it would be.  I had my first child in a hospital in New York City - induced at 37 weeks due to high blood pressure - and it was a terrible experience.  A very "medical" event, lots of drugs and machines; it was very impersonal and cold.  It was a 32 hour labor that ended with our baby in the NICU for the next week with minor complications (respiratory distress, then a high white blood cell count, then jaundice!) that I still feel were the result of all the interventions used - not at all the gentle birth I had envisioned.  The minute we walked out of the hospital with our first daughter all I wanted was to try to forget the entire experience.

When I became pregnant again in April of 2004, I knew that the last thing I wanted was a repeat performance, but I didn't realize at the tine how much that labor would color my second pregnancy.  I heard about the Birth Center from a client at work and had had my annual exam there.  When I became pregnant, I went in for my first appointment and felt that it was definitely the place I wanted to give birth.  All through my pregnancy I got incredible emotional support from the wonderful people I met there.  From the midwives, the prenatal yoga instructor, the nurses and the teacher of the HypnoBirthing course we took there - everyone understood how important being at The Birth Center was to me.  I often wondered if I would be able to give birth naturally, if my body was capable of it, and the reassurance I received and the support I got at my appointments make all the difference.  I would go in for a regular appointment and end up staying and talking for an hour or so!

I started having painless contractions when I was 7 days overdue.  By this point, I was starting to worry about going too late and ending up in the hospital for that!  I got all excited thinking things were starting - but no such luck.  After a few hours they stopped completely.  The next few days it was more of the same - painless contractions that would last for a few hours then disappear - and we tried everything we could think of the bring on my labor!  I was trying to avoid the castor oil (saving that for a last resort) but had my membranes stripped on Tuesday (9 days overdue).  Wednesday night I got in the tub around midnight and at 12:30 am Thursday morning, had my first painful contraction.  After that my memory gets a little fuzzy!  I know I spoke with Marisa, the midwife on call, to let her know things had started and then got back in the shower.  The pain wasn't that bad so I figured I still had quite a few hours until it would be time to head in.  Sometime between 1 am and 1:30 am my water broke and my contractions were only a minute apart! We called to say we were coming in, called my parents to come and watch our older child, and my husband tried frantically to get our stuff into the car (and me into some clothes). 

It was 2:30 by the time I got to The Birth Center and into the yellow room.  The contractions were painful, but never to the point where I though I needed medication, so I thought it was entirely possible that I would not be that far along.  I was thrilled to learn that I was already 8 cm dilated!  Looking back, I must have been starting transition before getting into the car - everything happened so fast - much faster than my husband and I were prepared for.  Marisa had already called the nurse, so Peggy was there just moments after we arrived.  The lights were kept dim and I got onto my knees on the bed, leaning over the birth ball and stayed like that for the rest of my labor.  I had some pain across the back of my hips that made lying on my back way too painful.  Peggy, our nurse, stayed up by my head and would encourage me to lower the pitch of my vocalizations or to direct the energy back toward the baby, and Marisa gently rocked my hips to try to help the baby find her way down.  The atmosphere these women created was calm and reassuring.  Looking back, the energy in the room seemed almost... magical, mystical; such beautiful feminine energy and power.  I felt very secure with these women surrounding and supporting me.  Somewhere around quarter to 4 am I started pushing - or my body started pushing.  All of a sudden I had two minutes between contractions - a huge relief and time to actually relax and prepare for the next one.  I could actually feel where her little body was inside me and the progress I was making.  VERY different from my 1st because in the hospital I couldn't really feel the baby or any urge to push! After 11 minutes of pushing - out came Emma's head!  She started to cry when just her head was out - then came out her little shoulders and the rest of her! From the first moment she was alert and aware - she clearly recognized my voice and her dad's.  It was amazing.

Emma's birth was one of the most incredible events of my life, and I am so thankful that I was able to have this experience.  I realize how lucky I am to have found these incredible women and that they were a part of my life, and Emma's.  I wish that every pregnant woman was aware that these choices are available to her and her family.  After such a traumatic and violent labor with my first child, this birth was truly a gentle and healing experience.  Emma is so lucky to have been birthed surrounded with so much love and joy, and I feel the same - I birthed my baby among friends.

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