My Natural Birth Story

With my fourth child I knew before I was even pregnant I wanted to have a midwife. I had read about Sara and Simply Born and I contacted her when I first found out I was pregnant and I couldn’t wait to meet her. I wanted to make sure I met her early so I could guarantee my spot based off my due date. My husband and I went to her birth house, which is adorable. I was excited to know Sara would be my midwife and I could have my baby in her birth house!

On February 4th 2018 my husband and I drove over to Simply Born at 7:00 am. It was terribly snowy and icy so he drove slow while I counted about 5 minutes between contractions. I knew I was early but I didn’t care. (Turns out I wasn’t that early…) I wanted to get comfortable and the weather was so bad we decided to go. We arrived by 8:00 am. I labored with my husband while he coached me through contractions with words of motivation and encouragement. When a contraction would end we played a game on his phone for a happy distraction. A few hours in after a trip to the restroom, I was walking back and got stuck in the hallway with the strongest contraction yet… that’s when Sara came up to check on us saying, ‘she sounds close'.’ She positioned me on a yoga ball to help with these strong contractions, which did help with comfort. I couldn’t sit or stand any longer so I had to lay on the bed as Sara prepared the area for me to give birth.

I labored for about four hours total and it was now time to meet my baby. I will never forget the moment laying there, wondering if I could do this? I had a strong contraction and in that moment I thought ‘he is going to be stuck in there and we are both going to die’ this was my moment of an out of body experience. I asked in between contraction, ‘can I do this?’ Sara said, ‘ Yes You Can! With that encouragement I knew I could do it and I focused on pushing. In the next push he came down the birth canal and just a few more pushes and he was lying on me! Even though it was the most painful, intense and I cannot even describe the emotions involved, it was also the best birthing experience I had ever had!

The whole thing was really just my husband and I together in a comfortable room with a bed and chairs. I paced around the room and Mark would encourage me with each contraction. There was nobody coming to ask questions about my medical history, no monitors, nothing. Just us, working together through the labor pains. Knowing what I know now I wish I had a doula, but the whole experience was really wonderful. I am not going to pretend it wasn’t hard or painful, because it was the most intense pain I have ever experienced in my life and likely ever will.

This birth experience is what lead me to becoming a doula. I was inspired by my midwife Sara but I knew midwifery was not for me. When I really discovered what a doula does to help women through their labor, I knew it was my calling. I am so excited to have had this natural birth experience and couldn’t be more thrilled to be in the position the help women have the birth experience they hope for with my assistance!

With Love,

~Brooke Elizabeth

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