Category Archive

birth center

Two moms, a midwife, and a birth center delivery

The morning my wife went into labor, she came to me and shared that she was experiencing period-like cramping. It was still two weeks before our official due date, and this was her first pregnancy, so we reminded ourselves this could go on for weeks and I left for work. I was only at work for around an hour before I got a text from my wife telling me she thought her water had broken. She told me she wasn’t sure and would keep me posted, but there was no way I was going to try and stay at work.

How do you know if a birth center is the right choice for you?

I am pregnant with my second child and every bit of reading I’ve done has led me to believe I had an unnecessary cesarean delivery with my firstborn. At this point, I am not certain I trust any of the practitioners at my hospital and worry that a change of hospital may result in the same scenario being played out in a different location. I would absolutely never be able to forgive myself if I put my birth experience over the well-being of my child. How do you know if birthing at a center (or outside of a hospital) is the right choice for you?

A happy and healthy birth center story

Only 10 minutes after talking to her, contractions started coming quickly and more sporadically and I began to get nauseous at their height — even in my state I knew it was a sign of transition. Even though I never got the classic “I can’t do this” mindset, I suddenly felt out of control — more of a “I have no idea what the hell I’m doing” mindset. I only had to say it once and Ryan knew it was time to leave.

How far would you drive to give birth?

I would really love to have my baby at a birth center — but the closest one is about an hour away from my house. Both my husband and I work full-time and I’m hoping to work until the baby is born. For parents who have chosen to give birth somewhere relatively far away: is going to appointments an hour away reasonable? What about going into labor and then driving an hour?

A courageous and victorious birth center water birth

As we began our four-hour drive home with our newborn son, Orean, my husband turned to me and said, “You have so much courage.” When I asked him to explain, he summed it up like this: courage is being afraid, but going forward anyway because you believe it’s right for you.

A Castor oil-assisted birth

Tara and Mike’s daughter, Quinn, was born at 42 weeks (O.M.G.) with the assistance of castor oil and awesome parentage.

How to find the perfect midwife or OBGYN for your birth

You have mentioned the necessity of finding a health practitioner you trust and feel a connection with. Do you have any tips for how to go about this? Are there particular questions you recommend asking to help “screen” potential midwives and doctors? Any responses that should trigger a warning? The very first step is to […]

…And my midwife makes three

I’ll be honest, my motives for seeking out natural childbirth started many years ago and sprang from a very rational fear of gigantic needles. I was scared senseless by the idea of a lightning rod going into my spine, and thought the pain of childbirth had to be preferable.