Surrender to what? My three week wait to birth my son
About a week before my due date, I was in the change room at the local pool, and a woman in her sixties told me that each of her three babies were three weeks late. I was mildly appalled and silently certain that she must have had her dates wrong or some deep-seated psychological issues about being a mother. Being the nerd that I am, I had four years of data on my ovulation cycle. I was pretty confident about the dates.
From water to bed: our water-turned-hospital birth story
A sob escaped before the tears had a chance to start flowing in reaction to what my midwife was telling me. My wife, Kate, held my right hand and the nurse held my left while my midwife gave my leg a sympathetic squeeze. I cried bitter tears, agonizing over the hard work I’d done the past 26 hours — intense, induced, pain-med-free labor. As they streamed down my hot cheeks and onto the cool bed sheets, so fell my hopes for The Perfect Birth.
A homebirth accompanied by birds
Everyone that came to the house the day of Miren’s birth remarked on the birds. I know that, in and of themselves, they have no meaning. But in my mind, they became a symbol of all that I had gained… and all that I now stood to lose.
Debunking the myth of a “natural birth”
Does it take a vaginal delivery or medication-free labor to have a “natural” birth? We don’t think so.
A midwife’s totally fabulous high-tech birth
Can a midwife who have a REALLY AWESOME hospital birth? You betcha!
Lessons from a home birth turned hospital birth
My experience at the hospital changed me. I was so judgmental of that way of birthing beforehand, so sure that my way was better. But my hospital birth has made me less judgmental. Not just about birth, but about everything.
Why I almost decided to have an unassisted birth
I currently live in North Carolina — where traditional midwifery is illegal. At 37, I’m also “of advanced maternal age.” This means, no one wants to deliver my baby.
How can I stay positive about our upcoming birth?
Reader Morgan sent our resident midwife (and Ariel’s mom!) Therese Charvet a question about staying positive about the upcoming birth of her second child. Therese offers advice here!