Trusting Our Bodies
Nicole's Story...
| Childbirth Classes & Birth Services |
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| Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. |
| Trusting Our Bodies Childbirth Classes www.TrustingOurBodies.com Serving Central Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania area |
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For more information about childbirth classes or doula services, please email me.
From the moment I found out I was pregnant,
I was so connected to my baby. I was lucky
enough to enjoy a very uneventful pregnancy
and since I was a low-risk mom, my husband
and I were very committed to a natural birth
for our son. We took Bradley classes from
Jessica for 3 months. We read, we learned, we
prepared our minds and bodies for the birth
we wanted. We decided that we would
increase our odds of no medical intervention
by hiring a doula and we chose Jessica. At that
point we had become so close to her, we
couldn't imagine anyone else by our sides
helping us and welcoming our baby into the
world with us.
A week prior to delivery, I had begun
contracting. Never the real thing because they
would go away after an hour. So I knew
immediately it was the real deal when a
contraction woke me from my sleep at 6 am
sharp on May 18th. I let three contractions go
until I woke my husband. This is it, I said.
We're going to have our baby!
We called Jessica to let her know and to tell
her how I was feeling. She instructed us on
what I should eat and told us to keep in touch
frequently. We labored at home for about 6
hours before we needed her at our house.
When she arrived, she told us, I'm going to
get you to the hospital at the last possible
moment. OK? Everyone OK with that? We
agreed.
My baby was posterior. I was having pain in
my back so Jessica inverted me on the sofa. I
contracted in that position for a while and the
baby started to turn. From there we used the
birth ball, the floor, the bed, the tub and even
the toilet! Finally I knew it was time to go to
the hospital.
As we got in the car, a hail storm began. We
arrived at the hospital and were able to forego
triage and admitting. They put me right in my
room, threw a gown on me (which I soon tore
off) and checked my cervix...9 cm!! I
high-fived Jessica and my husband and
shouted, WE DID IT!!!, and within minutes I
was pushing.
Pushing was the hardest thing I have ever
done. It was extremely painful for me. But
having the mirror helped and when I touched
my son's head, that was all the motivation I
needed to get him out!! My husband slapped
on some gloves and helped deliver him 45
minutes after we started pushing.
Trevor was born at 6:48 pm. Healthy, alert
and hairy as could be! Oh the heartburn!!
Jessica stayed with us to make sure he was
nursing well (which he was) and ordered our
dinner before leaving. The birth was
everything we had hoped it would be.
Beyond labor, Jessica checked on me every
few days via email and cell. She provided
incredible emotional support to me. My
physical recovery was not at all what I
expected (why didn't anyone warn me??) and
she gave me advice on things that would help
and let me know I wasn't alone. I wasn't the
only woman to ever experience these
hardships. She was more than a doula or a
friend. She was like my family. I trusted her
like my own sister.
Nicole & Nate, Parents to Trevor
Natural hospital birth
I was so connected to my baby. I was lucky
enough to enjoy a very uneventful pregnancy
and since I was a low-risk mom, my husband
and I were very committed to a natural birth
for our son. We took Bradley classes from
Jessica for 3 months. We read, we learned, we
prepared our minds and bodies for the birth
we wanted. We decided that we would
increase our odds of no medical intervention
by hiring a doula and we chose Jessica. At that
point we had become so close to her, we
couldn't imagine anyone else by our sides
helping us and welcoming our baby into the
world with us.
A week prior to delivery, I had begun
contracting. Never the real thing because they
would go away after an hour. So I knew
immediately it was the real deal when a
contraction woke me from my sleep at 6 am
sharp on May 18th. I let three contractions go
until I woke my husband. This is it, I said.
We're going to have our baby!
We called Jessica to let her know and to tell
her how I was feeling. She instructed us on
what I should eat and told us to keep in touch
frequently. We labored at home for about 6
hours before we needed her at our house.
When she arrived, she told us, I'm going to
get you to the hospital at the last possible
moment. OK? Everyone OK with that? We
agreed.
My baby was posterior. I was having pain in
my back so Jessica inverted me on the sofa. I
contracted in that position for a while and the
baby started to turn. From there we used the
birth ball, the floor, the bed, the tub and even
the toilet! Finally I knew it was time to go to
the hospital.
As we got in the car, a hail storm began. We
arrived at the hospital and were able to forego
triage and admitting. They put me right in my
room, threw a gown on me (which I soon tore
off) and checked my cervix...9 cm!! I
high-fived Jessica and my husband and
shouted, WE DID IT!!!, and within minutes I
was pushing.
Pushing was the hardest thing I have ever
done. It was extremely painful for me. But
having the mirror helped and when I touched
my son's head, that was all the motivation I
needed to get him out!! My husband slapped
on some gloves and helped deliver him 45
minutes after we started pushing.
Trevor was born at 6:48 pm. Healthy, alert
and hairy as could be! Oh the heartburn!!
Jessica stayed with us to make sure he was
nursing well (which he was) and ordered our
dinner before leaving. The birth was
everything we had hoped it would be.
Beyond labor, Jessica checked on me every
few days via email and cell. She provided
incredible emotional support to me. My
physical recovery was not at all what I
expected (why didn't anyone warn me??) and
she gave me advice on things that would help
and let me know I wasn't alone. I wasn't the
only woman to ever experience these
hardships. She was more than a doula or a
friend. She was like my family. I trusted her
like my own sister.
Nicole & Nate, Parents to Trevor
Natural hospital birth
| Nicole using ContractionMaster.com to time her contractions once active labor began. |
| Nicole sitting on her birth ball. |
| Nicole in an inverted position to help baby get out of his posterior position. |
| Nicole laboring on the toilet facing backwards and getting back counter-pressure from Nate. |
| Nicole laboring in warm water to ease the pain of late active first stage labor. |
| Nicole laboring in bed with her husband coaching her and massaging her. |
| Nicole did it! Holding her newborn son only 30 minutes after arriving at the hospital. |