Nicole's Story...
From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I was so
connected to my baby. I spoke to him, rubbed my belly,
played music, exercised with him...
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
Method 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
From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I was so
connected to my baby. I spoke to him, rubbed my belly,
played music, exercised with him...
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
Method 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
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Trusting Our Bodies
For more information on The Bradley Method®, for an international listing of instructors or to contact the American Academy of
Husband-Coached Childbirth® directly, please contact: The Bradley Method®, Box 5224 Sherman Oaks, CA 91413-5224, 1-800-4-A-BIRTH
or 1-818-788-6662, www.bradleybirth.com
Husband-Coached Childbirth® directly, please contact: The Bradley Method®, Box 5224 Sherman Oaks, CA 91413-5224, 1-800-4-A-BIRTH
or 1-818-788-6662, www.bradleybirth.com
| Nicole using ContractionMaster.com to time her contractions once active labor began. |
| Nicole focusing through a contraction 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. |
| With joy in their hearts, Nicole and Nate greet their baby boy as he comes out and onto her chest at the hospital. |
| After 12 hours of labor and 45 minutes of pushing, a new family is born - Nicole, Nate and Baby Trevor |
| Natural Childbirth Classes & Birth Doula Services |