Wendy's Story...
My first pregnancy and delivery was anything but natural. After years of
infertility we conceived our first child through the help of a fertility center.
I was so used to hospitals and drugs that more hospitals and drugs
didn't bother me since I just wanted so desperately to hold my baby in
my arms and I thought the more “medical” it was, then the better it was.
After being released from the fertility center I started seeing my regular
OB/GYN who was very cautious with my pregnancy knowing how hard we
tried to conceive. Toward the end of the pregnancy the baby was
transverse and I had a Cesarean section scheduled for a week before my
due date. I was somewhat relieved “knowing” when our child would be
born and not having to worry about going into labor or “how to breathe.”
The complications involved with a Cesarean didn't even enter my mind,
aside from maybe having a longer recovery time. When my water broke
at 37.5 weeks, we were told to get to the hospital rather quickly and that
I’d have a Cesarean that day. Thankfully (now, looking back), the baby
moved head down after the water broke, and I was allowed to deliver
vaginally. With still no contractions hours later, I was given several doses
of Pitocin which lead to an epidural which lowered my heart rate and the
baby’s heart rate to the point of alarms sounding the nurses to come in
and constantly check us. Several nurses came in and out and I couldn't
keep track of them and I was scared, and things we wanted during
delivery had to be explained over and over again. Eventually our son was
born, and thankfully we had no long-term complications from the drugs,
but I was hesitant to go through that again if we were fortunate enough
to conceive another child.
Surprisingly we conceived our second child naturally after several months
of trying. It was a miracle we conceived without medical assistance this
time, let alone the fact that any child is a miracle! With things being
natural this time around, I had a desire to do everything naturally. I went
back to my OB/GYN for prenatal care, and he was OK with me hiring a
doula to assist in the birth. We never got a chance to discuss the details
since, for personal health reasons, he needed to stop seeing OB patients
and could only see GYN patients beyond my expected delivery date. It
turned out to be a blessing in disguise! Jessica told me all about the
wonderful options available to pregnant women during their care and labor
and delivery. The more I heard, the more I was interested.
We enrolled in her Bradley classes that were conveniently scheduled for
my husband and me to attend, and from the moment I read the book on
birth plans I was hooked. There were so many options I wish I had with
my first child that I did not want to miss with my second! Reading that
and other books that discussed complications from drugs and
unnecessary procedures made me realize how very fortunate I was not to
experience complications from my first delivery.
She referred me to a midwife who would allow us to deliver how we
wanted and really listen to my concerns. I was free to labor at home, and
thanks to Jessica’s doula services I felt comfortable staying home and
calling her every so often with changes in contractions so as to best
gauge when we should leave the house to ensure that we weren't laboring
too long away from the hospital or delivering a baby in the car on the way
there. During labor Jessica was great at managing my stress and pain. I
really wanted my mother to be there for the delivery, and she was in a car
accident on the way, and Jessica kept me comforted and kept the midwife
from rushing the delivery to see if I could hold out until she arrived—and
we were able to hold off pushing until she got there which made me so
very happy!
During transition when I had the worst pain, Jessica knew just where to
apply pressure to comfort me, and that was such a relief. She knew my
birth plan and ensured I had all the options I wanted—laboring with a birth
ball, delivering with a mirror, letting me touch my baby’s head while
pushing, etc. These were momentous occasions I missed during my first
delivery because I wasn't thinking about it and was more concerned with
my baby’s heart rate. Having someone else in the room other than my
husband that could focus on those small but very important details was
priceless. And to have her take photos of things I missed with my first
delivery was great. You never get to experience the same birth twice, so
cherishing every moment is precious.
Thank you, Jessica, for making that day so very special!
Wendy
Mother of two beautiful boys!
A husband's perspective...
I always thought a woman went to the hospital, got her drugs, had the
baby, and was sent home. Taking the Bradley classes shed a new light on
not only how a woman has a baby, but how big a part the husband plays
in the birth. All of the different labor positions presented during class
showed me how husbands can really get involved.
Having a doula was nice because if I had to attend to other matters, such
as answering phone calls from our mothers and giving directions to the
hospital, it was good to have someone help my wife stay focused during
her contractions. It was also good to have Jessica remind me of things I
had forgotten about, such as options my wife wanted during labor. I
would highly recommend Jessica as a doula to all couples wanting to
maximize their birth experience.
Lenny (Wendy's husband)
My first pregnancy and delivery was anything but natural. After years of
infertility we conceived our first child through the help of a fertility center.
I was so used to hospitals and drugs that more hospitals and drugs
didn't bother me since I just wanted so desperately to hold my baby in
my arms and I thought the more “medical” it was, then the better it was.
After being released from the fertility center I started seeing my regular
OB/GYN who was very cautious with my pregnancy knowing how hard we
tried to conceive. Toward the end of the pregnancy the baby was
transverse and I had a Cesarean section scheduled for a week before my
due date. I was somewhat relieved “knowing” when our child would be
born and not having to worry about going into labor or “how to breathe.”
The complications involved with a Cesarean didn't even enter my mind,
aside from maybe having a longer recovery time. When my water broke
at 37.5 weeks, we were told to get to the hospital rather quickly and that
I’d have a Cesarean that day. Thankfully (now, looking back), the baby
moved head down after the water broke, and I was allowed to deliver
vaginally. With still no contractions hours later, I was given several doses
of Pitocin which lead to an epidural which lowered my heart rate and the
baby’s heart rate to the point of alarms sounding the nurses to come in
and constantly check us. Several nurses came in and out and I couldn't
keep track of them and I was scared, and things we wanted during
delivery had to be explained over and over again. Eventually our son was
born, and thankfully we had no long-term complications from the drugs,
but I was hesitant to go through that again if we were fortunate enough
to conceive another child.
Surprisingly we conceived our second child naturally after several months
of trying. It was a miracle we conceived without medical assistance this
time, let alone the fact that any child is a miracle! With things being
natural this time around, I had a desire to do everything naturally. I went
back to my OB/GYN for prenatal care, and he was OK with me hiring a
doula to assist in the birth. We never got a chance to discuss the details
since, for personal health reasons, he needed to stop seeing OB patients
and could only see GYN patients beyond my expected delivery date. It
turned out to be a blessing in disguise! Jessica told me all about the
wonderful options available to pregnant women during their care and labor
and delivery. The more I heard, the more I was interested.
We enrolled in her Bradley classes that were conveniently scheduled for
my husband and me to attend, and from the moment I read the book on
birth plans I was hooked. There were so many options I wish I had with
my first child that I did not want to miss with my second! Reading that
and other books that discussed complications from drugs and
unnecessary procedures made me realize how very fortunate I was not to
experience complications from my first delivery.
She referred me to a midwife who would allow us to deliver how we
wanted and really listen to my concerns. I was free to labor at home, and
thanks to Jessica’s doula services I felt comfortable staying home and
calling her every so often with changes in contractions so as to best
gauge when we should leave the house to ensure that we weren't laboring
too long away from the hospital or delivering a baby in the car on the way
there. During labor Jessica was great at managing my stress and pain. I
really wanted my mother to be there for the delivery, and she was in a car
accident on the way, and Jessica kept me comforted and kept the midwife
from rushing the delivery to see if I could hold out until she arrived—and
we were able to hold off pushing until she got there which made me so
very happy!
During transition when I had the worst pain, Jessica knew just where to
apply pressure to comfort me, and that was such a relief. She knew my
birth plan and ensured I had all the options I wanted—laboring with a birth
ball, delivering with a mirror, letting me touch my baby’s head while
pushing, etc. These were momentous occasions I missed during my first
delivery because I wasn't thinking about it and was more concerned with
my baby’s heart rate. Having someone else in the room other than my
husband that could focus on those small but very important details was
priceless. And to have her take photos of things I missed with my first
delivery was great. You never get to experience the same birth twice, so
cherishing every moment is precious.
Thank you, Jessica, for making that day so very special!
Wendy
Mother of two beautiful boys!
A husband's perspective...
I always thought a woman went to the hospital, got her drugs, had the
baby, and was sent home. Taking the Bradley classes shed a new light on
not only how a woman has a baby, but how big a part the husband plays
in the birth. All of the different labor positions presented during class
showed me how husbands can really get involved.
Having a doula was nice because if I had to attend to other matters, such
as answering phone calls from our mothers and giving directions to the
hospital, it was good to have someone help my wife stay focused during
her contractions. It was also good to have Jessica remind me of things I
had forgotten about, such as options my wife wanted during labor. I
would highly recommend Jessica as a doula to all couples wanting to
maximize their birth experience.
Lenny (Wendy's husband)
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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
| Wendy pregnant with baby #2! |
| Lenny massaging Wendy while standing and laboring at the hospital. |
| Lenny giving more back massages while Wendy moves into a hands and knees position over the back of her bed. |
| Wendy holding Baby Evan and Lenny blissfully enjoying this moment right after birth! |
| Lenny bonding with his newborn son. |
| Natural Childbirth Classes & Birth Doula Services |