Hello everyone! Meet the newest McCall family member, Micah Rayne. Isn't she just precious? And of of course, most mothers think their child is the cutest, so of course I feel the same. Nonetheless, like I promised, I want to share my birthing experience with you because it truly was the best!!!
Just to give you a little background information, I think that it is good that you know my husband and I have 4 other small children. Our oldest, Yuri was born in a hospital. I was a week behind my due date and because it was my first birthing, I believed the doctors when they told me that a week after my due date was too dangerous for my baby (information given without actually accessing the situation to see if baby really was not going to be okay). Therefore, when induction was proposed, I jumped at the opportunity. To make a long story short, because Yuri wasn't ready to come, I labored intensely for over 12 hours on my back. When I was experiencing the pushing sensation for the very first time, I was shaking, delirious, and exhausted. By this time, I was begging for an epidural, but of course, it was too late. To top this off, my nurses were telling me NOT to push! "Just wait so we can get ready" they would tell me. All my experienced mothers know that when your body goes into pushing mode, there is nothing you can do about it. It's not you... it's your body! Nonetheless, naive me, began trying to stop the pushing sensation. HORRIBLE pain!!! Who does that??? Yes, I delivered a healthy baby, I was exhausted... I had vaginal tears, ulcers from yeast, urinary tract infection that all took at least 6 months to clear up... HA! That's a whole notha' story for anotha' time.
With my second and third child Noah and Selah, labor and delivery was a little better. I still labored for 12+ hours, I was induced, I was in a hospital, on my back, ended up getting an epidural, didn't feel a thing :), had horrible after birth ulcers, vaginal tears, UTI and yeast infection! So another 6 months per child of burning pee!
By the time I had gotten to pregnancy number four, Titus, I had begun feeling quite needy. When I went to my OB visit, I would drive for an hour and a half, wait for 30 minutes and see my doctor of 5 mins. I would literally cry on my way home, because of how neglected I felt. I'm sure it was pregnancy hormones, but so what! All pregnant women should be loved and appreciated especially during their pregnancy. When I was 6 1/2 months pregnant, I began looking for other OB options. I was not happy with where I was going anymore. This time just felt different. Although I can't really explain it, I do believe the Holy Spirit placed an old friend on my mind, who's mother had bore 7 children AT HOME. What was more impressive is that my friend at that time at bore four children and labored and delivered at home as well. I couldn't believe it! I felt like I had missed out on very important life information. What do you mean I can have my baby at home!!!! There are licensed people that can do this? Do you mean to tell me that there are midwives still operating? While looking further into this option for myself, I also came across a laboring and birthing technique called hypnobirthing. This process has nothing to do with being unconcious. It has everything to do with relaxing the body during pregnancy, labor and delivery, understanding that the body knows what to do during labor and delivery, and therefore not fearing the process, which causes intense pain because we fight and tense up our body when we feel something strange. I embraced this concept, found the Athens Midwifery service and made this change as quickly as possible. I desparately wanted to have a midwife that delivered at home, in a waterbirth pool. But because I waited so late, we couldn't afford to come out of pocket to pay the midwife up to date so I stayed with what my insurance would cover. This labor and delivery was the best yet!!!! I labored at home for several hours, went to the hospital, labored in the hosiptal for several hours, used my hypnobirthing techniques the entire time, went from 5 to 10 centimeters in 30 minutes, breathed my baby down instead of pushing, used no medications, was not induced, delivered on my side, did NOT tear, no ulcers, no UTI!!!!! I couldn't believe it! I felt great! I felt empowered!! I came away from that experience saying that if I ever got pregnant again, I was definitely going to use a Midwife and hypnobirthing again!
Well, sure enough, I became pregnant again with baby number five... Micah Rayne! This time I was going to do things my way... God willing :) I already made up in my mind that I was going to use hypnobirthing, a midwife, no inducing and deliver at home in a waterbirth pool. Upon finding out that we were pregnant with Micah, I immediately called Journey of Life Midwifery and began talking with my midwife about our plans. After our consultation with her, I knew that she was going to be a blessing to our family. My "doctor" visits were always an hour long, right on time, personable, and sometimes were just therapy sessions for me. I always felt welcomed and cherished. She was always thorough in everything, but seemed to care about what was going on with me the entire time. I paid as I went, which was great for us so we wouldn't end up with any typical "hospital bill". At night, I would listen to my hynobirthing files to continue training myself to relax immediately, so that I would be able to use it effectively during mild and intense labor. Approximately two weeks before I delivered, I began having contractions... mild ones. Some would wake me up in the middle of the night and some would occur while I was at work or a high school graduation ;). But it was nothing painful, just tight. Monday morning, May 27th at 3:45am, Memorial Day, full onset labor had begun. It just felt like a strong mentstrual cramp. I knew by 4 am that it was the real deal because it was keeping me from falling back to sleep. I immediately downloaded a contraction timer onto my phone and began timing them. By this time, I had also begun feeling like I needed to pass a bowel movement. I went several times within an hour's time. This was clearly my body's way of getting itself ready. I texted Doreen my midwife to let her know how I was feeling and she concluded they would come. That was about 5-5:30. She and her wonderful team, arrived approximately an hour to hour and a half later. By that time, I had been walking around the house to work through my contractions, sitting on the exercise ball, or whatever I wanted to do, while I waited on them to arrive. When they arrived, it was close to 7am. I was sitting in our office chair and by that time the contractions had slowed down ~almost like they had stopped. My midwife suggested I labor some on my knees and prop up on the couch. She suggested this because the baby was posterior, so if I were in that position, it would help the baby to turn. As soon as I went on my knees, gravity began pulling down on the baby, and the contractions started up again. What intensity! One of the other midwives came in and began coaching me through some of my contractions. This was really helpful! They were in and out, getting supplies together for the actual delivery. By this time, I had decided to stand up and labor on my feet to take off some of the edge. Standing caused the contractions to intensify and I felt the need to push. I told my midwives that I felt pushy. They had already begun setting up the pool, but it wasn't filling up fast enough. They had to act quickly...began prepping the couch in the piano room, because that's where I was, and I didn't feel like I could go anywhere else. I labored sitting on the couch for about two contractions, and was feeling overwhelmed, so I moved to my hands and knees. The midwives just went with me. No one told me "No, no, you can't do this here or there." There was no sense of panic. They truly had my back...literally :) After 2 or 3 pushes... that my body did on it's own, my 7 lb 12oz baby was out. I was holding her on my knees. I couldn't believe it!!!! Had I really just labored for only 4 hours and pushed for 8 minutes???? Yes indeedy! It was unbelieveable! No tears, no ulcers, no UTI!!! No body told me that I had to have my baby a certain way or in a certain place. I didn't have one vaginal exam the entire pregnancy... because I didn't want one since it wasn't necessary for me. To God be the Glory for such a fast, smooth, delivery. Although I didn't get to get in the pool, I didn't need it, and labor was happening faster than we had anticipated. This was by far the easiest birth experience, and the unnecessary hoopla that goes with having your baby in the hospital is truly overated in most situations. I'm not saying that people don't need to deliver in the hospital. However, I do believe that if you are healthy and baby is healthy, God has made us in a way so that our bodies know what to do during birth. We are the only country that performs as many inductions and ceasareans as we do. There is such a bad myth and stereotype that has come with midwives and homebirth. There is a wonderful documentary that talks about this very thing and should be viewed by all women. If you don't take anything else away from reading this, please just remember that it is important to know your options!
I didn't have to rush to any place when i went into labor. I didn't have to lay in the hospital for days after. My midwives come to me for my visits afterward. Although I love nurses and respect that they have to do their job, I love the fact that I didn't have them in and out of my room asking me if I had fed my baby or telling me to wake my baby for another feeding. There is such a peace that comes with that. There were no video restrictions which usually come with most hospital deliveries now. So we were able to record the birth. My oldest daughter Yuri, 6 years old, was able to see the delivery. No one had to leave unless I wanted them to. She feels so close to Micah because she witnessed her birth. Micah was two days before her due date... which was a first for me. And I do believe that my full labor was so short because I had gently labored for 2 weeks prior. It's nice to be in labor and not really know it.
Please find Journey of Life Midwifery on Facebook and like their page. Thank you ladies! You are forever a part of our family now!! If you are looking for a great midwife, I highly recommend this team! Tell them, Melissa sent you :) Leave your comments, tell me what you think.
Please note: This blog is in NO WAY a bash against doctors and hospitals. I thank God for these men, women and facilities who take care of people everyday. My commentary is meant to empower women everwhere by giving back knowledge. I am a strong advocate of natural childbirth, but do NOT look down on women who have not done so. Ultimately, you decide what is best for you. I just want people to know that the hospital is not the MUST way nor is it the ONLY way. God didn't make doctors before women began having babies. Think about it.
