I am strong, because the day the test finally said, “Schwanger” (pregnant) was the best day of my life. I am strong, because I had a solid plan for a natural pregnancy and birth. I am strong, because my seven week ultrasound showed two heart beats, but only one amniotic sac. I am strong, because for two horrible weeks they…
-
-
I Am Strong – A Premature Birth Story
I had my birth completely planned out to the smallest detail: I had a midwife, a birth center, a natural birth plan. Everything was perfect. At six weeks until my due date I woke up to my water being broken, I had to rush to the nearest hospital without my midwife and with all plans going out the window. My…
-
Finding Healing in a C-Section
My story really begins with my first two babies’ births. When I was about 37 weeks, we found out our first little girl was breech. We had planned a natural birth with Hypnobabies and midwives at the best hospital in our area, so to hear she was breech was crushing. We started doing everything we could to turn her around,…
-
I Am Strong – VBAC Without Fear
There are a number of reasons why I am strong. At 17 I became pregnant. At three months pregnant and only a few weeks after my 18th birthday, my daughter’s father threw me out. I felt like garbage – abandoned and alone. How would I raise a child just out of high school? I am strong because I picked myself…
-
Sweet Ellie-Boy
We discovered we were pregnant with you in November of 2014. Your sister was to be turning two years old then and although we had been determined for her to be an only child, we were excited to be bringing you into the world. Our joyousness was quickly squashed by fears from the outcome of our last pregnancy. I was…
-
The Birth of Scarlet Noelle
Throughout my pregnancy I had to get ultrasounds every week with my maternal fetal medicine doctor. It’s what happens when you’ve had two beautiful, stillborn little girls: one at 23 weeks and the other at 32 weeks, both due to a rare blood clotting disorder known as Factor II. The ultrasounds were always my saving grace. I got to see…
-
Birthing Hope
This is the story of the second time I gave birth; the first time I gave birth naturally. Looking back, I don’t know whether to describe my labor as long or short. Hope Noel was born early on Sunday morning, December 16, 2012. I started having contractions the Wednesday evening before. They were fairly regular for several hours, but fizzled…
-
I’m Not Sorry
This week, the twins turn three months old. It’s crazy…time has truly flown by! We are amazed every day at their progress, thankful for their sleeping habit improvements, and amazed that these little miracles are ours. But, during these three months, there’s been something I’ve been debating sharing, unsure of how to put it out there without sounding offensive. But,…
-
A Natural Hospital Birth, A Peaceful Miscarriage at Home, and A Future Homebirth Coming Soon
It has been three years since I had my son in a natural, med-free hospital birth. It was 27 hours of total labor. Contractions were every three minutes (lasting a minute long) from the get go, so I got no rest once they started at two o’clock in the morning! I went to the hospital after about 18 hours thinking…