We named him Wilde, just as his entry into this world was. My partner, Simon, and I arrived to the hospital early on a late, September, Monday morning. My water had broken and I had been laboring lightly at home. I was just barely full term, four days into my 37th week of pregnancy. My midwife said to come into…
-
-
The Story of Aurora
This story is hard for me to write, because while it ends with a glorious rainbow baby, it begins with an intensely bad storm. February 5, 2014, Chris and I learned that we were expecting our second child. We were surprised, but glad. I called my parents that night at Barnes Jewish Hospital, where my dad was a patient, and…
-
This is Aubree: A Disabled Daughter Story
This is Aubree. She was delivered on the 11th of November, 2012, at 7:02pm via an emergency C-section, after a 52 hour labour in which she suffered a lack of sufficient oxygen and blood supply to her brain. This caused extensive damage, known as Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy. She didn’t meet her milestones and at 14 months old, we were told…
-
A Baby Who Cried: Birthing Without a Plan
All three of my births were far from empowering experiences. I never felt like some sort of superhero. I never felt strong. In fact, after my daughter’s birth, I think I just barely showed up for the others. I checked myself out, terrified of the pain and what was going to happen in the hospital. I mentally stepped out of…
-
A Doula’s Empowering Birth Story
I woke up Monday (for the third or fourth time) around 7:45 am, went to the restroom and noticed more bloody show. I had some pink tinged mucous all weekend so I knew some kind of change was happening. Last Monday at my 38 weeks checkup I was 2+ cm dilated and about 50% effaced. So I layed back down…
-
Deep Rooted Faith Leads to a Healing Second Birth
Surita Carstens from South Africa described her first baby’s birth as, “…one of the most traumatic experiences in our lives.” We published that story in 2012 and it moved many of us to tears with its senseless cruelty. At the end of it she wrote, “I hope that one day I can have a VBAC to empower me and feel…
-
Quick Hospital Birth with Gorgeous Photos {Birth Without Fear}
I was not expecting to have our rainbow baby that day, but I wanted to see if things were progressing after hanging out at 3-4 cm for about two weeks and on and off contractions throughout the night. I knew I needed at least one dose of antibiotics and I didn’t want to go too fast at home. After seeing…
-
Mama Monitors Her Own Pitocin {Hospital Birth at 42 Weeks}
Kat L shares this beautiful birth story with us. The gown she wears is from Pretty Pushers: cute (and disposable!) alternatives to regular hospital gowns, and a BWF sponsor. My darling husband found a local childbirth educator who offered a 12 week class that was her own blend of Brio and Bradley. We went ahead and registered even though we…
-
When Plans Change: Baby Born Vaginally Before Cesarean
Sadie’s story starts a few weeks before her birth. At 34 weeks I started to have the same symptoms of labor as I had with my first daughter, Peyton. I called my midwife and she told me to immediately go home from work and put me on bed rest temporarily for three days. Once I was home the contractions subsided…