Maggie's Birth Story

Disclaimer: There is no way to put the experience of giving birth into words. It's indescribable. However, I think it is very important to try to put the memory into words to preserve it. Every detail sticks out to me- that's why this is so long. :) 

Lovely. If there was one word to describe Maggie’s birth experience, that’s the word I would choose. Granted, there were moments of great intensity (more on that later), but now, nearly 2 weeks later, when I reflect on the experience, the overwhelming feeling is just how lovely and enjoyable the whole thing was!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013 I went to bed pretty early and slept well for hours. At 2:30am I woke up to go to the bathroom and was too uncomfortable to go back to sleep. Afraid this was just another in a long series of false alarms, I decided not to wake my husband, Jonny, but tried to rest on the couch, distracting myself by watching a show. At 4:30am, the contractions started to get more intense than they had in the days before.  Instead of just pressure and tightening, they actually felt like they were creating change in my body. I was thrilled, but tried not to get myself over-excited in case they stopped again. I woke Jonny and he helped me work through contractions as I swayed on the birth ball while he reviewed laboring position videos from ibirth. We lit candles and went back to relaxing on the couch.  At that point, the contractions seemed to slow a bit, and I was so scared they would stop. At ten days past my due date, I was ready for real labor! The contractions didn’t stop, and I tried to embrace each one, welcome the intensity and ask for more. As I had been with my first labor, I was in complete awe of what my body was doing on its own.

At 6:30am, our two year old little girl, Molly, woke up, hours before she would usually wake up! She wanted “milk-side” (morning nursing), which turned out to be very effective in increasing the consistency and intensity of my contractions. We then stayed in bed with her for almost an hour, cuddling and enjoying what we realized might be our last time with her as our only little girl. Finally, I decided I needed to get out of bed to cope with the contractions and we got up to make breakfast.

Around 7:30am we sent Molly across the street to our wonderful neighbors’ house to play with her friends. She was so excited to get to go play with them that she wasn’t sad to leave us at all, but I remember giving her a big hug and thinking about how grown-up she was getting.

Molly stayed at their house for about two hours until we decided that these contractions were probably turning into real labor. The pattern wasn’t always consistent, but they weren’t stopping. In between, I would doubt that it was actual labor, but then a contraction would knock my socks off! We called Molly’s  grandparents to come pick her up for the rest of the day (or however long labor took). They brought us food and took Molly home with them.

We continued to enjoy laboring together, using the birth ball, the bed, the bathroom, the kitchen counters (loved the height and stability of the kitchen counter- it was ideal!), etc. Around noon we let the midwife know that we thought we’d need her to come, but not for a little while still. We ended up having her come around 2:45pm, which was when the snowstorm really started. It was so nice not to have to worry about driving anywhere as the snow came down harder and harder.

When Rebecca, our midwife, arrived, she set up her supplies, took my vitals, listened to the baby, and helped fill our birth pool. The contractions were still manageable, but felt very productive. In between contractions I was able to enjoy chatting with Jonny and Rebecca. I was still excited to be in labor, but had to work a bit more to relax through contractions.  At some point, Rebecca offered to give me an herbal mixture (cohosh)or break my water to encourage things along faster, but I felt like everything was happening at just the right speed and I wanted to let my body do what it was going to do as long as things were going well. In the end, I was able to birth my baby with no interventions- I didn’t even have vaginal exams because everything was going well and I didn’t feel like it would be helpful/necessary. I felt so fortunate to be supported by Jonny and Rebecca, who both trusted my body, the birth process, and kept a watchful eye on us for safety. I knew in their hands I didn’t have to worry but could totally give in to what my body was doing.

Around 4:30 or 5pm, I got in the birth pool and the warm water felt amazing. The contractions seemed to spread out just a little bit, but were very intense when they came on. I started to feel pressure and knew that before too long I’d be ready to push. After one more trip to the bathroom, I settled again into the tub and started to feel a bit “pushy” through contractions. I started talking aloud to my baby, letting her know that I was ready to meet her, and I was ready to be DONE…done with pregnancy and done with labor, that I just wanted to hold her and be done.  This is where I got pretty pathetic..and pretty noisy J. 

The power of the contractions overwhelmed me and my “mama bear” instincts came out as I roared through the last few pushing contractions. My bag of waters burst at 5:57pm as I pushed and I felt a gush into the water and a bit of relief from the pressure. That moment of relief was followed quickly by another incredibly powerful contraction and I hit that moment when I wasn’t sure I could handle it any more- and then all in one motion, at 5:59pm, our perfect daughter was born into the water.  It happened so fast I don’t even remember her crowning- it was just over in an instant and there she was!

I was so overwhelmed as I went to pick her up I didn’t realize I was kneeling on her cord, so I had to reposition myself and I sat back as I lifted her out of the water to my chest. Her cord was pretty short, so she just barely reached my chest. I held her in the water with a warm towel and her daddy and I just admired her and told her how happy we were to meet her. It was just such a lovely, perfect moment. Her eyes were closed, so we turned off the lights and she opened them to look up at us. She snuggled right into my chest and immediately attempted to latch on.

Meanwhile, Rebecca was unobtrusively checking the baby (all while I was holding her). Everything checked out wonderfully. After the cord was done pulsing, Rebecca clamped it and Jonny cut it. Since the placenta wasn’t delivering quite yet, I moved to the bed to continue to nurse the baby, who we’d decided to name Maggie until the placenta delivered.

We were thrilled to announce Maggie’s arrival and sent out messages to our families of her arrival. I was able to take a wonderful shower and get all settled in my own bed! Rebecca got me all set up and did the newborn exam on Maggie. She had all the indicators of a 40 week baby, which made me glad we hadn’t tried to induce before she was ready.

Rebecca finished and left around 9pm (taking all the supplies with her- you couldn’t tell we had a baby in our living room!) and Molly’s grandparents (who had braved the stormy weather and slick roads) brought her back around 9:30pm. Molly was so excited to meet her little sister! It was a special moment for our little family. We all ate some food and went to bed (well, as much as you do with a newborn…we were awake half the night, but were so happy to gaze at our little girl that we didn’t mind being awake). 

New Beginnings

Becoming a mom is a life-changing event in innumerable ways. Through giving birth and raising a child, often a woman rediscovers who she is and what matters to her!

 With new beginnings come new opportunities. I am grateful that my daughter’s birth started me on the path of becoming a childbirth educator, which I absolutely love and am passionate about. However, before my pregnancy, I never would have considered it!

This week, I met a remarkable lady who had a somewhat similar discovery. Michelle Hoyles was living near Portland when her first son was born. A friend gave her a gift certificate, as a shower gift, for a custom artwork of her baby’s handprint and footprint. After her son was born, Michelle had the artwork made and it become a cherished piece of their family history.

Fast forward a few years. Michelle, now living in the Salt Lake area, had a second son. She wanted to have another piece of artwork made, this time with her second baby’s prints, so she could display them together. Michelle began looking for an artist to do the impression for her. However, she was frustrated in her search and couldn’t find anyone who offered the product she was looking for.

As a former elementary school teacher with an art minor, Michelle saw this void as an opportunity. She decided to go back to Portland to train in this art method. When she came back, she continued to develop her technique and has since opened her own business, Impressions Clay Prints.

I was fortunate enough to visit Michelle’s home and studio and see her in action. Her work is beautiful. She explained a bit about the process. First, she rolls out clay. This clay, she informed me, is totally safe and non-toxic, meaning that even preemie babies can have their impressions done. (What a keepsake that would be for those parents!)

Then, she masterfully takes the child’s prints (and if she could get a good print off my squirmy one-year-old, you know she has skill!). That’s all that’s required of you- just a few minutes.

The impression then gets placed in the kiln. After that, it is hand-painted and glazed.

The process of hand-painting just the actual handprint or footprint (or paw-print) is what really makes the piece special. It highlights every line and really makes the piece attractive. Some other businesses (or do-it-yourself kits) will do a handprint or footprint, but they glaze the entire thing, so the print isn’t visible from far away. Also, the process Michelle uses will create a lasting keepsake, instead of a piece that will crumble away over time, like plaster does.

To finish it off, Michelle paints the child’s (or animal’s) name and age, and adds a beautiful ribbon.

I love the idea of clay impressions, because it is a unique keepsake that both you and the child will treasure as time goes on. (And, unlike pictures, you don’t have to stress about your baby’s hairstyle or expression…or your remaining baby weight!).

Some of the options in creating your artwork- size, color, etc.

Cute little one-of-a-kind ornament!

Visiting with Michelle was such a good reminder to me that motherhood is something to be treasured. We should treasure these moments, because before we know it, the little tiny baby we adored is a toddler…or teenager! Hopefully, in the midst of fully appreciating our children, motherhood will allow each of us the opportunity to do a bit of rediscovery and appreciate our passions and talents!

How do you capture memories with your children? Photos, Artwork, Videos?

What have you discovered about yourself since becoming a mother? 

P.S. To find out more about Michelle's work, visit her website at http://www.impressionsclayprints.com. You can schedule an appointment for you or plan a group event (parties, preschools, etc.). She also offers gift certificates!

***GIVEAWAY! Michelle is giving away a $45 gift certificate to one lucky reader (use for yourself or give to someone as a wonderful gift!)


To enter, you must do these three simple things:


1) "Like" Birth Utah on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/BirthUtah (if you haven't already!)
2) "Like" Impressions Clay Prints on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Impressions-Clay-Prints/105407299547567 (if you haven't already)
3) Comment on this post, here on the blog, answering one (or both) of these questions above (in bold).
-Make sure you put your name, as it is on Facebook, when you comment on the blog.
-To comment, click at the bottom of the entry where it says "# comments" and it will open a comment box for you.


One entry per person! Enter now. Winner will be chosen on Wed, Dec. 21 (in time for Christmas!)

Due in 2012? Sign up today!

2012 seems far away when we haven't even reached Halloween yet, but it's just around the corner! I am now taking registrations for women with due dates in Feb 2012 or later....(click on the "childbirth classes" tab above for more info about classes). Sign up today!

Surround Yourself

Have you ever gotten really excited about something, then shared it with the wrong person, only to have your idea shot down? There's nothing like the feeling of going from totally pumped up to completely deflated.

On the other side of the coin, have you ever been excited to try something, then found a friend (or a group) who was very supportive of you? Maybe they were even a bit further down that path and could give you advice and cheer you on? It can make the biggest difference in your success.

The same is true in pregnancy, childbirth, and parenthood. It is crucial to surround yourself with support for success.

In pregnancy, women must search out and find a supportive care provider who shares their view of an ideal birth, whether that person is a midwife, and ob-gyn, or a family practice physician. 

Also, couples should attend childbirth education classes, where they are given support in making decisions for their new family, and are surrounded by other couples in the same situation. This support is especially essential for those who are planning a natural birth and need to have support from people who understand the value of that experience (instead of the doubting comments from that coworker who says, "Just wait until you are in labor. Then you'll be begging for the epidural." Or, "a home birth? Are you crazy?!?"). Childbirth education helps to inform, prepare, and empower couples to achieve the best birth experience possible. 

Note, however, that no one can completely predict or control their birth experience- but by having support and education, that birth can be a positive experience, no matter how it turns out. In pregnancy, surrounding yourself with support can help you to be healthier, more positive about your birth experience, and better prepared for birth.

In childbirth, having a support person (or people), such as a supportive husband, partner, doula, or friend, can actually increase the likelihood of a satisfying vaginal birth experience and decrease the likelihood of necessary interventions. According to a study published by the World Health Organization, 

"The review demonstrates that women who receive continuous, one-to-one support are less likely to have regional analgesia/anaesthesia, operative vaginal birth, caesarean section.....In addition, women were more likely to have a spontaneous vaginal birth and less likely to report dissatisfaction with the childbirth experience" 

Check out this page from Childbirth Connection for more evidence about the importance of labor support.

Surrounding yourself with support during labor can make a difference by increasing your satisfaction with the birth experience, which will help you to have a better start as a new family.

In parenthood, it can be easy to get confused and frustrated by all of the different parenting philosophies and challenges. I encourage you, first, to surround yourself with support for breastfeeding, perhaps by attending  La Leche League meetings and activities. You may come to realize that the challenges you face today are totally normal and temporary. :) Or you may be given great ideas on how to overcome the challenges you are currently facing and enjoy your breastfeeding relationship even more.

Beyond breastfeeding, I encourage you to find a group (in person, online, even in books) that supports a parenting lifestyle you feel is best for your family. An example of virtual support is Progressive Parenting (a blog and online talk radio program). In some areas, there are meetings of Attachment Parenting International. Most places have some type of Mommy & Me group. If you can't find a group you feel comfortable with, maybe you can start one!

This past weekend I was able to gather for a few hours with some other natural childbirth teachers in the Salt Lake area, and it was such a great experience to discuss topics and share our enthusiasm with each other. I left feeling energized and excited. 

I encourage you to find people who lift you up in whatever situation you may be in. It doesn't mean you have to stop being friends with those who don't understand your birth or parenting goals. It just means that you set aside time to surround yourself with support! It will make the journey a bit easier; I promise. And, as you are being lifted by those around you....you're probably lifting them too!

Better Late Than Never

Recently I took a field trip to a place I wish I'd known about when I was pregnant! Do you ever have moments like that when you say, "I wish I'd known about this when ________"?  It can be frustrating to find something later than you wish, but in this case, it's better late than never!

Where is this wonderous place, you ask? My visit was to Salt Lake Prenatal Massage, where I had a great conversation with the owner, Rebecca de Azevedo Overson, LMT.


My conclusion? If you are pregnant and in Utah, you should know about this place. Let me tell you why:

-First of all, their slogan is "pregnancy made comfortable." Umm....yes, please. You mean that's possible?? :-)

-While other providers may offer prenatal massage, Salt Lake Prenatal Massage is the only massage therapy clinic in Utah that focuses solely on childbearing women. Rebecca has received extra training and has tons of experience to know exactly how to help women in every stage-- those trying to conceive, those currently expecting, those recovering from birth, and those who are new(er) moms.

-According to Rebecca, women can receive massages in all stages of pregnancy. I was impressed how conscientious they are in this clinic--they will even work with your doctor to get the "okay" if there are concerns.

-There are NINE massage therapists who work at Salt Lake Prenatal Massage, and Rebecca has worked with each of them individually to make sure they know the best techniques and can provide you with an amazing experience.

-Since the focus is on pregnant women, the massage tables are well-equipped with cushions and pillows to accommodate blossoming bellies. That means you can safely lay on your belly to get a massage--that alone feels incredible for your body that is used to carrying the extra weight (see a pic of the table below).

-This clinic is gorgeous, from its home-like waiting area to the relaxing massage rooms, adorned with incredible artwork geared towards childbearing women (keep reading for the pictures...).

-When you come to Salt Lake Prenatal Massage, you are getting so much more than a massage--Rebecca and her other therapists can help you to understand the changes that are taking place in your body and assist you in making those changes as comfortable as possible.

-Not only does this location offer expert massage, but it is also becoming a hub for all things related to pregnancy wellness. There is an in-house chiropractor and a variety of childbirth classes are held in her beautiful location (hopefully Brio Birth classes will be held there soon!).

-Finally, I believe that when you are pregnant it is important to surround yourself with people who are positive and who believe in the power of women's bodies to give birth...and that is what I felt at Salt Lake Prenatal Massage. I was energized by my conversation with Rebecca, and I feel confident that you will feel better after a visit, too.


Good news! You don't have to be pregnant to go there- but childbearing women are their specialty!

So, wondering how to get there? It's just east of I-15 at 2100 S in Salt Lake--you'll see a building on the south side of the road that says "Skin Science" on the side--it is in that building!

The entrance is on the side of the building NOT facing 2100 S--go in the door marked main entrance.

 If you go down the hall, turn to the right, and keep going....you'll find it! Salt Lake Prenatal Massage.

This is the lovely waiting room...and classroom for childbirth education classes.

 This is a massage table that is not covered in sheets yet to demonstrate some of the amazing cushions they have to fit every woman's body comfortably--and check out the incredible artwork on the wall.

So, there you go...better late than never, right? I can't wait to get a massage next time I'm pregnant...or not pregnant. Either way, I'm sure it will be great!

Are you wishing you could visit? Well, definitely visit their website for more information. It has a great directory of providers who offer various services for expecting women--take time to look around this website. You can also read more about Rebecca and her journey to natural birth. If you are really lucky, you may even be able to hire her as your doula...wouldn't that be amazing!

Maybe you could hint to someone that a massage would be a wonderful mother's day present! Also, if you "like" Salt Lake Prenatal Massage on Facebook, you'll receive awesome updates about specials...and informative blogposts.

You can enter to receive a certificate worth $35 towards a 60 minute prenatal or postpartum massage! To enter, write a comment on this post about what you have done (or plan to do) to "make pregnancy comfortable."

More Than Enough

So, I will admit that I'm lazy when it comes to socks (well, not only socks, but that's all I'm admitting to at the moment). Often, when I'm trying to quickly get a load of laundry put away, I'll end up with socks at the bottom of the basket who don't have their partner. This caused me to start a pile for those unmatched socks.

Fast forward, that happens many times, until I have a huge pile of unmatched socks and no sock pairs in my sock drawer. Rushing out the door, I will admit to grabbing two unmatched socks that are "close enough" (i.e. both roughly the same color) to wear for the day. This, of course, only continues the problem because these unmatched socks are then washed in the same load and end right back up in the pile.

Today, while my baby was taking a much-needed nap (obviously needed, if the nap was long enough for me to get to this task!), my husband and I finally attacked the sock pile. Amazingly, after all those miscellaneous loads of laundry contributed their single socks, many pairs were found.

There is a point to this story...and here it is:

If you'd asked me yesterday if I needed new socks, I would have answered, "Yes! I never have enough socks. It's so frustrating every time I get dressed."

And now, after just a small effort, my sock drawer contains more than enough.

How many times does this happen in life? (and not just with other types of laundry...or maybe silverware...)

How often do we tell ourselves that we don't have enough ________ (fill in the blank: courage, strength, energy, time, etc.) when we just aren't looking in the right places? It didn't take that much work for us to match up those pairs and find out how many we really had.

I think this applies to expecting women--particularly those desiring a natural birth. Have you ever heard, "Natural birth is great, but I'm just not _________ enough." Or, "I think that's neat that some women do that, but I could never because I'm ____________."

For most of those women, they absolutely have everything they need. Women's bodies were made to grow and birth babies! Our bodies are incredible! They have the ability, the strength, the courage, the endurance, the love, etc. Sometimes, a woman just might not realize that she has what she needs. It might take a little work to help her realize that she has more than enough.

The challenge is to figure out what are we missing, and what work will it require to get us to where we want to be. I see this transformation happening as women (and couples) gain knowledge about birth and their bodies as they attend Brio Birth classes- they realize that they do have more than enough to give birth in a way they desire.

My mind is geared towards birth at the moment, but I know this situation could apply in so many other ways. I hope the next time I try to limit myself by saying that I'm not _________enough, I'll be willing to put in the work to find out that I do have what it takes.

At the end of our sock-matching party, were all the socks matched? Nope! There was still a small pile, but that's okay. We are better for the work we put in, and our drawers are full! Sometimes life is like that, too--we put in all this work to plan our "perfect birth" and afterwards, there are a few things we'd do differently. And that's okay.

What are you willing to find out about yourself? What work will it take? If you've already tried, what will you improve for next time?

I'm optimistic. I'm going to keep those unmatched socks a while longer...maybe they'll make it into the drawer next time.

"Mom Up"

A few months ago, I read a blog post where the author coined the phrase "Mom Up." She defined the phrase, "To 'mom up' means to do the right thing for your kid no matter how hard it is." I haven't been able to get that idea out of my head since then.

I almost feel guilty even using that phrase when I think about the circumstances in which is was created. The author of the blog is Brandi, Scarlett's mom.  Scarlett is a beautiful little baby who was born 9 days before I gave birth to Molly. When Scarlett was two months old, it was discovered that she had a brain tumor. Her mom has chronicled their journey of hope in their blog (brandiandchris.blogspot.com). In this honest chronicle, she admits that she has often had "mom up" moments, when she had to do excruciatingly difficult things because it was best for her daughter.

I don't know them personally (I heard about Scarlett on the "October 2010 Babies" message board at babycenter.com) and I'll admit I haven't read most of the posts or followed all of her journey. It hurts my heart to think of all they have had to go through, but everytime I do take a peek to check their progress, I rejoice to see pictures of Scarlett growing.

My role, however, is not to tell Scarlett's story. That is done very beautifully on their blog. I wanted to write about the idea of sacrificing for your children- to "Mom Up."

If I could take the liberty of exploring her concept, I might expand her definition a bit, "To 'mom up' means to do the right thing for your kid no matter how hard, inconvenient, or exhausting it is." (my addition in bold).

I am blessed with an incredibly good baby. She slows me down running errands because she smiles huge, whole-face smiles at everyone and they have to stop me to talk to her and tell me how adorable she is. Her demeanor is so happy and patient (for the most part, and patience is relative for a 5 month old).

However, today, for whatever reason, she had more of a rough day. At times screamed and screeched at high decibels in pitches I don't know how to imitate. Her nap schedule was definitely off--maybe she was just overtired? Maybe she wasn't feeling well or teething? Not sure. At one point as she was screeching, my husband said to her, "That sound is endearing because it is coming from you. If it were coming from anyone else, it would be downright annoying." It was a good reminder to me.

Anyway, having this slightly frustrating day helped me to reflect on the (familiar?) less-than-ideal moments as a mom:

--the middle-of-the-night times when I groan slightly as I slowly open my eyes to care for her, remembering how I never knew how good I had it to sleep uninterrupted

--the times when I'm trying to get something accomplished on the computer and she wants to "help" (which means grab anything in sight especially the keyboard and mouse)

--the times when I have been trying to accomplish a simple task, something that used to take me 15 minutes that can now take seemingly all day

--the times when I'm worn out and really wish I could just hand her over to someone else so I can have a moment, but that usually ends up being the time when she's starving, and I'm the one who can fill that need

--the times I remember how I used to feel successful by completing an important task work, when now sometimes success seems to be defined by the size of my laundry pile

Yep, I can be selfish sometimes! Wow, these sound so petty, and I hope no one takes this the wrong way. I feel so blessed (especially considering what some families go through) that I never want to complain. Most parents (or even prospective parents), however, hopefully see where I'm going with this---having a child means putting someone else's needs in front of your own--even when it is hard or inconvenient.

Being a mother is a job that comes with no off-time, no sick days, and no retirement. Some days will be easier than others. Some times she'll be babysat and I'll have a relaxing dinner with my husband or do something for myself--but even then, I'll be her mother--and she'll be my greatest concern.

And it is a privilege.

Those moments to "mom up" lead to some of the greatest blessings:

--the moment when she first arrived, and I held her little body in my arms, knowing my life had changed forever

--being rewarded with one of her incredible smiles

--listening to her giggle as we play

--watching her sleep peacefully, and knowing a huge portion of my heart belongs to her

--to hold her close, be able to fill her tummy with incredible nutrition, and watch her find contentment



While I look forward to so many more of these incredible moments in the future, I know it will also require sacrifices, some small and others larger. I look forward to that opportunity.

This opportunity to sacrifice starts even before birth-- pregnant women can "mom up" by having the courage to create the best possible environment for their baby to be born into (which can include anything from getting out of a dangerous relationship to eating well for baby's development!).

I believe becoming educated in each stage of parenthood, and being an advocate for yourself and your child, is an important way to "mom up." It might start with taking a Childbirth Class :-D when you're pregnant, but it doesn't end there. Being a mom means choosing to make decisions for your family based on what you think is best--that's incredible, and also an intimidating responsibility. Yet, we embrace that responsibility to do our best for the ones we love the most. That's what it means to be a mom.

Everyday, around the world, millions of women "Mom up" in small, ordinary, repetitive ways...and sometimes in very dramatic and poignant ways.

The next time you have an opportunity to "mom up," I hope you will recognize it as a point of growth- and a step towards those incredible, rewarding mommy moments. It is so worth it.


P.S. And yes, there are awesome men who "Dad up" as well--like my amazing husband!

My journey to Teaching Childbirth Education

I knew the childbirth would be a defining moment of my life. We dreamed and hoped for our baby long before we actually held her. One of the most important parts in planning my birth was that I would be able to hold my baby immediately and not have her taken away. This desire, among others, led me to pursue natural birth with a midwife in a birth center.

Having made that choice, I felt a responsibility to be prepared for that birth. My husband and I took natural childbirth classes, which helped me have a healthy pregnancy and helped us feel prepared for birth. Our educator did a wonderful job of helping us to be informed of the many decisions we would need to make during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and newborn care. With this preparation, we had a wonderful birth experience (see previous post).

After the birth of our daughter, I found that I couldn't stop talking about birth and how amazing that experience could be. I wanted everyone to know how amazing their bodies are! I was (and still am) in awe of the process of pregnancy and birth.

Every pregnant woman deserves an empowering birth experience, whether it is her first or last pregnancy (or somewhere in between). Click on Childbirth Classes above to get more information about classes offered through Birth Utah.

Not close enough? Send me a message and I can help you find a wonderful childbirth educator near you!

Molly's Birth Story

What better way to start my Birth Utah blog than with the birth story of my daughter, Molly? I apologize that it is pretty lengthy, detail-oriented, and honest. Molly's birth was a defining experience of my life (and our life as a family!). I hope sharing my experience will help you to look forward to your next birth!

Molly’s Birth Story

Molly’s due date was Monday, October 18, 2010, but I didn’t have regular, lasting contractions until Sunday, October 24, 2010. The contractions started Sunday morning, but were not very intense. I went to church, where I helped to take care of 22 kids in the nursery, and we were so busy I didn’t really notice how often the contractions were occurring. When I finally sat down, I noticed that the contractions were about 15-20 minutes apart. After church, my husband and I ate lunch and tried to nap, but the contractions were enough to make napping difficult. We relaxed and got our things together just in case it ended up being the “real thing.” I baked some cookies and we made a frozen pizza for dinner, all the while timing the contractions, which were happening about 5 minutes apart and lasting for just under a minute.

Around 6pm, we called our midwife to let her know that we might be coming in to the birth center later on. She was very supportive and told us to keep her updated. After we ate, we watched the movie Madagascar while I bounced on the exercise ball, packed our birth bags, chatted on facebook, and wrote an email to work. Around 9:30, I decided I didn’t want to be at home anymore. I was concerned that if I waited too long the drive to the birth center might be stressful and miserable.

We arrived at the birth center at 10pm. It was beautiful, calm, and exciting. The contractions seemed to calm down after we got there. Our midwife checked me and said I was only 2 cm dilated (but 75% effaced) and not in active labor. I was disappointed and felt a little silly for showing up too soon! She offered to let me try to sleep (which I knew wasn’t going to happen) or to give me cohosh to try to get the contractions into a more regular, productive pattern. We decided to try the cohosh.

The cohosh seemed to make the contractions come closer together and be a bit more intense. I was laying on the comfy bed with my husband, trying to relax and read our books. It felt better to lean over on the bed and have him put LOTS of pressure on my tailbone area. I listened to an affirmations CD on the background, which was a little bit helpful to remind me of what was happening (each of these contractions was totally normal and getting me closer to my baby!). The mood was still pretty light and chatty.

About an hour later, our midwife said the cohosh would have worn off, but the contractions continued steadily. We watched part of the movie Bugs Life until about 2am, when she checked me again. It had been 4 hours since she checked the first time and I had only dilated 1 cm more—3 cm total! Disappointing again, but I tried to remind myself not to do “labor math” and let my body do what it needed to do. We tried to watch the rest of the movie, but at that point the contractions were too intense for me to watch the movie.

My husband and I went back into the bedroom, and then I decided to sit on the toilet for a bit. At this point, it seemed like everything picked up quite a bit. I threw up all my dinner, which made me feel a lot better. (Pizza probably wasn’t the best choice!). It felt like my body was trying to get rid of everything else so it could focus on helping the baby could come out!

At 4am, she checked again since my labor seemed more intense. Only 4 cm dilated! I couldn’t believe it; although I was so distracted by the contractions to really be upset. They were intense and I began to moan through them, which helped. It felt best to squat (over the toilet) and I got sick 2 more times that hour.

The midwife told me I could get into the waterbirth tub at 5am and it couldn’t come fast enough! I knew that if she was telling me I could get into the tub she must be thinking I was making some progress. A minute or two before 5, she told me I could get in. The feeling of slipping into that warm water was incredible! It felt so good and helped me relax quite a bit.

For the next two hours, I went back and forth between the tub and the toilet (which were right next to each other). In the tub, it felt best to be on all fours and have someone pour warm water over my back.

Around 6:30 (?) I was involuntarily pushing at the top of each contraction. Later on I was trying to push with the contractions. At one point I was in the tub and our midwife had me reach down and touch the top of her head. It was exciting to know that we were getting close, but it also felt like she was never going to come! I remember telling my husband, “I want to be done. I don’t want to do this anymore.” and telling the baby, “Come on, baby…come out for me.”

My water had not broken and it was making the pushing so difficult. The midwife offered to try to break my water. We waited for a while, but eventually I decided that I wanted her to try to break my water. She tried to hook the bag to break it, but said that the bag was so tough she couldn’t break it without hurting Molly’s head. She thought she’d snagged it and hoped that might be enough for it to break as I pushed- or we thought Molly might be born in the sac! I got back in the tub and kept pushing. They (my husband and midwife, the only people in the birth center with me) kept trying to remind me to use low moaning sounds, which helped me try to maintain control. It was hard to feel like I was staying under control and not panicking, but they did a great job of keeping me focused.

I was given more hope when our midwife went to put orange rolls in the oven so they’d be ready for us to eat after Molly appeared; I knew we must be relatively close at that point!

I continued to push and could feel the burning as she began to crown. It was difficult to know how much to push and when to breathe to try to prevent tearing. Finally I just kept pushing and pushing because I knew that I wanted her to come out! I remember feeling more pressure as her head crowned and hearing the midwife say “okay, good, now slow down” and I responded, “I’m not doing anything!” as Molly came out in one movement (her shoulders were smaller than her head).  I didn’t see her come out (I was on all fours), but the midwife had me reach down and pick her up. She reached over and pulled Molly’s cord off her neck and shoulders, then I was able to hold Molly close to my body and the midwife put a towel around her. It was so incredible to hold my baby and my husband was right behind me, holding my shoulders and looking at our baby. She looked up at us and cried just a bit. We talked to her and told her how excited we were to meet her and how much we love her. That was the moment I had wanted and planned for- that I was the first to hold my baby and no one took her away from us! I was in awe of what my body had accomplished--without need for drugs or substantial interventions! How empowering! Molly was born on October 25, 2010 at 7:48 a.m.

We sat in the tub waiting for her cord to stop pulsing, then the midwife clamped it and my husband cut it. I handed Molly to my husband when I was feeling the pressure of the placenta. Our midwife could see part of the placenta and when I stood up to change positions, all of the placenta was quickly delivered in one piece. She rinsed me off a bit and we went to the bed, where I was able to hold Molly to my breast as I was checked out. I had a few small abrasions, but didn’t need any stitches. We just loved holding her and looking at all her beautiful features. We were in love with her instantly.

After a while of holding her, my husband took her over to the midwife to weigh (7lb 13 oz) and measure (20 ½ inches) her. We sent text and picture messages to everyone to let them know that she’d arrived.  My husband fed me some orange rolls and juice when I took ibuprofen. Then we tried to rest, but Molly wasn’t having that- she hated that her hands were in the swaddle. Her daddy took her and held and enjoyed her while I closed my eyes for a few minutes.

Our midwife made us a wonderful breakfast (huckleberry pancakes, eggs, hashbrowns, etc.). Our families came to visit around 1pm, then the midwife checked out Molly and we went home at 4pm. We had the best 2 hour nap of our lives, and enjoyed our time at home as a new family.