By Mary Ellen Wells         Your due date (April 28th) came and went, as I expected (your brother was two weeks late). I planned to have you at the Women’s Birth and Wellness Center, which is a midwife practice, one of only two in our state. The Birth Center is low intervention, so I don’t have the option of any pain medications unless I want to be transferred to the hospital. I was a little nervous because my first delivery (with your brother Kai) was long and difficult, and I ended up with an epidural so I could rest before pushing him out. Many seasoned moms told me the second one would be easier, so I trusted I could do it. I really wanted a simple, no-intervention birth, because I felt it was best for you.   On May 9th, I was only dilated to 2 cm, so the midwife did a membrane sweep. It was really painful, but would hopefully get things going. Contractions didn’t start, though. On May 10th, I went in at 10 am for a second membrane sweep (Sarah did this one). I was 4 cm dilated. It was excruciatingly painful, but I started having contractions around 11 am. They were between 3-5 minutes apart and went on all day. I describe them as mild, so I just went about my business. I didn’t think you would come by that night.   I had been frantic getting things ready at work, in prep for maternity leave. At 2 pm, I did a webinar for my new students. I sat outside on the deck at our house and actually had my contraction timer going and took a pause every few minutes for one to pass. My students probably had no idea, and I really didn’t take the contractions seriously either. I still thought it would be another day or so, and I was dreading the thought of induction, so I blew them off. After the webinar, I had a conference call for work that lasted until around 4 pm. After I got off the call, I told your Dad that I had been having contractions regularly, and he said, “You might want to call the Birth Center.” I called and talked to Emily. She said to get in the tub and see if they eased up. And, to call back in an hour … Read More

by Lindsay Osterhoudt So it was Chandler’s 6th birthday.  I did not sleep very well the night before because my arms kept falling asleep, and I just couldn’t get comfortable.  I got up before 6 a.m. and decided to go get doughnuts for breakfast as a special treat.  I also went into Harris Teeter and bought 10 juices because they were on sale B2G3.  I also picked up some fruit.  Chandler didn’t have school that day, so after breakfast I packed lunches for everybody and we headed to the Durham L&S Museum.       Luckily we are members, and since we got there at 9 a.m., we were able to stay one step ahead of the crowds.  A few of my friends checked in with me throughout the day, and I kept telling them no signs of baby and that I didn’t think it would be today.   Fast forward to just after 4 p.m.   All of the boys (and I) were out playing in the yard.  I had been having contractions on and off this day, but had been for the last month, so this was not much different.  Some of them were stronger than previously, so I called Derek and asked if we could meet a little before 5 p.m. at Red Robin.  Chandler wanted to eat there for his birthday.  I loaded up the boys in the car, and we headed to Red Robin.  Derek met us there at 4:50, and we were about to be seated when I decided that I should use the bathroom first.  After using the bathroom and noting that these contractions were maintaining their intensity, I informed Derek that staying for dinner was probably not a good idea.  I really was looking forward to my burger though!  I said I thought we should head to the midwives.  Derek asked if I was going to drive (remember, both of our cars are at Red Robin).  I think I said, “Hell no,” and I guess that’s when Derek thought I was serious.     We all loaded into the van and proceeded to Chapel Hill.  Derek called the midwives, but it was after 5 p.m. by this point, so they had to page the on-call midwife.  By the time she was able to call us back (we think they transposed a digit of Derek’s phone number, tried our home phone, found my … Read More

by Tanya Bacon 7:30 AM on December 29, I woke up having to pee and experiencing a little contraction. No problem, I was used to it by that point. I got up, did my business, put some food in Tucker’s dish, and sat down to eat cereal and watch TV on the computer. I also got on Facebook to see that my baby application had updated on my page-“40 Weeks Today!” “Ugh. Mornin’ world,” I posted. I finished my cereal and decided to start revamping the birth bag. I got up and walked the 4 steps to the table where my paper was that had a list of what we needed…when my water started breaking. I grabbed my towel and waddled quickly to the bathroom carefully holding the towel to me so I didn’t “break” all over the carpet Keith had installed THE DAY BEFORE. When I got to the bathroom around 8 AM, I heard Keith waking up. “I think my water just broke!” I yelled.“Really?” he asked as he ran into the bathroom. “Are you ok?”“NO!!!” I felt an incredible urge to poop, but I couldn’t. I went from toilet to tub to toilet to floor to tub and back and forth for a while feeling so very uncomfortable and wondering why I couldn’t walk around. It was my understanding that I’d be able and wanting to walk around during the 1st stage of labor. During this time, Keith was calling my mom and the Birth Center, letting them know that my contractions were irregular and we weren’t sure how far apart–maybe 4-5 minutes? Every time I heard that, I’d scream, “Closer! Continuous!” There really was no break in between. Alright, maybe a tiny one, but not much. Finally, Keith called the Birth Center and told them we were coming in NOW, and they agreed that was best. He called my mom and told her to meet us there instead of our house. He came in and said, “Tanya, after this one, you HAVE TO get up and we need to go!” That is when I started frantically yelling for him to find things to bring with us (and we had just moved, so he didn’t know where anything was). “Put Tucker in his cage!”“I can’t find him!” I looked behind the toilet where he had been hiding earlier-labor is scary! Nope, no Tucker dog. “Check under the bed!” Yup. I finally got the gumption to get up, barely put clothes and slippers on, and waddled my way quickly to the door. … Read More

By Mary Rider              As far as I know, I hold the record for number of babies born at Women’s Birth and Wellness (although for some it was Piedmont Women’s Health Center).  My husband and I have eight children and the last five have been born downstairs at the center.        The last time started just like all the rest.  On May 2, 2005 I was 39 weeks pregnant and my water broke.  I had been worried I wouldn’t have time to get to Chapel Hill from Garner because as each baby has come, my labors have gotten shorter and shorter.  But I noticed when I lay down, the contractions pretty much stopped. So as long as I didn’t walk around, I wasn’t in labor!  The thing is I had some work to do and wanted to get it done before the baby came so I wouldn’t have to be worrying about it with a newborn!             So I laid in bed and paid a few bills and every time I got up to go to the bathroom or get a drink, the contractions would return.        About lunchtime I told my husband I thought we’d better get ready to go. We’re not too quick at getting out of the house, and I didn’t want to wait too long or we’d be stuck in traffic on the way to Chapel Hill.        My dad, who lives at the beach, was in town. So he went and picked up the kids from school, and my friend Debbie Biesack picked up Bernadette from her high school.             Once we got to the center things went pretty quickly. I had given birth under water to the last four (an experience I highly recommend. It’s the most relaxing way of laboring I have found!) and so Sher asked me if I wanted to get in the tub. The one drawback to the tub is that it’s so big it takes a long time to fill. I really did want to get in the tub, but by then I knew there was no time for that!        So for the first time in a long time, I gave birth in the bed. My dad never likes to be in the room right at the moment, my mom made it a few minutes late, and Brianna, the oldest, was too far away to … Read More

by Missy Swanson  I was hopeful when I found out I was pregnant with my third baby.  I thought, “Maybe this will be the one!”  I wanted to enjoy my pregnancy and have a calm, beautiful birth. I’ve always dreamed of being one of those graceful, “magical-life-is-growing-within-me” type of pregnant ladies.  As a birth center nurse, I see inspiring, beautiful laboring women all the time, but so far, that hasn’t been in the cards for me.  My first two pregnancies and births were pretty straightforward, but 42 weeks of pregnancy with each child reduced me to a miserable, whiny lump.  With my third pregnancy, in addition to the normal pregnancy complaints, I developed gestational diabetes and placenta previa, and my baby preferred to hang out sideways in my uterus.  Since I had two complications that made vaginal birth impossible, I was sure I’d end up with a c-section. And if I didn’t need a c-section, I was concerned about getting the baby delivered by 41 weeks, which is the recommendation for moms with gestational diabetes.  So picture a worried, exhausted, night-shift-working, pregnant mom with two preschoolers.  Then take away her donut.  Graceful?  No. I was just trying to get by.  Everyone reassured me the placenta previa would probably resolve by 28 weeks, but at 32 weeks, my placenta was still too close to my cervix.  Finally, an ultrasound at 38 weeks showed I was good to go for a birth center birth.  I still had a sideways baby, but one who was now occasionally trying out a head-down position.  By 40 weeks, the baby was head-down most of the time. I decided that I would wait until 41 weeks and 2 days before having  an induction.   I made a plan with the midwives to do a castor oil/herbs/acupuncture induction at the birth center.  If that didn’t work, we’d go to UNC in the evening.  As I approached 41 weeks, we were doing all sorts of things to try to get labor going – acupuncture, membrane sweeps, spicy food. I was having some mild contractions, but nothing too serious.  A bumpy hayride on a field trip with my kids’ preschool the day before my induction seemed to do the trick:  shortly afterwards, I noticed a little bit of fluid leaking.  We had an appointment at the birth center that afternoon.  During the car ride, I was pretty sure my water had broken.  … Read More

by Danielle Brockman When I found out I was pregnant, I was super excited. I couldn’t wait to see my husband when he got home from work. I called and told him on his lunch break; he texted me saying he was trying  not to cry he was so happy. So we kept our little man a secret until Thanksgiving. We wanted that time to ourselves, so Thanksgiving we went to my grandma’s first, as always. I had a fortune cookie made that was as big as my belly, and I had my grandma and dad open it together as we all sat in the kitchen after eating. My grandma pulled the little poem out and read it; she cried, saying, “YOU’RE TRYING TO TELL ME YOU’RE PREGNANT!”  As I looked at my dad, we were both teary eyed. I knew the excitement they had was priceless. Once we got to Sean’s mom and dad’s (where we were staying at the time til we got our place finished) everyone was there. Time to eat came around and everyone had to say what they were thankful for, so when it was our time we had his mom go into the kitchen and open the oven and a small bun awaited with a saying inside. After about three times of reading it she just yelled in joy, “You’re pregnant!”  over and over again. The joy of being able to finally tell everyone was out. I was 9 weeks or so, I believe.           I had called the Birth Center before anyone knew and set up a tour. We had to beat around a bush so no one could figure it out. We loved the place and staff the minute we walked in. It was so home-like and child-friendly, which is awesome.  At our first appointment, we got to hear that tiny heart beat where my little man stayed on my left side for a long time. Allison did my exam, and she guessed I was 11 weeks. Well, on December 30 I had my first ultrasound at UNC, and I turned out to be 14 weeks along, so I was then due June 20th. At the first ultrasound, I will never forget the lady saying, “Promise me if I tell you this, you won’t go out and buy anything.”  I said, “Sure, what’s wrong?” She showed us it was a boy. Already we could … Read More

By Elizabeth* When I discovered I was pregnant, I knew a birth center and natural childbirth were what I wanted. I was happy to learn I lived five minutes from one of the only birth centers in NC (and one of the largest in the country). After an orientation, my once-hesitant partner was completely on board; we felt excited, and I felt no fear about the birth. I read books about natural child birth and breastfeeding and was looking forward to it. Being in a hospital was not an option, and I would never have a C-section or not breastfeed. I remained strong when dubious friends told me, “Hospitals are better” or “You can hurt your baby by not being in a hospital,” and I sought support from loved ones who were on the same page. I had a challenging pregnancy, but I was hopeful for a natural birth. I knew what I wanted and would will it into being. At 32 weeks, a midwife suggested an ultrasound because I was measuring small. The ultrasound revealed low amniotic fluid, a low baby weight, and that the baby was breech. It felt stressful, but I had faith it would work out. The baby began to gain weight, and the fluid was low but stable. If we could get the baby to flip (which we would), we could deliver at the birth center. For several weeks I tried everything to flip the baby—inversion positions, Chinese moxibustion, frozen peas on the baby’s head, acupuncture, chiropractic treatments, swimming, yoga poses, and standing on my head in the pool. When those didn’t work, we did an external version at UNC, all the while having faith the baby would flip. Again, I would never have a C-section; the baby would turn, and I would deliver naturally. The external version was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced. At one point, I asked if the pain was like labor because, if so, I couldn’t do it. One OB replied that the version was much worse and was more like human torture. After several agonizing tries, it didn’t work. I wasn’t prepared for the physical pain. I felt beaten up and unsettled after the procedure; the soreness lasted for days, and I had scratches and bruises on my belly. I also wasn’t prepared emotionally for the disappointment when it didn’t work. I felt desperate and fearful. The head … Read More

by Amber Kirkley I always knew I wanted a natural birth. My mother, my mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law had a total of 8 children naturally. My brother had been delivered 27 years ago by Maureen Darcey and her partners at the birth center in Siler City, Chatham County.  Although I only remember pieces of it, I was present at his delivery. Hence, I had met Maureen when I was just 5 years old.  The day I found out I was pregnant, I called the birth center to schedule a tour. I was excited about the prospect of continuing the tradition of natural birth in my family.           In the months leading up to my daughter’s birth, I talked to many people about my plans for a natural birth. I was always interested to see people’s reactions. It seems that natural birth causes a polarity of responses. People often are either really into it or simply think you are crazy.  People asked if I was scared about the pain of natural birth. Since this was my first child, I could not say that I was scared. In fact, I had no idea what to expect. I had read every book I could get my hands on, spent countless hours on the internet, and taken a wonderful natural childbirth class taught by a close friend’s mother, but I still had no idea what labor was going to be like. What I did have was the confidence that many women had gone before me in giving birth naturally, and I felt strongly that I, too, would be able to have a natural labor and birth. I also felt increasingly confident in the midwives I would be working with during this experience.           I was nervous throughout my pregnancy that it would not work out for me to have the baby at the birth center. I had borderline high blood pressure, and I was always concerned I would develop pre-eclampsia. As my due date approached, I was so thrilled to not be pre-eclamptic, I gained mental energy and strength.  I am a nurse, so I worked 12 hours on December 30th, my last scheduled shift. I was hoping that my baby would be born very soon. My due date was New Year’s Day and honestly, I did not want to be sitting around without a baby in my arms for 2 weeks at the start of … Read More