Legacy's' Birth Story

JANUARY 2, 2020

The Birth of Legacy

As told by Legacy’s Mom and The Birth Center client, Angela

In April 2019, I discovered I was pregnant with my fifth baby. I had given birth in the hospital four times. During the fourth pregnancy, I looked into delivering at a birth center. When that didn’t work out, I told myself that if I had another baby, I wanted to have a natural birth, not in a hospital.

When I became pregnant with baby number five, I started out receiving my prenatal care through a hospital-based practice, but I couldn’t stop thinking that I wanted something more natural. I was able to go to The Birth Center for a tour, and right away, the energy there grabbed my attention. It was calming, and Ruth answered all my questions.

It was during my third trimester that I officially switched my prenatal care to The Birth Center and began my appointments with Ruth. I wanted my boyfriend, Kamron, to be involved, and he was able to join me for the visits, unlike the other practice that only allowed him to come in for part of my appointments.

Even though I only saw Ruth for the last trimester of my pregnancy, I really connected with her, and I felt confident in my decision to deliver at The Birth Center.

Labor begins

On January 2, at 40 weeks and three days pregnant, I started feeling contractions around 3 a.m. Prior to that, I was having Braxton Hicks contractions all the time, but these were stronger. I tried to sleep a little while longer. At about 5 a.m., I got up and used the bathroom. That’s when I noticed bloody show.

I texted Ruth to let her know what was going on, and she said these were good signs and that I was on my way to labor. Ruth was out of town, so she told me to reach out to Blanche, another midwife at The Birth Center, in an hour. At that point, the contractions were 10 minutes apart and coming from my back. I took a shower, and that helped.

At 6 a.m., Blanche said she wanted to see me at noon at The Birth Center. When I saw Blanche, I asked her to check my cervix, which was dilated to six centimeters. She recommended I get something to eat and come back to The Birth Center in a couple hours. My boyfriend and I did just that, and when I asked Blanche to check me again around 3 p.m., I was still at 6-7 centimeters.

My doula, Amy, was there. She suggested that I get in the shower and let the hot water fall on my breasts. I stayed in the shower for about an hour, and Blanche and Amy kept making sure everything was good. I started to feel the urge to push in the shower, so I got out, and I was surprised to see Ruth had arrived at The Birth Center. Since she was out of town, I didn’t think she would be there for the birth, but I was happy to see her. I felt so supported with her, Blanche, and Amy helping me.

I asked them to check me again, and this time I was 9 centimeters. I was more comfortable standing up, and Amy massaged my lower back and held my hips, moving them from side to side. I was still feeling the contractions in my back.

Everyone was very calm, and there was a good energy during my labor. The atmosphere felt soothing. It was so different from my labors at the hospital, where it’s loud and tense. Amy was talking me through everything, encouraging me to take deep breaths.

Pushing and birth

Ruth and Blanche recognized that it was time for me to give birth, so they asked what position I would like to be in. Ruth and I had talked during my appointments about my fear of pushing, especially the pain of crowning. I remembered my previous two births, which had been medication free at the hospital, and I was scared. Ruth knew this, and she and Blanche told me, “It’s going to be OK.” They never rushed me. At the hospital, they rush everything, but Ruth and Blanche told me to push whenever I was ready.

Amy was holding me while I was pushing. I also used a birthing stool, and my boyfriend sat behind me. That was comforting, and I didn’t feel alone like I did at the hospital, sitting on the bed with people holding my legs up.

My water broke right before the baby crowned as I was pushing. Ruth and Blanche talked me through everything and reminded me that I could take a break from pushing if I needed to. I felt very connected to the people around me. Even though it was my fifth pregnancy, it felt like my first because it was such a different experience. Blanche was in front of me, Amy was on my left, and Ruth was on my right.

As I was pushing, the baby’s heart rate started to drop slightly, and Ruth and Blanche told me we needed to get him out. I knew the next push had to be the last push. That’s when he came out. Legacy was born at 5:36 p.m., weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.

At that moment, I was exhausted for sure, but I also felt the relief of, “Oh my goodness, I finally did it.” Blanche caught him and put him on my chest. I enjoyed that warm feeling from having my son and thought, “He’s here, this tiny little baby.” I was excited and couldn’t believe I did it. It had been up to me. Nobody else could do it for me. I felt the empowerment afterward.

Postpartum

After the birth, everyone helped me to the bed. Ruth left the cord intact until it stopped pulsing, and I pushed out the placenta soon after. I appreciated this difference from the hospital, where they pushed on my stomach and seemed to be in a hurry for me to deliver the placenta.

My bleeding at The Birth Center was less than it had been during my hospital births. Both Legacy and I were healthy, and everything was perfectly fine. It was so amazing to me. We did skin to skin was for about an hour and a half.

One of the things I loved most about The Birth Center was that they allowed us to just be. Legacy latched on, and then he fell asleep. After The Birth Center team cleaned up everything, it was so peaceful in the room. There were no monitors. It was just the three of us. It was a total difference from the hospital.

Another pro for delivering at The Birth Center is that after the birth, we stayed three or four hours and then went home. We didn’t have to be at the hospital for a day or two. Being able to go home was the greatest feeling; I loved that.

Two days after Legacy’s birth, I had an appointment with Ruth, and she helped with my breastfeeding questions. Legacy is still nursing, and it’s going really well. I also liked that Ruth did a two-week appointment. It’s so nice to check in with moms, especially if they are prone to postpartum depression. Any time I’ve had a question, Ruth has answered it. It’s better than having to call a doctor’s office and wait to talk to somebody who doesn’t know my situation.

Reflections on my experience at The Birth Center

Before the day of Legacy’s birth, I had never met Blanche. I was nervous that Ruth was out of town, but Blanche’s energy was so positive. I felt like I had known her way longer than I did. She made me feel at home.

Of course, when Ruth got to The Birth Center during my labor, I was happy to see her. Because Ruth had arrived, Blanche said she would be leaving, but I didn’t want her to go. I wanted both midwives there. Ruth, Blanche, and Amy did a great job, and I was really happy they were all there.

I had never had a doula at any of my deliveries, and I hope every woman can have that type of support. Amy knew exactly what she was doing — where to put her hands and how to soothe me. She had motherly energy, and she was my safe space.

Even though my labor and birth were painful, they seemed to happen so fast. Now, looking back, I wish it lasted a little longer. I am so grateful I had my baby at The Birth Center. They allowed me to have control over my body and work with my body.

For more information about our prenatal care and birth services at The Birth Center, visit https://www.sactobirth.com/prenatal andhttps://www.sactobirth.com/birth-services

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