Jakari's Birth Story

AUGUST 13, 2021

The Birth of Jakari

By Jakari’s Mom and The Birth Center client, Anna

I heard about Ruth and The Birth Center through my friend’s mentor, who had also given birth at The Birth Center. I had originally thought I wanted a home birth, but having a toddler, I didn’t want to deal with the mess. Having as natural a birth as possible was really important to me as I wanted the raw experience of birth, especially after my long hospital induction for the birth of my daughter, Aaliyah.

With my daughter’s birth, I was misdiagnosed with hypertension at 37 weeks by someone who was not my primary care provider. This doctor was very old-school and wanted to induce me early. He said that if I didn’t listen to him, my baby was in danger of dying. As a first-time mom, I was very scared but eventually agreed to an induction at 39 weeks and 4 days. Although I had a doula with me, the labor was long and painful and lasted for 32 hours.

I knew I wanted to have a different birth experience the second time. I received all my prenatal care during my second pregnancy with Ruth at The Birth Center. She was very reassuring and helped me feel calm and confident throughout. She noted that my baby’s heart rate was at the higher end of normal during my pregnancy but never made me feel fearful or concerned about it as I feel the doctors in the hospital may have done.

Realizing I Was in Labor

On the day I went into labor at 37 weeks and 2 days, Ruth was actually out of town! She gave me the name and number of Blanche, the other midwife at The Birth Center “just in case,” but neither of us thought I would go into labor when I did. In fact, I didn’t even realize I was in labor for several hours.

It was August 13, 2021, and I was putting together a little bike for my daughter when I started feeling some pelvic pressure. As time went by, I noticed the pressure a bit more, but I didn’t have any cramping or pain. It was so different from my induced labor! Gradually, the pressure became more regular and a little more painful, so I decided to take a warm bath. After the bath, though, I began to wonder, “Am I in labor?” so I called Blanche’s number. She was very reassuring on the phone and said that I may be in labor but, just to make sure, “How about you come to The Birth Center, so I can check you out?”

We agreed. We got the bags together and put our daughter in the car. It’s a good thing we left when we did! Our house is a bit of a drive to The Birth Center, and it was 5:30 p.m. — rush hour traffic. By this time, my labor was ramping up and getting intense! I knew I was in transition and felt nauseous. I was praying I wouldn’t throw up! Thankfully, I hadn’t eaten all day and managed not to vomit. (Not having an appetite should have been a clue that labor was imminent — hindsight is 20/20!)

We dropped our daughter off with my mom and quickly got back on the road to The Birth Center. I told my husband that I might have to birth the baby on the side of the road or in the car! He reassured me, “No, we’re going to make it!” He was so calm, but later he told me that he was kind of freaking out inside. He was also mentally preparing himself for an off-road birth and had a plan all figured out.

Giving Birth to My Son

Finally, an hour after I first called Blanche, we made it to The Birth Center. She rushed out to meet us and found me kneeling by the side of the road. “Oh! We’re having this baby!” she said, and helped me into The Birth Center, where I got settled in a room. She asked if she could check me, and I was 9.5 centimeters!

“You can push whenever you feel the need to, Anna,” Blanche told me. Amy, one of the doulas who works at The Birth Center, was there to support me, along with my husband. I soon felt the urge to push. Everyone was so encouraging and calm, reminding me to listen to my body, to “give little pushes,” and to rest when I needed to. The pushing experience was so different from my daughter’s birth, where I was told when and how to push and to use all my strength to push through every single contraction.

At 6:47 p.m., fifteen minutes after we got to The Birth Center, my son Jakari was born, weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and measuring 18 inches long. I felt so much joy and relief. He looked just like my husband and in that moment, I felt complete, like our family was here and whole. It was a beautiful moment.

After Jakari was born and I delivered the placenta, I had a lot of bleeding, so much so that Blanche needed to make sure none of the placenta was retained in my uterus. Jennifer, the RN who assists at The Birth Center for recovery care, helped Blanche address that concern. I knew I was in good hands. My bleeding eventually slowed down, and I was able to bond with my son.

Doula Amy helped me with Jakari’s first latch. Even though I was still breastfeeding my toddler, it’s so much different than feeding a newborn, and she reminded me of newborn breastfeeding tips that I had forgotten. Once the latch was good, she left us alone and lowered the lights to let us bond as a family. Jennifer, Amy, and Blanche checked in on us periodically to do vital signs and assess us to make sure we were both doing OK, and after four hours, we were ready to go home!

Receiving Excellent Postpartum Care

I was so happy to be back in my own home to settle in with my little family of four for the first time. The RN, Jennifer, called about six hours after we went home to check on me, and then the next day to see if we were doing well.

My postpartum care with Ruth was wonderful. She was able to check on me and Jakari to see if we were both healthy in the days and weeks following the birth. She saw us both at two days after the birth, then at two weeks, four weeks, and six weeks postpartum.

I loved my birth experience at The Birth Center, as well as the prenatal and postpartum care. My prenatal care felt very personal. Ruth took the time to get to know me and my family. She fully understood my desires for birth and helped me feel physically and emotionally safe. I felt more confident in her care for my birth than I had during my daughter’s birth.

I would definitely recommend The Birth Center to anyone who wants an intimate, woman-focused, and supportive birth experience. In fact, I’ve already recommended three of my friends to Ruth. Taking a tour and meeting Ruth is a great step in deciding if The Birth Center is right for you. It was definitely the right choice for me!