Rocco's Birth Story
JULY 17, 2022
The Birth of Rocco
By The Birth Center client, Stefanie
I was inspired by my sister, who had a home birth, to investigate an out-of-hospital birth. At first, I was nervous for her, but she had such a wonderful experience that I began to look into alternatives for myself. A birth center seemed like a happy medium to me when considering either a hospital birth or a home birth.
I first discovered Ruth and The Birth Center through an online search when I was pregnant with my first baby, Arlo. I was impressed with how straightforward and organized she was, and I knew that my baby and my body would be in good hands throughout my pregnancy. I felt confident and safe throughout all my prenatal care with Arlo, and I knew that this is where I wanted to give birth.
However, I was almost two weeks late with Arlo when my water broke. It had thick meconium, or the baby’s first bowel movement, in it. Due to this complication, I couldn’t give birth at The Birth Center. Once I was at the hospital, one thing led to another, and I ended up having a C-section.
A Second Pregnancy and a Chance for a VBAC
I got pregnant again when Arlo was a year old, and I worried that I might have to go through a C-section again. It meant so much to me to be able to try for a natural labor. I wanted to experience labor and delivery with someone I trusted in an environment that was calm and supportive — the very opposite of my C-section experience.
When I contacted Ruth for prenatal care and VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) for my second pregnancy, she was both confident and level-headed about the risks associated with labor and delivery after a C-section. The information she gave me helped me to make an educated decision about my birth.
My prenatal appointments were personal and helped me feel confident throughout my pregnancy. Ruth never told me more than I needed to know (unless I asked), so we always dealt with things as they came up, and that helped me never feel anxious about anything. I loved seeing the same provider at every appointment, someone who knew my story intimately and the goals I had for a VBAC.
Overall, I had a great pregnancy with my second son. I decided to do all the things I could this time to get ready for the birth. I ate a healthy diet, exercised, and received chiropractic care and acupuncture. I wanted to give my body the best chance to go into labor and delivery naturally.
The Beginning of Labor
I started having signs of labor as early as 37 weeks, which was new for me because I had no signs of impending labor with Arlo. Directly leading up to my second labor, I lost my mucus plug, had a bit of discharge, and started to have light contractions. My due date was July 14, 2022, and my son was born on July 17. This date was extra special because it was also my mom’s birthday.
Around 4 a.m. on the 17th, I went to the bathroom and felt my water break. Contractions started almost immediately, coming 3-4 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds. I took a bath to see if they might slow down, but the contractions kept getting stronger. I was so excited that it was finally happening! I texted Ruth at 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., letting her know what was going on and how I was progressing. She was always available and got back to me immediately, which I loved.
Since we live 45 minutes from The Birth Center and my contractions were getting stronger, I started getting nervous. Ruth asked if I wanted to come to The Birth Center so she could check my progress, and I gratefully agreed. Once there, she discovered that I was only 4 centimeters dilated and said that I needed to be 5-6 centimeters to admit me for delivery. We decided to check into a hotel nearby to labor until the time was right.
We got into the hotel room around 8 a.m., and I was able to labor with my husband, just the two of us. It was so peaceful compared to my hospital birth. There weren't a bunch of people and students coming in to check on me every few minutes, and I relaxed so deeply that I was even able to fall asleep between contractions while lying on the bed. My husband was a calm presence for me every step of the way and eased the pain from my back labor by pressing on my lower back during every contraction. He was totally supportive and present.
I was able to focus on each contraction as it came and go easily from the bath and shower to the bed, moving around freely and doing whatever I felt I needed to manage the pain and allow my body to progress. While we were at the hotel, I called Ruth every hour to give her updates. She coached me through my labor and gave me signs to look for to determine how I was progressing.
Pushing and Birth
A few hours later, I started feeling like I wanted to push, but I was still having a lot of back labor. Ruth knew the back labor meant we needed to rotate the baby into a better position, so she instructed me over the phone to do a few contractions in a squatting position. This really tipped me over the edge, and the urge to push intensified.
We left the hotel right away and drove five minutes to The Birth Center. I was having intense contractions and really wanted to push. Ruth checked me, and I was fully dilated with just a small lip of cervix left, but Ruth said the baby still wasn’t in an ideal position for pushing. So, with my husband’s support and Ruth coaching me every step of the way, we quickly got the baby rotated into a better position, and I was finally given the green light for pushing.
The pushing surprised me. I thought I was pushing hard, but I needed to push harder. I thought, “Stefanie, no one is going to push this baby out for you. You have to do it.” So, I pushed as hard as I could and found amazing strength within me. I watched my muscles work and my body push the baby out. In total, the pushing took an hour. The baby was born close to 4 p.m., twelve hours after my water broke.
As soon as Rocco came out, I remember feeling immediate relief. It was finally over and I DID it! I got the VBAC that I wanted so badly. It filled me with such a sense of pride and accomplishment. I felt powerful, like Superwoman.
Suddenly, I realized how hungry I was! I felt like I had just run a marathon. During my labor, I wasn’t hungry at all, but that first meal after birth tasted so good. One of my favorite memories was sitting in the bed with my husband while doing skin to skin with my baby in my arms, eating a delicious meal and just being together, bonding with our new son.
Reflections on My Experience at The Birth Center
The birth was everything I had hoped for. I was mentally prepared for the pain and knew it wouldn't last forever. The best part is we got to go home the same day! With Arlo, I stayed in the hospital for a week, and my recovery took over a month. With Rocco, I felt good within a week.
My postpartum appointments with Ruth were wonderful. I saw her at two days post-birth, two weeks, and six weeks. She was very reassuring and kind and helped both Rocco and me feel our best through the recovery process.
Choosing The Birth Center was the best decision I could have made for myself and for my baby. I’m so happy with the whole process. I would encourage any woman who’s considering a birth center experience to go for it. You’re stronger than you think you are. You are so powerful and able to do things you never thought you were capable of. Women have been doing this for thousands of years, and now I can add myself to that list. I’m so proud of what I did. I proved to myself that I was strong enough. If I was able to do that, I can do anything!
I would recommend giving birth at The Birth Center to everyone who wants it. Ruth is amazing and will take care of you from start to finish. When the time comes, I definitely plan to have baby #3 with her as well