Sage's Birth Story
FEBRUARY 9, 2021
The Birth of Sage
As told by Sage’s Mom and The Birth Center client, Anoosheh
With my first three pregnancies, I connected with my babies while they were in utero, and I loved them when they were born. But my fourth pregnancy allowed me to experience a different type of relationship with an unborn child. My fourth baby earned her name Sage because she’s my teacher, helping me face and overcome fears since she was conceived and as she grew in my womb.
Sage’s story is an especially unique one. A team of doctors told me she wouldn’t live. But I believed my body could carry her to term and she would be healthy. Here is our story.
Committing to Healing
When I delivered my first two children, two daughters who are now 14 and 13, I gave birth with an epidural in a hospital. During my pregnancy with my son, who is now 7, I knew I didn’t want a hospital birth. I searched for a different option, and I found Ruth. He was born at The Birth Center, and it was a wonderful experience.
In June 2020, I learned I was pregnant with a fourth baby. It was right in the middle of the protests, some of which turned into riots. Finding out I was expecting again was a total surprise, and it felt overwhelming and scary. I was totally immersed in what was going on in the outside world and carried a fear of bringing forth a new life. Despite my fears, I definitely knew where I was going to give birth — at The Birth Center with Ruth.
My pregnancy seemed to be going well, but I felt depleted. I’m a sensitive and spiritual person, and I felt cold because of the outside world. Worrying about the chaos was enough to really drain my body, and I suspected something was off. I went for my 20-week ultrasound and was told that the amniotic fluid level was extremely low. They referred me to the genetics department for another scan in two days. It was scary, but I went for the next ultrasound, and the team told me that the fluid was completely gone. I was leaking slowly, and there was nothing that could be done, they said. Their recommendation was to terminate the pregnancy because it was risky for me to continue, and the baby’s lungs wouldn’t be able to develop without amniotic fluid.
Before leaving the appointment, I told them I needed two weeks to say goodbye. I mourned for two days, and then I heard a voice tell me that this was my time to show what my body is capable of. That morning, my husband encouraged me in this, too. I have done 15 years of deep spiritual work, also dedicating myself to learning about quantum physics, epigenetics, and energy work. By that afternoon, I was committed to healing. I started looking for miracle stories about preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), but I couldn’t find any. Everything I read described super premature babies being born.
I was able to find some animal studies that discussed ruptured membranes. Rabbits had the most success after researchers found that Vitamin C levels played a key role in healing. For two weeks, I stayed in bed and studied how to heal my body. The work of Dr. Joe Dispenza and his book You Are the Placebo helped me as I learned about the anatomy and structure of the human amniotic sac. I meditated and visualized what a perfectly healthy amniotic sac should look like. I took a high-dose Vitamin C, used nettle to bring blood flow to the placenta, and made sure my nutrition was excellent. I drank tons of water and used Celtic sea salt.
During those two weeks of bed rest, my husband and my older children took care of the house and me. I let in nothing from the outside world, did no work, and focused on my body and my baby. I had powerful experiences in that bedroom, some of the most spiritual experiences of my life.
At the end of my two-week bedroom retreat, I had a follow-up appointment with the geneticists. I had been practicing deep visualizations of the amniotic sac with five centimeters of fluid. I knew what those pictures looked like, and I let my body experience that result. At my appointment, the ultrasound showed exactly what I had visualized: Five centimeters of fluid. The doctor said I did what no one thought was possible. In her 25 years of practice, she had never seen an amniotic sac heal. That was incredibly powerful for me to hear.
Three weeks later, I had another follow-up appointment. My amniotic fluid index (AFI) increased to 15 centimeters, and the leaking had stopped. The geneticists see some of the worst and saddest cases. They are really beautiful souls, but my healing really threw them. They said they didn’t need to see me anymore and that I could go back to Ruth with a normal pregnancy.
Preparing for Labor
Ruth was very supportive. She was amazed when things healed and grateful that I didn’t listen to the doctors. I listened to myself and went on a different path. During the first part of my pregnancy, I felt and looked deflated. Within a week and a half after the fluid leak stopped, I was full and ripe, and Ruth noticed it, too. I told my daughters, “This is how you should look when you’re pregnant.”
At 36 weeks, I was checked again, and my AFI was in the 99th percentile. Especially following the healing experience, I had a really conscious relationship with my unborn baby. We knew each other on a soul level. I was so aware of her; it was as if she was already here, instead of just being pregnant with her. I’ve always loved being pregnant, but this pregnancy was the most comfortable.
About a month before my due date, I started watching birth stories and being more conscious about planning the birth. I came across HypnoBirthing, and I learned that during labor, you use adrenaline or oxytocin. With my son, I had used adrenaline, but in the last seven years, I have practiced staying in a meditative state. As I prepared for Sage’s birth, I learned how to welcome the intensity of labor and not resist it. I studied the anatomy of the uterus and gained an understanding that you don’t need to push, and I got to experience that.
My due date of January 30, 2021, passed. I had done three treatments of acupuncture and two cycles of homeopathy. I did exercises and visualized my daughter going into the pelvis. I believe my focus on preparing and ripening is a huge part of why my birth was so amazing.
Giving Birth to Sage
On the night of February 8, I began feeling some cramping and woke up the next morning with contractions. I had wished to labor at home during the day, and that’s exactly what happened. My contractions were already close together, but I did laundry and spent time with my kids. I held my husband’s hand as the primal, low moans escaped. Labor was getting intense.
At 2:40 p.m. on February 9, we went to The Birth Center. Ruth checked me, and I was at six centimeters. As she was getting the birth room ready, I thought, “Now this is really getting more intense. I can’t sway anymore.” In 15 minutes, I dilated to eight centimeters. Ruth suggested I lie down on the bed. She wanted the baby to adjust a little, so she asked me to be on one side.
My uterus was pushing the baby down. It was intense, but birth was not painful. I knew if I resisted the intensity, I would feel like breaking, and that’s what would cause pain. I could feel my baby coming. Ruth checked her heart rate and told me it was a little low. She said I needed to push her out, so I flipped onto my back. After just two pushes, at 3:40 p.m. Sage was born, weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces and measuring 20 inches long. Ruth placed Sage on my chest, and it was the first time any of my babies was able to come out and directly be skin to skin with me. That was amazing.
Reflecting on My Fourth Pregnancy and Birth
Sage’s birth was so beautiful. My husband and the kids were there, and Ruth was incredible. I love having Ruth on my side when birthing. She’s so grounded, and I have such trust in her. I had that with my son’s birth and had it again when Sage was born.
As the hours and days have passed, my emotions about Sage’s birth have sunk in. I have a deep level of gratitude for her being here, for what she’s taught me. Of course, I love all of my children, but going through something like this, I feel deep appreciation. And my whole family — my husband and my children — had that experience, too. I’m thankful to have a new baby, and I feel blessed to be with a little one again.
I do trust the human body deeply, but I wonder: Would I have committed to healing if a doctor had given me alone a bad prognosis? I don’t know, but since it was my baby, I just did it although I had no similar stories to grab onto. It was as if it wasn’t even part of my body; it was just my brain signaling what needed to be done. I hope whoever reads my story gains an understanding of how powerful we really are — in pregnancy and in birth.
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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