**Many thanks to Marla, who generously shares her birth story with us. Marla is expecting her second little bundle of joy later this year…hopefully we’ll get to hear about birth #2 too!

Want to share your birth story here? Send it to me at erica@TheBabyBoutiqueAtWombsWindow.com!

Here’s our tale of a fabulous birth, in a nutshell!

My first child, Stella was born nearly 2 years ago.
My husband and I attended a 3-hour/night, once a week for 8 weeks birthing class that we loved.
The instructor had kind of a mellowed out Bradley Method approach, with natural birth as the goal, but which educated us to be prepared for an emergency situation and plan for how we would want that handled, etc. IT was SO helpful and informative that my husband has now been known to get into conversations with strangers and has encouraged them to read and find a really informational class, learn about natural birth, and what-have-you…I often want to warn people that they need to request the condensed or EDITED version…

One of the instructor’s excercises in a prenatal yoga class that she also led, was to do kegel excercises, and as we relaxed the muscles, she would always say: “…and release, release, release your baby…relax and release your baby…” THis was one of the most helpful phrases and mental images I had in Stella’s birth. I was able to really think, while pushing, and contracting, “RELEASE”…which I believe was the reason my last stage of labor went so quickly.

The other great tip, was that when you feel a “burning” pain- it is your skin stretching…so when I felt that, I could tell my midwife, and she massaged the area, while (though seemingly impossible at the time) I stopped pushing during those contractions, and ended up with no tearing whatsoever.

I Do credit God, and through His guidance, our amazing midwife, Marcia McCulley with our beautiful and incredible birth experience…

She encouraged me to STAY home for the 2 days I labored, and when I DID go in after my water broke, our exhausted, worn bodies were greeted by candles, soft music, a warmed bed and a totally homelike environment in her birth center…but it was better than home- she had everything we needed, and an assistant that massaged and kept me hydrated, and kept my husband fed and watered:-) !

The only real struggle we had was my daughter’s wide shoulders…but due to some body maneuvering and my midwife’s saavy direction, strong and focused yet calm demeanor, we brought out our sweet angel in a little under an hour!

We were able to snuggle and hold stella, nursed immediately, and were home 3 hours later!

Hurrah!

Cheers! to midwives everywhere- who face great hardship and more than their fair share of persecution, in order to help women and men bring their children into the world as they wish and with safety and confidence!!! May they continue their work, uninterrupted, and free from struggle.

I’d add a little soap-box here, too-
If you do have a midwife, or are unable to access one, due to legislation, support them any way you can!!! Our dear midwife is facing unsubstantiated claims against her (by a local hospital that is very anti- midwifery), and legal struggles that she WILL prevail in- due to ALL claims being FALSE, but must endure and PAY for the legal work, court dates etc. ALl of which ( which is surely the plan- to tap you dry of funds and energy, and run you “out of town”) takes its toll on her work , and financial resources, not to mention, personal peace, and the joy she takes in doing what she does best. We as mothers are free to have our children in any way we chose, but those who help us are penalized?! What about the “land of the free?”

ok….I’m done .