Niki Shares Two Positive Birth Stories.

Sophia Rose, 5/20/18

When my husband, Zack, and I first learned we were pregnant with our first, we were over the moon. I felt extremely blessed to have been able to conceive so quickly, and my pregnancy turned out free of complications. I truly loved being pregnant. From the start, I was hoping for an unmedicated birth with no interventions. However, I was aware  many births do not go completely as expected so I kept an open mind. At this time, I hadn’t heard of GentleBirth yet (more to come about this later).I was leaning on the only two people I knew who had given an unmedicated birth. They encouraged me to do research on all types of births. I did so eagerly, as I’ve always been fascinated with birthing stories. While I completely understand why women opt for an epidural, the thought of being numb scared me more than the thought of the pain. I decided to stick with my plan and stay hopeful.

Fast forward 40 weeks, and baby girl, Sophia, was still safe and comfortable in the womb. My doctor told me we could induce me if I wanted to, but I declined. I wanted the experience to be as organic as possible. I knew she would come when she was ready.

4 days past my due date, I went to bed a bit anxious. I was ready, and I was hoping she would be ready soon too. I woke up around 3:30am with slight cramping. I walked around the house, thinking it might just be the normal pregnancy cramps. The cramping started to get stronger and with shorter intervals, so I figured it was time to wake Zack up. We labored at home until 5:30am, trying to calculate how long the contractions were and how often they were coming. They seemed sporadic, so I opted to just call my doctor instead. She said it was probably time to head to the hospital.

As we got in the car, I quickly realized these were definitely contractions and not just cramps. I remember feeling very calm. We got to the hospital around 6:30am, and I was 5cm dilated. I was asked more than once if I wanted an epidural, but I kept opting out. I just wanted to labor on my own with Zack until it was time to push. What worked for me was walking around-laying down and sitting did not work for me. I labored while walking and found one corner spot in the room that I kept leaning against. Zack was by my side the entire time. I didn’t scream, I didn’t cry. I kept thinking my body knows what to do and I trusted myself, and my baby, to do this right. Two hours later I felt a strong urge to push, and we called the doctor in. I was at 10cm. I got into the bed, pushed three times, and our beautiful baby girl, Sophia Rose, was here. While pushing, I remember zoning out and just focusing on my core strength and the thought of meeting my baby. It helped tremendously. Sophia came out calm and we immediately got into the skin to skin position. It was the proudest and most exhilarating moment of my life. 

Zoey Thomas, 9/18/20

We were amongst the “lucky ones” with an easy pregnancy, delivery, and overall easy baby with Sophia. It didn’t surprise us when we got pregnant very quickly with number two when Sophia was 18 months old. Everything about the two pregnancies were the same. I was nauseous during the first trimester, but other than that, they were both uncomplicated and pleasurable pregnancies. A friend had mentioned the GentleBirth app, so I downloaded that immediately and followed the page on instagram. I was amazed at all of the birth stories; the pictures, videos, and the pure support humbled me. The way women support each other truly enlightens me. It takes a village. It was so enlightening to see a group of people who believe in positive birth, as so much of the world now views birth as negative and painful. Some women I talk to even fear it. The app was nice to listen to at night before bed; the different episodes to help support pregnancy, labor, and delivery were helpful, even though I had already done this once. It reiterated my thought process on birth; that it can be a very positive and calming experience. During my entire pregnancy, and even still, I browse the GentleBirth instagram page to see different birthing stories, videos, and pictures. Birth is amazing no matter how it is done, and I am so proud of every woman who experiences it.

Fast forward 40 weeks, and our second baby girl, Zoey, came just one day before her due date. The birth story was extremely similar to Sophia’s, but it was even shorter-it was half the time actually!

I woke up at 12:30 with the same cramps I had felt with Sophia. This time, I was more aware they were contractions so I walked around for about a half hour before waking Zack up. I turned around and he already had his shoes on and was waiting by the door. I was still in my pajamas, so I took that as a “let’s go!” cue. And, he was right! Luckily, my best friend Morgan was here to stay with Sophia. Zack woke her up saying, “this is not a drill!” Morgan pushed me to get changed and GO!

We got to the hospital around 1:45. The contractions were coming on strong. Again, I stayed calm and hopeful that this labor would be as easy as it was with Sophia. We got checked in and went into the birthing room. By 2:00, I was already at 6cm, and the contractions were coming on fast and strong. This time, I was on my hands and knees in the bed just practicing my breathing like I had learned from Gentle Birth. I didn’t say much; I zoned out everything else besides thinking about my breathing and my baby. By 2:45 I knew it was time to push, so we called the doctor in. I was at 10cm. I quickly got into position, knowing she was coming fast. The doctors and nurses were talking me through it, but I don’t think I heard a word they said. I pushed one long push, and Zoey was here at 2:55. Everything about her was perfect, and again it felt so rewarding to have been able to feel every sensation of labor and delivery. 

I would happily give birth like this again, and I encourage mothers to try the GentleBirth strategies, no matter how they are planning to give birth. 

Start your positive birth preparation today with the GentleBirth App.