Nothing about my pregnancy went according to plan. After nearly 12 years of marriage and completion of my clinical social work graduate program, my husband Mitch and I decided it was finally time for us to start thinking about a family. Part of me always knew I’d have twins and so when I began dreaming of twins in the 5th week of my pregnancy, I had a feeling then that something magical was happening. And when I would talk to “baby” in my tummy, every cell in my body said, “That’s not right!” So I always talked to “babies” instead, just in […]
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by Ashley Ashbacher, MSW, CD(DONA) The birth of my first child was not what I expected. A lot of what happened was traumatic for me and several days of labor ended when my daughter was born surgically. It took me a long time to heal both physically and emotionally following her birth. I knew that when I had another child wanted to have a VBAC and I wanted it to be a waterbirth. I decided to see Dr. Hartung with Hudson Physicians for my prenatal care and was planning on having a water birth. At 30 weeks pregnant I was […]
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As a birth doula, the drive home from a birth is meditative: replaying the birth, most often reliving the joy, sometimes a bit of regret. Driving home from Lori and Paul’s birth was pure joy—distracted joy. Lori had, in her words, rocked her VBAC. It doesn’t get better than that for a doula. It is so rewarding when a birthing mom understands what a birthing rock star she was, how powerful she is, how forever awesome she will be. Lori got it. She rocked her VBAC. I was giddy as I drove home from St. John’s Hospital at 4:30 in […]
Read More My journey to Carter’s homebirth after cesarean (HBAC) began when my daughter Kaylee was born on September 1, 2011. I was induced at 38 weeks for pre-eclampsia with cytotec, pitocin, and an epidural which led to a cesarean section under general anesthesia. After her birth, I was determined to do things differently the next time. I needed to be the first person to see and hold my baby. I joined the Twin Cities chapter of ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) and learned that I was not alone. That other women had traumatic births as well, but they went on to […]
Read More Editor’s Note: This is the last in a 10-part series asking families to share in their own words why they chose home birth. A heartfelt thank you to all the moms, dads, partners, and grandmas who shared. Please explore the rest of the posts (Links here: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9). We end with the voices of sweet Andie Lynn’s parents: Ryan, and Anna. All photos of Anna and Ryan and Andie’s birth journey are by Alisa Blackwood. Ryan: I chose home birth because I wanted an […]
Read More Editor’s note: This is part 9 in a 10-part series asking families to tell us in their own words why they chose home birth. I chose home birth because in 1982 no one could guarantee that I wouldn’t get an episiotomy. Then I became a labor and birth nurse and knew I didn’t need the interventions and had another home birth in 2006. Then I became a CNM and had two more home births because I’m a freak about privacy. Anonymous We chose home birth because when Larry and I were doing our Bradley Class homework during our 2nd pregnancy […]
Read More Editor’s Note: This is part 8 in our series asking families to tell us why they chose home birth. Please read through the other entries on the blog! “…safe to move, vocalize, waiver in my resolve, flounder and succeed” Birthing at home as both an HBAC (home birth after cesarean) and an African American woman allowed me to birth in safety; I was safe from the provider’s fear of being a vaginal birth after cesarean, I was safe from the racism inherent in so much of health care but especially in birth, I was safe to move, vocalize, waiver in […]
Read More Editor’s Note: This is part 7 in a multi-part series asking families to tell us in their own words why they chose home births. “I wanted to know that I could relax, let my body do its job, and be surrounded by caregivers that wouldn’t step in unless they had to.” When deciding which route to go for my birth, we looked into a couple options. The main ones that we investigated were birthing at either HCMC or St Joe’s with the midwives or doing a home birth with the same midwifes who had assisted my partner birth three years earlier. There were a […]
Read More Editor’s Note: This is Part 6 in a multi-part series asking families to share in their own words why they chose home birth. The hilarious way our family chose home birth went like this: Me: “Honey, we’re about 9 weeks pregnant, I think. ‘Ya think we should we get some prenatal care started or something?” Husband: “Do we have to have our baby in a hospital? Can’t we just be home and have our baby right here?” Me: [Furiously Googling “Home birth midwives in Minneapolis”] “Oh my word, there’s like loads of families already birthing humans in homes all over […]
Read More Editor’s Note: This is the third in a multi-part series asking families to tell us in their own words why they chose home birth. (Click for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) “I could not imagine going to either of my previous providers.” My biggest reason for choosing home birth was because I wanted to have more control. I have always been an advocate of natural things: organic food, toiletries without harmful chemicals in them, etc. When it came to birthing, it was no different, except the hospitals just don’t let you, even though they say they will. When […]
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