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Also see Aspiring Appalachian Midwife After the birth of my first child, I knew without a doubt that I had missed my calling. I had searched for a midwife to care for me during a homebirth but the restrictive laws in my state meant there was a homebirth midwife shortage and I could not find one who served my area. So, I had driven over an hour to birth under the care of nurse midwives in a hospital setting. That experience and the compassionate care I received was something I wanted all women to be able to experience. 
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I birthed my 4th baby! I am still surprised as I’m writing this, even almost two months later, that my 4th baby is actually here in my arms. It has taken me a while to feel up to writing out his birth story as the newborn phase has demanded much of my time and brain-space. However, it’s time to record his story as I did for all my children. This one starts with a bit of a scare.   40 weeks & 2 days:
Prodromal labor began and would last all the way until true labor began a week and a day later. I would contract consistently for many hours at a time before they would stop, only to start again a few hours later. These contractions didn't always hurt but were strong enough they weren't easy to ignore. It's important to me to include this time as part of this story because start-and-stop labor is hard. It's very difficult mentally and emotionally. This wasn't a new experience for me, as I had experienced this with my previous pregnancies. But my experience and knowledge doesn't make me immune to the emotional ups and downs of "maybe this is it...no, it's not" or the mental fortitude it takes to remain positive through it. There were many days I texted my doula (and dear friend!) to just tell someone how I felt during this time. I needed to hear "yes, this is hard" or "you're doing great" just as much as any laboring woman does, doula or not. |
