Katlin S.'s Birth Story of Aliana

 

Aliana was my third child. My husband and I had gone around and around about whether we wanted a natural out of hospital birth. So we finally made an appointment to go see Amy and the birth center and then we would decide. I instantly knew when I walked through the door of the birth center that this was where my baby girl was going to be born.

 

I was having trouble with my blood pressure for a few weeks towards the end of my pregnancy and at my 39 week checkup Amy was really concerned. She didn't want to have to transfer me so late in my pregnancy so she decided she would do a membrane sweep and in hopes that I would go into labor before the other 7 or 8 women that were due before me and still hadn't had their babies.

 

That night I started having contractions and went in the next morning and I wasn't in real labor. Went home to rest so I would ready when it really was time and then my contractions stopped completely. I was very upset. I just wanted to meet my baby girl already. So the day of my due date I went out walking and when I came home my contractions started again. I just went with it.

 

That night I took some benadryl to help me sleep and as my midwife said "if you can sleep through the contractions, you aren't in real labor", but I couldn't get any sleep.

 

The next morning my contractions were coming hard and fast. I got ahold of Amy and told her what was going on so she told us to meet her at the birth center.

She checked me and I hadn't dilated anymore but i was almost fully effaced so she did another sweep and sent me home knowing we would be back very soon. Little did we know it would be sooner than we thought! We made it barely a block away and my contractions picked up and were only 2 mins apart.

 

My husband dropped me off at home and went to take my boys to my mother in laws. Well he barely left when i was pretty sure it was time to go back to the birth center. So I let Amy know and she said come back in and I called my husband and he turned right around.

 

We got to the birth center and when Amy checked me I was completely effaced and 6 cm! We were being admitted! They filled the birth pool up for me and I climbed in right away. I labored for a bit and then Amy suggested going to the bathroom and I had all I could do to get up out of the pool but I did it and a contraction hit me so I held onto my husband until it was over.

 

After I went to the bathroom I climbed back in the pool. It was so quiet. The only sounds in the room were the sounds of a laboring mother. Amy instructed me to moan through my contractions and to push it all down. I believe this helped me a lot because not even an hour later she checked me and I was fully dilated and then my water broke and Amy told me I could push!

 

At this time my mother in law had showed up to get the carseats out of my car and she came in to see me for a minute. She was outside and could hear me scream and when she came back in she didn't know whether to go back out or come in the room.

The pain was so intense but i knew I was moments from meeting my princess. I pushed for less than 7 minutes and my baby girl joined us earth side! Amy placed her on my chest and I was in complete awe. Of course my husbands first remark was "did anyone make sure she was still a girl?" So I checked and she sure was! My mother in law then came in with tears in her eyes. She was happy to be there when Aliana was born.

 

Aliana was born at 12:52pm.on march 3rd. 9lbs 10oz 22in long. I finally had my all natural water birth I had been looking forward too and I wouldn't have it any other way and would do it over and over again! The joy I felt was so great. It was just so peaceful, quick and awesome.

 

My name is Katlin Stokes and this is my birth story.