Ariane’s Birth Story

First time mom Ariane shares her empowering birth story, relating how she learned to trust in her body and in the process of birth:

The night I went into labor I remember sitting outside looking up at the trees. The leaves looked different. They sparkled and the wind had a peculiar feel. I remember feeling distinctly like I was leaving the earth and traveling elsewhere with the wind. The conversations around me at dinner felt as if I was watching from another world. I did not feel present. This feeling of otherworldliness led me to go to bed early that evening. 

At 10:30 pm on August 27th, after a long day of trying to naturally induce labor at home, I began having contractions. The cramping I’d had for the last two weeks immediately intensified. I was 41 weeks and two days by this point. And this is important to know because my plan was to have a physiological, unmedicated birth at Andaluz Waterbirth Center and if I reached 42 weeks, it’s state mandated that I go to the hospital for an induction. Which I wanted to avoid, if possible. 

I labored through the night at home. Pacing around the kitchen, losing myself in my breath. Leaning into my breath, relying on it to get me through each wave to the moment of rest that always followed. Around 2 am, I called my midwife Megan and my doula Crystal. They both told me that I had a ways to go. They could tell based on the energy in my voice. While that was a hard thing to hear, I knew I could trust them. So I went back to my breath. Ian made me a hamburger and patiently waited while I rode each wave. 

I began throwing up shortly before Crystal arrived at our house. Time was gone for me at this point and I wanted nothing more than to get to Andaluz and get in the tub. Crystal encouraged me to get off the couch, where I found myself most comfortable, and move my hips. This was challenging. It hurt so much more when I was standing! She put pressure on my low back and said, this is good, you’re making progress. The nearly unbearable feelings were good, and baby was moving. I knew I could trust her, so I remained standing. 

Soon the sun came up and I knew we had to go. Megan was scheduled to meet us at the birth center at 8:30 am. I was howling and bracing myself all the way down Powell on the way to Andaluz. I got to Andaluz and climb in the tub straight away. Instant relief. The warm water felt like safety around my body. Megan asked if she could check my cervix. She did it while I was still in the tub. I was 8 cm dilated. I remember hearing that and being so surprised. I was almost there. How in the world was I already almost there?! It was then that I realized I could truly trust my body, my baby and the dance that was taking place. I could trust the process and I was safe to let my body do what it knew how to do. I could let it take me to my baby. My midwife, doula and Ian were all sitting around the tub, guiding my breath, offering cool cloths and encouraging me. 

I continued to vomit though. As my body began to push, bile would come up each time. I would choke. It came through my nose. It burned. It was distracting me from my faithful breath. It was a menace, but couldn’t stop me. After about 45 mins in the tub, Megan realized I had a cervical lip. She offered assistance on the birth stool outside the tub.

The next hour that followed is a bit of a blur. Ian was sitting behind me, supporting my body, steadying me, encouraging me. Megan was on the floor, assisting my cervix, so baby’s head could emerge. Crystal was catching my puke in a bowl and Carrie was diligently charting while offering me guidance with my breath and empowering verbal support. I had the BEST team in front of me. As baby moved down, I remember thinking “oh boy this pressure might be more than I can take.” And when it felt like I couldn’t make it through, I remembered all the women who had gone before me. The moment that every woman talks about. 

Time and space were no longer relevant. I trusted my body, I surrendered. I listened to my intuition. It guided me. I looked at my midwives and believed I too could do it. One more great big push and he was in my arms. I did it. 

It was magic, it was otherworldly, it was pure bliss. Twelve hours after beginning labor and two hours after arriving at Andaluz, our little boy was here. He lay on my chest while everything else around me was taken care of. We delayed clamping and cutting the umbilical cord. When it was time to cut it, I cut it myself. Megan gave me a tour of my placenta. Showing me the tree of life. She later encapsulated my placenta and I took the pills for the next 12 weeks. They brought us smoothies and made us breakfast. Later in the day, Wylder and I got to take a healing herbal bath together. The afternoon was perfect. And by 5:00 pm, we went home. 

I can’t emphasize enough how important my doula and midwives were in helping make my experience exactly what I’d hoped for. You always hear, “be prepared to not have the birth go how you’d like.” But I’m here to tell you, it is possible. When you’re safe, cared for, empowered, educated. When you’re allowed to make your own choices and those choices are respected. There’s always a chance things may come up that are out of your control, and for the safety of you and baby, you need to shift gears. But I believe the odds of things going your way when you’re set up for success, are much higher. 

If I had been receiving prenatal care at a hospital, they would have tried to induce me at 41 weeks. Just two days before my body naturally went into labor. I can’t imagine how different of an experience it would have been if this had been our route. I can’t emphasize enough how our bodies know. Our bodies know what to do and when to do it. As women, we need to learn to trust our bodies more. 

I feel so extremely grateful to all the women who helped guide me to my baby. I am eternally grateful.