My Births...

I have so enjoyed every pregnancy. I loved the way my body changed. Being pregnant was so sensual and beautiful. My body was made to make babies.... ;)

I've carried and birthed seven babies.

My first, Shaylee, was born in 1992. I was sixteen and gained 75lbs. I loved the Sausage McMuffin with Egg sandwich from McDonald's and white chocolate Baskin Robbin's shakes.... mmmmm. I didn't know much about pregnancy, nutrition or birth. My mother didn't know much about pregnancy, nutrition or birth. I didn't know I could question Western Medicine and I wasn't aware I had choices.
Labor and delivery took 24 1/2 hours. The nurses "checked" me multiple times (super uncomfortable... I remember feeling violated). They hooked me up to all kinds of machines.... automatic blood pressure machine, baby monitors, pulse monitor, etc. They had me laying in the bed.... turning this way, moving me that way. They gave me drugs... petocin to "help" my labor, an epidural and other numbing and relaxing drugs.
When Shay was born, they immediately cut the umbilical cord, did all of the tests, gave her all of her shots, etc. They took her immediately down the hall, away from me, and bathed her.
I remember really wanting to nurse her (without really knowing why I felt that way), but being handed a TON of free formula. The nurses kept saying I should supplement with formula because she wouldn't get enough from my breasts. I ended up nursing her for ten days and then gave into the formula.

My second birth was a "miscarriage." I've never really appreciated or liked that word... "miscarriage." It's always felt as if I was inadequate in some way and wasn't able to give this baby life. I'm okay with it all now and realize there is a much bigger picture.
I was with my ex husband and this was our first pregnancy together. I delivered a little boy in the hospital when I was four months along. Of course, they gave me options after we had an ultrasound and found out the baby's heartbeat was no longer beating. They offered me a DNC (where they would scrape out my uterus), they said I could go home and wait it out, or I could have them induce me with petocin and deliver the baby in the hospital. I wanted to hold my baby and say hello and good-bye, so I chose to deliver him. We named him Dante.

Tiana was born in 1999. She was my third pregnancy. I labored at home as much as possible and then went to the hospital. My water broke at home. They did give me an IV and an epidural in the hospital.... I asked for it. I did eat and drink during the labor (which they don't recommend). The baby was born within two-three hours of our arrival at the hospital.
My Ex was great at taking care of me during my deliveries. He would secretly slip me food, drink and he would disconnect the machines and take them off of me. He stood behind my decisions and helped communicate them to the hospital staff.
After Tiana was born, they weighed her and put antibiotic ointment in her little eyes, gave her the vitamin K shot, and then allowed her to nurse. She did end up in the nursery for a few hours to get warm. I was still learning about birth and what my rights were.
I nursed her for about 5-6 months. I went back to work full time when she was twelve-weeks-old and pumped at work for a bit before it just became too much for me.

My fourth baby was Jayden in 2001. She was born in the same hospital as Tiana, without medication or drugs. I decided I wanted to have this one all natural. I had a different doctor this time and had to argue with her to leave out the IV. We ended up compromising and they put a "cap" in my hand.... an IV that wasn't connected to fluids, but was there "just in case" an emergency happened.
Unfortunately, after I delivered the baby, the doctor put petocin into my IV to help my uterus contract. I wasn't aware of this until I started feeling "weird." They were about to hand Jayden to me and I just felt off. I asked them to wait and looked at my ex for help. The doctor then confessed to hooking me up to the drug.
Looking back at Jayden's birth, it took way to long to get her into my arms after birth. At this point, I didn't know about allowing the placenta to drain before cutting the cord and Jayden did get the vitamin K shot and was weighed at birth.
I nursed Jayden for 2 years. I weened her when I was about half way through my pregnancy with Isaiah.

Isaiah was my fifth pregnancy and birth. I was going to birth him in water in the only hospital in Denver that allowed that. Unfortunately, when I was seven months pregnant, that hospital stopped the water births. I continued with my plan to deliver him in that hospital anyway. At this point, I wasn't really aware of the option to birth at home or just not so sure of it. I did labor at the hospital in the tub, but then was asked to get out when it was time to push. I got out and delivered him on the birthing table. My ex caught him and placed him on my chest. This time we allowed the placenta to drain, no shots, no ointments, no testing, etc. I slept with my baby, comfy and warm.
I nursed Isaiah until he was three.

My sixth birth was Malik and it was amazing! He was born in December of 2006. This time, I decided to have him at our beautiful mountain home, unassisted. That means no prenatal check ups, no doctors involved, and no midwife.... just me, the ex and my crew... and the bathtub. ;) We had an older gentleman, a family friend at the time, there as well.
It had been snowing and we were in Boulder shopping at Vitamin Cottage. I knew I was in labor, so I wanted to go into the small store without the crew. My ex stayed outside and played with the kiddos while I went in to grab a few things. I remember the cashier telling me it looked as if the baby was going to jump out today. I told him he had no idea! I was in labor right now and he would be born tonight. The cashier was a young guy and very kind. He asked if I should be in the hospital right now or if I needed him to call someone. I told him I was on my way home.... up the canyon to Nederland and then ten more minutes outside of Nederland. The drive was a good 40-50 minutes with the snow. I assured him I would be fine and not to worry.
My crew, my ex and I loaded into our old suburban and proceeded up the canyon. Isaiah had to go to the bathroom half way up the canyon, so we pulled over to a restaurant and I walked him in and helped him out. We loaded back up and continued up the windy road. While we were driving up the canyon, my contractions became more intense and everyone would pause as I worked my way through them. Then, action as normal until the next one came. ;)
We stopped at ACE Hardware in Ned to pick up something for the suburban and then went on our way.
The road leading to our home, at the time, was bumpy and all dirt. No worries, we made it. There was snow on the ground, too, that helped cushion the drive.
We had this really steep driveway that we were only able to get up about half the time. The rest of the time, we would have to hike up it. I remember wondering how I was going to hike up the driveway when I was in pretty good labor.
For the first time ever, one of our neighbors was feeling super kind and plowed the driveway! What a blessing. So we drove right up with no problems.
I jumped in the tub and my little Isaiah (3 at the time) jumped right in with me. He wanted to play Rescue Heroes. So in between contractions, we played. During contractions, he would mimic me.... he would make noises and bend over as if he were having a contraction. ;) When he was done playing, he jumped out and went on. He left one of his action figures in the tub and that is what I concentrated on during my labor/delivery. The baby was born about 3-4 hours after we got home... about 9:30pm.
Malik was born in the water. My ex caught him and laid him on my chest. He then helped me out of the tub and we went to the family bed. The kids all gathered around and wanted to hold the newest addition.
When the cord ran clear, Shaylee cut it and tied it up with hemp string. Then, they passed the Malik around.... from one sibling to the next. After they finished holding him, one by one the kiddos fell asleep. It was soooo beautiful.
Four hours had passed and we realized the placenta still had not released. Time flies in moments like that. No worries, I had remembered something I read in an old homebirth book. There was a great, native south american way to release a retained placenta..... get on your knees and blow into something like a beer bottle. It said the placenta would release within a minute.
That's what I did... and that's what happened! We just started laughing and celebrating!
Oh, and this time, I had researched the placenta. What an incredible organ. Most animals ingest the placenta after birth. I wasn't so sure I could eat it, but I wanted it to nourish my body. So my ex, took the placenta and cooked it on a low heat. He then placed it into pills for me to take. I have to say my recovery was even better this time and I give credit to the placenta (and my ex) for that!
What a great, non-invasive, gentle way for birth to happen.
I nursed Malik until he was two.

Keenan was my seventh and last baby. He was born in April of 2009. This pregnancy was very different than my last ones. I was pregnant during and after my divorce. My ex did not father this one. Keenan's father was living on the east coast and wasn't going to be a part of this pregnancy or delivery.... or Keenan's life really.
I was mostly alone with the kids and this pregnancy. My ex and I "dated" for a small amount of time during this pregnancy (which was awkward). My ex would come to my home to watch the kids every other weekend and I would leave and come back on Sunday.... I know, that's kinda awkward, too. ;) It worked for us at the time.
My plan was to birth at home again. I didn't have prenatal visits or check ups and was just going to do this one on my own.
Unfortunately, the weekend I went into labor was a weekend my ex decided to introduce my other children to a woman he had been dating for a week. This was my kiddos first experience with dad having a new girlfriend. They spent every day with her... swimming, eating out, going to the parks. At night, he would take my kids back to my house (without the girlfriend) to sleep. Then, up again and another day with his new girlfriend.
As I was in labor, I remember thinking I wanted to be okay with this. I had to know we were both going to move on and our kids were going to be exposed to other "friends."
I struggled with this throughout the weekend, but said nothing to him and nothing negative to my kiddos.
I lost it on Sunday night when one of my kids told me on the phone that they were spending the night in a hotel with this woman. Ya know, that was a little much. I asked him to spend nights in the hotel with this woman on the weekends he didn't have to watch the kids. He put up a small argument/fight until I advised him to take the kids to my home, where they were comfortable and safe in their own environment, or I would drive to the hotel (in labor) and pick them up. He took them home.
Needless to say, my labor completely stopped. I had been in full, timed, contractions... and it completely stopped. This was new for me. I had never had any emotions like that during labor and I had never experienced my labor stopping.
At that point, I decided my emotional health wasn't going to allow me to safely birth this baby at home.... so I decided to pick a hospital.
Keenan was born three weeks later, in a hospital, in the tub, with the most amazing "random" midwives. Shaylee caught him as I birthed him in the jacuzzi tub. My dad cut his umbilical cord and I gave Keenan the middle name of Stephen, after my father. Shaylee even picked out the name, Keenan.
No tests, no shots, and I signed papers so we could leave the hospital earlier than they wanted to let us go.
Keenan only nursed until he was about 10 months old. He was super hungry and I felt as if I couldn't keep up with him... so I couldn't. I tried everything to increase my milk supply... mother's milk tea, drinking more liquids, praying, etc. Looking back, that time of my life was a huge transition... getting divorced, learning how to be a single mama, learning how to be a pregnant single mama, financial challenges. I'm thinking stress played a role in my milk supply.
So, initially I made my own formula for him from recipes I found on-line and knowledge I had from working in the natural foods industry for 7ish years. Some of the ingredients I remember are spirulina, black strap molasses, propolis, dha, a natural iron, a natural cal-mag, probiotics, hmmmm.... I'm sure there is more, but I don't recall. That worked for a bit, but then I was talked into giving him a commercial formula. I'm just grateful for his health now and back then. He has an allergy to corn... it affects his stomach and his head. It was tricky finding a way to nourish him. He's super healthy now with a beautiful personality!

I so enjoyed my pregnancies and now I am so enjoying being a mother. I love watching my kids, guiding them, interacting with them, and loving them.... I love loving them.

So blessed and have learned so much.... and I just keep learning. ;)