Kristin + Hunter’s Birth Story

As with many women delivering in the spring of 2020, never in my lifetime did I imagine the world would be dealing with a pandemic. I was fortunate to have an easy pregnancy but the introduction of Coronavirus in February of 2020 brought on a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. There were, and still are, a lot of unknowns and being responsible for the little life inside of me, that was soon to be born, kept me up at night. In addition to the uncertainty, we had to cancel important events like our baby shower and family visiting from the East Coast. This was saddening but there were so many positive things that came out of the pandemic. My husband and I both worked from home the last few months of my pregnancy, allowing us to spend quality time together and strengthen our bond before our little girl was born. We were forced to stay in on the weekends so we were able to finish many house projects and her nursery before her arrival. We stayed healthy, cooking many meals together and going for long evening walks. We also decided that it would be beneficial to have the support of virtual doulas and, after doing research, we decided to reach out to Joyful Roots Doulas. We're so glad we did. Joy and Dara provided us with the loving support we needed, as well as all of the right material and prenatal exercises to educate and inform us so that we could develop our birth plan. Honestly, it was a beautiful time.

My estimated delivery date was June 5th, however, on May 30th, my husband and I decided to go for a two-mile hike. I posted about this hike on social media and an old high school friend reached out and said that she also went on a two-mile hike the last few days of her pregnancy and went into labor within 36 hours. Sure enough, the next day, I started having regular contractions six minutes apart at about 2 pm. For the next few hours, I finished our little girl's mobile which I handmade, I called my mom, and I made a huge pot of vegetable soup to freeze for postpartum meals. At around 9 pm that evening, my contractions were three minutes apart and becoming more intense. I was entering active labor. There wasn't a single worry in my mind as Dara and Joy had prepared us for this moment. The most valuable advice they gave us was about being in the right mindset. I was ready to embrace it. 

My husband texted Joy and Dara to let them know I was in active labor and Dara was on call for us all night. It was our wish to labor at home as long as possible so Dara walked my husband through exercises to help get our baby girl into position. We did some belly sifting and belly lifts in the shower. My wonderful husband was by my side, laying with me on the floor, rubbing my back, and holding my hair back as I threw up. Yes, I threw up many times. During the five hours we labored at home, I felt at peace. I was in tune with my body. I talked to our little girl, letting her know that it was time, and she and I were going to do this together and we were so excited to meet her. At around 2 am, I knew it was time to go to the hospital. Don't ask me how I knew, I just did. Dara confirmed and had my husband load up the car with the hospital bags and ensure the dogsitter was ready. Dara stayed on the phone with my husband for most of the drive to the hospital, preparing him for what to expect and do once we arrived. When we arrived at the hospital, I was already 8 cm dilated. We thought it was going to be just a short time before we met our love. I sat on an exercise ball, swaying back and forth for hours, focused on my breathing, and embracing what my body was made to do. Again, I was so in tune with my body. I loved it. My husband describes me as being in a trance. After hours of Dara's unwavering support and continuing exercises, we learned that our baby was still high up and that my water was not breaking on its own. At that time, the doctor gave us the option to break my water or continue to wait to see if it broke on its own. If they broke it, my surges would become a lot more intense and I would need to be ready to push. We decided to wait for a couple more hours before I decided I had given it my best for a natural birth but I knew that for my health and my baby's health, an epidural was what I needed. Dara agreed that the epidural would allow me to rest for a little while so that I would have the energy to push once the doctor broke my water. I am so glad I made that decision. I rested for about an hour, in and out of sleep, ate some jello, and then was ready to push. For almost two hours, my amazing husband and nurses held my legs and cheered me on as I pushed with everything I had. Our little girl was born at 1:54 pm on June 1st, after 17 hours of active labor and 24 hours of total labor. Words can't describe the emotion that came over me when the nurses laid her on my chest and she looked up at me for the first time. My husband and I looked at each other and cried. It was the happiest day of our lives. My husband got to be so involved with my birth and we're incredibly thankful for that. 

I decided to have my placenta encapsulated which Joy is certified to do. She and my husband were in close communication during the birth and, once I delivered, Joy drove to the hospital within a couple of hours to pick it up. She then dropped the tablets and a sweet little gift off at our house the day we got home. The placenta tablets have really helped me heal during the postpartum process. 

We loved our hospital birthing team, they treated us like royalty. Joy and Dara were like second moms to us. It was a bittersweet day when we had to leave the hospital. I know it may sound a bit odd but I truly loved my labor and delivery. I actually miss the entire experience. Every part of it was so beautiful and I felt so comforted.