So I started looking into home birth. I found a business card for a midwife in San Diego. I called her right away and really liked her. I liked what she had to say – everything! I made an appointment to meet her and then had to break the news to my husband. He was great, very open minded about the whole idea and he really liked her too! We wanted to hire her but she would not take anyone until they had a chance to meet and interview with other midwives. She gave us the phone numbers of her two favorite midwives and off we went. We met with one and knew she was not the one for us - very nice but not the right fit. Next, we met Michelle whom I instantly liked and felt very comfortable with. We liked the very first midwife so much too that I just wasn’t sure. I spoke with both of them on the phone several times trying to make a decision but I was still uncertain. I prayed, but did not feel an answer came. Then, I had a dream one night that we were with the first midwife we met but were rushed to the hospital for reasons I did not know. All my family members were trying to convince me not to have a home birth and to have my baby in the hospital like everyone else!

I started seeing a doctor but this didn’t feel right. I considered having both of the midwives I liked so much but that was not going to work. I called Michelle again and made a second appointment to meet with her. When I got there I sat down and said “I want you as my midwife.” I wasn’t planning to say that, I don’t know where it came from it just came out of my mouth! I was so pleased though; I finally had my answer!

Michelle was great the shortest visit I had with her was an hour. My visits were filled with lots of questions I had prepared for that day and lots of answers and information from her. I remember her telling me after an exam that I had a great birthing body. Those words made me feel really good and confident. I was still seeing my doctor up until six months then I just stopped. I had such better care from my midwife that there was no comparison.

Michelle offered these wonderful classes for her clients to help us prepare for birth. My husband and I also took a Bradley class on top of that. I felt so prepared that I was actually excited to experience labor and birth and very excited to become a mommy.

I went into labor on January 22nd at 1:00 in the morning. Contractions were about 5 minutes apart all night long. I didn’t wake my husband though, I let him sleep and I tried to get some rest by listening to a very relaxing birthing tape called Labor of Love. At 7:30 in the morning my mucus plug came out so I called my midwife to let her know. She suggested that I eat, drink and get plenty of sleep and rest and to call her when contractions were longer, stronger and closer together or any time I wanted her.

I sent my husband to work to tie up loose ends. My contractions had slowed to every 15 minutes. I was so excited about labor starting that I was having trouble relaxing, so I talked on the phone all morning to family and friends. My husband came home at lunch to check on me. As he was leaving he said, “Conner Brett if it’s a boy and Morgan Lynn if it’s a girl right?” “Right,” I said. I took a short nap before one of my friends came to see me. She stayed only a few minutes, but I had a couple of strong contractions while she was there.

At about 4:30 pm, full-blown labor started. My contractions were 2 minutes apart. Another friend called to check on me and was timing them over the phone. My husband called while running errands and I told him it was time for him to come home. He came home and got things ready around the house and ate Mexican food while I sat on the toilet the whole time. That’s where I felt the most comfortable.

We timed contractions again. We called the midwife to report in and told her we would call her again. A half hour later, I looked at my husband and said, “get Michelle now, I want her!” She arrived an hour later, and then my doula/Bradley teacher arrived. I remember apologizing for not having time to bake cookies, we just laughed. Suddenly it was just too hard to even talk; this was around 8:00 or 9:00 pm. Oh, how I wished I would have slept the whole day! Labor is hard work and it’s late and I only had an hour of sleep the night before.

We got through the night walking around the house, sitting on the toilet and taking showers. My doula supported me while my husband slept for four hours then I felt I couldn’t do this without him anymore. He was there in front of me just like that! The midwife tried to get me to lie down for a while but I couldn’t, it hurt too much! The showers were great; they really helped me cope. At some point in the night I realized I was completely naked, I was shaking but not from the cold.

Then it was 8:00 am and progress was slow and steady. I started walking up and down the stairs in the back yard with my husband supporting me. Our mothers and my sister arrived at about that time as I was trying to complete my dilation. I felt stuck at 9 cm; the baby was posterior and I was having trouble getting her out. I don’t remember how long we walked the stairs, but all of a sudden something changed. I dropped to the ground into a squatting position and said, “Get Michelle, something has changed.” They brought me inside and finally I was ready to push.

Pushing felt so good, finally I could do something to help. I pushed for what felt like hours (actually 2 hours and 25 minutes)! I started pushing while sitting on a birthing stool my midwife brought with her. Then I wanted to be in the tub, so in the tub I went. I pushed in there for a long time, and then rested, the contractions slowed. My midwife suggested I either stay there and rest and try not to push (yeah, right!), or get out of the tub onto the bed and “get this baby out”. She knew I was tired and wanted to be done.

Tim and Michelle helped me up and Michelle helped us get comfortable on the bed with pillows behind Tim and me lying back on his chest. It was a team effort now. Tim was helping me hold my legs, my mom had my foot and my doula had the other. Video and camera were rolling. With every contraction I pushed and I could feel our baby getting closer and closer. We could see the bag of waters bulging out as my midwife held the mirror for us to see. With one more contraction the bag popped and there was the head showing all wet and wrinkled from being squeezed through a small space. I started breathing really hard and Michelle in her sweet soothing voice said, “Natalie look at me”. I looked up and she smiled and said, “smile.” Smiling as best as I could she said, “You’re going to birth your baby soon.” I really smiled then and continued pushing as hard as I could. I reasoned in my head to breath or I would pass out so I took a deep breath and felt better and kept pushing.

“Easy,” someone said. “Easy, easy, easy,” I kept repeating. I let out a little scream and the baby’s head was born with a cord around the neck. My midwife gently took the cord from around her neck and with the next push and one more scream the baby was out. Relief at last! Michelle placed our baby on my chest and belly and as my husband and I looked and at the same time we said, “It’s a girl.”

“Hello Morgan,” I said, half crying and half ecstatic and completely exhausted. “We have a daughter Tim!” Morgan was born on January 23rd at 12:35 in the afternoon.

The next few hours just flew by as I nursed my new baby girl and experienced the unforgettable feelings of her first suck, her first cry. I was so happy. She lay on my chest for 2 hours. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. During this time I drank and ate and the midwife was checking on us both. Tim took her after me while Michelle got me in the shower, helped me to get dressed, then back to bed. She gave me 6 stitches for the tear I had from the birth.

Tim bathed Morgan and put her in her first diaper and dressed her in the outfit he wore home from the hospital when he was born. Then the three of us snuggled into bed and the midwives went home. What a beautiful and special occasion!