Today is the six week mark of my perfect bundles birth. The six week mark of the most amazing experience I have yet had. My three other births were special too, each with there own meaning. Though on December eighteenth at six-twenty-nine in the morning I became Eos- birth goddess.

When I first found out I was pregnant this time, my husband and I both worried. We had recently removed the maternity rider from our insurance. We planned on putting our baby making to rest. Evidently God had another plan for us. Aware of the rising medical cost we knew birthing with our prior doctors in a hospital would have set us nearly bankrupt. Through internet research we found Terri and Jenny. Until the birth if my third child, I had been blind to the more natural side of pregnancy and birth. This was until I picked up my first issue of Mothering Magazine. For two years, I read each issue from cover to cover, not missing one sentence. So when deciding on having a midwife assist us in with a home birth, nothing seemed better. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought how wonderful this process would be. How upon your first meeting with Terri and Jenny you fall in love. The care with Seven Cities is personalized. Something I hadn’t experienced before with my previous OBGYN. So on with the our birth story:

At the beginning of my third trimester, my husband Tim and I had decided to take Jenny’s Hypno-Beginnings class. Probably one of the better choices we could have made. During our third class we learned only four percent of women actually deliver on her due date. most women deliver within two weeks of her due date. I had been over being pregnant for sometime. I wasn’t sleeping and I was chasing around three little ones daily. Tim was certain I was going to deliver on Thanksgiving, which was three weeks before my actual due date. Thanksgiving came and went no sign of baby. We waited patiently, well kind of patiently for our little girl to make an appearance. I had my last appointment on Tuesday December fifteenth. Terri confirmed that I had dilated and that maybe we would see baby by the end of the weekend. Thursday afternoon contractions started but were not consistent enough to keep track of. I ate a spicy mexican dinner and went for a long walk. By this point the contractions had stopped and I was convinced that I would be visiting Jenny and Terri at the office that coming Tuesday. I wasn’t the four percent that delivers on their due date. I went to bed leaving the hubby downstairs so I could get a sound sleep. 1:15 am I was awoken by dull contractions, five minutes later another and five minutes later another. I called down to Tim. I was scared. Really scared but excited. Finally we were going to meet our baby. Contractions stayed five minutes apart for awhile. I used hypnosis through that first hour. Then I preceded to get into our home bath. I called my mom and we talked for awhile, she took the edge off. It’s funny how comforting a mother can be even when were adults. I decided it was time to get off the phone and to call Jenny when the contractions were lasting over a minute and were three minutes apart. This was at 2:30. We had every intention of birthing in the water but I wouldn’t let Tim leave me long enough to blow and fill up the birth pool. I pretty much leaned over the bath tub holding on to the shower bar until Jenny got there. I think Jenny walked through my bedroom door around 3:45. I was so happy to see her. She checked me and I labored on the birthing ball using hypnosis until Terri arrived. By the time Terri got there I was seven centimeters. I remember pressure and the feeling of having to urinate. After what seemed like an hour or so, I had the urge to push just a little. With that my water started to break. I forgot to add my sweet mother-in-law had arrived. She spent time between our room and downstairs. Terri and Jenny basically let us labor on our own unless we needed them. My husband was great. He kneaded my lower back through each contraction which were slowly getting harder and closer together. Periodically when Tim had to leave the room, Jenny and Terri were there to help through the contractions. Their touch was so light but perfect. Around 5 am my eldest daughter Emma(6) woke, while my mother-in-law passed her room. Instead of wondering why Grandma was walking our halls in the wee hours of the morning, she simply stated “What is that annoying noise?”. My mother-in-law explained mommy was having our baby. It was not in the plans to involve any of the children, though we did find it unnecessary to disturb them while they slept. Shortly after waking, Emma came in our room. She decided she didn’t want to stay and ended up down stairs with Grams. I never really experienced transition, to me labor just seemed to intensify. It all seems so fuzzy now, but around 6 am I got in to bed to start to push. Terri held one leg, Jenny in position to catch. We tried pushing side laying, baby wasn’t coming down. Terri instructed me to get on all fours and to push my bottom into my feet. This was not comfortable. I flipped back onto my side. As I pushed, Jenny pushed away the cervix, with that more water and a huge head. This entire time, my brave 6 year old watched smiling. As I pulled my body into my husbands, I pushed and with that her head was officially born!!! (As I looked down I realized why my labor was so strong, little missy was posterior. Her big noggin was against my spine. ) My body after a few moments instructed me to push again. At 6:29 Aurora Rose was born. All 10 pounds of her! She was beautiful! Tim pulled her up to my chest, she instantly nursed. At this time our 3 year old woke. The often mischievous little girl was brought into our room and was mesmerized by our new addition. Our son, who we tried to wake, had no interest. He had wanted a little boy, LOL. While they checked her and me, Emma became a mini midwife-helping Terri grab supplies. Terri also allowed her to assist in the cutting of the cord. In the first few moments after her birth, I was overcome with love. For my husband, my new daughter, for my other children and for these two women who had only joined our lives nine months before. The days after the birth were wonderful-laying in bed with my family, relaxing. Terri and Jenny, I truly want to thank you for doing what you do. The thought of not seeing you weekly, let alone monthly saddens us. But the experience we shared with you will never be forgotten.

Thank you!

Lots of love,

Tim and Shayna