I am a 27 year old woman with a B.A. in English (insert Avenue Q song here) who works as an event planner for a zoo. On valentines day, I asked a man out on a date, the next day we went on our first date, which was also my 20th birthday. Four and a half years later we got married and 2 years after that we decided to try for a baby. We didn't have to try at all, because as soon as I went off my birth control I was pregnant. I had an easy pregnancy and was planning a natural birth with midwives at a local birth center.
My mother had a natural home birth with me, and I had never considered that my birth experience would be any different. My husband was on board and very supportive, and I loved the experience with the midwives at the birth center. We took a great birth class and later hired the instructor as our doula. Everything was prepared and I had no worries about my upcoming labor. I was sure that everything would go fine and I would have an easy birth.
That was mostly true, but after twenty-three hours of smooth labor we hit a bump. I had walked, bounced on my exercise ball, relaxed in the jetted tub, walked some more, and was fully dilated and effaced. I pushed and pushed again, but my baby was not coming out, and every time I pushed her heart rate dropped... a lot. My midwives decided we had to transfer to the hospital, because we needed help.
At the hospital it was decided that I needed an emergency c-section, the cord was wrapped around too many times and she just couldn't come out on her own. I was knocked completely out and woke up an hour and a half later. I had a healthy little girl who was 9 lbs and 5 oz with a full head of dark hair.
I don't claim to be a hippie, naturalist, vegan, liberal, or really any label, I just do what I think fits me and my family. I made it my priority to breastfeed and even with a rough start was able to achieve that. I co-sleep, I breastfeed in public (sometimes without a cover, oh my!), I encapsulated my placenta, I wear my baby, I pump, I use cloth diapers, but I also use disposable when I'm feeling lazy. I work, and my husband stays home with the baby. I craft, I scrapbook, I garden, and now.. I blog!
