Roots & Wings Birth Stories
Brettnay + Simeon
My due date was May 8th, Mother’s Day. If I wasn’t going to have baby early, then I definitely wanted her on Mother’s Day. How perfect would that be?! Well, Mother’s Day came and went. As did the next day, and the next day. The days drug on. Every day I woke up thinking “This is the day! It’s got to be today.” I’d spend the day walking, bouncing on my birth ball, eating pineapple, and a dozen other tricks only to go to bed crying that another day had passed and still no baby. I had been 6 cm dilated and 90% effaced for at least 2 weeks. I had received 2 membrane sweeps that did nothing. These were such difficult days for me. I battled discouragement. I prayed, but felt like God wasn’t listening. I was so uncomfortable and sleep was a struggle. In my heart, I knew God’s timing was perfect, but my mind doubted and questioned.
It was Monday, May 16th- 8 days after my due date. I had an appointment with my midwives, and we talked through our options. I knew that they could not deliver at home after the 42 week mark, and I felt the clock was ticking with no labor in sight. They told me that they could break my water, and that it would definitely get labor started. That was not at all how I saw this birth going. I wanted the spontaneous surprise of labor starting, but I was tired. We were ready to meet our precious baby!
Simeon and I spent the next few hours praying through the decision, and we felt at peace with having my midwife break my water. We notified our birth team, and things were in place. Everyone would arrive around 7pm that evening. There was a good chance that it would take a bit for labor to get started. I thought that starting at 7 in the evening would give plenty of time for our younger two to be fast asleep before baby’s arrival. We had a friend lined up to come and watch them, but since we thought baby would arrive in the middle of the night, we saw no reason to have someone there.
My doula was the first to arrive. This in and of itself was a God-thing. I hadn’t planned to have a doula this time. I had one with Ivy (and she was incredible!), but Ivy came so quickly that my doula made it about 10 minutes before she was born. We figured this birth would probably go quickly too, so we chose not to invest in a doula. Two days before Willow’s birth, a dear friend responded to a photo I’d posted on social media. She told me that she was finishing up her certification to be a doula, and offered to be a part of my birth team if I wanted. We chatted on the phone for a while, and decided that God was orchestrating her joining in. Fast forward to Monday, I called her that afternoon and asked if she was available that evening. She has 6 kids of her own and lives and hour away, but she was able to clear her schedule and come! We had a sweet moment of prayer before the midwives arrived.
Around 5pm, I had started having mild contractions. We were unsure if it was the beginning of labor though because my body had been doing that for the past two weeks, then contractions would stop. I had my midwives check me before they broke my water. She said I was not in active labor. She broke my water at 7:16pm. She asked me if I could go take a walk to see if that would get things moving along. I barely made it down our hallway before the first contraction hit full force! I did make it onto our front porch, and I believe I walked the length of it maybe twice. Contractions were coming every few minutes. We went back into my bedroom, and maybe 15-20 minutes later, my body started pushing.
Ivy was asleep in her bedroom, but Knox was still up. We had expected things to go fast, but not that fast! We put on a movie for him to watch, and Eden came back to our room. Labor was so intense. It is amazing what the female body can do! I was surrounded by people who loved me and were cheering me on. There were my 3 midwives, Simeon, Eden, Simeon’s mom, my doula, and my photographer friend. Baby started to crown, and there was a beautiful moment in between contractions where I looked up at Eden, got her attention, and with the biggest smile I said, “Eden, baby’s almost out!” She got the cutest little smile. It was so precious having her be a part.
I had wanted to be the one to catch baby, but as the moment got closer, I felt too shaky and weak to do it. I did get to feel baby’s head as she came out, but Simeon was the one to catch her. He got her and handed her through my legs up to my chest. Oh, there’s nothing in the world like that moment!! She was born at 8:17pm which was exactly 1 hour and 1 minute after my water breaking!
I held her for a few minutes, then pulled her back to see the gender. I looked at Sim and said, “It’s a girl! It’s another little girl!” We had Knox come back to meet his little sister. I thought he might be disappointed because he really wanted a brother, but his smile hasn’t faded since telling him that he had another baby sister. Each one of us have been completely smitten with our Willow.
We could not be more thankful for Willow and for the opportunity to raise another child for the Lord. Her birth was such a beautiful experience for our entire family. I will treasure the memories for the rest of my life!
It was Monday, May 16th- 8 days after my due date. I had an appointment with my midwives, and we talked through our options. I knew that they could not deliver at home after the 42 week mark, and I felt the clock was ticking with no labor in sight. They told me that they could break my water, and that it would definitely get labor started. That was not at all how I saw this birth going. I wanted the spontaneous surprise of labor starting, but I was tired. We were ready to meet our precious baby!
Simeon and I spent the next few hours praying through the decision, and we felt at peace with having my midwife break my water. We notified our birth team, and things were in place. Everyone would arrive around 7pm that evening. There was a good chance that it would take a bit for labor to get started. I thought that starting at 7 in the evening would give plenty of time for our younger two to be fast asleep before baby’s arrival. We had a friend lined up to come and watch them, but since we thought baby would arrive in the middle of the night, we saw no reason to have someone there.
My doula was the first to arrive. This in and of itself was a God-thing. I hadn’t planned to have a doula this time. I had one with Ivy (and she was incredible!), but Ivy came so quickly that my doula made it about 10 minutes before she was born. We figured this birth would probably go quickly too, so we chose not to invest in a doula. Two days before Willow’s birth, a dear friend responded to a photo I’d posted on social media. She told me that she was finishing up her certification to be a doula, and offered to be a part of my birth team if I wanted. We chatted on the phone for a while, and decided that God was orchestrating her joining in. Fast forward to Monday, I called her that afternoon and asked if she was available that evening. She has 6 kids of her own and lives and hour away, but she was able to clear her schedule and come! We had a sweet moment of prayer before the midwives arrived.
Around 5pm, I had started having mild contractions. We were unsure if it was the beginning of labor though because my body had been doing that for the past two weeks, then contractions would stop. I had my midwives check me before they broke my water. She said I was not in active labor. She broke my water at 7:16pm. She asked me if I could go take a walk to see if that would get things moving along. I barely made it down our hallway before the first contraction hit full force! I did make it onto our front porch, and I believe I walked the length of it maybe twice. Contractions were coming every few minutes. We went back into my bedroom, and maybe 15-20 minutes later, my body started pushing.
Ivy was asleep in her bedroom, but Knox was still up. We had expected things to go fast, but not that fast! We put on a movie for him to watch, and Eden came back to our room. Labor was so intense. It is amazing what the female body can do! I was surrounded by people who loved me and were cheering me on. There were my 3 midwives, Simeon, Eden, Simeon’s mom, my doula, and my photographer friend. Baby started to crown, and there was a beautiful moment in between contractions where I looked up at Eden, got her attention, and with the biggest smile I said, “Eden, baby’s almost out!” She got the cutest little smile. It was so precious having her be a part.
I had wanted to be the one to catch baby, but as the moment got closer, I felt too shaky and weak to do it. I did get to feel baby’s head as she came out, but Simeon was the one to catch her. He got her and handed her through my legs up to my chest. Oh, there’s nothing in the world like that moment!! She was born at 8:17pm which was exactly 1 hour and 1 minute after my water breaking!
I held her for a few minutes, then pulled her back to see the gender. I looked at Sim and said, “It’s a girl! It’s another little girl!” We had Knox come back to meet his little sister. I thought he might be disappointed because he really wanted a brother, but his smile hasn’t faded since telling him that he had another baby sister. Each one of us have been completely smitten with our Willow.
We could not be more thankful for Willow and for the opportunity to raise another child for the Lord. Her birth was such a beautiful experience for our entire family. I will treasure the memories for the rest of my life!
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Sarah + Ben
It all started at my best friends weddings. We had joked that I was going to go into labor during the wedding which did not happen but when I was at the reception I started to get contractions that were uncomfortable 5 minutes apart. I was thinking no way this could actually happen.😂😅
We left the wedding early and went home.
I started cleaning the house in case I was actually going into labor. I cleaned the house until midnight getting contractions as close to 2-3 minutes apart but it was sporadic and not super strong. I finally decided to go to bed and just try to sleep. I finally managed to go to sleep and when I woke up they were gone like nothing ever happened.
A week later I had an appointment with my midwife and i told her I had experienced prodromal labor but it went away and I had no labor signs since then. No mucus plug nothing lol.
The next day I had an extremely busy schedule and was gone all day. That evening around 8 O’clock I started having contractions and they started at 5 minutes apart and very uncomfortable.
I was just thinking another night of prodromal labor lol. I was in complete denial.
I put my toddler to sleep and it was so hard just laying in bed waiting for him to fall asleep.
At 10 pm I went to the bathroom and had my bloody show and was dripping blood. That’s when I told my husband that I was in labor. But that it could still be a long time before baby was born.
I got up and started cleaning the house and told my husband if he wanted any sleep tonight he better go to bed in case this is real even though I was still halfway in denial.
I cleaned the house mopping all the floors and doing laundry and random stuff I thought HAD to be done till 1 am.😅
I knew my midwives were 2 hours away and I was supposed to call them when contractions were around 4 minutes apart. So I started timing them around midnight and they were 2-3 minutes apart. I remember thinking oh they are way too close to not be crazy strong so that means this is just prodromal so I just dismissed it and didn’t call.🙈
At 1:06 my water broke and I was sooo excited!!! I knew then it was the real deal but it still didn’t feel that strong. My sister called me and I was laughing and talking on the phone while she kept trying to convince me to call the midwives and I kept saying I was still in early labor.🤣
I called my doula and told her I would want her soon but I was still doing ok so no rush.
About 1:30 all of the sudden things shifted and it got real FAST. I got in the shower and yelled at my husband to get up and help me.
He jumped up and saw that he needed to call the midwife ASAP!😆
He called her and she asked to talk to me and I said one or 2 words and had a contraction and threw the phone on speaker on the floor and she didn’t even wait for the contraction to finish and said she was on her way!
I was tired of the shower and hot so I got out and my doula arrived shortly after and started doing hip squeezes for me which was the BEST!
The first midwife got there about 3:15 and then my midwife arrived around 3:46.
I was feeling like I was pushing during contractions but I thought it was impossible since I had only felt like I had been in active labor for a couple of hours.
I had convinced myself I was going to have a long labor lol.
I was afraid I was going to swell my cervix up pushing too early so I asked my midwife to check me.
I told her NOT to tell me if I was only 3 centimeters dilated.😂
I was leaned over the couch and she just barely felt and told me that my baby’s head was right there and to just follow my body’s lead. I was so thrilled and pushing felt like a relief to have something to do.
The only part I didn’t like about pushing was the babies head crowning I wanted that to be over.😬
Once I felt the babies head though I was sooooo happy! I knew my dream was coming true and I was going to have this baby at home. 😍
I was able to reach down and feel as the baby was coming out and then I actually got to catch my own baby!😍😍
She was born at 4:06 am.
8pounds 10ounces.
I was sooo excited and I am still thankful everyday I was able to have the home birth of my dreams with roots and wings midwifery.💗
We left the wedding early and went home.
I started cleaning the house in case I was actually going into labor. I cleaned the house until midnight getting contractions as close to 2-3 minutes apart but it was sporadic and not super strong. I finally decided to go to bed and just try to sleep. I finally managed to go to sleep and when I woke up they were gone like nothing ever happened.
A week later I had an appointment with my midwife and i told her I had experienced prodromal labor but it went away and I had no labor signs since then. No mucus plug nothing lol.
The next day I had an extremely busy schedule and was gone all day. That evening around 8 O’clock I started having contractions and they started at 5 minutes apart and very uncomfortable.
I was just thinking another night of prodromal labor lol. I was in complete denial.
I put my toddler to sleep and it was so hard just laying in bed waiting for him to fall asleep.
At 10 pm I went to the bathroom and had my bloody show and was dripping blood. That’s when I told my husband that I was in labor. But that it could still be a long time before baby was born.
I got up and started cleaning the house and told my husband if he wanted any sleep tonight he better go to bed in case this is real even though I was still halfway in denial.
I cleaned the house mopping all the floors and doing laundry and random stuff I thought HAD to be done till 1 am.😅
I knew my midwives were 2 hours away and I was supposed to call them when contractions were around 4 minutes apart. So I started timing them around midnight and they were 2-3 minutes apart. I remember thinking oh they are way too close to not be crazy strong so that means this is just prodromal so I just dismissed it and didn’t call.🙈
At 1:06 my water broke and I was sooo excited!!! I knew then it was the real deal but it still didn’t feel that strong. My sister called me and I was laughing and talking on the phone while she kept trying to convince me to call the midwives and I kept saying I was still in early labor.🤣
I called my doula and told her I would want her soon but I was still doing ok so no rush.
About 1:30 all of the sudden things shifted and it got real FAST. I got in the shower and yelled at my husband to get up and help me.
He jumped up and saw that he needed to call the midwife ASAP!😆
He called her and she asked to talk to me and I said one or 2 words and had a contraction and threw the phone on speaker on the floor and she didn’t even wait for the contraction to finish and said she was on her way!
I was tired of the shower and hot so I got out and my doula arrived shortly after and started doing hip squeezes for me which was the BEST!
The first midwife got there about 3:15 and then my midwife arrived around 3:46.
I was feeling like I was pushing during contractions but I thought it was impossible since I had only felt like I had been in active labor for a couple of hours.
I had convinced myself I was going to have a long labor lol.
I was afraid I was going to swell my cervix up pushing too early so I asked my midwife to check me.
I told her NOT to tell me if I was only 3 centimeters dilated.😂
I was leaned over the couch and she just barely felt and told me that my baby’s head was right there and to just follow my body’s lead. I was so thrilled and pushing felt like a relief to have something to do.
The only part I didn’t like about pushing was the babies head crowning I wanted that to be over.😬
Once I felt the babies head though I was sooooo happy! I knew my dream was coming true and I was going to have this baby at home. 😍
I was able to reach down and feel as the baby was coming out and then I actually got to catch my own baby!😍😍
She was born at 4:06 am.
8pounds 10ounces.
I was sooo excited and I am still thankful everyday I was able to have the home birth of my dreams with roots and wings midwifery.💗
Madison + David
I was so ready to have the baby. I knew it would happen in the next day or two. That morning I had a few contractions. Very irregular, only lasting like 20 seconds and no pain whatsoever. I took a solid 3 hour nap that morning! After that, I didn’t experience any more contractions the rest of the afternoon.
Around 8:30pm my husband and I had sex (which is very important to the story!) Fast forward to 10pm: a few odd cramps (maybe contractions) that didn’t last long again and weren’t painful at all. I text my friends and said, “Maybe labor will start tomorrow! I'm going to sleep.” (My husband had 1 request, that I wouldn’t go into labor overnight, so we could get some rest first)
10:40pm: first hard contraction hit and took me to the floor next to the bed. I clearly wasn’t going to sleep. I saw a little bloody show on the bed. I woke my husband and told him I thought this was the real thing. He started timing. After 3 contractions the app said go to the hospital (jokes on them!)
Contractions were immediately 3 minutes apart, lasting 1 min each. We called our friends who just had their baby cause we didn’t expect it to happen this hard or this fast. They said call the midwives. Our first call to them was at 11pm.
Kyndall gave a suggestion of timing for around an hour to see how they were. As first time parents we weren’t sure if the sex just sparked a serge that would die down and not progress and we didn’t want the midwives to come if it was just false labor.
I turned on my Christian hypnobirthing app to focus on my breathing and keep me grounded and calm. My husband called my mom to come over. 11:30pm I said he needs to call the midwives. He said let’s keep waiting till we get to an hour like they asked. 11:40 I demanded he call, and now they are on their way!!
I labored in the living room on the birth ball for most of it at this point with walking around in between contractions. My husband was great about making sure I stayed active and stood up and moved after each contraction, as well as drank water and ate when I could stomach it. There wasn’t much time to eat between contractions as they were already only 2 minutes apart.
We went outside for a few minutes so I could cool down and labor on the front stairs. I rotated between being so cold and extremely hot, sometimes from one contraction to the next. Then he began counter pressure which was amazing!
Kyndall got there first, then Aly and Rebekah at 12:30am.
Rebekah asked if I was interested in being checked at around 12:45am. I said yes and we moved to the bedroom so I could lay down for a check. I was 5 cm dilated and 90% effaced, and she could feel my waters were still intact.
Around 8:30pm my husband and I had sex (which is very important to the story!) Fast forward to 10pm: a few odd cramps (maybe contractions) that didn’t last long again and weren’t painful at all. I text my friends and said, “Maybe labor will start tomorrow! I'm going to sleep.” (My husband had 1 request, that I wouldn’t go into labor overnight, so we could get some rest first)
10:40pm: first hard contraction hit and took me to the floor next to the bed. I clearly wasn’t going to sleep. I saw a little bloody show on the bed. I woke my husband and told him I thought this was the real thing. He started timing. After 3 contractions the app said go to the hospital (jokes on them!)
Contractions were immediately 3 minutes apart, lasting 1 min each. We called our friends who just had their baby cause we didn’t expect it to happen this hard or this fast. They said call the midwives. Our first call to them was at 11pm.
Kyndall gave a suggestion of timing for around an hour to see how they were. As first time parents we weren’t sure if the sex just sparked a serge that would die down and not progress and we didn’t want the midwives to come if it was just false labor.
I turned on my Christian hypnobirthing app to focus on my breathing and keep me grounded and calm. My husband called my mom to come over. 11:30pm I said he needs to call the midwives. He said let’s keep waiting till we get to an hour like they asked. 11:40 I demanded he call, and now they are on their way!!
I labored in the living room on the birth ball for most of it at this point with walking around in between contractions. My husband was great about making sure I stayed active and stood up and moved after each contraction, as well as drank water and ate when I could stomach it. There wasn’t much time to eat between contractions as they were already only 2 minutes apart.
We went outside for a few minutes so I could cool down and labor on the front stairs. I rotated between being so cold and extremely hot, sometimes from one contraction to the next. Then he began counter pressure which was amazing!
Kyndall got there first, then Aly and Rebekah at 12:30am.
Rebekah asked if I was interested in being checked at around 12:45am. I said yes and we moved to the bedroom so I could lay down for a check. I was 5 cm dilated and 90% effaced, and she could feel my waters were still intact.
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Labor gets more intense. At this point my eyes stayed closed for most of the labor. My husband coached me through breathing. Focusing on deep low tones pushing my voice down. When I would not be focused and my voice would raise he was great about calmly explaining how to change my tone and even moaned with me so I could hear the difference.
Around 1:45am they were so intense (going through transition), but I needed to pee. My husband’s job: make me drink, eat and pee every hour and help me through labor and contractions. He basically carried me to the bathroom while they were filling the birth tub in the bedroom. I mentioned several times at this point that it felt like my butthole was going to explode! I sat down, peed then felt my body pushing. I verbally said “umm I think I need to push”. Kyndall comes around the corner and in the softest, sweetest toned voice says, “Ok then push!” |
My husband helps me up, and walks me out to the bedroom. He said he couldn’t hold me up because he was tired so he said whatever I do, don’t go down to my knees like I had been. Then the hardest contraction hits and takes me to one knee! Then when he helped stand me up, Rebekah, who was like a clairvoyant, said “someone needs to put a pee pad under her”. Literally right after that I heard a loud pop and my water broke all over my husband’s leg and on the pee pad!
It’s now 2am and I get in the birth tub. I started pushing but nothing intense. The tub felt relaxing and warm. It took pressure off me so I could rest more. I was kind of on hands and knees draped over the side of the tub. Kyndall was checking baby heart rate every other contraction or so. She suggested I turn over onto my side for a few contractions. Baby heart rate increased too high then would drop too low for her comfort. She explained what was going on and asked that I get out of the tub for the safety of the baby. I wanted a water birth but knew and trusted the midwives more, so after another contraction, they helped me out of the birth tub.
It’s now 2am and I get in the birth tub. I started pushing but nothing intense. The tub felt relaxing and warm. It took pressure off me so I could rest more. I was kind of on hands and knees draped over the side of the tub. Kyndall was checking baby heart rate every other contraction or so. She suggested I turn over onto my side for a few contractions. Baby heart rate increased too high then would drop too low for her comfort. She explained what was going on and asked that I get out of the tub for the safety of the baby. I wanted a water birth but knew and trusted the midwives more, so after another contraction, they helped me out of the birth tub.
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It’s now 2:45am when they helped me into my bed. First I labored for a few on my hands and knees but I was so tired. My pushes weren’t very substantial at this point. They were intense but not strong or hard on my part. Like I wasn’t really pushing well or with any real effort because I was so tired. They asked if I would like to switch to laying on my side at around 3am. I started with the left side, pushed there for around 15 minutes then switched to my right. My husband held my legs. And they encouraged me to really bear down with each contraction. This is when they got really hard and more painful. |
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I was so tired that I would push for part of each one then just stop. She encouraged me to keep pushing through the whole thing. A few pushes like that and I felt the ring of fire burning. It was so intense I can’t even describe the feeling. Then with a few bear down through it pushes I felt her head come through. I opened my eyes and saw her head. Kyndall asked if I wanted to catch my baby! I said yes so she guided my hands to where I needed to hold. Then she coached me through the next contraction with soft small gentle pushes and Lorelai was born at 3:33am in the comfort of our bed in our home.
I brought her to the middle of my stomach. I tried to pull her up closer then felt this pull at my vagina. They said wait to pull her up because the umbilical cord was so short, but I was about to deliver my placenta. A few minutes after she was born, I birthed her placenta and they placed it next to me.
Lorelai latched onto my right breast almost immediately. We bonded in bliss for around an hour after birth with my husband laying next to us in bed. Then my husband came to the other side of the bed and cut the umbilical cord. Rebekah took the placenta to clean and prepare it for my encapsulation! She then gave us a tour of it which was so cool. She showed us this really cool spot where the original egg’s yolk sac was created that you don’t always get to see in placentas but ours was perfectly round and visible.
Then it was time for Aly to weigh and measure her as well as conduct the newborn exams. Lorelai was 5lbs 12oz, 19 inches long!
Then it was time for Aly to weigh and measure her as well as conduct the newborn exams. Lorelai was 5lbs 12oz, 19 inches long!
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Kyndall helped me to the bathroom to pee and help show me how to clean myself. While doing that, Rebekah and Aly cleaned up the bed and prepared it for me to come back. After that they inspected where I might need stitches. I did not tear my perineum thankfully! I did have some labial tearing so Rebekah went and stitched me up.
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Lorelai came back to me and I snuggled her! I held her while Aly administered the vitamin K shot in her thigh then my mom held her.
The midwives packed up all their gear and sat down with us and talked about postpartum care, and went over a form with us about how I should be healing, and when or who to call if certain scenarios occurred. They also left us the paper because they knew we were tired and wouldn’t remember everything!
Everyone was gone by 5:30am and it left Lorelai, my husband, my mom and I home peacefully to sleep.
Labor was around 4 ½ hours total with around an hour and a half of it pushing. Labor came on fast and strong but I’m so proud of my body for doing exactly what it was designed to do. Rebekah, Aly and Kyndall were incredible and I’m super thankful for their support during my delivery.
My husband will say that his part was minimal compared to what I went through, but I truly believe he worked just as hard as I did supporting me, loving me, coaching me and caring for me throughout my entire fast paced labor.
My mom was such a rockstar for helping comfort me during labor but more importantly her role after delivery staying up with Lorelai so my husband and I could get sleep! (Seeing as how I did not follow my husband's wish of not being in labor overnight lol). After I fed her for the second time, my mom took her to the living room and held her and rocked her and my husband and I slept so soundly.
My goal throughout this pregnancy was a home birth. I am so proud of myself for accomplishing that. Whether you had the birth of your dreams, or an outcome that was different than you planned: whether it was vaginal, medicated, unmedicated, home birth, hospital birth, planned c-section, emergency c-section, no interventions, all the interventions. No matter which category you fall under, you are a strong mama. You birthed your baby. You did the work and you should take all the credit. Because you brought your baby into this world and you should be so proud of yourself.
The midwives packed up all their gear and sat down with us and talked about postpartum care, and went over a form with us about how I should be healing, and when or who to call if certain scenarios occurred. They also left us the paper because they knew we were tired and wouldn’t remember everything!
Everyone was gone by 5:30am and it left Lorelai, my husband, my mom and I home peacefully to sleep.
Labor was around 4 ½ hours total with around an hour and a half of it pushing. Labor came on fast and strong but I’m so proud of my body for doing exactly what it was designed to do. Rebekah, Aly and Kyndall were incredible and I’m super thankful for their support during my delivery.
My husband will say that his part was minimal compared to what I went through, but I truly believe he worked just as hard as I did supporting me, loving me, coaching me and caring for me throughout my entire fast paced labor.
My mom was such a rockstar for helping comfort me during labor but more importantly her role after delivery staying up with Lorelai so my husband and I could get sleep! (Seeing as how I did not follow my husband's wish of not being in labor overnight lol). After I fed her for the second time, my mom took her to the living room and held her and rocked her and my husband and I slept so soundly.
My goal throughout this pregnancy was a home birth. I am so proud of myself for accomplishing that. Whether you had the birth of your dreams, or an outcome that was different than you planned: whether it was vaginal, medicated, unmedicated, home birth, hospital birth, planned c-section, emergency c-section, no interventions, all the interventions. No matter which category you fall under, you are a strong mama. You birthed your baby. You did the work and you should take all the credit. Because you brought your baby into this world and you should be so proud of yourself.
Kaitlyn + Kameron
I started my journey with Roots And Wings later in my second pregnancy.
Even thought I was starting later in my pregnancy I am still grateful for the short time I got to spend with them. They helped me so much, educated me on my choices and helped me make the best choices for my family and myself. These women are incredible and without their assistance, I would not have the most beautiful second birth story to tell.
My first birth did not go anyway like I thought it would. I know we are supposed to keep an open mind because anything can happen, but I was definitely not prepared nor did my care providers listen to me when I was telling them how I was feeling, nor did they teach me anything about what I was going through. I did not know that I had choices. (I didn’t even realize how bad my birth had been until I went back for a follow up and they explained everything to me then.) halfway through my second pregnancy dealing with my care providers I was so defeated. Then I reached out to Roots and Wings, and the rest was history.
I had contacted her just looking for advice seeing if a homebirth would even be an option for me. She was so reassuring and told me definitely I sounded like I would make a great candidate and even though at the time her calendar was full, she was still happy to talk to me and give me encouraging words and resources. A few days later she reached out to me saying that she ended up having an opening, by the grace of God! I really do think it was meant to be, and everything after that just fell into place. They gave me wonderful advice on how to maintain my sugar and why I should pay attention to that. They were so supportive and included my first child and other family members in the whole process. Even though out time was short I am so thankful for everything you ladies did for Me.
My second birth story:
I have been contracting for a few days on and off and when I woke up on December 31 at 3:30am with contractions I knew it was time. I let my husband sleep, because I wasn’t sure how long this journey would be. So I was walking around I made some breakfast, packed a bag for my first child to spend the day with a grandparent, trying to keep myself busy and walk through the contractions. It wasn’t long before they started picking up, I had called my mom and told her this was the day! And when things picked up I was going to call the midwives. Well, it was 530 and I knew I needed to call them. Things were happening a lot faster than I thought they would. So I called Kyndall and Rebekah and they got back to me as soon as they could, I talked to Kyndall on the phone she told me she was on her way and will be there as soon as possible. And she told me if I felt a lot of pressure I need to lay down on my side, so I was on the phone on and off with my mom woke up my husband and told him I didn’t wanna be alone anymore. He was trying to be so helpful… But he ended up walking with me around our cul-de-sac in my nightgown and house shoes (on dec 31) because I could not sit still! I had to move… 7 AM rolls around and I follow her instructions and go lay down, I know big things are happening. I can no longer think straight and I just have to focus on my breathing and repeat my affirmations. Shortly after I had lay down the midwives arrived and were there to help me! Kyndall was checking me out while their student applied counter pressure to help me work through the next contraction, they asked me if I wanted to get in the hot shower (I initially wanted to try for a water birth but we knew we would not have time for that) Hot water was a great relief, and I was in there for a little while (definitely going through transition) then they asked if I wanted to get out of the shower because it may be a little bit difficult to get out once baby comes out. I nodded because that’s all I could do at that point and as I tried to stand up I knew I was not going anywhere. I felt the SUDDEN urge to push, and all I remember saying is “someone Has to catch him!“ My poor husband he was such a good sport, he was holding me and reassuring me and giving me the support I needed, poor guy! He scooted over so the midwives could jump in the shower and catch the baby! ((Around 8AM) Not two pushes and he was out! What a rush! Just like that. He was here! And I did it! And without the support of the midwives and my family I know it would’ve gone very differently.
Afterwards they got us out of the tub, walked us to the bed. Checked me out/assisted with the after birth. Let me and my baby have all the time we needed! I felt like time was standing still, in reality it was just a few hours but it was magic! When we were ready, we cut the cord, and gave the baby his check up, all while I was laying in bed eating breakfast! I felt like royalty! This is forever a story and experience I will share I am so proud of. And I couldn’t have done it without the help of Rebekah and her team!
Even thought I was starting later in my pregnancy I am still grateful for the short time I got to spend with them. They helped me so much, educated me on my choices and helped me make the best choices for my family and myself. These women are incredible and without their assistance, I would not have the most beautiful second birth story to tell.
My first birth did not go anyway like I thought it would. I know we are supposed to keep an open mind because anything can happen, but I was definitely not prepared nor did my care providers listen to me when I was telling them how I was feeling, nor did they teach me anything about what I was going through. I did not know that I had choices. (I didn’t even realize how bad my birth had been until I went back for a follow up and they explained everything to me then.) halfway through my second pregnancy dealing with my care providers I was so defeated. Then I reached out to Roots and Wings, and the rest was history.
I had contacted her just looking for advice seeing if a homebirth would even be an option for me. She was so reassuring and told me definitely I sounded like I would make a great candidate and even though at the time her calendar was full, she was still happy to talk to me and give me encouraging words and resources. A few days later she reached out to me saying that she ended up having an opening, by the grace of God! I really do think it was meant to be, and everything after that just fell into place. They gave me wonderful advice on how to maintain my sugar and why I should pay attention to that. They were so supportive and included my first child and other family members in the whole process. Even though out time was short I am so thankful for everything you ladies did for Me.
My second birth story:
I have been contracting for a few days on and off and when I woke up on December 31 at 3:30am with contractions I knew it was time. I let my husband sleep, because I wasn’t sure how long this journey would be. So I was walking around I made some breakfast, packed a bag for my first child to spend the day with a grandparent, trying to keep myself busy and walk through the contractions. It wasn’t long before they started picking up, I had called my mom and told her this was the day! And when things picked up I was going to call the midwives. Well, it was 530 and I knew I needed to call them. Things were happening a lot faster than I thought they would. So I called Kyndall and Rebekah and they got back to me as soon as they could, I talked to Kyndall on the phone she told me she was on her way and will be there as soon as possible. And she told me if I felt a lot of pressure I need to lay down on my side, so I was on the phone on and off with my mom woke up my husband and told him I didn’t wanna be alone anymore. He was trying to be so helpful… But he ended up walking with me around our cul-de-sac in my nightgown and house shoes (on dec 31) because I could not sit still! I had to move… 7 AM rolls around and I follow her instructions and go lay down, I know big things are happening. I can no longer think straight and I just have to focus on my breathing and repeat my affirmations. Shortly after I had lay down the midwives arrived and were there to help me! Kyndall was checking me out while their student applied counter pressure to help me work through the next contraction, they asked me if I wanted to get in the hot shower (I initially wanted to try for a water birth but we knew we would not have time for that) Hot water was a great relief, and I was in there for a little while (definitely going through transition) then they asked if I wanted to get out of the shower because it may be a little bit difficult to get out once baby comes out. I nodded because that’s all I could do at that point and as I tried to stand up I knew I was not going anywhere. I felt the SUDDEN urge to push, and all I remember saying is “someone Has to catch him!“ My poor husband he was such a good sport, he was holding me and reassuring me and giving me the support I needed, poor guy! He scooted over so the midwives could jump in the shower and catch the baby! ((Around 8AM) Not two pushes and he was out! What a rush! Just like that. He was here! And I did it! And without the support of the midwives and my family I know it would’ve gone very differently.
Afterwards they got us out of the tub, walked us to the bed. Checked me out/assisted with the after birth. Let me and my baby have all the time we needed! I felt like time was standing still, in reality it was just a few hours but it was magic! When we were ready, we cut the cord, and gave the baby his check up, all while I was laying in bed eating breakfast! I felt like royalty! This is forever a story and experience I will share I am so proud of. And I couldn’t have done it without the help of Rebekah and her team!
Kim + Derrick
Baby boy may have been late, but he sure came in a hurry! After a twelve day “wait” he came rushing into the world with an active labor of maybe 8 hours.
This was my dream birth- it was so perfect for me and I never want to forget all the details. It was awesome and powerful to be able to trust my instinct and my body. At 41 + 5, I was so concerned I was going to go to 42 weeks and my midwife would no longer assist. But Aly, one of my midwives, was so confident I would before then, which helped my state of mind.
Atticus Naman Sparks 💕Perfect birth experience- 7-8 hour labor, at home, birthed in the birthing pool in my living room, and it was exactly what I wanted. I did all of the things, but not consistent at all- occasionally drank RRLT, put dates in my smoothies (which I drank most days), and stayed active throughout pregnancy.
During week 40, I still worked most days. I knew baby would come when he was ready. I went to church on 40 + 5. When the following Monday rolled around and I was 41 weeks, discouragement kicked in. But on 41 + 0, I went to my Mom and sisters. I picked berries for an hour then went and pulled weeds (in and out of the chair) for another hour.
That week, I would wake up most mornings hopeful, but by the time I went to bed I was crying, mostly in fear that I wouldn’t be able to have a home birth.
The midwife said they advised to do a ultrasound in week 41, but it was totally up to me. I opted to do it to make sure my placenta was healthy and baby was getting everything he needed. DO NOT RECOMMEND. Baby was perfectly healthy and so was my placenta, but having to hear all the reasons from the doc of why it could be dangerous, messed with my head space. This was on 41 + 2.
On Thursday, 41+3, I got a foot massage. On Friday, I got a call back from the acupuncturist I’d left a message for the day before and they fit me in around 11. She was great! She had also birthed at home with a midwife. She said I may feel baby move or contractions. They did 3 points on my ankles, hands and neck. Then a short foot massage. And some additional on my back. I could really feel the one on my back and I believe that one started me having some mild contractions.
I got home and contractions continued. Derrick, my partner, was at home with me Friday evening as contractions continued.
I updated my midwife and my sister, who was my support person. I moved around on the ball, walked around the house, and tried to rest some. Unfortunately, around 9pm I was feeling really tired and took a nap. When I woke back up things completely stalled out. I went to bed hoping it would pick back up in the middle of the night.
I woke up on Saturday morning completely disappointed nothing happened. My partner drove me to the midwife for a membrane sweep at 10am on 41 +5. I sat down and just started to tear up. My midwife said to just let it out, she knew baby would come soon. She said I was around 2cm and could stretch me to about a 3. That week was my first cervical exam because i didn’t really care about dialation, but I knew the exam and the sweep could possibly get things moving along, so it was welcome at that point.
Derrick and I went to a cafe nearby and got breakfast after the sweep. After we got home he went out to mow and I made a castor oil shake (4 oz of castor oil will get you moving).
I started having contractions (finally!) at 41 weeks and 5 days a little after 2pm. I let my partner know shortly after he came in from mowing, I didn’t want to get too excited after the false labor the day before. I started texting the midwife and my precious sister (doula, and support person) at 3:45pm because contractions started getting intense. The midwife said she would plan to be at my house by 6, but to let her know if she needed to come earlier. They both arrived at 6pm as I was having intense contractions on the couch with my partner supporting and encouraging me through them. I started moving around a little more, from the couch, to the birthing ball, to the bed and bathroom. Eventually ended up sitting on the edge of the couch or somewhat reclined for about another hour, tried to eat a popsicle through contractions since I hadn’t eaten since breakfast around 10:30am.
This was my dream birth- it was so perfect for me and I never want to forget all the details. It was awesome and powerful to be able to trust my instinct and my body. At 41 + 5, I was so concerned I was going to go to 42 weeks and my midwife would no longer assist. But Aly, one of my midwives, was so confident I would before then, which helped my state of mind.
Atticus Naman Sparks 💕Perfect birth experience- 7-8 hour labor, at home, birthed in the birthing pool in my living room, and it was exactly what I wanted. I did all of the things, but not consistent at all- occasionally drank RRLT, put dates in my smoothies (which I drank most days), and stayed active throughout pregnancy.
During week 40, I still worked most days. I knew baby would come when he was ready. I went to church on 40 + 5. When the following Monday rolled around and I was 41 weeks, discouragement kicked in. But on 41 + 0, I went to my Mom and sisters. I picked berries for an hour then went and pulled weeds (in and out of the chair) for another hour.
That week, I would wake up most mornings hopeful, but by the time I went to bed I was crying, mostly in fear that I wouldn’t be able to have a home birth.
The midwife said they advised to do a ultrasound in week 41, but it was totally up to me. I opted to do it to make sure my placenta was healthy and baby was getting everything he needed. DO NOT RECOMMEND. Baby was perfectly healthy and so was my placenta, but having to hear all the reasons from the doc of why it could be dangerous, messed with my head space. This was on 41 + 2.
On Thursday, 41+3, I got a foot massage. On Friday, I got a call back from the acupuncturist I’d left a message for the day before and they fit me in around 11. She was great! She had also birthed at home with a midwife. She said I may feel baby move or contractions. They did 3 points on my ankles, hands and neck. Then a short foot massage. And some additional on my back. I could really feel the one on my back and I believe that one started me having some mild contractions.
I got home and contractions continued. Derrick, my partner, was at home with me Friday evening as contractions continued.
I updated my midwife and my sister, who was my support person. I moved around on the ball, walked around the house, and tried to rest some. Unfortunately, around 9pm I was feeling really tired and took a nap. When I woke back up things completely stalled out. I went to bed hoping it would pick back up in the middle of the night.
I woke up on Saturday morning completely disappointed nothing happened. My partner drove me to the midwife for a membrane sweep at 10am on 41 +5. I sat down and just started to tear up. My midwife said to just let it out, she knew baby would come soon. She said I was around 2cm and could stretch me to about a 3. That week was my first cervical exam because i didn’t really care about dialation, but I knew the exam and the sweep could possibly get things moving along, so it was welcome at that point.
Derrick and I went to a cafe nearby and got breakfast after the sweep. After we got home he went out to mow and I made a castor oil shake (4 oz of castor oil will get you moving).
I started having contractions (finally!) at 41 weeks and 5 days a little after 2pm. I let my partner know shortly after he came in from mowing, I didn’t want to get too excited after the false labor the day before. I started texting the midwife and my precious sister (doula, and support person) at 3:45pm because contractions started getting intense. The midwife said she would plan to be at my house by 6, but to let her know if she needed to come earlier. They both arrived at 6pm as I was having intense contractions on the couch with my partner supporting and encouraging me through them. I started moving around a little more, from the couch, to the birthing ball, to the bed and bathroom. Eventually ended up sitting on the edge of the couch or somewhat reclined for about another hour, tried to eat a popsicle through contractions since I hadn’t eaten since breakfast around 10:30am.
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A little before 8:30pm I really wanted to move to the bathroom. I had a couple contractions on the way. As soon as I made it to the toilet, I gave a little push and a gush came out. Aly, my midwife came in and smiled and said that was your water breaking. 🙌🏻🥲 I felt some relief at that point because I knew baby boy would be here soon. I began to really vocalize through contractions at this point. I made it back to the living room and said I really felt like my body was pushing uncontrollably. The tub didn’t get quite full enough before we ran out of hot water so my bf and sister tag teamed heating water up on the stove. They were still working on that and I just really needed to get in the tub at that point 😅 I was able to get in very quickly after my water broke- it only felt like a lifetime, I was probably in transition. |
I’ll pause the story to say- I never felt fear, I never thought, “I wish I would have gone to the hospital”. I felt safe and comforted by my team around me and knew I was where I was supposed to be. One thing I did to prepare was read the Mama Natural affirmation cards and prayed and meditated on the birth I wanted.
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After getting in the tub, I was pushing for about an hour. I was moving around and changing positions between or during contractions. It felt so good to be able to move around freely. The bottom of the tub was padded so I could get on my hands and knees, lean, over the edge, and ultimately ended up laying my head back on the side of the tub because I felt like I wanted to stretch out and bear down slightly while pushing his head out.
I was so shocked when his head came out, I wish I could have seen my face 😯 I thought I’d lost something 🤣 |
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And then we had a baby boy.
Derrick helped bring him out of the water and onto my chest and I was immediately in love. I rubbed on him and held him in the tub for a while. The midwives helped me move from the tub to the bed. A lot of that time was a blur. I know everyone was tired, but the midwives gave us a long time to just spend together before they came in to weigh and measure, my 8 pound baby boy. My sister made me a plate of food and we all got to hold and love the sweet new addition to the family. I would do it again a million times! |
Stacie + Joel
We found out we were pregnant with our fifth child when our youngest was four years old. My previous three pregnancies had gone to 38 or 39 weeks so I had assumed I would once again deliver before my estimated due date.
Around 2 am on my due date, February 12, I woke up to mild contractions that were about 10 minutes apart. I had been dealing with prodromal labor for almost 2 weeks, so I was already emotionally done. I figured I’d go back to sleep and they would just fizzle out, as they had every other time. Before I went back to sleep, I poured out my heart to God. I told Him I couldn’t emotionally take a long labor, or any stalling in labor. I asked if He could give me a quick labor, because I was SO ready to meet her. Little did I know.
At 4 am I woke up and was surprised that the contractions were actually getting stronger and closer together. I couldn’t sleep through them now, so we moved to the family room. The girls woke up and joined us. We watched Where the Red Fern Grows while I labored. With each contraction my only thought was “Thank you Lord for this contraction. Thank you that I’m one step closer to holding Selah.” This kept me calm and relaxed.
At 5 am I moved to the bed because I wanted to lay down. After about 30-40 minutes of tossing and turning I decided to get up and take a bath. I knew a bath could possibly slow labor down, but I also knew water would feel good. Before getting into the tub contractions were 5-6 minutes apart and lasting about 50 seconds. Being in the water did two things: my contractions seemed to be coming closer together, but the intensity was not as strong.
Then after about 20 minutes in the bath I had a contraction that felt painful and I could feel the fear/pain cycle setting in. I thought, “I’m ready for my birth team now.” I got out of the bath to let Joel know it was time to call the midwives. However, that movement brought about the strongest contraction. With that contraction I felt my water break and I could feel her crowning. I called out to Joel who was in the other room, and he said he knew instantly what was happening when he heard my tone of voice. While Joel was on the phone with the midwife, Selah was born quickly into both of our hands. The kids heard Selah crying and came in to meet her just moments after she was born. They were instantly in love and took turn giving her kisses and welcoming her to the family.
This was my third homebirth and second unassisted birth. The midwives took such amazing care of us once they arrived. Selah was absolutely perfect, other than being bruised due to being born so quickly.
Not only was this pregnancy and labor after a long break, but it was also my first pregnancy being “geriatric” and my first pregnancy in the state of Tennessee. I am so grateful for Roots and Wings who made me feel right at home, and never made a big deal about me being almost 37 years old. Lord willing, if He blesses us with another little one we will have another homebirth with Roots and Wings. Only this time, they’ll be there 😊
Around 2 am on my due date, February 12, I woke up to mild contractions that were about 10 minutes apart. I had been dealing with prodromal labor for almost 2 weeks, so I was already emotionally done. I figured I’d go back to sleep and they would just fizzle out, as they had every other time. Before I went back to sleep, I poured out my heart to God. I told Him I couldn’t emotionally take a long labor, or any stalling in labor. I asked if He could give me a quick labor, because I was SO ready to meet her. Little did I know.
At 4 am I woke up and was surprised that the contractions were actually getting stronger and closer together. I couldn’t sleep through them now, so we moved to the family room. The girls woke up and joined us. We watched Where the Red Fern Grows while I labored. With each contraction my only thought was “Thank you Lord for this contraction. Thank you that I’m one step closer to holding Selah.” This kept me calm and relaxed.
At 5 am I moved to the bed because I wanted to lay down. After about 30-40 minutes of tossing and turning I decided to get up and take a bath. I knew a bath could possibly slow labor down, but I also knew water would feel good. Before getting into the tub contractions were 5-6 minutes apart and lasting about 50 seconds. Being in the water did two things: my contractions seemed to be coming closer together, but the intensity was not as strong.
Then after about 20 minutes in the bath I had a contraction that felt painful and I could feel the fear/pain cycle setting in. I thought, “I’m ready for my birth team now.” I got out of the bath to let Joel know it was time to call the midwives. However, that movement brought about the strongest contraction. With that contraction I felt my water break and I could feel her crowning. I called out to Joel who was in the other room, and he said he knew instantly what was happening when he heard my tone of voice. While Joel was on the phone with the midwife, Selah was born quickly into both of our hands. The kids heard Selah crying and came in to meet her just moments after she was born. They were instantly in love and took turn giving her kisses and welcoming her to the family.
This was my third homebirth and second unassisted birth. The midwives took such amazing care of us once they arrived. Selah was absolutely perfect, other than being bruised due to being born so quickly.
Not only was this pregnancy and labor after a long break, but it was also my first pregnancy being “geriatric” and my first pregnancy in the state of Tennessee. I am so grateful for Roots and Wings who made me feel right at home, and never made a big deal about me being almost 37 years old. Lord willing, if He blesses us with another little one we will have another homebirth with Roots and Wings. Only this time, they’ll be there 😊