When I found out I was pregnant with my third child, 11 1/2 years after my second, I was a little nervous. Like other ‘new again’ mothers I decided to looks at my options for the birth. Hospitals were to bright and uncomfortable and a home birth for me was out of the question in case of an emergency. My PCP gave me a list of doctors and facilities and on it was the birth center. It took me about a week to decide but it became my solid choice.
I’m a single mom so the only support group I had was my mother who was then and is now a blessing to me. The midwives and nurses became the.second half of my support group. I was extremely lucky to discover them and their home away from home.
My pregnancy progressed very well and healthy. Though my little bundle of joy refused to let me know she was a girl. When my due date finally came, so did the disappointment of not meeting my little daughter when I was supposed to. She was late (much like her mother). So I made my following week appointment for Thursday August 12th. She still hadn’t arrived by the time the appointment came around.
We scheduled an ultrasound for the next day to make sure she was still doing ok. We never made it to that ultrasound. At 1:30 am on August Friday the 13th, (after I finally got to sleep at a decent hour) my littlest kicked my bladder enough for me to wake. Upon goin back to bed I felt the sharp pains begin in my back. Around 3 am they were strong enough for me to call the on call midwife and let her know I was coming in. I called my ride (my mom can’t drive at night) and arrived at the birth center around 4 am.
I had planned on a water birth for my little girl. Again things didn’t go as I had planned. Around 5:30 I was asked if I wanted the tub to be filled for me. There wouldn’t have been enough time. And quite frankly I wasn’t moving from where I was. At 6:02 am on Friday August 13th 2010, the third light of my life came into this world.
I was asked recently of my opinion of my experience at the birth center. I informed my questioner that if I ever decided to go as far as bringing a forth child into my family, I won’t go anywhere else.