The Business of Being Born Message Board

We didn’t make it to the hospital and my husband delivered the baby. at home. I just watched the movie ‘The business of being born’ and I was so moved by it. I had two different experiences with my births. My first child was born in a hospital, with the patocin a epidural and a 20 hr. labor. My second child was much different. I had talked to a friend that had a natural birth and took a class called ‘The Bradley Method.’ So I did some research and found a lady that taught the class from her home and called her. My husband and I took the 8 week class. I loved it. The class is based on your partner coaching the mom and helping her relax during the labor and birth. We found a midwife doctor that delivered at the hospital and I informed her of the classes we were taking and she was right of track with what we wanted. I knew I wanted to give birth naturally but decided to labor at home as long as possible then go to the hospital to give birth. So after all the classes I was about 39 weeks along. I had gone to the doctor that day and my doctor checked me. I think I was about 2 cent. A couple hours later I was real crampy and just went along and did my errands. Later that night I felt worse and decided maybe I should start packing for the hospital. Around 8pm got in the tub and tried to relax. I could not sit down, I did some laundry and tried to lay down around 10pm or so, my husband wanted me to try and sleep. I could not and then about 11pm or so the contractions got closer and worse. My husband did everything to relax me, rub my back and encouraged me. We both thought that we had plenty of time to get to the hospital. I got up and kept having to go to the bathroom. I kept seeing blood. So I told him we need to go to the hospital now. He runs and gets our son up, he turns the shower on and decides to shave first. Gets in the shower, meanwhile, I am on the toilet facing the wall trying to breath through each contraction. Not really knowing how close I am to giving birth. While he is still getting ready I walk down the hall screaming and pushing. He comes out ready and I scream to him ‘I can feel the head call 911.’ He says no we have time to get there lets go now. I say no I feel the head. I take my pants and underwear off and throw a bunch of clean towels on the floor in the living room. I sit down against the couch and I keep pushing. He is on the phone talking to the 911 operator and comes in the living room and tells them he can see the head. So they tell him what to do and by this time I don’t feel the need to push anymore. He keeps telling me that I need to push. Finally I push a couple of more times and she comes out, he catches her while still on the phone hands her to me and I put her on my chest. A couple of min. later the ambulence comes and 8 people are in my house. They get me on the stretcher and take me to the hospital. So my daughter was born healthy at about 3am at home delivered by her dad. I never in my wildest dreams ever thought that I would do that. I was so amazed that I had just done that without any drugs on my own with the help of my husband. I would not have done it any other way. I look back now almost 2 years later and think even with all the classes and planning it is all so different than what we had planned that your body just takes over and knows what to do. That is why the movie touched me so much. I couldn’t even begin to explain how amazing and wonderful that birth was. People thought that I was crazy for wanting a natural birth and I can’t believe people don’t want one. I guess until you experience it yourself you don’t believe how amazing it is.
Thanks for taking the time to read my story. Sorry it’s a long one but one I will never forget.

Kristy H.
Chandler, Az