When I think of my now, three month old daughter, I can not possibly imagine a time when she didn’t exist. More than just a souvenir, (to which she is sometimes referred due to her conception in Cuba), she has become an inspiration. She truly is an angel.... a miracle. A wise person once said that ‘hindsight is always twenty-twenty’. Lucky for me, my foresight was also twenty-twenty. This miracle of which I speak is named Elissa, and had it not been for her, I would not have had the birth that I did.

Shortly before my twenty-third birthday, my husband of six months, and I became pregnant. We had been trying to have a baby since our wedding in 2002, but God decided to wait until we were both deployed in Cuba. I returned home after about two months while my husband remained in Cuba until the following September. (I was approximately 7 months pregnant when he returned home.)

When it came to knowledge of pregnancy and birth, I knew the basics. I knew there was more than the hospital option, and that you didn’t have to have drugs, (although, at the time, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go without!). I had also heard of midwives and doulas, but my pre-conceived notion of them didn’t exactly make me feel comfortable. I decided the best option would be to explore all my options before making a decision. My husband supported this, and told me that he would stand behind me and whatever made me most comfortable.

During my search I read numerous books about birth options. My mother and I took a tour of the Greenhouse Birth Center. Instantly I felt like I was among friends. The atmosphere was comfortable, and I felt like the midwives really cared about me and my family. I went home and told my mother and husband that I knew I wanted to have the baby there. I was a little apprehensive about the lack of pain killers and the up-front cost. I also had a consultation with a local obstetrician, who had midwives in his practice. He was connected with the local hospital, where drugs would be available. After leaving the interview with one of the midwives, I knew that drugs and cost didn’t matter. I wasn’t having my baby with them, and that was final.

I told my husband and made an appointment to start my care at the birth center. In the meantime, I did more reading on the effects of drugs and the natural birth option. I was appalled that anyone would want to put their baby through such an ordeal, just so that they could be more comfortable. I was determined to bring my baby into this world the way he or she was made.... naturally. Since drugs weren’t an option, I convinced myself that I could do it, that millions of other women had done this before me, and although it might hurt, that this was the best option for myself and my baby. After I convinced myself of this, I didn’t have any doubts that I wouldn’t be able to do it. I just knew I would.

After my husband returned from Cuba, we started our birth classes. I learned even more about the process of birth and methods of pain relief (other than drugs). During this class, and at every appointment, we were greeted with smiles and warm hugs. I was constantly reassured that I had made the best decision possible for me, my baby, and our new family.

Due to the unexpectedness of the entire process, I was given two due dates. I had convinced myself that the baby would come late because this was my first child, and because I was so small while I was pregnant. The truth is, I didn’t really know what to expect, and I was a little nervous about the whole thing. I started having contractions two days after my first due date (Sunday). The contractions disappeared the next day, and started again on Tuesday. To help with the discomfort, I went for a walk at the mall. While there, I lost my plug. I thought that for sure it was time, and I started to get really excited. My husband and I had another appointment later that day, and when the midwife checked me, I was at ground zero. The bad news was, she couldn’t tell me when the baby would come. It could be days before he or she arrived! Disappointed, we returned home.

My aunt, who attends births as a doula, was on her way to Michigan from Washington. She arrived Tuesday night, after I had already gone to bed. On Wednesday morning, at around two a.m., I got up to use the bathroom, and my water broke. All I could say was, “Uh-oh”. In a sleepy state my husband rolled over and asked what was wrong. I told him that my water had broken, and he replied, “Are you sure?” Contractions started getting more intense as the minutes rolled by. Around five o’clock, we called the midwife on duty, and we were on our way to having a baby.

We arrived at the birth center, and although I was in a lot of discomfort, I noticed that it was warm, and it felt very much like home. I had previously chosen the green birthing room, and when I entered, the lights were dimmed. I spent the day laboring in the pajamas that I went to bed in the night before. Eventually, they were discarded, when they weren’t comfortable anymore. I labored on the comfy bed, standing up, in the rocking chair, and eventually in the tub... which is subsequently where my daughter was born. Around one-thirty in the afternoon, my husband joined me in the tub, and at 1:46p.m. I was the first to pronounce, “It’s a girl?!” as my husband and I pulled her out of the water.

Both midwives were there to witness the event, as was her Ohma, and great aunt, but her father and I were the two that brought her into this world. The three of us sat in the tub for awhile, and she immediately started to nurse. The chord was eventually cut, also by her dad, and he got out of the tub with her. After a few hours of rest, relaxation, and a nice herbal bath, my new family and I loaded up into the vehicle and went home.... the same day! This part of my birth experience is the most surprising to people with whom I share this story, since the average stay in a hospital is at least one to two days.

During the entire process, I never felt alone. It is true that there were times when I wanted it to be over. Because of the support I received from my husband, mother, and aunt and both the midwives, I never felt like I couldn’t go on. All of the people who were there, offered a lot of support and encouragement. I was never told how to labor, or when to push either. I just did what my body told me to. When I felt like it, I pushed. I was able to do what was comfortable for me and natural, and no one ever discouraged me from that. In the end, I felt like I was capable of doing anything, and that feeling has lasted. I have brought a beautiful baby into the world the way God intended, without drugs or intervention.

As a side note, I was very healthy after the birth and I healed quickly, but the most important thing, was that my daughter was healthy, and happy, and we were able to bond without anything restricting us. Although I know that natural birth isn’t a decision all women make, for me, I made the best decision possible for my daughter and myself. I know now that my body is capable of more than I ever realized, and someday when Elissa gets a brother or a sister, I will definitely make the same choice again.