The Greenhouse Birth Center ~ Where families are born, gently.

Ambrose’s Birth Story
as told by his mother, Cindy

November 1, 2004

When the second pink line appeared on the pregnancy test, I was in disbelief. My husband, Brett, was nervously excited, but I still couldn’t believe that I was pregnant. After another positive urine test and a positive blood test that I requested from my GYN, I finally believed it – we were having a baby! Although we had not been “trying,” Brett and I were very ready to accept a child into our lives. Being a nurse myself, I knew with certainty that I wanted a nurse midwife for my pregnancy and birth experience. Also, I had seen a few hospital deliveries and knew that I wanted my labor and delivery experience to be as free from intervention as possible. It was with careful consideration of our options that we selected the Greenhouse Birth Center. As a small person (5’2” and 100 lbs.) whose sisters have had large babies (a few by unanticipated C-section), I had to overcome my fear that I, too, would need to have a C-section. That was the hardest part of the entire experience and the quality that the Birth Center was able to facilitate: a sense of belief in myself and the power of my body. That belief, combined with my spiritual faith, helped me to answer to those who expressed skepticism about my decision to give birth outside the hospital environment.

My pregnancy progressed without complications. Since first babies frequently come after their due dates, I must admit that I was once again in disbelief when the early stages of labor began at 38.5 weeks. It was Saturday morning, October 30, 2004 and I awoke to feel my mucus plug descending. I quickly waddled to the bathroom and felt it leave me. Throughout the day, I kept having bloody show and was continuing to have the same toning contractions that I had been having for weeks, although perhaps a bit more uncomfortable. By Saturday evening, my contractions had increased to a level of discomfort that was distracting me from carving my Halloween pumpkin. I suggested to Brett that we start timing them: they were 5-7 minutes apart but were not becoming any more painful or frequent as the evening progressed into night. Not convinced that this was the “real deal,” I decided not the call the Birth Center yet. My husband teased that I was not going to believe I was in labor until the head was coming out!

I spent a very uncomfortable night on the sofa, getting sleep in 5 to 10 minute increments between contractions and trying to use the TV to distract me. Sunday morning (10/31) my show had become more bloody and less mucoid. Concerned about the remote possibility of a placental abruption, I finally paged the midwife. Kip quickly returned my call and I related all of the events to her. She described the signs and symptoms of an abruption, and I felt certain that I was not experiencing one. Kip felt that it was, indeed, true labor, although still the early stages. She asked whether I wanted to come into the Greenhouse to be checked. I declined at that point, sensing that I was still many hours away from delivering. She advised me to eat and drink well, to get some rest, and to call her later with an update. I did the best I could to get rest, but I refused to take medication or to drink even a small amount of alcohol to help me relax. Therefore true sleep never really did come to me. By early afternoon, my contractions were still 5-7 minutes apart but my discomfort had increased to such a degree that Brett gently insisted we page Kip again. She agreed to meet us at the Birth Center at 3 pm.

Early Labor-Still Able to Smile

We gathered our things and called our parents just in case we wouldn’t be coming back home again. We had some things packed already, but since it was still 10 days before my due date, we had to do some frantic running around the house to gather snacks and drinks. When we arrived at the Greenhouse, I felt my body relax as soon as we walked in the door. Kip examined me and I was thrilled to learn that I was already dilated to 5 cm. This really was the “real deal!” Upon hearing that, we decided to stay and we settled into the green room, where the tub was already full and awaiting me. I heard Kip calling Clarice on the phone, and soon after she was there. Things were feeling more complete.

The room was dimly lit and my husband was playing soothing music on the CD player and assisting me in any way possible. Labor continued to progress and my lack of sleep was taking its toll. Our parents arrived shortly and I cried to my mother (who has 6 children), “Why didn’t you tell me how bad this hurts?” Brett, in true teacher-fashion, issued assignments to our parents, sending the Dads to feed and walk our dog and the Moms to buy the car seat that we knew we would need in a few hours. The hours passed and I labored in the tub, in the rocking chair, on the bed, on the birthing ball, and pacing around the room. At around 9 pm, Clarice examined me and I was dilated to 8/9 but the baby’s head was still at zero station. Still, I believed I may have a Halloween baby. Back in the tub, back on the bed, back on the birthing ball… I was willing to try anything to make our baby come. Brett and I were left to do the work of labor in peace except for intermittent checks of the baby’s heart rate with the Doppler. I had been having small urges to push and was doing so, confident that things were really moving along. Another exam hours later revealed that I was still at 9 cm and the baby at zero station. Even urinating had become excruciatingly painful and, at times, impossible. I felt like I had reached my threshold. Thoughts of narcotics and epidurals began to creep into my mind.

Clarice and I discussed the options, including whether I was comfortable remaining at the Birth Center since progress was practically nonexistent. Knowing that the baby’s heart rate never strayed outside of acceptable parameters throughout the night, I found the strength within myself to stay and to try the positions that Clarice was recommending to help the baby move out of a posterior position. She also suggested that we try massaging evening primrose oil into the ring of cervix that remained. It was a long-shot, since evening primrose oil is typically used to eliminate a small lip of cervix, but we were desperate to try something that might help my labor to progress. Clarice applied the oil and, with the next couple of contractions, was able to coax away the remaining cervix.

Exhausted

So much of the experience is a blur to me, as I was deep within myself working through the pain. I remember with clarity, however, that it was around 3 am that my water broke during a vaginal exam. After more time laboring in various positions around the room, the urges to push became much greater. Somehow the baby had moved into the proper position! The midwives suggested I assume a kneeling squat position on the bed. I agreed, and they moved a bean bag onto the bed to allow me to lean forward onto it between contractions and to push myself up with it during contractions. Pushing was completely exhausting. I cried out loudly, especially after each contraction when I was done pushing and the pain would consume me. Brett exclaimed at one point that he was able to see dark hair on Baby’s head as it descended the birth canal. Every report of progress filled me with renewed energy. After each contraction I would demand to know what they were able to see. I knew Baby was near when I felt the burning ring of fire and, after a few more pushes, the head was out. After a brief delay (I later learned that a shoulder was caught on my pelvis), the shoulders were out and our precious baby slipped out into Brett’s hands at 6:44 am on November 1st. Forgetting that I was still attached to the baby by the cord, I tried to turn around to see. Was it a boy or a girl??? Someone laid Baby beside me on the bed and I heard Brett say, “It’s a boy!” His squeaky cries filled the room and, I found out later, alerted our anxiously waiting parents to his arrival. Our baby was incredibly alert and I was astounded to be face-to-face with the little person who had been growing inside me for nearly 9 months. Amazingly, all of the pain seemed to have completely disappeared. If it hadn’t been for my trembling legs, I would have felt like dancing! After about 15 minutes, I pushed the placenta out, realizing that it was much more difficult to push in the absence of that strong urge. Brett cut the cord and my baby boy and I were separated biologically, although not spatially.

The midwives attended to our immediate needs and then our parents came in to meet their new grandson. We had narrowed our list of boy names down to about 3, and Brett chose Ambrose (after my grandfather and 2 generations before him) Dean (the middle name of Brett’s father and grandfather). After a period of initial bonding between Brett, me, and our new son, it was time for weighing and measuring and for Ambrose’s newborn exam. We were all surprised to see that he weighed 9 lbs, 12 ounces! Ambrose had all the physical characteristics of a full-term baby and I expressed my appreciation to God for sending him early before he had gotten much bigger, although Kip assured me that I would have been able to deliver a larger baby just fine. In fact, somehow I sustained no rips or tears. We took our beautiful boy home within 5 hours after his birth. Brett and I were filled with awe at the gift God had given us and with joy at what my body had been able to accomplish. What an empowering experience!

Our New Family

Ambrose is just a month old as I write this, but already Brett and I are anticipating giving birth to our next child at the Birth Center. It was such an awesome event and I fully believe that we would not have had such a positive experience in a different environment. I am thankful that I was not in the hospital, where I feel certain I would have taken drugs and, quite possibly, might have ended up with a C-section because of failure to progress. The patience and innovation of the midwives allowed me to have the birth experience that I have always wanted. I have become a believer in myself and the power of the female body to give birth to life!


Home	About Us	Classes & Workshops	Calendar	Contact Us	FAQs	Our Babies	Links	Our Community
Ambrose’s Birth Story as told by his mother, Cindy November 1, 2004 When the second pink line appeared on the pregnancy test, I was in disbelief. My husband, Brett, was nervously excited, but I still couldn’t believe that I was pregnant. After another positive urine test and a positive blood test that I requested from my GYN, I finally believed it – we were having a baby! Although we had not been “trying,” Brett and I were very ready to accept a child into our lives. Being a nurse myself, I knew with certainty that I wanted a nurse midwife for my pregnancy and birth experience. Also, I had seen a few hospital deliveries and knew that I wanted my labor and delivery experience to be as free from intervention as possible. It was with careful consideration of our options that we selected the Greenhouse Birth Center. As a small person (5’2” and 100 lbs.) whose sisters have had large babies (a few by unanticipated C-section), I had to overcome my fear that I, too, would need to have a C-section. That was the hardest part of the entire experience and the quality that the Birth Center was able to facilitate: a sense of belief in myself and the power of my body. That belief, combined with my spiritual faith, helped me to answer to those who expressed skepticism about my decision to give birth outside the hospital environment. My pregnancy progressed without complications. Since first babies frequently come after their due dates, I must admit that I was once again in disbelief when the early stages of labor began at 38.5 weeks. It was Saturday morning, October 30, 2004 and I awoke to feel my mucus plug descending. I quickly waddled to the bathroom and felt it leave me. Throughout the day, I kept having bloody show and was continuing to have the same toning contractions that I had been having for weeks, although perhaps a bit more uncomfortable. By Saturday evening, my contractions had increased to a level of discomfort that was distracting me from carving my Halloween pumpkin. I suggested to Brett that we start timing them: they were 5-7 minutes apart but were not becoming any more painful or frequent as the evening progressed into night. Not convinced that this was the “real deal,” I decided not the call the Birth Center yet. My husband teased that I was not going to believe I was in labor until the head was coming out! I spent a very uncomfortable night on the sofa, getting sleep in 5 to 10 minute increments between contractions and trying to use the TV to distract me. Sunday morning (10/31) my show had become more bloody and less mucoid. Concerned about the remote possibility of a placental abruption, I finally paged the midwife. Kip quickly returned my call and I related all of the events to her. She described the signs and symptoms of an abruption, and I felt certain that I was not experiencing one. Kip felt that it was, indeed, true labor, although still the early stages. She asked whether I wanted to come into the Greenhouse to be checked. I declined at that point, sensing that I was still many hours away from delivering. She advised me to eat and drink well, to get some rest, and to call her later with an update. I did the best I could to get rest, but I refused to take medication or to drink even a small amount of alcohol to help me relax. Therefore true sleep never really did come to me. By early afternoon, my contractions were still 5-7 minutes apart but my discomfort had increased to such a degree that Brett gently insisted we page Kip again. She agreed to meet us at the Birth Center at 3 pm. Early Labor-Still Able to Smile We gathered our things and called our parents just in case we wouldn’t be coming back home again. We had some things packed already, but since it was still 10 days before my due date, we had to do some frantic running around the house to gather snacks and drinks. When we arrived at the Greenhouse, I felt my body relax as soon as we walked in the door. Kip examined me and I was thrilled to learn that I was already dilated to 5 cm. This really was the “real deal!” Upon hearing that, we decided to stay and we settled into the green room, where the tub was already full and awaiting me. I heard Kip calling Clarice on the phone, and soon after she was there. Things were feeling more complete. The room was dimly lit and my husband was playing soothing music on the CD player and assisting me in any way possible. Labor continued to progress and my lack of sleep was taking its toll. Our parents arrived shortly and I cried to my mother (who has 6 children), “Why didn’t you tell me how bad this hurts?” Brett, in true teacher-fashion, issued assignments to our parents, sending the Dads to feed and walk our dog and the Moms to buy the car seat that we knew we would need in a few hours. The hours passed and I labored in the tub, in the rocking chair, on the bed, on the birthing ball, and pacing around the room. At around 9 pm, Clarice examined me and I was dilated to 8/9 but the baby’s head was still at zero station. Still, I believed I may have a Halloween baby. Back in the tub, back on the bed, back on the birthing ball… I was willing to try anything to make our baby come. Brett and I were left to do the work of labor in peace except for intermittent checks of the baby’s heart rate with the Doppler. I had been having small urges to push and was doing so, confident that things were really moving along. Another exam hours later revealed that I was still at 9 cm and the baby at zero station. Even urinating had become excruciatingly painful and, at times, impossible. I felt like I had reached my threshold. Thoughts of narcotics and epidurals began to creep into my mind. Clarice and I discussed the options, including whether I was comfortable remaining at the Birth Center since progress was practically nonexistent. Knowing that the baby’s heart rate never strayed outside of acceptable parameters throughout the night, I found the strength within myself to stay and to try the positions that Clarice was recommending to help the baby move out of a posterior position. She also suggested that we try massaging evening primrose oil into the ring of cervix that remained. It was a long-shot, since evening primrose oil is typically used to eliminate a small lip of cervix, but we were desperate to try something that might help my labor to progress. Clarice applied the oil and, with the next couple of contractions, was able to coax away the remaining cervix. Exhausted So much of the experience is a blur to me, as I was deep within myself working through the pain. I remember with clarity, however, that it was around 3 am that my water broke during a vaginal exam. After more time laboring in various positions around the room, the urges to push became much greater. Somehow the baby had moved into the proper position! The midwives suggested I assume a kneeling squat position on the bed. I agreed, and they moved a bean bag onto the bed to allow me to lean forward onto it between contractions and to push myself up with it during contractions. Pushing was completely exhausting. I cried out loudly, especially after each contraction when I was done pushing and the pain would consume me. Brett exclaimed at one point that he was able to see dark hair on Baby’s head as it descended the birth canal. Every report of progress filled me with renewed energy. After each contraction I would demand to know what they were able to see. I knew Baby was near when I felt the burning ring of fire and, after a few more pushes, the head was out. After a brief delay (I later learned that a shoulder was caught on my pelvis), the shoulders were out and our precious baby slipped out into Brett’s hands at 6:44 am on November 1st. Forgetting that I was still attached to the baby by the cord, I tried to turn around to see. Was it a boy or a girl??? Someone laid Baby beside me on the bed and I heard Brett say, “It’s a boy!” His squeaky cries filled the room and, I found out later, alerted our anxiously waiting parents to his arrival. Our baby was incredibly alert and I was astounded to be face-to-face with the little person who had been growing inside me for nearly 9 months. Amazingly, all of the pain seemed to have completely disappeared. If it hadn’t been for my trembling legs, I would have felt like dancing! After about 15 minutes, I pushed the placenta out, realizing that it was much more difficult to push in the absence of that strong urge. Brett cut the cord and my baby boy and I were separated biologically, although not spatially. The midwives attended to our immediate needs and then our parents came in to meet their new grandson. We had narrowed our list of boy names down to about 3, and Brett chose Ambrose (after my grandfather and 2 generations before him) Dean (the middle name of Brett’s father and grandfather). After a period of initial bonding between Brett, me, and our new son, it was time for weighing and measuring and for Ambrose’s newborn exam. We were all surprised to see that he weighed 9 lbs, 12 ounces! Ambrose had all the physical characteristics of a full-term baby and I expressed my appreciation to God for sending him early before he had gotten much bigger, although Kip assured me that I would have been able to deliver a larger baby just fine. In fact, somehow I sustained no rips or tears. We took our beautiful boy home within 5 hours after his birth. Brett and I were filled with awe at the gift God had given us and with joy at what my body had been able to accomplish. What an empowering experience! Our New Family Ambrose is just a month old as I write this, but already Brett and I are anticipating giving birth to our next child at the Birth Center. It was such an awesome event and I fully believe that we would not have had such a positive experience in a different environment. I am thankful that I was not in the hospital, where I feel certain I would have taken drugs and, quite possibly, might have ended up with a C-section because of failure to progress. The patience and innovation of the midwives allowed me to have the birth experience that I have always wanted. I have become a believer in myself and the power of the female body to give birth to life!
Home \| Services \| Philosophy \| Staff \| Classes \| Calendar \| Map \| Tour \| Contact \| FAQs \| Babies \| Links \| Creative Musings