My Journey to becoming a Birth Doula

My Journey to become a Birth Doula started in 2006 , even though i knew nothing about what a Doula was, or what the birthing process was really like. I was just a 19 year old having fun. It wasn't until the birth of my son, and the experience i had, that i stated to consider the birthing process.

The Birth of my son was a long and tiring one, I was no longer in a relation ship with his father, but I had my mother, and sister in the room with me. they were a huge support for me. My labour Started around 6 am, to prove how little i knew about anything around 7:30 is when i went and woke my mom up, because i had horrible pains. I looked at her and said i think i have really bad gas, she laughed and said no hunny your in labour. we laugh now, but i was completely clueless to what i should be feeling. I labored at home until about 12:30 in the afternoon, when my contraction became 3-4 minutes apart lasting about 30 seconds. at this time I called the hospital and asked if i should come in, and they said yes. Once in there I was assessed, i was 4 cm, water hadn't broken, so the first thing they did was break my water to try and get things rolling a little more. Around 4:00 i was 8 cm, very tired so I asked for an epidural. they were very busy that day and the baby and i weren't under any distress so I was left to continue dilating, which was archived within another hour of laboring. At this point I was extremely tired, and just wanted to meet my son, the epidural took so well that i could feel absolutely nothing. I was left to wait another hour even though i was already fully dilated. Eventually they came in, and after two and a half hours of pushing, the help of a vacuum my son was born weighing 6lbs 15 1/2 oz and 19 in long. I received a third degree tear, and had hemorrhaged quite a bit. After all of this I was blessed with a 5 day hospital stay instead of 24 hours, I was still numb from the epidural three days later, and had a catheter in. I also was very determined to nurse my son which i struggled with, and only saw the nurse once on the first day, due to the high volume of discharges they were doing that day. Around 5 pm my mom came in from work, and i was a mess i just wanted to shower but couldn't walk, my baby was starving because we hadn't had a successful latch, so he was starving. I'm so happy to have a strong mother. Ned less to say my first birth story is one that i never wanted to experience again.

My second birth was also a hospital birth, but completely different. i started having random contraction at 8 am on Saturday, they were about every hour all day. we went shopping, went out for dinner. came home around 5 pm and they started increasing around then. At 1 am we headed to the hospital where i was assessed they were very concerned about my daughters size and the amount of fluid around her so i was admitted in, with the plan of being induced. the contraction were still coming but not very strong. i was about 3 cm. At 10:30 am the came in and induced me, which didn't take long to kick it within 10 minutes i was having some seriously intense contractions. I labored through the contractions, until about 4:30 they came in and checked me i was 7 cm, at this time i had been going through this since 5 pm Saturday night i just wanted a small rest so i asked for a contraction. I asked for an epidural. the tech came in and gave me the epidural, I had 3 more really strong contraction and felt a serious urge to push, at this time i was checked again and was fully dilated. The epidural never even had a chance to kick in, she was ready to come. At 4:45 my daughter made her very fast aggressive entrance into this world. at 39 week she weighed a total of 4 lbs 10 oz, and was 15 cm long, we did immediate skin to skin, but due to her size and weight, and the fact that it was freezing in the hospital, she was very could so they wanted to take her to NICU. Once again we had an entire weeks stay a the hospital in NICU this time.

My third birth I was determined to have a completely different experience, i found out I was pregnant at around 5 weeks. I filled out the intake forms and was in with the Kingston midwives. i was finally accepted into intake around 18 weeks. My second daughter decided she was going to keep us on our toes fro about 36 weeks on with the false labour and contractions, but then at 5 pm on the 17 of September 3014 she decided to make her appearance. I labored until 5 at which time i called my on call midwife again, because i was 4 minutes apart. both midwives were in the process of finishing up another birth. withing 30 minutes i was down to 3 minutes apart, this birth progressed very quickly. At around 8:15 I remember looking at my mother whom was there along with my Husband, sister, and two oldest children, and saying I think it is time. My first midwife was at this time driving as fast as she could safely do to get from the hospital to my house, this was about a 45 minute drive.Around 8:30 i knew it was time i could feel a lot of pressure, as soon as i said this baby is coming, in walks the midwife, what a relief to see her beautiful face, it took about 5- 10 minutes to set up everything, baby number three was born at 8:45 in one push under a minute. She weighed 5 lbs 10 oz, and was 19 in long. Came out screaming, and voicing her very strong opinion on life. She still does too this very day. After assessing, stitching me up, and cutting the cord ( i got do this) i was tucked into my nice cozy bed with my brand new baby, she stated nursing within 10 minutes of being born. I had missed dinner so the midwife made me a nice cup of tea, and i had some toast with butter on it. my kids were so happy to have there new sister, but were tucked into bed by daddy, and sleeping by 9. The atmosphere was just so relaxed and happy, you could feel the joy and excitement, there was no rushed feeling, you didn't feel like another number on a chart. I also should say my second Midwife arrived about two minutes after this baby was born, so as soon as baby and I were cleared she sent the first midwife home. she had been going for about 48 hours, and some dinner and a rest was well deserved for her.

I decided to after my very many different experiences to be an advocate for women when it comes to their birth story, If it a hospital birth and you want to have your baby as natural and drug free, i will be there to help you, if you are having a planed C section, I want to make that experience as positive, and comfortable for you as possible. Or if you you have the desire for a home birth. It b=is my passion to make every experience positive and a happy one, not one that scars us.

I will be having my fourth baby end of August beginning of September and i am so excited for this home experience again