The Birth Circle is a safe, non-judgemental place to share your Birth Story or to just listen to the stories of others. We welcome all women and their babies, regardless of age, race or faith. Pregnant women are encouraged to attend. This is an opportunity to connect, heal, celebrate, encourage and share with one another. Please join us!
3rd Saturday of every month (please see our event calendar) 4pm. Tidal Creek Community Room. 5329 Oleander Drive, Ste. 204. Upstairs.
OUR BIRTH STORIES, TWEETED (2010)
Women left high&dry calling office "where's my midwife?" signs,news,protests,success. birth story of an organization. –WMM?
42 weeks, induction scheduled at 12, contractions begin at 5. long soaks in tub. baby girl arrives 28 hours later without interventions. - Zimmerman
25 hr happy home labor; dash to NHRMC in Grandpa's Caddy; 25 min later, Doodle cries, Daddy says, "Hello, Baby!"; lovely new family. –Kreutzer
DS1, 3wks early in water @BirthCenter, 6lb13oz, no tear. DS2, on due date @home in water, 9lb10z, no tear. Me, 5'3" 115lbs <3 -Suchada Eickemeyer
9/11/10: Ctx started @ 9:30am;paged MW;met her @ birthcenter;7cm by 10:15am;push on hands&knees;DS born @12:59pm;9lbs4oz. –McHugh
Room full of love. Baby arrives. Husband cries. It’s a boy! Exhausted. Bliss. –Radonicich
busy day. yummy yoga. good bye fear. pounding contractions. 3 hours of INTENSE labor. baby E here, home. family and friends circling us=love –Stinson
Image that carried me through the pain: J finally holding M to his chest. Turned out better than the pic in my mind.10lbs of dream come true. –Sandusky
Windy night turns to blustery day. Low pressure brings hard contractions,crushing doubt. MUST LET GO. Forever grateful for the experience. –Battiste
Didn't know 5 days wasn't late.But still,Dade came his own way,and hes never been anything but Sunny Side Up ever since.8lb of WOW he's ours. –Sandusky
Peel out of driveway, race back for Jon's shoes. Stop for gas, OW! Phil brings camera just in time for Claire's fast arrival.8lb3oz of LOVE. –Sandusky
One hour of sleep. Cramping begins. Could this be labor? Baby drops into place. Husband, midwife, doula, sister in my bedroom. In the water trying to swim away from the intense pressure. Relieved to give in and let go. Feel like I need to push... sweet Justice is born. –Capps
Hanging out with Sully, a lazy day. Regular contractions are coming and suddenly I'm afraid baby will fall out. Rush to hospital, labor for 13 more hours. Freezing and SO TIRED. Talk in my sleep while pushing... out comes baby T while I yell. So much for quiet. Dark-haired love snuggles on my chest. I can never forget that moment, yet the love is a million times stronger now. Unbelievable. –Merediz
Surrounded by love and peace River rushes out. – Van Wagoner
OUR BIRTH STORIES, FIFTY WORDS OR LESS (2009)
Christmas Morning brings labor pains. We unwrap and thank and wait and wait and wait. Clearly, you do not wish to share your birthday with anyone. You arrive at 7am on Boxing Day. Piper, our best late present ever. -Blythe
Gush...Denial: it will be three more days, like the first time. Food and friends. FUN. Calm. Purge (transition?!?) Karin, Rock, candles, OM... ahhh. I need to push. Elena, Polly (barely) make it. Sixteen more minutes and Haze is in our lives, slippery and wet. -Sylvia
G5P2-0-3-2. Planned CNM home birth, 2002: Ended in crash CS for HELLP syndrome and breech at 36 weeks. Planned CNM VBAC, 2006: Insulin-dependent gestational diabetes, Kell antibodies, renal damage. Sectioned for positive CST at 39w5d. 2009: Graduated as CNM. My births were not what I imagined, but they brought me here, with two live babies. -Meghan
No kids yet. My birth: 1980. Was breech. Mom asked for c-section. OB said hang in there. Vaginal breech birth successful after 17hrs labor. -Melissa
Tiny scratch
Little pop
Trickle trickle
Won’t stop
Nothing now
Waiting wondering
Get rest
Someone’s coming!
Laying there
Husband sleeping
Little tightening
Still breathing
Suddenly
Need help
Leaning swaying
Moan, don’t yelp
Call midwife
Fill tub
Hands off-a-me
No backrub!
Warm water
Relaxes me
Push comes quickly
Our sweet baby!
-Stephanie
I knew before it happened that my water would break. We walked. We rocked. He rubbed. We waited. We walked. We rocked. A day passed. Adam’s belief in me, my anchor. Pamela’s hand holding mine. Then, you cried, and I listened to your beautiful hungry wail. Nothing else mattered. -Heather
I never thought the day would come. It was all about water: an evening walk in the rain at Magen’s Bay, labor in the AquaDoula. I didn’t believe it, but then the pain was so intense. Billy’s hands smelled like garlic and onions. Joshua arrived minutes before six. My son! -Suzanne
It was a wonderful pregnancy and a wonderful birth. I met my midwife at the hospital at about 5pm. She was patient and calm. She was by my side throughout my labor. I started pushing at about 10pm. At 1:13am my beautiful boy joined my whole family in that room. -Maria
Woke up at 5:45 a.m. Serious back pain! Paced. 6:30 a.m. Water broke. 7:08 a.m. Twin A born in the back of the car en route to the hospital. 12:16 p.m. MUCH pitocin later Twin B arrived. Two healthy babies! Yay! Later that afternoon I finally saw my midwife! -Stefanie
Gratitude
new soul emerging
beautiful women be near
quiet strength from you
-Lisa
Twenty-four hours of labor and a beautiful birth, a perfect outcome. My husband, our mothers, my son, our birth helpers and my midwife stayed by my side, coaxing my little girl into the world at her pace with only whispers and gentle words and loving touch. My midwife, my midwife! -Ania
I'm not a calm person. But my birth story is about patience, inspiration...and calm. Surprisingly, I was quiet while we all waited for Tieren to do his thing. I became a person I never thought I would be that day. And a mother. -Gaby
I smelled the lunch cart after five hours and I said to the midwife "This baby is coming out now." With three pushes Claire slipped into the world and onto my belly. The nurse called the lunch cart back before it had a chance to leave the floor. -Candice
Birth Haiku for Baby 2: Waiting and screaming. Baghdad on fire, and me too. War and life begin. -Candice
At the height of labor I screamed "WHY?" to which she replied: "This is the only thing that can match the intensity of seeing your child for the first time." It was true. After 23 hours of unthinkable pain, the sight of his sweet face was met with immeasurable joy. -Ryanna
a quiet dark tub. James, midwives, Jessie near me. Pleeease. You in my arms. -Pamela
Once c-section always a c-section (bullshit). Found midwife program. VBAC. Drug free. Husband, M-I-L, Avery, and PAM! An hour 8 minutes later AVA GRACE :) -Melissa
First VBAC... I didn't believe I'd really push him out until his head was halfway out. I knew everyone expected a repeat section. But out he came and was placed on my chest. I grabbed one arm and one leg and cried... so grateful for the experience and my baby! -Christine
We laughed so hard during labor, people began to wander into my room just to check out the party. Then I, of the annoyingly easy cheesy delivery - had a few minutes of push, push, and pop! Out came Elvis. -St. Claire
I called, she came, I cried and hollered, I pushed, she held my hand. He cried, we laughed, we nursed! My home was full of love! -Lisa
I paced the bedroom. I moaned her name. I tell Mom it's time to go. Oh, NO! My water broke! "We're not going to make it to the hospital!" The paramedics arrived 5 minutes after she was born. I actually got my homebirth! Unplanned, but I got it! -Christina
First birth...long labor. I kept thinking this isn't how the books say it is supposed to be. Second birth....long labor. Two healthy babies, the goal. Yeah! -Caroline
Loving my prenatal yoga, loving my new belly and body. 42 weeks in waiting, warmly lit bedroom, doula Sylvia to the rescue. Robb, Sylvia and midwife Pamela, my cocoon of protectors. Thanks to midwifery and educated awareness, I was able to labor on my own terms. And now…Ian. -Jessica
Warm spring day for birth.
Jeff, Laura, Mom, Pam attend.
Norah joins the world.
-Elena
Peaceful birth at home. Katherine says, "Way to go, Mom!" Daddy catches Rose. - Kirsti
Oh Ellis! Oh Ellis!
My little baby man
you arrived one early June morning
and joined our little clan
you took your time like your daddy with toes just like me
but with the help of our midwife
you arrived to let our family be
-Erin, Matthew, and Ellis
5pm, Pop! water broke. Mary says call when contractions start, Carmen says call when you need me. Relaxed waiting. 10pm contractions start with bang! Rocked into laborland at home with Carmen/Matt supporting. Went so fast. Hospital at 2am, Mary says you are 10. Pushing felt like forever, til 5am Violet finally emerges a little bit violet. Was so natural. -Renae
With the birth of my first child, I unfortunately had a bad experience with my doctor and the hospital. I decided the second time that I’d like to go with a midwife, because I wanted a natural birth and desired that support from my OB caregiver as well. That second birth was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had in my life. It felt as though my midwife, husband, doula, and the nurses were all there just supporting and waiting - there to do whatever I needed at the given time. My midwife had nothing but encouragement to offer, and “mothered” me through the whole process. After a couple nights of contractions and not sleeping and finally entering that active labor, I arrived at the hospital dilated 6 cm. Five hours later, I delivered a healthy 7lb 14oz boy all natural - with no medical interventions and no drugs. The birth was a celebration. I natural process of the female body. A truly divine gift from God, who created my body with the ability to bring forth children. -Melissa
1st- hospital, midwife. 2nd birth center, midwife water birth. 3rd home, midwife was a little late. Water was my savior. 2 hypnobirths, learned how to relax my body. 1 boy 2 girls with one on the way. I love my midwives!! -Cheryl
In your room breathing
water falling, strong hands touch
we three share first tears
-Rebecca
3 weeks late. My midwife stood up for me -again and again. And after long labor seeking natural birth, she held tight my fearful hand as my baby girl came loudly through an unnatural hole in my abdomen. Then she held my baby when I could not. Thank you always. -Elanor
10 days overdue...non-reassuring NST...Cervadil implant...wait 12 hours...Pitocin induction...4cm water breaks...6cm/+3, have to push…you can’t push…I have to push...6-10cm in 30 minutes...pushed 20 minutes...17 hours 100% back labor...baby born...baby not breathing...concentrate on placenta...1min APGAR 7...great nurses...5 min APGAR 10...finally holding Hailey...10 months post-partum...PERFECT BABY!! WILL NEVER FORGET YOU PAM!! -Janene
On April 20th 2008 after only 9 hours of labor I delivered my first child. He was born under the caring supervision of a midwife and I can't think of any better way. My husband and I have never felt closer or more empowered. -Jessica