It was a logical question to ask, “Are you sure you want
to try this again after what happened last time?”
Three years ago, I watched my wife go through a multi-day
struggle to bring our daughter into the world.
Our attempts at a water birth at home turned into a nightmare at the
hospital ending in an emergency c-section.
So, we understood the concerns from our loved ones.
The general population assumes “once a c-section, always
a c-section.” That is a myth; when we
found out that we were expecting again last fall, we had to determine whether
or not we wanted to prove it. In our
family, being healthy is an expectation.
I own and operate a holistic health facility and my wife is a Wellness
Advocate for doTERRA Essential Oils. We
do our best to practice as we teach and we are highly encouraging of women who
want a natural birth, which is safer and better for both mom and child without
the interruptions of routine medical procedures and unnecessary interventions.
Truth be told, it had always been my wife’s dream to give birth in the water;
plus, we just did not want to assume the risk of another c-section. The concern with Vaginal Birth After C-Section
(VBAC) is uterine rupture, but that 1 in 100 or less chance is a far cry from
the potential (and much more common) complications of a second major surgery
for my wife in three years.
Atop our to-do list, then, was finding the right support
system. We knew we wanted a team of
midwives. Based on the mere 8% of births
attended by midwives in the United States today, that might seem a strange
choice given our previous experience.
Yet, consider that 70-80% of the births in every other developed country
are attended by midwives because they are the most qualified people to
help. In a recent landmark study, it was
found that women under the care of midwives during their pregnancies had
c-sections just 5% of the time, as compared to the rates as high as 48% in some
areas of the country for women whose primary pre-and-post-natal care is guided
by an obstetrician. In America, we have
the highest maternal mortality rate in the industrialized world and use
midwives less than 10% of the time.
Statistically, we should be following someone else’s lead given that the
countries doing things differently from us are getting better outcomes.
My wife did her homework and found the route that she
wanted to take, leading us 50 miles down the road to Natural Beginnings Birth
and Wellness Center in Statesville. Our
first visit was going to be the determining factor for me. I am not one to ask a lot of questions in
those situations; I am an observer and a reader of body language. I want to know that the people trying to help
know their stuff and genuinely care.
The team at Natural Beginnings put my mind at ease quickly. On day one in September, we met with one of
their three midwives and their lead nursing assistant. We interacted with each member of their ten
person staff by the end of May. Everyone
is friendly and professional. In my own
office, we try to create an atmosphere atypical of the usual doctor’s office,
so I found it very comforting that the environment that they’ve created is more
relaxed too (not so stiff and uninviting).
The delivery rooms look like our guest bedroom suite at home; it’s a
great facility. I walked away confident
that they would see us through to our desired conclusion.
When things get difficult, though, that is when you want
the people that you have entrusted with your health to shine; not to tell you
what you want to hear, but to tell you what you need to hear; not to give into the demands of frustration, but to
encourage and guide you toward the end result.
Our son’s due date came and went. Contractions started…and then stopped. This went on for several days and, while certainly
common, it felt all too familiar to us.
The next ten days were a roller coaster ride. We did our best not to allow the memories
from three years prior to flood our consciousness, but it was one of the most
difficult weeks-and-a-half of our lives. The further removed we were from the due date,
the harder it became not to wonder “is a normal birth just not in the
cards?”
It was during those eleven days of stop-start
contractions and growing anxiety based on past experience that the midwives at
Natural Beginnings shined brightest. One
reminded my wife that “your body does work” and to keep trusting it. Another calmly but deliberately told us,
“Your baby is not in the right position” and gave us the exact things necessary
to move him; support and instruction we wished we had been given with our
daughter.
God Bless the midwife on call when our son finally
decided to start making his way out.
Half a dozen phone calls were made, us practically begging her to
acknowledge that it was time to head to Statesville and have this baby, but she
kept calm and eventually had to remind us that if we came in and it was not
time to deliver, then only a certain amount of time could pass before they
would be legally required to send us to the nearby hospital. She knew our history and that it was the last
thing we wanted. Hearing her say that put things in perspective for us and
helped us to remain patient. We went
with the flow, got an amazing boost from an awesome friend, and reached “go
time” in the wee hours of the morning.
Fortunately, we had powerful advocates on our side who
helped quiet the doubting voices in our heads and who, ultimately, guided us to
an incredible birthing experience. We arrived at the Birth Center at
1:30AM. Our son was born two hours later
in the water. It was the most amazing
thing I have ever seen. We were at home
resting by 8AM. This was truly the
experience we had wanted with our daughter and we feel so fortunate to have
accomplished it with our son.
To Tracie, Marcia, and Nicole, we are eternally
grateful. If it was not for your
guidance and support, our dream would not have come true. To the rest of your team, we thank you for
the kind words and the smiles. To
everyone reading this article, do not be afraid to go the natural route (or to
encourage it); do your research and, if you decide that it is right for you,
then my wife and I strongly recommend Natural Beginnings Birth and Wellness
Center.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Chad and Sarah McIntyre
The primary sources cited in this article are The
Midwives Alliance of North America, the 2008 documentary The Business of Being Born, and the website of the Mayo Clinic.
