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Harper and Willow

I decided to use a midwife for my pregnancy and birth because my sister had such success and great experience with her children. Little did I know the relationship you build with these wonderful women and the comfort you feel while in their care is just beyond appreciated and amazing.

HARPER

I was so excited and curious to meet my midwife team. I loved the power they gave me to listen to my body and allow me to feel comfortable with my pregnancy and delivery. I walked into every appointment with confidence that I was going to have a drug free-all natural birth (this was important to me as a woman to achieve!) There was always constant communication and encouragement during my visits on how I felt and how I was going to get there. Everything was going perfect... Then came 39 weeks and my midwives brought the conversation of induction up. “Who me? ... nooo my baby was going to come all natural 1,2,3.” .... Then came 40 weeks, with a couple stretch and sweeps later, no signs of baby. Then came 41 weeks and I was scheduled to be induced the next day. I accepted it, I can still be induced but have no pain medication. So 41+1 I was induced, Erin was the midwife to deliver my baby. She was excellent in staying by my side the whole process (and the student midwife Katrina working with our team) were familiar and comforting faces my entire labor and delivery. They broke my water around 2:30 pm and my whole labor ramped up and contractions became much stronger. I laboured till around midnight which is when I was fully dilated and ready to push. In my mind “here comes the fun part! Let’s push a baby out :S .... “. I pushed for quite some time and my baby just seemed to not want to crown. I previously had an ultrasound which showed baby was going to be on the larger side. With that, Erin decided to call in the OB on call to evaluate what was going on. Due to baby projecting to be large, the OB suggested a c-section would be the best path of delivery to ensure baby doesn’t come out with injury. Thankfully baby was not in distress so I was given a quiet moment to think for myself and peacefully decide c-section is best. Again, as I was wheeled into the operating room, there Erin and Katrina were, familiar faces waiting for me and supporting me. Finally at 3:28 am Miss Harper was born.

So then my after care began with my midwives, weekly visits, ensuring that both myself (and healing scar from c-section), and Harper were doing well. It was great to have them come to me since life with a newborn became crazy and tiring and on top of that I was recovering from major surgery. Again, familiar faces and women that I trusted were taking care of me and my baby.

WILLOW

When Miss Harper was 6.5 months old, I learned I was pregnant with #2! I didn’t even call my family doctor to let her know, I instantly called Access Midwives to secure a spot with my previous team. After my c-section with Harper I was encouraged to not try for another baby till she was at least 10 months old, giving my uterus time to heal in between births. So naturally after my mind got a spot secured with my midwife team it went to “oh no, I’m going to have to have another c-section again”. I was probably the most impatient person waiting for my first visit with Simone. I needed to get in there and start talking about route of delivery!

So there I was, about 10 weeks pregnant impatiently waiting in the Access Midwives office for my appointment. My appointment with Simone was way better than I expected. I thought for sure I would have to have another c-section and I wouldn’t be able to be under midwifery care ..... aaaand I was wrong! Simone (and team!) educated me on VBAC vs repeat c-section and left it to me to make the choice mine and they supported my choice. Meanwhile during my pregnancy they sent me to consult with an OB that they love to work with, who was also amazing and gave me her advice as well. Long story short, my goal was to deliver vaginally but with a repeat c-section scheduled if I hit 41 weeks. To my surprise .... 40 weeks and 3 days I went into labour!! I couldn’t believe it, my last pregnancy I had to be included and this one I went into labour on my own!

I felt my labor coming on around 10 pm so I decided to take a bath to see if it was a false alarm or not. I felt better in the bath, but when I got out at 10:30 it was game over, full on contractions were coming. I called Tamara around 11:15 and we made a plan to meet at the hospital. The drive over was probably the most uncomfortable car ride I have ever been in, and my water decided to break in the car too .. fun times.

We arrived at the hospital just after midnight and man were my contractions strong and coming fast! Tamara personally wheeled me into the delivery room as fast as she could, by passed the check in. She hooked my belly up to the contraction and heart beat monitor stat, so we can monitor baby for any sign of distress and checked to see how far along I was dilated, I was at 5! I was GBS positive, and Tamara was working as calmly but fast to get me hooked up to my IV to get my antibiotics, but my veins are not the best to catch... poor Tamara, not scrubbed up, I am beyond knee deep into labor, and she’s trying to get the stinkin’ IV in! During all of this chaos setting up, I was in SO much pain, I wasn’t getting a break in between contractions I was ready to forget my all natural plan! Tamara reminded me that I have been dreaming of my all natural plan and placing confidence back in me. She said she will check how far I was dilated after she got my IV in and scrubbed up. Well, when she did check me there was no wonder why I had been in so much pain! I was 9 cm dilated! Baby’s heart rate would dip a little but come back up with every contraction and with my uterus not being the strongest Tamara knew it was game on. She helped me to get to 10 cm dilated and I was ready to push! It took about 8-10 pushes (well, at least in my mind it was, hah!) and there she was, born 3 hours 15 minutes after my contractions started, my sweet little Willow.

“I DID IT!!!” I kept saying over and over, I beat the odds and I delivered vaginally after c-section! This may have been the most proud of MYSELF, I have ever been in life. I cannot thank the Access Midwives team more for encouraging me and educating me and Tamara for making it REALLY happen! She could have given up on me at the first sign of Willow’s heart rate dropping, but she didn’t. She was just as determined as I was in love.