|
Read June's blog for the latest on birth news, healthy recipes, and recommended reading.  Subscribe to my blog
|
|
The King Arrives to Heidi and Joe  I woke up at 6 a.m. with medium contractions that by 8 a.m. had become sharp and unforgiving. I tried to eat a bowl of Special K Red Berries, but there was no time for that. It sat on the kitchen table, milk-less and uneaten. My husband, my mother and I sped off to the birth center at 8:30 a.m. After pulling a no-show for five days, the King was ready to assume his thrown in a manner aptly described by my midwife as “rapid-fire.” Or, as I like to describe it, FAST and FURIOUS. Seven hours of total labor. Almost four hours of PUSHING. NO DRUGS. NO HOSPITAL. Just me in a jacuzzi tub, my mother covering my head and neck in ice-cold wash cloths, my husband gritting his teeth as I drained the blood from his hands with each push. It was grueling. The hardest thing I’ve ever done. But it’s done. And now I feel like I can do anything. ANYTHING. Had I been in a hospital, would they have let me push for nearly four hours? Probably not. One of my friends was over the other day to see Henry. She’s a nurse at a nearby hospital. I asked her if they would have let me push for four hours. She shook her head no. Probably not. I might have ended up with a C-section. Or other unfavorable interventions would have been used. Three things were in my favor that day: 1. Henry’s heart rate was strong and consistent. He was in the birth canal for a long time, but he was never in distress. My water didn’t break until five minutes before he was born, thus there wasn’t a scary sense of urgency to get him out ASAP. 2. My physicality. Remember all that running? All the insistence on training for something I knew would be insanely difficult? It paid off, people. Nothing prepared me better for natural childbirth than the stamina, strength and endurance I built up by running, biking and swimming pre-pregnancy and during pregnancy. Nothing. Not even yoga. You can’t downward-dog your way through a four-hour pushing phase, but you can sweat, scream and endure. I know it ain’t pretty and that some of you might think I’m crazy, but 12 days later, I’m proud, relieved and grateful that I was able to do it my way. 3. My midwife. She was amazing. She never let me think I couldn’t do it on my own. She never told me I was doing anything wrong. She saw me through the most taxing physical experience of my life with the calm, cool composure of a woman who has delivered hundreds of babies. Two hours into pushing, I turned to her and asked, “Is something wrong?” And she said to me, “Everything is fine. You’re doing great. The baby is fine. You’re almost there.” It was exactly what I needed to hear, even if I wasn’t almost there. -- Heidi and Joe _____________________________________________________ "The Power of the Mind" I went through 19 hours of labor including horrific back labor, but I knew  from your teachings that the contractions come like a wave. There was a picture of the beach and sea in the birthing room. I would imagine that I was actually on the beach, and the contraction was saltwater sweeping over me. It worked, having practiced holding ice then putting myself somewhere else was helpful. My husband labored with me the whole time. We had great midwives, a wonderful birthing assistant and an awesome support staff of my sister and women from my church. Thanks to you we were far more prepared for labor and delivery of our beautiful son, Justin. -- Neka and Walter _____________________________________________________ "Tears Started Flowing with Happiness"  This birth had moments of delight, surprise, hard work, and joy. There was little pain when I expected it, and the most challenging discomfort at a point at which I expected none. Overall I am pleased with how it turned out, and though one could always wish for the ideal birth, this one is mine and I embrace it as a good and meaningful experience. The question of when labor started and how long it lasted depends on when you begin counting. Though I had strong Braxton-Hicks contractions throughout this pregnancy, nothing looked like labor until I was 41 weeks and 1 day. I had measurable, mild contractions starting Saturday afternoon (February 27) around 3 pm, but they trickled off by evening. Around midnight they picked up again and we called our doula at 3am. She suggested trying a shower and lying in side-position to see if they slowed down so I could get some rest. I did, and the contractions went away. That extra sleep was wonderful. The next morning the surges started again, enough to send my daughter off with Granny for an all-day “adventure” in St. Pete. That afternoon they were 12 minutes apart and not very long, but surprisingly uncomfortable. I was getting a little discouraged, because it didn’t seem like they were long or close together enough to be productive. At 3pm we called our hypnobirthing instructor, whose help turned out to be pivotal for my labor. She did a fear release session over the phone with me (I was starting to worry this would turn out to be another 46-hour labor like my last one) and dropped off some hypnobirthing cds she recorded in her own voice for us to use. This is when I consider (retroactively) for labor to have officially begun, making it approximately a 10-hour labor. For 3 hours, I lay on my side; Gadiel provided light touch massage and some gentle counterpressure, and I focused deeply on the hypnobirthing work I had been practicing for months. The contractions continued at the same rate and duration, but they seemed much easier to manage now. I still thought it was early labor slowing down again…and then to my surprise, I began to have the urge to push with contractions. This was very odd, and I was concerned I might be one of those women who get the urge too early and would have to fight against it. So I called my midwife at the birth center. She heard me go through a contraction and thought I should come in to at least be checked. My doula thought the same thing when we called her, and decided to come meet us at the birth center just in case. By 7pm Gadiel and I got to the center. I had previously told the midwife in my birth plan that I didn’t want to know my dilation as we went along. But the grin on her face when she asked me “Are you sure you don’t want to know?” told me I did. 9 cm dilated!!!! This so exceeded my expectations and wiped away fears that the tears just started flowing with happiness. It was the sort of thing that happened at other people’s births, not mine. :) I got into the birth tub and continued to labor there for a while. Without the feeling of altered consciousness I was expecting for transition, I laughed and made jokes with my support team between contractions. Gadiel and I sang one of our favorite Jewish rounds together, feeling the familiar harmonies in a moment that seemed all our own. The urge to push eased (maybe the water?) and it took several more hours until I started feeling ready to bring the baby down. Pushing actually took another three hours, though I wasn’t watching the clock so it didn’t feel that long to me. I had asked to be checked as little as possible, and in retrospect I wish I had asked to have the midwife check me at this point, since when she checked me 1.5 hours into it we discovered I was pushing against a cervical lip. Once that had been eased out of the way the baby was able to descend again, only to be held up by my pubic bone. Up until this point I had been using the hypnobirthing technique of “breathing the baby down”: that is, not holding my breath, curving into a “j” shape, pushing just gently with the urges. (I was also, according to Gadiel, “bellowing, in a powerful birthing kind of way”, though I don’t quite remember that.) It became clear that I would need to work much harder to get the baby around the pubic bone, and that the sense of urgency in the room was heightened. So I pushed more actively, moving out of the tub to the bed to have the help of gravity and working against the impulses I had to protect my perineum. My legs were beginning to cramp something awful and my doula (bless her) kept massaging me to prevent painful spasms with every push. At some point I remember thinking, “I need to get fierce, or I’m going to get wimpery.” More bellowing ensued. I pushed harder than I thought possible, and our baby began to immerge. After he began to crown I actually birthed just half his head and we sat like that between contractions. (Imagine a sweater pulled down over your head just to your nose.) I finished birthing his head with the next contraction, the midwife unwrapped the cord once, and with yet more real effort birthed the rest of his sizable body. As planned, I reached down and with the midwife’s guidance lifted my baby out of my own body on to my chest. My joy, my relief, my ecstasy in that moment is difficult to put into words. Gadiel was right there with me on the bed and we massaged our little one, coaxing him into taking his first earthly breaths. We had a few minutes of wonderful, happy bonding time there on that bed, but they were fleeting. It soon became apparent that my placenta was not going to deliver on its own. After herbs, a jab of pitocin into my leg and all the positive thinking we could muster, it became clear the placenta was not going to come without intervention. I had my wonderful natural childbirth with the baby, but would still have a hospital experience as a postscript. The 20-something young EMTs were kind, but the bumpy ride in the ambulance sans baby and husband with pitocin-induced contractions was nothing short of misery. The midwife on-call at the hospital evaluated me and proceeded to do what is called a “manual extraction” of the placenta. Yes, it is what it sounds like, and although it couldn’t have lasted more than 30 seconds it was clearly the most painful part of the whole birthing experience. What makes it non-traumatic to me after the fact is that I know we tried everything and that it was just an unavoidable physical issue, not a result of incompetent care or the like. My doula was there with me for the extraction, and after less than an hour total, I was reunited with Gadiel and the baby. Soon after my mom arrived with my daughter in tow, and she was precious, meeting her baby brother for the first time and touching him “so gentle.” My doula also helped me, in the midst of some hospital-induced chaos and my own focus on my daughter, to begin breastfeeding with him. He had a good latch from the beginning and has proved to be a good eater just like his big sister. The recovery from the actual birth has been easy—I didn’t tear or have any other perineal trauma. Unfortunately, the placenta issue caused me to lose 1000 cc’s of blood, about 2 units. When I first came home I couldn’t walk to the bathroom alone without risking fainting, much less carry the baby around the house. After almost 3 weeks I’m feeling much more like myself and I’m thinking about getting crazy and walking around the block. Due to my blood loss, we have had to supplement the breastfeeding with formula (which we hate, because we consider formula to be the nutritional equivalent of liquid twinkies) but my milk supply seems to be increasing so we hope to end the supplementing soon. He is an amazingly peaceful baby and doesn’t cry for much. He smacks when he is hungry (and dives for my chest), doesn’t have much gas, rests quietly in the swing when I need to put him down to care for Aviva, and falls asleep without much effort on our parts. His hair will probably be a dark auburn and his eyes are brown like mommy’s. He has old-man tufts of hair on the top of his ears and his dad’s justin beiber hair pattern. He is beautiful. Though the drama of the placenta seems to jump into the foreground of this story, I want mostly to focus on the marvelous labor and the baby. It was hard work, no doubt, but it was also the wonderful experience of birth that I needed to reclaim a part of myself after the difficulties of my dauaghter’s birth. He came out healthy and strong, and I was able to give him a much-hoped-for peaceful and non-medicated entry into this world. If that is the end result of this birth story, I’ll take it. -- Julie and Gadiel "We dropped off the rug cleaner at Publix on the way to the birth center!"  By March 8th, my due date, I didn’t feel anything, so I went to work. At about 2pm, I felt something like a menstrual cramp which was strong enough for me to notice, but nothing else while I was at work. Since my work place was 90% or more male, they were all concerned about me. Or maybe they were concerned about who would win the bet – they all bet on when you would be born and posted it in my office. I went home that night, and I had a little discharge, so I called the midwife. She assured me it was fine. I went to sleep, but woke up around 4am feeling just bad – kind of achy, a little nauseous. Then, discharge did begin to run down my leg – not a gush like water breaking, so I got worried. I called the midwife, and since I wasn’t having contractions yet, she told me to come in around 10 am. I called my boss to let him know I wouldn’t be in that morning, and I began to have contractions. I timed them using my iPod app. Your father was on spring break, so he drove with me to the birthing center, which was 40 miles from our house. The midwife checked me, I wasn’t dilated, and urged me to get rest. Plus, my contractions weren’t equally spaced. We had lunch and at this point, I’m trying to figure out if I should go back to work! I knew that every day I took before you were born was one less day I’d have with you on maternity leave after you were born, so I didn’t want to miss work. At this point, however, the contractions were still 20 minutes apart, but I could feel them getting stronger. So we went home. That night, we ate at our favorite Mexican fusion restaurant, because it was Taco Tuesday (99 cent tacos) and they have great guacamole. I remember chatting with your father, and needing to stop the conversation and breathe as the contractions came. We walked around in the mall, but not for long, because we had to come home and watch your dad’s favorite show at the time – Lost. The contractions grew stronger and we had to pause the show every time one came. Your father would push on the small of my back or we would slow dance to help me through it. At this point, the contractions are coming quicker, and stronger. We called your grandfather (your father’s dad) a few times for advice. He said we just needed to stick through it. That night, Tuesday, was rough. I threw up twice, had diarrhea, and would wake up to contractions, which were coming every 7, 5, 8, 6, or so minutes. I was begging your father to call the midwife. But the midwife said that the contractions needed to be evenly spaced before we could go back to the birthing center. Through the night, I knew your father needed rest, so I let him sleep and gave him angry looks every time another contraction came. I begged him again at 8am on Wednesday to call the midwife. He told me to try and make it until noon. At 10 am, however, the mucus plug came out and I told him we were calling. The midwife told us to come in. Now, your dad was very adamant about having the carpets steam cleaned before you came because we had dogs at the time. So, he lovingly rented a steam cleaner and cleaned the carpets. One thing he didn’t do was return the steam cleaner to Publix. So as we’re headed out to make our 40 mile trek to the birthing center, with me in full-blown labor, he asks if he can take the steam cleaner back so we won’t get charged a late fee. My frame of mind at this point is “I don’t care” to any non-critical request, so I get in the car, and he lugs in the steam cleaner. We pull out of our neighborhood, nearly get into an accident, then pull into Publix. My contractions hurt so bad now that I am literally trying to distract myself from the pain by biting my arm and putting ice on the back of my neck (you only have a limited number of pain receptors in your brain, so you can distract a few with other pains). Then your father turns on the Jim Rome Sports Talk Radio show. For the entire hour long ride. I was too distracted to protest, although that show oozes testosterone and I never get the jokes. I thought I had a handle on the contractions – rise and fall in the tension. Then the contractions started to double-peak in pain. Just when I thought the contraction was over, it intensified! In the car, I’m focused on making sure your father isn’t distracted, so I sit quietly and try to breathe. Your father tried to talk to me, but I just gave him a dirty look, so he just laughed at his Jim Rome jokes. We make it to the birthing center at 12:45pm and I am 6 centimeters dilated, 90% effaced. Chris takes us back to the birthing room, and I call my dad. He is so excited, he can’t contain himself. I think he called your grandmother at work as well as any and anyone else who would listen. Your father called Sandra, a friend of ours who would be taking care of the dogs. I think he called my boss too. He also called Veronica, who headed to the birthing center immediately. The midwife ran a bath, and I enjoyed being in the tub. The labor continued, without pain medication. Your father, Veronica, and the midwife were cheering me on. They helped by pouring ice water on me during contractions, saying encouraging things, and reassuring looks. At 5pm, the midwife said I could push, since I was fully dilated. We thought you were coming soon, so the temperature in the room was raised so you wouldn’t be too cold. It was too hot for me, so I got out of the tub. I began pushing all kinds of ways: upright on a stool, on all fours, on my side, and on my back. It felt like I wasn’t making any progress. I was getting very tired, since I had not been able to keep food down since I threw up on Tuesday. I began drinking smoothies, and just pressed on, with lots of encouragement. At 8:02pm, I was on my back pushing with my eyes closed (in the traditional stance most American women birth in the hospital, except no stirrups -- your father and Veronica were holding my legs), trying to just push a little longer. I heard Veronica yell and after a few seconds realized what happened. You came out in one push! As the midwife described it you arrived on the scene in a ball like Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic was a video game character who rolled everywhere he went). I did have tearing, and I was given local anesthesia and stitched up. The midwife put you on my chest and in an instant all the pain went away. I just couldn’t stop saying “We have a baby! We have a baby!” I was so excited to meet you. I loved everything about you instantly – even your little cry. I made your father go get me medium rare steak and savored you even more. Aryanna weighed in at 6 pounds, 7.5 oz and 20 inches long. -- Robyn ____________________________________________________________"Natural birth is definitely the way to go!" I woke up on the morning of my due date at 5:30 with Braxton-Hicks contractions. By 10:45am they were 6-7 minutes apart and crampy. I was thinking this was it! I called my midwife and we packed our stuff in the van so we'd be ready. My husband and I went to Target to walk. While we were there, though, the contractions were really close and crazy. I thought the walking was messing me up so we went home so I could rest.  Contractions became very sporadic--sometimes 6minutes apart, sometimes 9, then 12. Some were even 21 minutes apart. Labor had stalled and I was very discouraged. Instead of sitting around the house sulking, my husband suggested the two of us go to the beach. So we did. It was 2:45pm. I was still having contractions but I wasn't really timing them. They were farther apart than earlier in the day. We sat on the beach and did some walking. It was really nice. We left the beach at 4pm. I called my midwife to update her. She said I could come in and be checked if I wanted. I did, so we headed to the birth center. At 5pm my cervix was 5 centimeters dilated! I was so excited! I really was in labor, although prodromal, but still! All the frustration from the day was worth it when I found out I was progressing. The baby's head was a little crooked and that might be the reason my labor had been slow. Since we live literally 5 minutes from the birth center, we decided to go home, get something to eat, shower and maybe walk some more. By this time, contractions were regularly 6-7 minutes apart again. By 6pm they were picking up and feeling really crampy and a little closer together. I guess being told I was in labor was all my body needed to get things moving! We arrived at the birth center around 7pm. I wanted to try laboring on a birth ball because I had heard so many great things about them. I loved it! I stayed on the ball for about 2 hours. I also used deep breathing techniques to manage the contractions. At almost 9 o'clock I was checked and was 7-8 centimeters! Almost there! I got in the birthing tub at 9:15. Shortly after getting in the tub, contractions got stronger and I started having to hum through them. I could feel my body working and things were happening. It was so nice being able to move freely and do whatever my body wanted. I ended up on my hands and knees. I remember that my body started pushing in the middle of a contraction. It surprised me, but it was awesome and I just worked with my body. I don't remember how many pushes/contractions it took but it wasn't long before the baby was out! My midwife "caught" him and told me to sit back and take the baby. We did not know the sex of our baby, but still I didn't look right away. I held my baby on my chest. After a few minutes I looked and saw I had a boy! Stellan Ray was born on his due date at 10:13pm weighing 9 pounds 3 ounces and measured 21 1/2 inches long. Having him at the birth center was the greatest experience and was everything I hoped for. Natural childbirth is definitely the way to go! -- Brianna and Chris ____________________________________________________________ |
 I was six days past my due date and in a VERY bad mood. I had walked and walked, had my membranes stripped and still nothing. My first baby was 10 days late, so on my sixth day past, I lay on the couch and sulked all day. The next morning, I woke up and was trickling water. I put on a pad and went in to work to get some things in order, then headed up to Largo to the Breath of Life birthing center. My midwife, Chris, checked me and confirmed that the wetness was amniotic fluid, so she sent me home with 24 hours to begin labor. If it didn't happen within 24, she warned, I would have to deliver at a hospital. I was NOT going to the hospital. We went home and walked some more, and I ate a huge cheeseburger for lunch—to keep my strength up, you know. We were due to check in with Chris at 4, and by then, I still hadn't had any contractions. We settled into our birthing room, which was very comfortable. Chris checked me, and I was only maybe two centimeters dilated, so I asked her for some castor oil. She poured it up with orange juice, and I downed the entire viscous cupful in a couple of gulps. We walked some more. Nothing. 9:30, I asked for more. I drank another dose. Shortly after, the storm hit. Within a couple of hours, I was in full labor. We began to use the methods we learned in our birthing class. My husband and I used the ball. I sat on it and rocked, while he sat opposite me, holding me in his arms, counting. I closed my eyes and breathed through the contractions. We slow danced—we brought Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue", which was a very relaxing back drop. Chris stayed near, but was completely unobtrusive. She prepared the tub for me and lit some candles. I got in as the contractions started to get stronger, and stayed in until I felt like I wanted to push but couldn't find the "traction" I wanted. I got out and tried several birthing positions, with the help of Chris and her assistant, Cassie, and finally landed on my side in the bed, where my son was born, all 10 lbs, 3 oz of him, at 5:01 a.m. Chris put him on my belly, and I was amazed to finally meet this beautiful little guy. My husband cut the cord and we took turns adoring him. Chris took great care of me and showed me how to nurse the baby. I showered, had some breakfast, and she tucked us all into bed, where we got some rest. It was a beautiful, peaceful experience. I wish I could do it again—just like that. Maybe an eight pounder, though. Those 10 lb boys are tough to push out. -- Donna and Jim Smith ____________________________________________________________ |
|
"It was absolutely the greatest experience I have ever endured."  My pregnancy was definitely a surprise worth the natural pain! When my husband, Eric, and I were engaged, we both agreed that we didn't want children. Well, God just laughed and allowed us to get pregnant on our honeymoon. When I found out, I immediately decided to have a hospital birth with an epidural and all the drugs I could take! Then my heart started to change and I was more focused on the health of my baby instead of my own comfort. I started to explore elsewhere ended up attending a birth center seminar at the Breath of Life Birthing Center.At one o'clock in the morning on May 18th, I got up to use the bathroom. I started feeling a little weird but didn't think anything of it. So I went back to bed to sleep it off. Thirty minutes later, I started experiencing cramps and they were definitely in rhythm so I assumed they were contractions. I woke up my husband and we timed it for an hour. The contractions were 5 minutes apart and we guessed that they were lasting about 30 seconds. At 2:30 we called the birthing center. The midwife was already there and ready but she wanted my contractions to last a little bit longer. Our mistake was not timing how long the contractions lasted. What felt like 30 seconds was really a minute! So we timed them for another hour and called her back. She finally said to come on over. We got there around 4:00 a.m. and we were ready to go. She checked my vitals, Gavin's heart rate, and how far along I was. I was 4 cm dilated and 70% effaced. I opted to take the medication for Strep B since I was a carrier. I stayed in bed for about an hour breathing through the contractions. I was supposed to walk around the center and that lasted about 5 minutes because the pain was too much. She checked me again and I was 6 cm and 100% effaced....so I was allowed in the tub (now 5:15ish). This was absolutely the best! Eric was outside the tub holding my hands and encouraging me through. I was in there for about two hours or so; still enduring those not-so-nice contractions. I was so tired at one point that I fell asleep between contractions. Then the warm water wasn't working anymore. I had major back labor and couldn't get comfortable. So my midwife had me move to the bed (now 7:20ish). Ten to fifteen minutes and two LOUD screams later, Gavin was on my belly crying at 7:38 a.m.! I tore a little and I promise that the stitching was far worse than giving birth! The only drugs I took were Ibuprofen and that was after I delivered Gavin. We took him to the pediatrician at 2:00 in the afternoon and were home by 2:30. It was absolutely the greatest experience I have ever endured. -- Brooke and Eric ____________________________________________________________ |
 The labor began right after 5:00 PM on April 16th, 2009. I was 10 days late, but so was my mom when she was expecting me. I knew it was the "real thing" because the contractions were very strong and less than 5 minutes apart. Although I had contractions the previous night, these were much stronger and more painful. I did take the castor oil since my goal was to avoid having labor induction. Weirdly enough the castor oil didn't cause any problems (I even didn't have to go to bathroom), except for it didn't taste good at all. My daughter was born at Breath of Life birthing center about seven and a half hours later. It was a totally natural birth experience - no pain medications or episiotomy and very few examinations by the midwife - just like I wanted. My midwife was very knowledgeable. My husband asked her, "when is my wife going to have the baby?" I thought no one can tell us that, but she said that the baby should be here sometime around midnight. And she was so right! Actually, that helped me to get through the labor and kept me motivated as I was counting how many hours I need to do this for. Although I was planning to have a water birth, at the end I had to get out of the tub because I wanted to bank the cord blood for my daughter. I also brought some aroma therapy oils to help me with the pain and contractions, but honestly I even forgot I had them. I wish I had used them. The place was very well equipped. I used the exercise ball in the beginning of labor, but at the end I switched to birthing stool. I gave birth in the squatting position. My midwife and her staff were very caring - they were applying hot compresses to avoid tears and I was certainly taking my time pushing the baby out, so I almost didn't tear at all (no stitches were required). Also, my water didn't break till about five minutes before I pushed out the baby's head, so the baby came out looking great, since she was in her protective bubble the whole time. My mom and my husband were both there as well as my midwife and her two assistants. If I had to do it all over again, I would not change a thing. My advise for expectant mothers (and fathers) is don't get too attached to the birthing plan - just be open to changes and go with the flow, because at the end the result will be the same - you will have a beautiful baby. -- Kristine Jubin |
Getting close
to your due date?
Getting close
to your due date?
|
What is a Doula?
What is a Doula?
|
A doula is a non-medical labor assistant who physically and emotionally supports a mom and her partner during labor, as depicted in this beautiful montage of Samuel's birth. Thank you to Tara and Angel for sharing their natural birth experience at Breath of Life Birth Center. |
Breath of LIfe Birth Center
Breath of LIfe Birth Center
 Breath of Life is a beautiful birth center based in Largo, FL, with two caring Certified Nurse Midwives who lovingly help moms bring their babies into the world without drugs or high-tech equipment. "High-touch, low-tech" sums up the center's philosophy. Happy Birth Way childbirth educator June Connell is in her fourth year of teaching classes there. If you are a Breath of Life client and would like to sign up and pay for Happy Birth Way classes, you can do that right here. |
Did You Know?
|
Studies are suggesting that babies whose moms ate a variety of foods during their pregnancy are less likely to be picky eaters! So go ahead, moms -- sample some new cuisines! |
Testimonials
"Great environment and flow."
Keith R.
"We know more of what to expect now."
Susan G.
"June is intelligent, humble, patient and always available for questions."
Seth P.
"Having natural coping tools has boosted my confidence."
Regis B.
"I learned that my body will tell me what to do."
Stephanie W.
"Informative, excellent presentation."
Robyn B.
"Wonderful visuals. Thank you!"
Krystin W.
"Learning the husband?s role will definitely help us in labor."
Brian R.
"The class relieved my anxieties about labor and delivery."
Christie D.
"June did a great job answering our questions."
Ashley S.
|
Our Experience >
Cesarean Birth Rate
| The cesarean birth rate in the United States is teetering around the 40% mark. Some of the hospitals in the Tampa Bay area have already exceeded that. Find out here how your hospital is doing. |