Jul 21, 2016 | Bleeding, Breast feeding, Depression, Epidural, First Birth, Hospital Birth, Partner Attended, Postpartum
I had a difficult pregnancy. We conceived easily, the month after we had decided we would “never be ready” for kids, so why not now? But after the first few weeks of excitement wore off, after we had told our parents and started to plan, I got sick. Not just...
Nov 11, 2013 | Bed rest, Empowered, Epidural, Episiotomy, Exhaustion, Fear, Pain, Pitocin, Postpartum
As a female, our natural ability in nature is to bear children. Creating a child, and giving birth to that being is a miracle. I, myself, have experienced that miracle and have written this to share my pregnancy and labor experience. I have felt so empowered as a...
Sep 16, 2013 | Doula Attended, Empowered, Epidural, Fast labor, Fear, Hospital Birth, Overdue, Partner Attended, Second birth, Vaginal Birth, Vocalizing
My second baby, due September 29, 2012, wasn’t born until October 13. My first child had been born a week and a half past his due date, but surely the second wouldn’t be even later than that, right? I assumed. I hoped. By the second week in October, I was desperate...
May 7, 2013 | Breast feeding, Cesarean birth, Epidural, Long Labor, Pain, Pitocin
On Thursday April 18 at 8 am I had an appointment at my maternity clinic to check my blood pressure. I was feeling very uncomfortable and swollen, but when I woke that day my feet were so big I couldn’t even shove my shoes on! Austin sat me down, undid and...
Apr 26, 2013 | Cesarean birth, Doula Attended, Epidural, Hospital Birth, Long Labor, Pain
I have two daughters, so have two stories, but they are so integrally related and my first story defines my second and my second defines my first so importantly that they have become one story. Annabel Wren was born June 23, 2007 and Emaline Iris was born 4 years...
Nov 28, 2012 | Breast feeding, Cesarean birth, Epidural, Exhaustion, First Birth, Hospital Birth, Long Labor, Overdue
Here is the birth story of our baby Ethan. My due date was 26th Oct, but I was overdue so we went to our hospital Tokyo Medical Center (Japanese public hospital) on 31st Oct for our planned induction. My husband and I arrived at the hospital at 8:30am, checked-in at...