In Your Words: Kayla's Birth Story
/
Mike, kayla, and baby daphne (now 1 year old!).
Transitions: Doula & Life Services is honored to bring sacred birth stories of our clients to life.
In this “In Your Words”, Kayla shares her amazing experience of giving birth in the comfort of her own home, supported by her partner Mike, doula Kelsie, and the midwifery team Flourish Wellness & Birth Co.
Enjoy!
Daphne made her entrance into the world slowly, over 4 consecutive nights at home. The technical word for that is “prodromal labor”, but it was what it was.
I woke up with a jolt of lightning in my womb Night One around midnight and timed consistent contractions. The midwife and doula came…and went.
Effaced but not dilated.
“Each morning the contractions would stop with the sun.”
I tended our other children and would try to rest.
Night Two I tried a medication to help me sleep, to save my energy, but instead I woke confused to steady contractions through the night. Again — with the sun and morning giggles of my older girls — the contractions would stop.
Night Three I was convinced it was go-time. I even got in the birthing tub! My wonderful midwife and doula came and stayed through the night even though we guessed there was no baby coming. Slightly more dilated, and increasingly tired and confused, I just didn’t want to be left alone. They slept in my living room while I labored over the toilet overnight.
(We now suspect baby had turned sunny-side up and together our bodies were slowing labor to navigate the position change).
“The next day, ready to pull out all the stops on New Years Eve, we opted for a Labor Cocktail and my husband cheers’ed with, ‘Let her buck!’”
Two Miles Circuits and 7 hours later we had resigned ourselves to no baby in 2023. I tidied the house. It was difficult to look at labor supplies scattered around the house from the previous 3 nights. I prayed for peace and rest.
My mom came and gave me a quick myofascial release treatment before whisking the older two kids away for a sleepover and my husband and I settled down to watch a movie. I now believe the Miles Circuit and MFR helped baby reposition.
Not 20 minutes into the movie, I felt my water break. I couldn’t believe it and alerted my husband. It wasn’t long before contractions were steady and intense.
Cheers’ing with a labor inducing cocktail on new years eve. “let her buck!”
“I made the (slightly sheepish) call to have the midwife and doula prepare to come back for the 3rd time. ”
Mentally I went to another planet but I remember them both lovingly offering new positions, comfort measures and a peanut ball for several hours. The intensity was different but WELCOME because I could feel the progress and baby descending!
laboring in the birth pool, with the help of her husband, mike.
This time in the birthing pool was the last. When it was time to push I felt relief and excitement more than the ring of fire. I was loud. I heard fireworks outside the window in my neighborhood and knew we would have a New Years babe.
Near the end I reached down in the water and could feel her head crowning. With a few more pushes she was out, eyes wide open and calm under the warm water as I pulled her up to my chest. She never cried.
“She looked at me like she’d known me a lifetime. ”
The bedroom was full of hushed & excited whispers about her beauty, her color, our valiant effort and her name. We moved out of the pool together, already in our home, where after a couple hours of care and cleanup it would be just the three of us.
Three where there had been two.
welcoming baby daphne, born new years day.
I wish this kind of simple, held birth experience for any woman who wants it.
Daphne invited a part of me to wake up I didn’t even know was sleeping.
-Kayla, Birth Doula Client
Transitions: Doula & Life Services is honored to share our clients’ sacred birth experience, at their request.
Interested in bringing your story to life? Reach out to info@transitionsdoulaservices.com
Transitions: Doula & Life Services is a birth and postpartum doula agency based in Sioux Falls, SD. We offer birth and postpartum doula support, overnight doula support, placenta encapsulation, breastfeeding services, and childbirth education. Check out our offerings at transitionsdoulaservices.com.
Make sure to follow @transitionsdoula on your favorite socials to get tips, resources, and support for your childbearing year!