Full Circle Midwifery

BIRTH REPORT

Parent’s Name Jaramia and Jessica Becker

Baby’s Name and Birthday McKenzie Lee Becker, March 7, 2011

This baby was your third baby and your first home birth.

Why did you choose to have your baby at home?

I’ll be the first to admit that home birth was THE FURTHEST option from my mind when it came to birthing BB3 (Baby Becker 3).  We had 2 hospital births that were what we THEN knew as perfect births.  But, at about month 6 of this pregnancy, we noticed that our $2500 deductible was not going down at all.  After contacting our insurance carrier, we found out that they covered ZERO prenatal or maternity, though, they would cover a C-Section.  We decided to seek alternate birthing options merely for cost savings.  We were referred to Patrice by Jaramia’s mother.  Patrice has been a long time family friend.  After meeting Patrice and Amanda, we knew that homebirth was the option for us.  Not only because the cost of home birthing is about ¼ of the cost of hospital birth, but also because, after further research, we realized how much more peaceful and healthy the home birth would be for our family.

Describe your labor and birth.  Attach another page if you want to.

On Friday, March 4, 2011 (our official due date), labor pains began at 7p and continued every 10 minutes for about the next 4 hours.  Upon waking Saturday morning, and realizing that there was no baby, my mood turned quickly to frustration.  We’d been ready for weeks to meet our newest blessing.  So, that Saturday, in anticipation and to help distract our minds from fixation Jaramia’s parents came over for dinner.  Again, about 7p contractions began and continued every 10 minutes until we went to bed.  Sunday, we woke for church (no baby).  We decided to do try all of the “tried and true” labor inducers (hot shower, hot sex and hot food)(HA!!!).  While sitting in church, contractions were pretty consistent.  Since I had never gone into natural labor with either of my first children (petosin induced after 2 days late with my son and petosin induced after a few hours after my water breaking with my daughter) I sat there praying that this wouldn’t continue for the next couple weeks.  After church, we went to lunch.  Jaramia made me eat a whole cup of jalapeno slices.  Since I was always being told to walk, MY birthday was Tuesday and I needed some nursing tops, we decided to venture to the mall.  OY!  I tested my blood pressure on one of the machines in the mall….and it was up.  I was so swollen.  I was MISERABLE and beginning to get more nervous for our health if BB3 didn’t come soon.  That night at again 7p, contractions became consistent AGAIN.  We didn’t think anything of it since the pattern was consistent from the previous two days.  At about 9:30p, I lost my mucus plug and contractions were about 10-12 minutes apart, but more intense.  Jaramia decided that we should call Patrice.  This is also when he decided to start filling the birthing pool. Patrice explained that labor pains wouldn’t get as intense as the petosin labor pains until the final stage of labor. She said to try to sleep.  So, I decided to get some house work done since I figured this might be the real deal.  At about 11p, contractions were about 5-7 minutes apart and much more intense.  But, we didn’t want to call too early.  Since I could handle the contractions without my head spinning, I figured there was still plenty of time to call Patrice.  Since my mother couldn’t be there for the water birth, she called and talked to me for about 30 minutes of my labor.  At about 12:30a, contractions were about 3-5 minutes apart and intense.  We called Patrice.  She decided it as time for Barb, Amanda and her to be on their way to Hudsonville.  Jaramia was still filling the pool as I labored on our bed.  I SOOOOOO wanted to be in the water.  But, since the pool could only be filled every 20 minutes and then had to let the hot water heater refill, I had to wait.  ALSO, thanks to the experience and advice of a friend of mine who had a water birth, I did not want to get into the pool until the midwives arrived.  Because from her experience, once you got into the pool, baby was coming very, very soon afterward.  I felt like I was on the bed with my legs crossed holding BB3 in as I prayed to God not to make Jaramia have to deliver the baby without the midwives present.  Jaramia called Patrice on her cell phone to find out how their 1.5 hour drive was coming along and to see how to “slow things down”.  She said the drive was going well since she passed two cops while going 70 in a 55 and she didn’t get pulled over.  And, to slow things down…stop moving.  Thank God he answered my prayers shortly.  Barb arrived about 1:30a.  When she came in she asked how things were going.  I said, “I feel like I want to push.”  She said, “Not in those pants.”  So, I went into the bathroom to get out of my pants.  Jaramia finished filling up the tub, Patrice and Amanda arrived about 1:45a.  I got into the birthing pool at about 2:10a.  Almost instantaneously, my water broke.  Jaramia got into the tub with me.  At 2:27a, our beautiful baby girl, McKenzie, was in my arms and perfect!!!  We would not trade this experience for the world.  If this had been our first birth, we would have birthed all three at home.  We debated having the kids involved in the birth.  We educated them and they were excited about the experience.  But, since they both slept through the entire labor and delivery, we figured God had other plans for our kids.

What was your favorite part of your baby’s birth?

Jaramia, McKenzie and I all finally fell asleep in our own beds around 6a.  At about 7a, our 5 year old daughter, Miah, came into our room.  She looked into the cradle and saw her sister.  The look on her face is indescribable.  I introduced her to McKenzie and had Miah lay in the bed with us.  She couldn’t sleep.  She stared at McKenzie for about an hour and finally asked if she could go get Beau, our 7 year old son.  They both came into the room and again gave indescribable expressions (better than ANY Christmas morning).  Beau’s first words, “I don’t care that I’m outnumbered.”  PRICELESS!!!

What would you do differently if you had another baby?

There are no plans for BB4.  But, God may have other plans.  The only thing we’d change is to call Patrice earlier during labor J

How can we improve our services?

Please, Please, PLEASE don’t change a single thing.  We love you all!!!