“When you change the way you view birth,
the way you birth will change.”
-Marie Mongan

At the end of my first pregnancy I actually came across Midwife Kira’s Cajun Stork videos on YouTube. I honestly had no clue what I was getting in to but I just knew I wanted to try for a natural birth. Kira’s videos did encourage me but fear still took over. So when I went in to my last prenatal appointment with my OBGYN, I decided to get induced out of fear. Fear of my doctor not being there to deliver. Fear of my husband not being home for the birth of our first child. Fear of something happening that our baby or myself would’ve needed immediate medical attention.

Unfortunately, all of that fear only lead to me getting an epidural that didn’t even work properly and I almost had to have an emergency c section due to my daughter’s heart rate dropping! Talk about scary! After that I never wanted to have another hospital birth again unless it was medically necessary.

When I found out I was pregnant the second time I knew what I wanted to do and was determined to do it. Immediately I started praying and asked one of my best friends, Evie, to be my doula… and then I called The Natural Birth House. At the consultation I had immediate peace and I just knew that I was in the right place. In our one-hour appointments throughout my pregnancy the midwives always took time to answer my questions, check in with me and provided me with plenty of knowledge and resources to prepare me for the birth and postpartum. Being able to build relationships with each midwife really helped to remove a lot my fear.

While in labor, we realized my baby, Collin, was sunny side up. It was incredible to be able to tap into the wealth of NORMAL BIRTH knowledge that my midwives, birth assistant and doula Evie all had to work through that. Together we used position changes and exercises to help him flip. As soon as I felt him turn it was not long after that he came earth side. Then, what I thought was my worst fear began to unfold- I began to bleed heavily and the midwives had to act quickly.

What I remember most in that moment is when I heard Midwife Kira say to call an ambulance and instead of FEAR, I trusted her (and yes, started praying!) I immediately went back to her Birth Emergencies Class when she said “just because we say call an ambulance, it doesn’t mean you are going anywhere”. She asked permission to give me Pitocin, a drug we discussed in class that would only be used for emergencies. A quick needle-stick in my thigh later and the bleeding stopped. The midwives all did a great job encouraging me and tending to Collin, my husband, and myself during our time there. Believe it or not, even after that my husband and I got to take Collin home the same day!

God didn’t just protect me in this birth experience, he also protected Collin. I hired Jenny Thompson to encapsulate my placenta and she showed me that the umbilical cord had not one but TWO TRUE KNOTS in it!! I was able to save his umbilical cord and I have to say the capsules helped me so much postpartum. If you are thinking about having your placenta encapsulated, I highly recommend

Overall my time at the Birth House from appointments through postpartum was a blessing and I couldn’t have chosen a better birth team or a better place to birth! These women are truly in it for their passion of natural birth. I 10/10 recommend! If you’re considering natural birth, do not let fear hold you back. Educate yourself, get you a doula, a midwife, and an amazing birth team! It’s all possible.