Sabrina, Matt and George Anthony

My name is Sabrina, my husband is Matt and here is our birth story:

I was born at home. My mom had terrible hospital experiences with my older and younger sister. She always told us how wonderful my birth was for her. Previous to our pregnancy my older sister had a baby. She ended up being induced and having a cesarean, another not so positive hospital experience. These reasons alone made it very important for me to have my baby anywhere but the hospital. Besides that I am definitely one of those people that like to do things completely opposite from the "norm."

May of 2006 we found out we were pregnant. I searched for a midwife on a birth website and found the Madison Birth Center. I read their entire website and took my husband to the next open house to tour the place. From the website to the establishment and people, I looked nowhere else because I knew this was where we would have our baby. I was so excited!

Sadly to say the day before our first prenatal appointment we had our baby, way too early. We had a miscarriage and Aszani advised us to keep our prenatal appointment the next day. It was difficult to go. We did and it was so therapeutic. At our appointment we were able to mourn our little one and cry through it all.

In August 2006, we got pregnant again and it was so exciting to call and set up our first appointment! We felt like everyone at the MBC was our family and we still feel that way today.

June 15, 2007 George Anthony was born at 6:30 PM. But let's back up… My contractions started the morning before and kept me up from 3am till 9am, when they stopped. I thought we were having the baby that day for sure. I was two weeks over due and had an appointment that day. Aszani told me to go home and rest. At around 3pm on Thursday the contractions started again. They didn't get intense till later that night, around 9pm or so. We went to the MBC at 3am and Aszani was there to help us deal with the contractions. Looking back I probably could have stayed home longer, but at the time I didn't think so.

Our labor progressed slowly. I spent most of my time in the shower with the water beating down on my lower back. I had to have someone push on my lower back through every contraction. We used methods to help my labor progress - like sitting on the toilet backwards (I hated that because it hurt the most!), and sitting on the birthing ball leaning over the bed. As I got closer to pushing I did lunges over the birth ball on the bed!

We wanted to have a water birth but when my water broke there was meconium in it so out of the tub it was for me! When it got to the pushing part I was getting weak. I had thoughts that I couldn't do it anymore. I was vulnerable and worried about my baby. At that point if someone would have offered me something for the pain I'm sure I would have taken it. I am so grateful no one did.

Aszani knew I felt weak and said something to me that helped me to the end. She looked me in the eyes and said, "You are a strong woman and you can do this…" After she said that I pushed like I never thought I could, and George Anthony was born on the birth stool. It was the most amazing experience. As soon as his head was out I felt no pain.

Giving birth was the most painful experience I have ever been through. At the Madison Birth Center, I would do it again in a heart beat. These women know what they are doing. They are so calm and confident, and it made the entire environment and experience the same. At every moment through my labor it felt as if everyone knew exactly what to do at exactly the right time. It was a beautiful experience, the way every birth should be, natural and drug free. Thank you, thank you, thank you!