We were 10 days past our guess date and counting. I went to bed that Wednesday night feeling particularly exhausted. I hadn’t been asleep long before I started waking up every 30 minutes feeling funny and anxious. At 2:30 am Thursday morning, I asked my husband to call our midwife who met us at the birth center. We got there some time around 3:30 and I was at 3 cm. While my midwife, husband, and best friend got some rest I spent some quiet time laboring. I walked around the birth center, looking at pictures of babies and Moms. I rocked in the nursing chair, lay down in the big soft bed to try to rest, and finally took a nice hot shower. Looking back, I am so happy I had those quiet few hours to myself to prepare for the journey ahead with no interruptions. I needed that space and freedom to prepare, in my own quiet place. Around 7:30, everyone woke up and I was still laboring, with contractions closer and closer together. As labor became more intense, I walked around talking with my husband and friend, having them tell me stories and jokes between contractions. Later in the morning, I got in the birthing pool and it was so nice to sit in warm water. At around 10 am, my midwife checked me and told me that I was at 10 cm and I could push if I felt the need. I laughed – I was shocked! I couldn’t believe I had made it through those stages already, as I had been terrified of the transition period.

I spent the next few hours trying different positions to work with my baby. My midwife and her assistant suggested positions for me to try until I found one that was comfortable. Many positions later, I found one. William was born at 12:57 pm, 8 pounds, 11 ounces. When I lay down in the bed with my sweet baby on my chest, my husband by my side, I felt so loved and taken care of. It was such an amazing experience to be able to birth in the presence of women who believed in me, my body, and my baby.

I woke up at 4 am with contractions that I was no longer able to sleep through. I got up, took a shower (hoping they would go away) and realized it was the real deal, so I just went back to bed and let DH sleep until my noises woke him up a couple hours later. We got to the Birth Center at 10:30am. My midwife had been there with another mom since 5am (she had a LONG day). My contractions were about 3 minutes apart and I was about 5cm dilated. Because I had been having some issues with my blood pressure, they had to keep checking to make sure everything was ok, but as long as they let me labor there (and not transfer to the hospital) I was happy. I got to spend 3-4 hrs in the birthing tub, which helped tremendously. They had me try every position in the book to help the baby come down. Finally after what seemed like forever, my water broke and then my body needed to start pushing. My husband did a great job helping and supporting me. (We’d never spent so much quality time in the toilet! I kept going back to it because it felt more natural/comfortable.)

So, after 6 hrs of active labor and about 40-45 minutes of pushing, baby Daniel came out. They put him on my chest while we waited for the cord to stop pulsating and it was ALL worth it! (At one point I had thought I couldn’t do it.) He was even bigger than everybody thought! I’m still amazed that ALL that baby came out of me! Amazing experience! So different from when I had my daughter. Just knowing what to expect and how your body is supposed to work (even though it HURTS) and having 3 loving, nurturing women taking care of me and encouraging me the whole time (2 midwives and our apprentice doula), in a quiet, relaxing environment, made a HUGE difference. We went back home that same night at midnight. My husband and I couldn’t be happier with the whole experience and are enjoying our new baby boy.

I woke up at 12:30 at night due to contractions and thought to myself there was no way this was the real thing. An hour later I called my wonderful doula and she told me to try to relax and rest and take a bath. I tried to be still as long as possible and rest and to let my toddler, Logan, sleep as long as possible. At 4 am the contractions picked up a lot and I called my doula and my best friend and my amazing birth photographer to come over.

We drove to the birth center and when we got there my midwife met me right at the door. I remember her asking me if I needed to stop in the hallway for a contraction and i knew if I stopped, I wouldn’t get back up so she rushed me to the room. As I am laying on the floor in the room (floor was my choice) having a few more contractions, I vocalized through one of them and my midwife heard me from the other room and realized that I was closer to pushing than anyone thought. She ran in and checked me and sure enough they got me right into the birth pool (which was not even 1/2 full). My midwife guided me through feeling when I needed to push which was a feeling I didn’t experience with my first. About one-two real pushes later.. Landon was born..and I got to catch him!

Right away I asked for Logan to run in and he was thrilled to meet his baby brother. Logan was comfortable running around there and he knew his mother was with him the whole time which was very important to me as we are not separated that often. Landon was so calm and peaceful and he just laid on me for a long time then nursed for a long time before we even cut the cord or weighed him, which was ideal. We had arrived at the birth center at about 9 am and we had left by 12:30 pm. I loved to be able to spend time at home together as a family getting to know Landon.

The birth center was a great experience. Even though both Logan and Landon’s births were done naturally with minimal intervention, there was a big difference. This time around I felt the care, labor and birth were centered around what I wanted to do and needed rather than what the hospital wanted to do or needed. I got to listen to my body the whole time. I had minimal soreness and no tears and was up running after my toddler again in 2 days (although they probably wouldn’t recommend that). I absolutely loved my midwife and I still like to keep in touch with her. My experience at the birth center went exactly how I had hoped it would.

My birth story begins with a tiny trickle of my water breaking, then pauses for several hours.  After chatting with my midwife about the lack of any contractions, we decided to wait until the next day to see how things were going.  The next morning, things were speeding up quickly and by late morning we found ourselves rushing around to leave for the birth center.

The first thing I did after we got there was take off all of my clothes and tie up my hair.  After a few minutes the pool had enough water in it for me to get in and I did. I kept complaining, and everyone was telling me I could do whatever I felt like – get out of the tub, turn over, lie down, etc. – and I kept saying that I didn’t know what would help. I could feel the baby sliding down during this time, even though I wasn’t consciously pushing.

Shortly after that, I felt the baby’s head crowning and pushed. It hurt quite a bit, but David’s head came out with his left arm tucked up next to his cheek with one push. The rest of the baby came out easily and my husband Nathaniel pulled him out of the water and up onto my chest. I sat in the tub holding David for a few minutes with Nathaniel right behind me. My midwife checked out a few things on David and clamped the cord, then Nathaniel cut it.  After that we moved over to the bed, where I was able to get David to nurse pretty quickly and he stayed latched on for several minutes. I delivered the placenta there and my doula brought me some lunch. After a little while everyone left the room. I held David as he napped and Nathaniel and I laid down and talked about the birth and our new family of four. We were able to head out at about 5:30 and were thrilled to be able to spend the evening at home.

When we decided to go for an even four, I told my husband that we had to figure out an alternative to a hospital birth. We were thrilled to find out about CCMC, and the moment I met my midwife, I knew I had to give birth there with her.

We were thrilled to make it past 37 weeks as I had gone at 36 with my other three. And then much to our surprise we went past 38 weeks. On Tuesday April 13, my contractions kicked it up a notch, and by Wednesday they were coming closer together in a regular pattern with lots of intensity. They weren’t unbearable but did hurt. We decided to head to the birth center.

Once there the contractions kept up at the same level of intensity. My midwife encouraged me to try a variety of positions and movements to help the contractions do their job. At 2 am, the contractions got serious. These ones took all my concentration to get through. My husband applied pressure on my back and hips, and I spent a lot of time squatting using the bed for support. The midwives were so respectful. Their presence was felt and welcomed but never intrusive. I pushed for a while upright, and then felt that I had to lie down. My son, who was watching the birth, flew off the bed not wanting to be that close to the action!

I pushed on my side with my husband holding my hand and my leg. Rowena Willow was born shortly afterwards weighing 8lbs and 9 ozs. She was placed on my chest where she wailed until latching on to nurse. We had a wonderful time bonding with her, and left the birth center shortly afterwards calm and relaxed. It was the birth experience I had been looking for with all of my births.

For the birth of our first child, my husband and I planned on a natural birth in a hospital. At our 36-week appointment, we were told by my care provider that almost nothing in our plan would be respected. So, at 39 weeks, I got up the courage to call CCMC and make the switch.

At 10:00pm on Friday, March 12, 2010 my water broke, we were in one of the beautiful rooms at the birthing center an hour later, and my mom joined us soon after. Two midwives and an apprentice stayed with us throughout the delivery, giving much needed advice, monitoring the baby’s heart rate, and offering encouragement all along the way.

I started pushing on Saturday just before 8:00am but things progressed very slowly. The midwives encouraged me to try various positions and didn’t give up on my being able to deliver my son without unnecessary medical intervention – even after more than 5 hours of pushing. My midwives applied oil and warm compresses to assist my stretching; it turned out that my son had his arm folded across his chest making it difficult for him to move through the birth canal. I’m certain that, had we been at a hospital, I would have ended up with an episiotomy (if I had been “allowed” to deliver vaginally at all).

I delivered our son, Jacob Alexander, at 1:21pm on March 13, 2010 (ten days past his due date) with only a very minor internal tear – my mother in the bed behind me, my husband by my side. My midwives helped me place Jacob on my chest and, within minutes, he was nursing. He weighed 9 pounds 2 ounces and was 21” long. I was up and walking after only a couple hours and we were home by 6pm. We are forever grateful to our midwives and to CCMC for helping our perfect little boy come into this world the best and healthiest way possible for both of us.

[Note: One question a lot of people have about the birth center is, "What if I have to transfer to the hospital?" Kristy's story involves a transfer.]

I have always known that I wanted to have an intervention free/birth center birth with all of my children. I never knew until I moved to North Carolina that it wasn’t always a possibility. After I became pregnant I received prenatal care from a traditional OBGYN. It wasn’t until I was in my third trimester that I became aware of the possibility of having a birth center birth, as CCMC was just opening. My husband and I drove out to a midwife’s house and met with her about the possibility of becoming clients. We were thrilled when she explained how everything works and we were able to transfer our care to the midwife model. It is important to note that I am a Registered Nurse who works in an OBGYN clinic. I was very concerned that my baby would be separated from me and interventions done to him that I didn’t want, without my knowledge. All of these fears went away after we started being seen at the birth center.

After many weeks of waiting to go into labor, my water finally broke at 41 weeks and 5 days. I was so worried that I would have to go to the hospital to have pitocin if I didn’t go into labor by 42 weeks. This is where the fun part of my story begins! I labored at the birth center with two midwives and an apprentice. It was truly one of the most amazing experiences ever. I couldn’t believe how at ease I was being surrounded by other women who wanted me to have the most amazing birth experience and who have been through this experience themselves. It was a very comforting and nurturing environment. My husband was amazing as well. I had no idea how hard it was going to be but with the help of these women I was able to push through the pain and meet each contraction head on. Just when I thought I was really making progress, at 7 cm, my labor slowed down drastically. At first we thought my body just needed a rest but my contractions never sped back up. I stayed at 7 cm for about 17 hours and the midwives did everything they could to encourage my labor (all the while the baby was just fine). I even made it through a “shift change” of the backup midwife. After 30 hours of laboring at the birth center, the midwives and I made the decision to transfer to a local hospital. This was one of my worst nightmares coming true; I had worked so hard to avoid a hospital and interventions, now I was walking willingly into one. The one saving grace was that my midwife was by my side the whole time. This baby was not coming without some pitocin. At this point I decided to get the epidural so that I could rest; I didn’t think I would be able to push out my baby if I didn’t get some rest, plus I knew the pitocin-induced contractions would be much more intense, and I was really tired. Eight hours after being admitted I was still only 9 3/4 cm dilated. The doctor on call came in and told me that I would not be able to push out my baby, he was just too big, I needed a C-section. I said “No way, I’ve come too far to end up with major surgery”. I knew that shift change was soon and I requested more time. When the next doctor came in she agreed to let me try to push past the last 1/4 cm of cervix, we turned down the epidural and I did. After two and a half hours of pushing, my 9 lb 20 inch baby boy was born, my husband and midwife by my side and taking pictures.

As for my biggest fear, the wonderful nurses at the hospital made sure that I got everything I wanted for my son. They did not try to push any medications on him, he never left my room, and they were respectful of all my wishes. In fact, they asked me if I wanted the Vit. K and eye ointment, I didn’t have to request not to have it.

Yes, I’m a little sad that I didn’t get the birth that I dreamed of, but I got something more important, a beautiful, healthy baby of my dreams. The ultimate prize! I am grateful to the midwives of the birth center for all they did for us and their wisdom to know when it was time to try something else. I continue to see my midwife for my post-natal care and she is always available for any new mom questions that I have. I’m hoping that next time, I’ll be able to deliver at the birth center, but I know that whatever is necessary and in my best interest will occur.

During this, my second pregnancy, my husband got a job transfer to Charlotte and I had to transfer prenatal care from Minnesota. My first baby, now almost 3, was born with midwives in the hospital and so that’s what I searched for in Charlotte before we moved. When I couldn’t find that, I actually considered staying in Minnesota until after the baby was born… even though that would have been more than 4 months away from my husband.

Luckily, I read in an online forum that the Carolina Community Maternity Center was just organizing and opening right after we moved. It sounded perfect for us. We wanted to be sure our daughter could attend the birth, that water birth would be an option, that I would be permitted to eat and have freedom to move without restriction, and that the baby would never be taken from us for procedures.

At CCMC, we could have our daughter there to watch her brother born (and even be in the birth pool with me!) and I was free to move around. I wasn’t subjected to excessive internal exams or invasive fetal monitoring. I was supported and advised by the midwives through the entire labor and delivery. And I can’t say enough about being able to labor and birth in water — it’s great for relaxing when things get tough.

My water broke at 5:30pm.
We arrived at the birth center near 9pm.
Everett was born 8lbs 1oz at 1:30am.
We went home near 7am.
Everything I hoped and prayed for.

I have long had a fascination with putting my body to the test, pushing to the farthest limit to see what I am capable of accomplishing. My husband and I also try to lead a very simple and natural way of life, so when we decided to embark on the parenthood adventure, we knew without a moment’s hesitation that our baby would be born naturally (without medical interventions if possible).

We were so excited to discover that the Carolina Community Maternity Center would be open in time for our birth. Working with our midwife was a comforting and stabilizing force in the midst of first pregnancy concerns and fears. The classes offered at CCMC were extremely informative and helpful (we attended the childbirth classes and the breastfeeding class).

The morning of the birth was a whirlwind. After just 3 hours of labor, our sweet daughter was born into the water, just as we had hoped. Both she and I were free to work together to accomplish this awesome and amazing task. Baby Anna was placed into my arms immediately and she began to nurse within 20 minutes; again, something we had hoped for. In fact, our entire birth experience was what we had hoped and planned for. I attribute this to the midwives who cared for me, the environment in which the birth took place, my husband who was my constant companion, and most importantly, my cooperative teammate in birth—Anna!