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Sharing heartwarming birth stories is one of the best ways to inspire and educate women about the beauty and empowerment possible in birth. Birthing Magazine is pleased to print several moving birth stories in every issue. We are also on the lookout for inspiring stories about pregnancy, breastfeeding, baby care and attachment parenting.

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A Curve Ball

After I married my husband, I often imagined what our future would be like together. I pictured what our home life would be like. A steady stream of chaos with kids going to and fro, countless activities, gadgets littered about the yard, leaving no question to onlookers that kids were being raised there. I thought of what my husband would be like as a father. The laughter of a young girl held high as they splashed about the water; the tears of a toddler wiped away as he healed scraped knees with a gentle kiss; the excitement of a baseball capped boy as they embarked on a path– fishing rods slung over their shoulders and finally, the scowl of a teen who just can’t handle being beat by Dad at a game of hoops.

Lake’s Waterbirth

Some moments of Lake’s birth are very clear to me still, some are very vague, some time frames are unclear as they seemed to be racing by, but nobody was watching a clock.

The Story of Harlow

When my husband Dustin and I decided we wanted to start a family, we were faced with a very difficult truth: I have polycystic ovarian syndrome which would make it almost impossible to get pregnant without intervention. I was devastated, but Dustin, being the constant optimist that he is, knew we would get through it whatever the outcome.

The Strength in Birth

The pink figure flying towards us down the corridor was motioning wildly. Somewhere deep within I knew that the action must be directed towards us but she seemed, at that moment, utterly irrelevant. My husband and I were walking slowly into the hospital as I laboured. At each contraction, now very close together, he would kneel as I paused and sank into his arms. Breathing slowly and calmly, seconds later, we would rise and again begin the trek towards check-in. It was lovely.

My VBAC Success Story

The births of my two children are worlds apart. While pregnant with my first child, Joel, I prayed and planned to do things the “natural” way. Unfortunately this didn’t happen. At 39 weeks gestation his heart rate was randomly dropping and an ultrasound proved that my fluid was low and the placenta was aging. The doctors strongly suggested I be induced. Shortly after being induced, his heart rate plummeted again. Doctors and nurses bombarded the room and my water was broken without me being asked permission. No one took the time to explain to me what was happening until they knew his heart rate went back to normal. After being told it was too risky to continue with the induction I found myself being whisked off to the emergency room , where I faced my two worst birthing fears, an epidural and a cesarean section.

One Day in July

Your father went into Banff on Friday July 25^th, 2008 in the evening. He rode his motorcycle out there in case he needed to get back quickly to me. I had a feeling the contractions would start that evening, so I asked your Nana to go to the movies with me as a distraction.

Things are Different

When Allison told me that she was pregnant it was a very surreal feeling. I felt somewhere between excitement (feeling that we are finally here) and shock (we’re really going to be parents).

Another Answered Prayer

Our first answered prayer, a beautiful little girl named Kailie Sera Jolene was born on June 21, 2003. Although I had had my appendix removed when I was 18.5 weeks pregnant with her, my pregnancy, labor and delivery was absolutely wonderful. We had midwives and had labored at home and then given birth at the hospital, but went home to begin our new life as a family of three just three short hours after Kailie was born.

Journey of healing

The journey of my pregnancy and birth with my third child was one of anticipation, joy, excitement, grief, anxiety, fear, and most of all healing. I became pregnant for the fourth time in May 2008, three months after our second daughter, Gabrielle, was stillborn at 26 weeks gestation.

A Winter Birth

My fourth little one was born at home. She was my first home-birthed baby. My first was a c-section due to breech, my second and third (twins) were a breech hospital vbac. With baby four, we decided to go with midwives for the personal relationship and their acceptance of our desire for a natural birth. When the time came, our home seemed the right place for our baby to be born.

Cedar's Incredible Birth

This birth story starts before we even knew we were pregnant. In July 2009, Dalen and I decided that we would start trying for another little one. We knew, based on our history, it hardly meant that we would see a positive pregnancy quickly.

A Sliver of Courage

I had never given too much thought to birth. Until my husband and I decided to start a family and I became pregnant. Then birth was all that I could think about. To state it lightly, I was terrified. In my own slightly perfectionist way, I worried that I wouldn’t be “good” at birth. The imagined worst case scenario would be having to surrender myself and the experience to the decisions of hospital medical staff who would only see me as one more patient. Faced with something I needed to know more about, I armed myself with information and began to read voraciously. I learned a lot of facts, but what I enjoyed most were first-hand accounts from women who had sought to give birth naturally. These stories inspired and emboldened me, so I always knew that I wanted to “give back” my own story however it turned out.

Wonders of a Woman's Body

I was always fascinated by the woman’s body; its beauty and ability to create life. I wondered how I would handle childbirth. I knew I wanted a big family. My mind was set on having kids early to make sure I was at my healthiest. For reasons out of my control my plans fell through and probably for the better. So the dream to have children at the age of 23 was just that, a dream. Instead, six years later I matured, maintained good health, completed school, obtained life skills, travelled, met my best friend and married him.

Walking in the Moonlight

It was the weekend of December 12, 2009, the coldest weekend of the year, and we were moving into our new home – I was 39 weeks pregnant. We were planning a home birth for number three so I was relieved to be settling into our new “nest” prior to her arrival. Just as in the past, my due date came and went.

The Place Where Hawks Fly

On November 23rd, 2009 I awoke around 2:00 a.m. with mild contractions that were seven minutes apart. This kept going until 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. I called my midwife JoanMargaret to tell her what was happening. She encouraged me to nap. I scrambled through the baby name book for a name that popped into my head upon waking. I found the name and loved the meaning of it but it only appeared in masculine. I held on to the fact that I was satisfied with the meaning and went about trying to take a nap.

Finding the bliss

Giving birth is one of the most normal everyday kind of things, while at the same time so miraculous. I still get spun out by the fact that a birthing woman’s body is the exact spot in the universe that splits open and allows a new soul to come into this existence. I feel so honoured that I get to experience it at all.

The True Strength of a Man

Almost five years have passed since I learned the true meaning of helplessness. An evening that started with a romantic comedy and some popcorn quickly turned into an emotional prizefight in which I was being battered. Learned instincts tell men to fight back in these types of situations, but there was no opponent to be seen. My inability to fight this invisible adversary was forcing me to break my first parental oath as “protector” though I hadn’t yet met my firstborn. My child was in danger, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Our battle with preterm labour was just beginning.

A Home Birth within a Hospital

On July 29^{th 2007} seated in my doctor’s office holding my husband Paul’s hand tightly, we received the news that we were expecting. I met the wonderful news with tears of Joy, amazement, and tears of fear. This was indeed a miracle pregnancy and a miracle baby. Only a year before in June of 2006 my Husband and junior high school sweet heart had been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

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