Vegan Birth Stories

Please read our collection of birth stories. If you'd like to submit your own, please submit your story here. Vegan or vegetarian birth stories are welcome.

Griffin

6:15 am: I wake up feeling rested after a good nights sleep. Outside the bedroom window, I can see that its a beautiful day, birds chirping, and a light rain falling. Raven and Ivan are both sound asleep, and the house is quiet. I feel something sticky and wet between my legs, so I get up to use the little pH papers Kathryn gave me and see if its amniotic fluid. As I get up, more of it trickles slowly down my leg. The pH papers seem to indicate that it is indeed amniotic fluid. I go wake Ivan to tell him I think its starting, but mostly to apologize for the crazy-stupid hormone-induced fight we had last night before bed and to clear that energy from our birthing space. In a flash of brilliance, I decide to use (um, wear) Ravens cloth diapers to soak up the amniotic fluid that is now coming in little gushes. I also put on my mama-blessing necklace. It had been sitting in my drawer for 7 weeks, and I was really excited to finally put it on. I immediately feel surrounded by the love and support of my friends and family who had contributed beads and blessings to make the necklace. I also turn on the computer and send a big group email to tell friends and family that labor is beginning, and to gather their energetic and spiritual support.

7:20 am: With Raven still sleeping in her bed, Ivan and I snuggle up in the big bed and rest together. Im not having any surges yet, so I can close my eyes and relax a bit. It looks like its shaping up to be a beautiful day to have a baby.

8:00 am: Ivan and I get up and start getting the house ready. Raven sleeps until 8:20-ish (!!!) at which time I go in to her room and tell her that the baby is on its way. That puts a big, excited smile on her sleepy face. I get her dressed, and we go downstairs to watch Sesame Street together, eat breakfast and wait for Ari to arrive to pick her up for the day. Im still feeling good, so I pack her snack for school and get her little bag ready to take to Aris in case she needs to spend the night (her first ever away from us). Ari arrives around 9:00 to pick her up and Raven happily waves goodbye.

9:45 am: After setting up the house, and filling the birthing tub with one water-heater full (it needed 2 more, but we had to wait for the water to heat up again), Ivan and I decide to take a long walk out to the beach to see if that will bring on the surges. It is amazingly beautiful outside. Its a little drizzly, but as we walk it gets sunnier and brighter. We reach the cliffs overlooking the ocean and stop to rest and watch the tides. There are billions of tiny, bright yellow flowers all over the ground and the surf is a great metaphor for the surges Im beginning to have. We walk for about an hour, eventually ending up at the beach where I sit down on the sand and just watch the waves and feel the surges before the cold wind gets to me and we decide to walk home.

11:00 am: We return home from our walk, start adding more water to the birthing tub, and have some lunch. I finally convince Ivan that no, he shouldnt drive over the hill to try to get a few hours of work done. We call Kathryn (our midwife) and Molly (one of our 2 doulas), and let them know whats going on.

2:30 pm: Molly arrives. We chat on the couch while Ivan does some work upstairs. I find that Im easily able to apply the Hypnobirthing breathing and other methods as I take the surges one at a time. The really cool part is that I can feel how conditioned my body has become after practicing the Hypnobirthing stuff every day for so many months. I can feel my body release and relax with every surge, and now I see what they mean about this helping labor along. During labor with Raven, I remember how each surge caused me to tense up all over, which really wore me out and caused more pain. This time, I feel full of energy, and able to welcome each surge for what it is, the way to bring our baby out of my belly and into my arms.

3:00 pm: Our midwives, Kathryn and Renee, arrive. They begin to time my surges. I yell out starting when one starts, and over when its over and they record them on a little hand-held computer.

4:30 pm: Kathryn and Renee tell me that the length and strength of my surges indicate that Im still in early labor. They both leave at around 5:00 pm with instructions about calling them when the surges are about twice as strong and more regular. Im feeling a little bit discouraged about still being in early labor, and the old fears that this will end up like last time start to creep in. But Im feeling really pro-active, and knowing that a large part of what went wrong last time had to do with my fear and discouraged feelings.

I knew this might happen before labor ever began, so my plan all along was to face up to my fears if they arose, look them right in the eye, so to speak, and then let them go. So I talk about my feelings with Molly. I just open up completely and tell her every little thing thats going around in my head. One thing she says that really helps is, labor takes a long time. That little matter-of-fact statement puts things into perspective for me. I realize that shes right, it does take a long time, this is a natural process, and everything is happening as it should. Im also glad Im declining all internal exams this time around. I tell myself that its way better to think Im dilated to 3 cm. and still in early labor, than to have an internal and be told Im only at 1 cm. (or less). I announce to Molly and Ivan that Ive decided to assume Im at 3 cm., and that feels really good. I also put on my headphones and listen to the Birthing Affirmations Hypnobirthing tape, which immediately gets me back to feeling positive and strong about how things are going along.

Molly and I sit on the couch reading the kind of magazines that dont require any brain-power or concentration (like People and Entertainment Weekly), and chatting about all kinds of things. When the surges come, she helps me through them, and we go along like this for a while. I feel as though in a way, were re-enacting labor as it was in ancient times (well, minus the magazines), where women probably sat together just passing the time of early labor. It feels so right to me, and although I havent known Molly very long, on this day, she feels like a sister.

At around 6:00 pm, were getting hungry and were tired of Luna Bars, so we order a pizza and eat and chat some more.

I start to notice that when I stand up to go to the bathroom, I inevitably have a good strong surge halfway to the doorway. It dawns on me that more walking would probably help move labor along. Although Im also aware that the physical intensity increases when I walk, so part of me really wants to just keep sitting on the couch chatting with Molly. But I know that this is how my labor is meant to progress, and that there is no way out of this but just to go through it full steam ahead.

7:00 pm: Ivan and I decide to take a shower, thinking this might move things along a bit. It does. Transition hits hard and fast while were in the shower. Seems like the surges are coming one right on top of another and theyre really, really powerful. We spend about a half hour in the shower. I spend most of the time holding onto Ivan or the wall for support. We get out and dry off, and I have to lie down on the bed because I feel like I really need to rest. Molly is there and I tell her I have to vomit (which I dont end up doing, but she is quick with the chux pad, nonetheless). I look up and see that Tasha (our 2nd doula) has also arrived. Perfect.

At this point, Im really missing Raven. When I verbalize this to everyone, they all misunderstand and reassure me that shes safe, shes having fun at Aris, etc. I know all of these things, and I feel great about her being with Ari, Dave and Rach, I just miss her terribly. And although I realize that it would not be a good thing for her to be here right now, Im really longing to just hold her little hand and see her sweet face.

8:15 pm: After a few more good strong surges, I want to get into the tub really badly, but I cant imagine how Im going to get myself up off the bed and downstairs. I think I say must get into tub or something similar, and Ivan, Tasha and Molly all help me up, and we walk slowly down the stairs to the living room. Im so happy to see the tub, and I get right into it. My friend Chris calls from Colorado and talks to Molly, who relays her good wishes and strength to me.

Almost immediately, I feel an urge to push with the surges, so I say gotta puuuuuuuuush. And everyone says go ahead and push! At this point, the surges intensify even more and Im feeling like I can barely take it any longer. At some point, I call out for my mom and my Baba, and feel a really primal need to talk to my mom. So I tell Ivan to call her on the phone. I talk to her for about 1 minute in between surges, just needing to hear her voice (my dad is also on the line), then tell her I gotta go, more powerful surges coming, and I nearly drop my cell phone into the birthing tub.

With each surge, I push. Molly and Tasha guide me through them verbally, and Ivan rubs my back (In between surges, I tell them I need air and cold water because I feel a bit like Im suffocating. So one of them fans me with a magazine and someone else gives me sips of water and this goes on for about an hour. Sometime during this point, I have the very calm, rational thought that there are no midwives present. But I feel totally fine about this. I know that everything is going exactly as it should, and that I am the one who is going to birth this baby, and everything is going to go perfectly, even if no midwives get here in time. I have absolutely no fear whatsoever.

9:15 pm: Kathryn arrives. She asks if I can feel the babys head and I hold up my finger pointing to one knuckle (meaning that the top of the babys head is one knuckle length away from being out of me) . I can actually feel his heartbeat through the little bit of head that I keep reaching down to touch. Everyone is telling me how close I am to birthing the baby, but Im hurting a lot now and feeling like I dont have the energy to continue (although a little rational voice in my head is saying just birth this baby and you can relax on the couch holding the baby in your arms.) Tasha and Molly hold me and rub my back and keep telling me how great Im doing and how close I am. Ivan also rubs and touches me, and offers gentle, loving words. I feel so totally supported, and even though Im hurting and intermittently feel as though I cant continue, every time I say this, I get so much support and encouragement and it gives me the strength I need to continue.

Through the tremendous intensity of the whole situation, I have a very clear thought, Im doing it! Im actually birthing our baby at home! and Im absolutely exhilarated by these facts.

Around 9:44 pm: With one strong surge, I push the babys head to crowning and I reach down and feel it sticking out just a little bit. By now, the physical sensation of the crowning is so intense, I cant even tell when the surges are coming, so I just push again and the head comes out much more. This is the burning ring of fire I remember from Ravens birth, although it feels much, much more intense this time (turns out the baby has one hand up by his head and the other arm folded with his elbow up by his head, so head, hand and elbow are all crowning together). This is definitely the most physically challenging and intense moment of my life, and I shout Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!!! it feels like the babys head is stuck like this for about 5 minutes, but really its only seconds. Kathryn tells me to relax, the warm water is helping to stretch my perineum so I dont tear. I mustve looked like I was losing it at that moment, because Renee (who had just arrived about 5 minutes earlier) gets right in front of my face, makes deep eye contact with me, and tells me to focus, take one good breath and push the baby out. So I do just that.

9:46 pm: Although Id pictured myself reaching down and pulling the baby out, Im so exhausted and exhilarated by this time, Im hoping that someone will help me catch the baby. Kathryn mustve been reading my mind. Shes right behind me, and as I birth the babys body, she gives him a tiny little nudge so that he floats up through my legs and is right in front of me in the water. She says reach down and catch your baby, and I do. I pick him up in my arms, and lean back to rest in the tub with Ivan behind me. We look together and see that we have a son! Hes so pink and beautiful right away, and he lets out a strong little cry. As he looks up at me, he puts one tiny hand out and grabs hold of the mama-blessing necklace that Im still wearing. And I swear, he smiles at me.

I did it! I gave birth at home, in water. I can hardly believe it. After completely surrendering to whatever kind of birth I was meant to have this time (all the while hoping) I had finally gotten exactly the birth experience Id wanted. I feel exhausted, exhilarated, triumphant, strong, empowered and so very proud of myself.

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