Hi Jessica,

I am finally writing you my birth story. I have been super busy attending to my new born, Jameson William Rose. He was born on his due date, April 19, 2005 at 4:30AM, weighing 8 lbs, 4 oz and 19 inches long. After 20 hours of labor and 2 hours and 15 minutes of pushing, I pulled him out from under his arms up onto my chest.

It all started on April 18th, Monday morning at 8AM when I started feeling contractions that lasted 30 seconds long, 15 minutes apart. They were not painful, just uncomfortable, gas like pains combined with the hardening of my tummy. I called my doula Jennifer Astman, and told her what was happening and she recommended walking to speed things up. She asked that I call her every 2 hours to keep her updated. I went on the treadmill at home for 50 minutes at a low speed of 1.5-2.0 at 10AM then again at 3PM to help jump start the process. By 4pm my contractions were becoming more painful and by 10:30PM the pain had increased significantly and the contractions lasted 60 seconds every 4 minutes or so. I was spotting blood at this point. I decided it was time to go to the hospital. It was about 11PM and thankfully there was no traffic on the way to Cedars! When we arrived my cervix was dilated to 6 centimeters.

I did not have an IV or any medication. I used the Bradley Method relaxation techniques of not fighting the pain and I slowly breathed in and out of my nose. I put on my favorite yoga CDs and tried to meditate my way through it all. Transition was definitely the most challenging part of labor but with the strength of my doula and the support of my husband, Billy, I got through it. Since I had been relaxing through my contractions I had saved up my energy for pushing. My doctor, Paul Crane, had explained that my baby was in posterior position and that he would try to turn his head around. Luckily, he succeeded. My husband would count to 10 while I would hold my breath and push. I would start with a cleansing breath, then push 3 separate times, each with a count of 10. I requested a mirror in my birth plan so that I could see Jameson's head crowning. Just seeing his head made me all the more determined to push as hard as I could. After a few strong pushes, his head was out. My doctor then pulled his arms out and asked me if I wanted to pull the baby out. I put my hands under his arms and slowly brought him to my chest. Thankfully, my husband got every second on video tape so that we can relive that magical moment. I have never had a more intense and gratifying experience in my entire life. I was so happy that even though I was exhausted, I had a newfound energy just holding my baby and seeing his little face. He looked just like my husband, blond hair, and blue eyes.

I had the most wonderful birth. I truly believe that yoga was very helpful. I started yoga when I was in my fifth month of pregnancy. All of the exercises helped to better prepare myself for labor and pushing. I became more in tune with my body and mind. Also, the Bradley Method was very useful in keeping me calm and staying relaxed throughout the contractions. I kept telling myself that the pain was not a bad, life threatening pain but rather a necessary and normal pain that I should not fight. I also would focus on something in the room and listen to the music to keep me from panicking.

I was very lucky to have had such an incredible staff of care givers, for with out them, I am not certain that my experience would have been so rewarding. My doula, Jennifer Astman, was incredible. She would stand by me, hold me hand through every contraction and help me to relax. She would tell me if my shoulders were tight or if my forehead was tense. She kept me on track and focused on achieving my goal for a natural childbirth. I was also lucky to have had such a supportive and wonderful nurse as Melanie at Cedars, I highly recommend her.

I am very grateful to have had such an amazing doctor as Dr. Crane. I felt safe under his care, he did not rush me and respected my decision to have a natural labor. He knew just how to handle my posterior baby and get him out safely and the fact that he would ask if I wanted to pull my baby out was extra ordinary! Thank you Dr. Crane for making this the most memorable and incredible moment of my life! And last but certainly not least, my husband Billy, who cried when he saw how strong my contractions were and how "hopeless" he said he felt, I could not have been so successful without having him by my side every step of the way. Looking back, I feel blessed and grateful to have had such a fulfilling and wonderful birth experience.