Michelle's Own Birth Stories

  1983: Michelle pregnant with baby Nick

I had babies, too!  I grew up with a very natural idea of birth, in fact I was always fascinated by anything pregnant or birthing. As a small child I remember putting pillows under my clothing and pretending I was pregnant when my mom was expecting my brother.

When I was 17 she was expecting again. This time I was able to be more involved. I attended each of her prenatal appointments with Dr. Ghandi (who was more like a midwife than a doc) and went to her childbirth classes with her. Thinking back I believe she only attended classes for me. My dad was not very involved in all this "birth-stuff" so we had a good time together.

I was with my mom throughout her labor, and remember particularly when the nurse told us that the baby was breech and that I could stay with her in labor but would not be able to attend the actual birth. I was devastated. Jenny weighed over 9 pounds, and was born vaginal, and BREECH! I was very grateful that her doctor did not perform a cesarean section.

Three years later, I found out that we were expecting our first little one. Actually, I found out I was expecting when Mom was in the hospital delivering Lisa, my youngest sister. She was also breech, but much larger, and they did have to perform a cesarean section this time. For my own pregnancy I never considered a doctor, but found a midwife as soon as possible. We ended up moving to Florida about 7 months into my pregnancy and found Family Birth Center in Longwood.

When my day came I was so excited, I felt I was so prepared that it all had to go well for me! What a suprise I was in for. My water broke at 6pm on the 26th of September. I called my midwife, but was having no contractions, so I was told to relax. My contractions set in about midnight and by 6am I thought for sure I was ready to push. We drove 50 miles to the birth center...I was 1 centimeter. Back home again. At 4pm I could not take it anymore and we drove back to the birth center. I was 4 centimeters and was told to walk. By 7pm I was complete! I thought pushing would just be so easy..not for me. I could push on the toilet just fine, and we would be able to see the baby's head, but they would move me back to the bedroom, and the head would disapear up to New Jersey. Well, finally (after three hours of pushing) my midwife threatened to send me to the hospital for a forceps delivery. Lynn (the birth attendant and future best freind and business partner of mine) stayed in the bathroom with me and my husband, stalling the midwife. And that is where he was born...standing over the toilet, with my husband supporting me. Nick weighed 6.14, and it was love at first sight!

We found out we were pregnant again in January a year later.

Now we were living in N.J. so we had to find another midwife. Pat Rielly is a CNM in Pennsville who did homebirths. She was very nice and we had a splendid birth together. I was overdue  by two weeks, and if I did not deliver by Monday,

I was going in the hospital. My husband fixed up little gel caps of Castor Oil for me (I could not swallow it plain) and

I must have taken 20 of the things. Then we headed out to Mom's house to visit one last time before the baby came. Okay, that was a mistake! I spent the entire evening in the bathroom with diarrhea.Oh, I cleaned out alright! But no contractions. I woke in the morning (not in labor) and started crying because I knew we had to go to the hospital to be induced. My smart husband reminded me as he got me a cup of tea, that she did not say "monday morning" so I had all day to go into labor! Well, I went to roll over to get up, and Thank You God, my water broke! Thirty minutes later, the contractions were rolling, and Matt was born at 3:56pm. He weighed a whopping 7.11. Matt was simply the sweetest baby ever. He was so calm and loving. He just loved to nurse, and cuddle, and he smelled so good. I was so grateful to have such beautiful boys.

Well, they are all grown up now. I guess that sort of thing happens. But you watch, wait and see...you will someday feel as I do. Like it all went too fast. I blinked and it is gone...that sweet smell, the butterfly kisses, showing mommie a bug, kissing a boo-boo knee. Just the blink of an eye. I am proud of them. They are intelligent and self-sufficient, they were never really any trouble, and they are both strong, healthy, responsible young men. I am grateful for what they have given me and wish in return I could have given them more.