Melissa's Natural VBAC

Melissa shared her natural VBAC story with me and I am so excited to share it with you. It is powerful and inspiring. Thanks Melissa!

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First, here are a few thoughts on having a VBAC:

You can go natural and still have an IV and even internal fetal monitoring. I had a mental list of the things I did and did not want... that didn't happen and I felt like the choice wasn't mine. I did have an IV and internal monitoring because my Nurse Midwife said it was necessary. I still wish I didn't have to have the internal monitor, but I am so grateful for the IV that I "didn't want". It provided the liquids I needed. I had been sick to my stomach (everything coming out both ends, eeewww) all day, so I hadn't eaten since the night before! After 22 hours of labor and not eating for over 24 hours I need that IV.

Don't under estimate the power of positive thinking. I worked diligently on my Hypnobabies program and during labor I didn't even turn on the CD. I just listened to the Positive Affirmations CD. Over and over again I listened to someone tell me that birth was wonderful, natural, and that I could do it. I loved it! The days and weeks before my birth I would read positive birth experiences and talked to woman who believed in me. If I had a moment of self doubt, I would call the people that supported me and believed in me, just so that they could give me a pep talk.

You'll never do anything more rewarding. Natural birth has given me a confidence in my self and in my body that I didn't know I could have.

Lastly, birth is powerful and spiritual if you'll let it be. I prayed from the day that I found out I was pregnant that I could have a natural birth. I hated my c-section. It was miserable and a second would limit the number of babies I could have. I want to choose that... I chose a natural birth because I felt an epidural would put me one step closer to a c-section. My natural birth was a blessing because of prayer and preparation. I feel like it is something the Lord intends and wants us to experience and I know that great power and holy helpers attend every birth.

My birth story:

I was due today! October 25th was the big day and I already have a 2 week old! I thought it was an appropriate day to share the story of Henry's birth.

I woke up at 2:30am on Saturday, October 10th with contractions! I figured it was false labor, but it was exciting to have contractions that were coming and going... around 5am I woke up Thomas and asked him to time a few to see how we were doing. Contractions were coming 7-10 mins apart and were about 30 seconds long. I was also leaking amniotic fluid every time I stood up or moved... a slow leak if you will.

Thomas went to play basketball that morning and came home around 10 am and I was still timing my contractions - still 7-8 mins apart.

Thomas' work planned a fall party at HeeHaw farms and pumpkin patch that I really wanted to go to! So I took a shower and we got ready to go. I thought it would be a good distraction and either my false labor would go away or we would know it was the real deal. At this point the contractions were still not super close together but I still needed to stop and take a moment when they came. I was also throwing up and feeling sick to my stomach. Why we went to the work party I am still not sure... all I know is I really wanted to go and so we did. Macey had a great time! We picked out a pumpkin, petted sheep, had a nice lunch (which I didn't dare eat...). By this time contractions were about 45 seconds long and 5-7 mins apart. On the way home from the party I called my sister Sarah to tell her I thought we would go to the hospital sometime soon, so keep her busy schedule open.

We went home, put Macey down for a nap. By this time I couldn't walk or talk during contractions but they still weren't super close together, so I got into my zone. I've been doing a "Hypnobabies" home study course for the last 4 months or so. It sounds odd but I really liked it. It is just very positive deep relaxation and visualization techniques that I practiced almost daily for most of the summer. So I got out the "positive affirmations" cd and just listened to it and focused on relaxing through my contractions instead of just dealing with them. This helped a ton! Macey woke up, Sarah came and got her, I still wasn't ready for the hospital - I wanted to labor at home for a long time. Sarah brought Macey home around 7:30pm and we got her ready for bed.

We left for American Fork Hospital at 8:30pm - contractions were finally 3-5 mins apart and had been for over 2 hours! That was when were told was the appropriate time to go to the hospital. So 18 hours into labor we go to the hospital. They check me when we first get there and I am 4.5 cm dialated and my water has broke, no going home for me (every mom's fear when going to the hospital... being too early)!

So we get to the room where you labor and get all set up. I get back in my zone with my cd going. I have to have an IV and continuous fetal monitoring because of the the C-section I had with Macey. VBAC's or "vaginal birth after cesarean" have higher risks than normal vaginal births so extra precautions have to be used. I didn't really want anything extra but I didn't have a choice... the IV we used a lot though. By this time it had been over 24 hours since I had eaten anything or been able to keep much water down, so they started me on sugar water to help with my fatigue.

The external fetal monitoring wasn't working very well because I liked to move during contractions... rocking mostly, so after a while my midwife decided I needed internal monitoring. Let's just say "ouch" and "yuck". I'm sure it's not a huge deal if you have an epidural but I didn't... and it hurt! It is this huge probe that they put inside the womb to monitor the baby and they but an electrode on the baby's head. It wasn't super fun having it put in and I felt more restricted once it was all in place.

The next while is all super fuzzy to me. I took off my glasses so that I couldn't watch the clock and I had Thomas turn the lights in the room off. I labored on my own at this point. It was me and my contractions. I didn't want Thomas near me, I didn't want my midwife around... I had do it alone.

I had a midwife, but I was still under a doctor's supervision because of the VBAC, so sometime around 11pm the Dr. makes an appearance... not a good sign. He is only there in case we need him. He tells us that Henry's heart rate is "too steady" and that things need to change or I will have a c-section. He gave us a 15 minute window to see the baby's heart rate change. At this point I had done what I could to have a natural delivery and if the c-section was still going to happen I didn't feel like it was in my control anymore. I left it up to the Lord... he knew my heart's desires but he also knew what the baby needed more than I did. I was ok with whatever happened at this point.

This is where Thomas really stepped up to the plate. I was exhausted and just managing my pain, not in a position to think tons about other options. He was the key to my success at this point. He said that we needed to do something different, so why don't I try standing up. He also asked the midwife if we could change the IV fluids from just watery stuff to sugar water again to wake the baby up. This was key. I started laboring in different positions (on my sides, standing up...) and after 15 minutes of moving and sugar water the Dr. came in a said that the change was minimal but if it didn't go down again he would continue to let me labor!!! Thomas saved me from another c-section which would have been my second - which would have meant that all of my births after that would be c-setions - which limits the number of kids you can have! All things we wanted to avoid...

So at this point I am at an 8, I continue to labor until around 1:30am Sunday morning when I am finally at 10... I start pushing then. Pushing was a lot harder physically than I thought it would be, enough details on that! So after an hour of pushing they plop a sticky white thing on my tummy and I just stare at him. I didn't cry, I was just so glad that he was here, safe, and I was done. He didn't cry even then. Thomas cut the umbilical cord and we had a baby to call our own! I never felt so proud of an accomplishment in all of my life.

I loved the unmedicated birth! I know people think it is crazy, but they haven't tried it. It was an incredibly spiritual experience. The pain was a very natural pain that ebbed and flowed, it never got to a point where it was intense pain all the time... you have time to regroup during contractions even when pushing.

All in all, I would do it again in a heartbeat!

heather's natural birth center birth

heather's birth story is beautiful and you can feel the dedication she had to a natural birth as you read. i got chills as i read. thank you for sharing your inspiring story with us heather!!


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I was due with my first baby on the 16th of August, 2009.  We had chosen to have our baby at a birthing center here in Idaho. We saw the midwives first when I was pregnant the first time, which ended in a miscarriage. Because of their love, and compassion with that experience along with a lot of research, discussions, and most of all prayer; we knew that we wanted to deliver with these wonderful women. Colleen has delivered over a thousand babies, and loves what she does. She believes that she was called to midwifery, and we could feel that just meeting with her. My pregnancy was healthy, and normal and never considered high risk. Throughout my pregnancy we took an excellent class, and continued to research and study birth options. Delievering in this peaceful, homelike enviroment was exactly what we wanted.

So, finally after much anticipation....our "due date" rolled around, and we were ready to meet our angel. I had been in and out of labor for about 3 or so weeks before the big day, just contracting and stopping and so on and so on. (It was changing my cervix, and really there is no such thing as "false labor").  I eventually  stopped getting excited when I would feel contractions, because they would always inevitably stop. But one fine day they didn't!! On Wednesday the 19th I went to my appt at the birthing center,  and decided to have them check me because at this point I was three days "over due." ( I will never again keep a specific day in mind! ) I just  wanted to know if I needed to mentally prepare for another week.The midwife checked me and I was at  4 cm and 80% effaced, with baby at 0-station. (very low) We were excited, but didn't want to get our hopes up for nothin; knowing that I could remain that way for days, even weeks longer. I contracted that whole day and night but they weren't bad, never got more intense, and were only about 8 minutes apart. I had been having contractions like this for weeks, so didn't even think twice about it.

The next morning I felt the same. Kinda' yucky, and really tired. I had plans to go swimming with my friend Jennifer that we met in our birthing class. She was due about one month behind me, and we werewanting some relief from the 103 degree weather! So, I left the house at one o'clock after having some lunch (thank goodness) with my hubby. Funny thing is, we met her friend Jen, who was due the same day as Jennifer, and one of the student midwives! Danni was the one who had checked me the day before, and now here we were all swimming. Danni and Jen both had two kids and were telling Jennifer and I all about their birth stories. All the while not knowing that they were going to be a part of MY birthing story!!

After a couple of hours of swimming, I started to feel like I just needed to go home. I wasn’t feeling anything new, just a very strong feeling that I needed to go home. So, we headed out. I got home and got in the shower. I felt really funny when I got out, so I sat down on the couch for a minute. All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my lower tummy, and in my back. I ran to the bathroom and sat down. I stood back up...and gush! My water had broken!!!!  I was thrilled, freaked out, and soooo excited all at the same time! GAME ON BABY!!!! This time I knew it was real! No second guessing or false alarms! It was the real thing for sure.  So, I called my husband and told him the great news. He made it home from Eagle in five minutes or less! My water had broken at 4:15 and he was home by 4:20! I called the labor line for the Baby Place, and Danni answered! I told her that she wasn't going to believe it, but my water had broken. She laughed and told me that she would meet me down there. I told her it would take us about 30-40 minutes to get everything together and get down to Meridian to The Baby Place. My mom arrived at our apartment right after my husband showed up. We gathered all of our stuff and headed off!

We actually beat Danni to The Baby Place, because of my husband’s record speed..so I labored in the parking lot for a little while. Nice! Not to mention it was REALLY hot that day..103 to be exact. By this point my contractions were only about a minute apart and man did I want to get in there and soak in that giant tub! I was really excited when Danni came, and I immediately asked her if we had gotten the "good room." They are all beautiful, but we were blessed to have the brand new birthing suit! It was georgous, spacious and so lovely. When Danni got there I got right into the large garden tub.  She checked me a few minutes later. I was already at a 6!!! So, I was pretty much in “active labor” from the time that my water broke. There was no “easing into it.” I spent the entire time in the tub other than when they had to check me, and when I was pushing . It was HEAVEN!!! I don’t know how women have a natural child birth with out it! Chancy was so wonderful  and helped me with my breathing and staying in control. He was always reassuring me that I could do it, that I WAS doing it, and that our little one would be there soon. My mom was great too. It was neat because I could look at my mom, and know that she had done the exact same thing for me. It gave me a lot of encouragement to know that I wasn’t alone. My sister was also there, and knowing that she had delivered both of my nephews there gave me that extra boost that I needed to get through some of those hard contractions.

I was progressing at a little over a centimeter an hour, which for a first time mom is pretty intense! I was only having 30 seconds in between contractions, and they were lasting for about a minute and a half, to two minutes. I remember looking at Colleen (the head midwife) at one point and saying “I thought there was supposed to be a break in here somewhere!? Where is my break!?”. She just smiled and told me that I was just that much closer to having my little girl, and that I could do it. She was so sweet. I had it under control,  and then transition labor came….

This is where the baby is really moving down into your pelvis. And let me tell ya…I honestly thought at one point that my pelvis was going to just crack in half. In fact, I think that I vocalized that as well. :D... As time went on, I was feeling the “pressure” to push. So, they got me out of the tub and laid me on the bed to check me. I was at a 9 and ¾! ! What the!?!?!? So, Colleen (the main midwife) told me that I could push and that she was going to hold back the tiny bit of cervix that was up at the top of baby’s head and see if it would just slip on back. Well, I pushed. Baby’s heart rate went down a bit, and the cervix was not cooperating. Mylee was also trying to come out face up, so Colleen gently messaged her head and asked her to turn over. It was the coolest thing ever!! Because she actually listened! Baby was still trying to figure out how to get outta’ there, and my body wasn’t ready. So they had me get back in the tub to “blow through” my contractions for about another half an hour. For anyone that has been told not to push when the feeling is OVERWHELMING to do so, this is NOT good news!!!!! So, I got back in the tub and “blew through “ them. I actually had more control over my breathing at this point than I had earlier in labor. I think it was because I knew if I just relaxed and did what I was supposed to do, the baby would be here soon and I could finally PUSH! 

After a half and hour I was able to get back out and push! YAY! I tried once again to push laying down on the bed and hated it! They immediately moved me to the birthing stool. The birthing stool is a "U" shaped stool, and it is in my opinion the most effective way to push a baby out! :) I pushed like a “champ” according to the midwives, and 23 minutes later our little Mylee Claire was born. She had a hard time getting her little lungs to work at first, but after she was good to go Chancy got to cut the cord and they handed me my beautiful baby girl. I will never in my life forget how that felt. To finally meet this little person that had been inside of me for all of those months. The baby that we talked about, dreamed about, and prayed for was finally here in our arms. We both cried tears of joy as we cuddled her close. All of the pain was gone, and I was just over come with happiness. Happiness that she was finally here, and that I had actually pushed her out! Before they even cleaned her , they moved us to the bed and I was able to nurse her and bond with her.  It was so surreal. This was the moment that I had been waiting for my entire life. I was a mommy. Finally. She truly was a dream come true.

Mylee latched so well right away! It was if she had been waiting for this moment just as much as I had.  When she was done nursing, the midwives came back in and weighed and measured her, and washed her little hair. From the second she came out she was alert and wide eyed.  She was just taking it all in. She had  the sweetest, calmest spirit about her. That first night after everyone left was amazing. I couldn’t sleep if I had wanted to because of all of the hormones, and adrenaline. Mylee was pretty much awake the whole night as well. We were pretty much left alone to bond with our baby and enjoy being a family. They only came in to make sure we were doing okay. Nothing invasive was done, and they were so respectful. I couldn’t believe my whole world was right there next to me in bed. My amazing husband, and our beautiful baby girl. I felt a love that I could never have imagined existed. I was overcome with happiness and joy.  Our family was now complete. 

I wouldn’t change one thing about that day. It was perfect. The pain was nothing compared to the joy of bringing our daughter into the world. I know that we have nothing compare our birth experience to, but we are so happy that we chose to deliver at the birthing center that we chose. It was incredible. The mood was peaceful and quiet, we knew everyone involved, my husband was made to feel like he was a part of everything, and the priority was me and our baby. Nothing was done without an explanation, and we always felt safe. I can’t wait to tell Mylee all about the day she was born. It was the happiest day of our lives!! We are so grateful for every minute of it.

emily's hypnobirthing story

one of the most helpful things i did to prepare myself for a natural birth was reading other women's stories of success. filling my mind with confidence in my ability to birth naturally was so important.

i thought it'd be fun to have other women contribute their natural birth stories to this blog, so that it is not always me sharing how wonderful natural childbirth is. there is strength in sharing experiences so that is why i am so excited about this! i hope you'll enjoy emily's birth story as much as i did. thanks emily!

emily is a mother of two beautiful children and stay-at-home mom. she is an excellent example to me of trusting in yourself and following through with your desires!

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With all the many things to think about as a first-time expectant parent, how I would give birth to my child was a top priority. I knew countless women who had successfully delivered nearly pain-free with an epidural. But, I knew myself and knew that delivering a baby naturally was something I had always hoped to do. I knew I wanted to deliver without pain medication; I just wasn’t sure how to go about doing that!  In my researching of different methods I came across the Hypnobirthing/Mongan Method.  The ideas behind Hynobirthing really seemed to match my own philosophies about childbirth. Marie Mongan said: "We believe that every woman has within her the power to call upon her natural instincts to bring about the best possible birthing for her baby and herself” I loved reading those words! I was thrilled to find a way to support the type of birth I wanted to have.


Marie Mongan’s ideas aren’t  completely new but more a revisiting of Dr. Grantly Dick-Read’s ideas. She believes, as Dr. Dick-Read did, that when we are truly relaxed our body works in a wonderful way and that we can experience far less discomfort than when our muscles are tense and fearful. 


When I tell people that I’ve used the Hypnobirthing method, they often have many questions on exactly what it is! Images come to mind of hypnotist’s shows, as that is what most people’s exposure to hypnosis consists of. In reality, when you are in a truly relaxed, hypnotic state you have completely control over yourself. The relaxation you experience is similar to the feeling of being engrossed in your favorite book or gazing into the campfire. During our Hypnobirthing class our teacher would show us videos of the most calm, quiet births. My husband and I were in awe and disbelief that a birth could be so wonderful.  


Absolutely key to having a successful birth using this method is practice! Practicing relaxation/visualization exercises that help you learn to put yourself in a deeply relaxed and comfortable state makes it become second nature.  Learning to truly relax and connect with my body and especially to my baby was so valuable during my pregnancies. When preparing for my births, I have found that I have to put myself in a calm and confident “bubble”.  Of course I knew there was the chance for serious complications and for things to go in a way that I didn’t want them to. But,  Marie Mongan teaches that our attitudes toward birthing can actually affect the way we are able to handle the birthing process. I found that I had to take all negative attitudes surrounding birth and labor and replace them with my calm, confident, and capable thoughts. I knew my body was able to birth the baby that was growing inside of me. When people doubted my ability to actually “survive” the entire labor without giving into an epidural, I learned I had to be positive and resolute or else doubt would creep into my mind.

When the time came to deliver my first child, I was excited to put the things I’d practice to the test. I was surprised when I went into labor at just 37 weeks! I woke up to contractions that morning and enjoyed laboring at home all through the day. As things became more intense I would lie on my side or sit on the exercise ball and do my relaxation. Things were going great. At about 5 pm we decided it was time to head to the hospital. Upon checking in, we found out I was dilated to a 5.5 cm. Once settled in my room, we dimmed the lights, put on my favorite relaxation CD and I was able to relax and go to my “place” mentally. Because the room was so calm most of the hospital staff felt that and really helped maintain that atmosphere. Then the unexpected happened- I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia when I was dilated to 7 cm!  My blood pressure had reached dangerous levels. I had had a picture perfect pregnancy and I was so surprised. They informed me that I would have to have blood pressure medication and that I would be confined to the bed for the rest of my labor.  During my Hypnobirthing practice, I had memorized several calming, empowering phrases (affirmations) - boy, did that ever come into play at this point! I told the nurse that I needed a couple minutes in the bathroom before being hooked up to the IV. I went in and sat on the toilet for a few contractions. In my head I repeated one of my favorite phrases- “I am prepared to handle any turn my birthing takes.” With each contraction I breathed slowly and steadily down. I focused on my baby moving down with each calm and steady breath.  This focus made the pressure of the contraction a welcome sensation. These tools were amazing! I was able to replace my fears and anxiety with calm confidence.  I was able to get hooked up to the IV and lay in bed without fear and with minimal discomfort. In fact, I kept waiting to get to the point that I couldn’t handle it.  After all, haven’t we all seen movies with women screaming in pain during labor? That point didn’t come. I had the tools to cope with all that was coming my way. About an hour later, I delivered our healthy 7 lb. baby girl. 


One of the concepts taught with Hypnobirthing is that the method works for any type of birth. The birth of my second child was so different from my first. Yet, the concepts and techniques worked wonderfully.  I had been pregnant for a whole month longer than the first time around- I was 4 days overdue. I was beginning to wonder if my body remembered how to go into labor! I knew that I really wanted to avoid getting induced if at all possible.   I went to see my midwife and she said I was dilated to 5 cm. I wasn’t even in active labor! She stripped my membranes and sent me home to walk and rest.  I had a few contractions during the day and went to bed that night around midnight with everything feeling as normal as could be. I was discouraged. At 2 AM, I got up to go to the bathroom. By the time I got back to bed I was having a good, strong contraction. The next contraction came and I knew that this meant business. No "warm-up" contractions at this point. This was the real deal. These feelings were so welcome to me because I knew that they were bringing baby closer to me.


We quickly realized that we needed to hurry to the hospital. This was not in my "plan". I thought I'd have lots of time to labor at home. But, my body was on a schedule and I knew I wanted to be where I would have the baby SOON. 

I was quickly admitted and we met my midwife in the room. My husband quickly put on my relaxation music and dimmed the lights. I felt so safe and supported and just ready to trust my body to bring this baby to the world. The contractions were strong and close but it was such an amazing feeling to know what they were doing. I relaxed between contractions doing the relaxation/visualization that I'd practiced for so many months. My husband was right by my side the whole time reminding me of my strength and capability. He and my midwife would help me during contractions with light, reassuring touches and words. I was able to move around and be in any position that was comfortable. Everyone spoke softly and there was such an amazing reverence in the room. My body was functioning just as it should, baby's heart beat was strong, and I was focused on the job at hand! Just two after labor began, I was ready to push. My midwife told me that I knew what needed to happen and told me to do whatever I needed. Just two pushes later, our sweet 9 lb. 14 oz boy was born. 


The techniques I learned through the Hypnobirthing method have enabled me to have 2 wonderful, empowering and deeply spiritual births!  These ideas transformed my ideas surrounding birth and helped me have the experiences that I really wanted. 


www.hypnobirthing.com