4 Birth Stories:

Birth story # 1 - The first person i asked said when they gave birth it was just as expected and "would remember every wonderful moment" they had planned form the very beginning to have a completely natural birth in the comfort of there own home. Months before the birth the two of them attended various birthing classes (a lot of yoga) to better prepare themselves. It was very important for both the husband and wife to feel they were involved in the actual process as much as the professionals. They made sure to have a staff they felt very secure with, both the dula and the OB/GYN were close friends of the soon to be parents. Her water broke in the mid morning, she was in the kitchen making tea, instead of freaking out she said she felt "an enormous sense of excitement, i felt prepared and i was ready for whatever this new little life was gonna bring." After cleaning up the mess her and her husband called their friends (the dual and the OB/GYN) over to there house, while waiting the two of them practiced some of the breathing methods and birth positions while listening to some of there favorite music to take her mind off the pain. "Having a supportive husband made the whole process less stressful, and exciting knowing you have a loved one to share it with." About an hour and a half later the dula and OB/GYN arrived, 3 hours after her water broke the contractions started, and they got set up and comfortable in their bathtub, "Natural birth allowed my son to take his time. When he arrived his umbilical cord was short which explained why I could only push a few seconds before stopping. He needed oxygen in short bursts! It was truly an experience I cherish for the fact that by body delivered when it was ready, not by induction."

Birth story # 2 - The second story i got was a little different form the first, it was a little less enjoyable. It was an unplanned pregnancy even though both the mother and father were thrilled with the new, thoughts ran through there head that it might have been a little too soon being as there daughter was just turning one. she was less worried about the process than her plan for after the baby was born. her first pregnancy was faster and a lot less painful than expected, that was not the case with her second one. Her water broke in a little less of a private place, the near by super market in the dairy aisle. she called her husband to meet her and take her to the hospital. 15 minutes later they were in a taxi cab going to the hospital, she described her contractions as "the worst pain ever! nothing could have prepared me for that, there were a few times where i did not know if i was gonna get out of it alive. I wanted to give up and no amount of support or words of comfort could make me feel any better. I needed the epidural as fast as i could get my hands on it!" After she was given the medication it did not seem to be working fast enough but about an hour later she was feeling a little more comfortable, but unfortunately it did not last forever, after a good 43 hours of treacherous labor she gave birth to another baby girl. Although she was over joyed with the newest addition she said "no amount of money could persuade me to go through that again." She stayed true to her word and 11 years to this day she has never been pregnant again.

Birth story # 3 - similar to the first story, the mother cherished every moment of the birth even though it played out a little differently than expected. both the mother and the father had originally wanted to have a natural birth in a hospital. They felt comfortable in that environment but felt it important to have her mother, step-mother and sisters in the room along with her husband. Being as scrap booking was a Hobie of hers, she wanted as many pictures and videos as her loved ones could take, it was "a memory i never wanted to forget!". little did she know complications would change her plan. It was 1 in the morning when her water had broke, she was sleeping and didn't notice anything until she was woken up by the pain of the contractions. After her husband quickly finished packing last minute things, they were on there way to the hospital (20 minutes by car). All her family was on call and left immediately once news had surfaced. In the car ride she said "i had a feeling it was not gonna be as easy as expected, i felt something was a little off and i was just extremely anxious to see my doctor" turned out she had the motherly instinct, 3 hours after being in the hospital she was rushed into an emergency c-section ( the baby's umbilical cord was wrapped around the babies neck. " I knew how much support i had, but i could not help feeling extremely alone." after the surgery was over she was over bared with a huge rush of emotions, seeing the baby for the first time gave her a whole new outlook on life.

Birth story # 4 - Birth story # 4 is not much of a birth story, its only what i have been told about my birth parents and the whole adoption process. I was born on December 8Th 1992 in Corpus Christi Texas. Everyone always asks me how i felt when i was told i was adopted, to be honest i have absolutely no recollection of ever being told, almost as if i always knew (sounds corny). I have never really been told much about my birth parents and i have never bothered to ask cause it always seemed like a touchy subject. I know they were very young and felt they would not be able to support me. I was put up for adoption immediately after birth, I'm not sure if my birth parents ever saw what i looked like. My mother and father received the news the day i was born, they dropped everything and got the first possible plane fight to Texas, we were united when i was two days. I stayed in Texas for two weeks where i meet my grandma, two weeks later i was in Mexico visiting family and friends and then California and Florida, i was about 4 months when i finally got to new york. I often times wonder what my life could have been knowing i could have been given to a number of families, i have never made the attempt to get in contact with my birth parents but i always wonder what they are like and the lives they live now and if they still feel they made the right decision.