Mackenzie's Birth Story
When my best friend chose The Midwife Center for her prenatal care, I was intrigued, but not immediately convinced. She was ten weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy and confident in her plan for an unmedicated birth. I wasn’t sure I felt the same. But the more I listened, read, and learned, the more right it felt for us too. With every interaction, appointment, message, and moment of care at TMC, that feeling deepened. I’ve felt held, informed, and deeply supported throughout the past year+ of care.
Prenatal Care
The discussions in the classes and Centering Pregnancy sessions, facilitated by TMC’s expert team, contributed to making our dream birth a reality. Despite implementing all of the recommendations like nutritious meals, 10K daily steps, strength training, and the best prenatal vitamins, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 30 weeks. It would be overwhelming for most first time moms, but especially for someone with a lifelong fear of needles. I spent days staring at my glucose kit through tears, knowing I needed tight control to remain eligible for birth at TMC. What made the difference was the steady, compassionate support. Aya checked in after every MFM appointment, making sure I never felt alone. During labor, Alaina and Emily were transparent and reassured me that everything was unfolding beautifully. I remained diet-controlled throughout pregnancy and labor, and my care team never once let fear take the lead.
Early Labor
At 39 weeks, we were emotionally and mentally prepared to meet our baby. However, there were no physical signs that labor was near. I even emailed HR asking to work past my due date. The night before my daughter was born, my husband (Finn) and I went to wing night, joked about spicy food inducing labor, read in bed, and fell asleep.I woke in the night with what felt like familiar Braxton Hicks. By the third wake-up, I noticed a pattern. Using my phone’s stopwatch, I tracked contractions while breathing through them beside my very confused cat. They were already coming every 5-7 minutes and quickly intensifying. At 2:30AM, I woke Finn and we called our doulas, Alyson and Elizabeth from Boundless Birth, who encouraged us to stay home and begin comfort measures. Having learned a lot about prodromal labor via classes and through our friends’ experiences, I didn’t get my hopes up and assumed we had a long way to go. Finn prepared a warm bath and a cold water bottle for me as I pulled up my labor meditation playlist. As I slid in, I said a quiet prayer and asked for a sign that it was time. The contractions kept coming faster and lasting longer. As I stepped out, I noticed pieces of my mucus plug in the water and felt a quiet certainty: this was real. We paged the midwife on call and were invited to come in after 5:30. Worst case, we’d get a sunrise drive down Penn Ave and a little reassurance.
Active Labor
Living just a mile from TMC fortunately meant enduring only one contraction in the car. I instructed Finn to leave our bags so that it wasn’t extra work if we had to go back home. I struggled through a contraction on the bench outside before being welcomed into the Meadow room. To my relief, my vitals and tests all looked fine and I didn’t even need an IV. Anastasia performed the first cervical exam of my entire pregnancy and calmly said, “You’re eight centimeters.” Finn and I stared at each other in amazement. When I naively asked if we’d meet our baby that day, she smiled and said, “I bet you’ll meet her by noon. We better fill the tub if you want to use it.” I still get chills thinking about that moment. Part of what made care at TMC so comfortable was the lack of invasive exams. You’re welcome to request them, but your wishes and privacy are respected. I felt emboldened to trust my body and intuition. Our birth bag was full of thoughtfully selected comfort tools: lights, music, massage supplies, a TENS unit, even a plan to try nitrous if needed. But I found myself relying entirely on my breath. I discovered a strength and calm I didn’t know I had.
By 7, I was in the tub, surrounded by Finn, our doula and midwives. I moved instinctively: squatting, swaying, twisting my hips, and breathing deeply. I completely relaxed between waves and even managed to smile and crack some jokes between a few. I focused my energy on breathing her down, imagining her wiggling her way through my pelvis. I still can’t believe how strong and empowered I felt. Alaina’s gentle reminders that my baby was safe allowed my last lingering fears to melt away. My water broke in the tub with a surprising pop and I knew things were shifting. At 10AM, I got out of the tub for Emily to check me again and she guided my hand to feel my baby’s head.
Birth
I pushed on my side and hands and knees, supported every step of the way. Just after 11AM, Emily caught our daughter. Finn and I shared the most incredible moment as we looked at each other while hearing her first cries, then pulled her through my legs and onto my chest to see her sweet face at last. Half me, half him, and all her own: our Helena Vesper was in our arms.
Golden Hour & Beyond
We soaked in a glorious uninterrupted hour, we waited for the cord to stop pulsing before Finn cut it and welcomed the placenta, later donated through TMC’s birth tissue donation program. Those early moments as a family of three were pure magic. I was buzzing with pride in what my body had just accomplished. We were home by sunset, reflecting on the craziest day of our entire lives. I was so grateful to recover in the comfort of my own home, returning for a short postpartum exam and visit to our pediatrician the next day. In the months since, I can’t help but reflect on how TMC’s care has continued to shape my motherhood journey. From convenient on-site lab services, to Centering Pregnancy to therapy, lactation support, postpartum groups and beyond, I’ve felt deeply cared for at every stage. Choosing TMC didn’t just give me the birth I had deeply hoped for, it gave me confidence, community, and a foundation for motherhood that I will always be thankful for and praising to anyone who will listen.
