Tag Archives: Southdale

Blooma Blossom: Welcome, Liam!

With their permission, we’re sharing a little love note from new parents Amy and Russ. Congratulations on Liam’s arrival!

Love,

Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma

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Sarah,

I just wanted to let you know how helpful your couples class was for Russ and I during our late stages of pregnancy and labor and delivery!

Thanks to you, Russ was very aware of the stages of labor and he was an amazing coach for me! He was supportive all the way through even when labor got very difficult.

We welcomed our precious little Liam on March 7, 2012. It was an amazing experience and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way!

I was determined and felt confident in our decision to have a natural childbirth and was thankful for our nurses at Fairview Southdale who also were very supportive of our birth wishes.

I am thankful for the class that you offered and have been recommending it to all of my pregnant friends. I will be looking into your baby and mom classes as I begin to venture out with Liam!

Thank you for supporting all the mamas!

Amy, Russ & Liam

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Blooma Birth Story: “I didn’t WANT to keep going, but I knew I COULD”

Mamas, the birth story below is real, intense, open — and we’re so grateful to Sara P. for sharing it with us so honestly. Whatever type of birth you’re hoping for or experienced, please be sure to make it to the end of Sara’s story. Her words and sentiments are right on.

Love,

Alisa, Sara & the women of Blooma

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{By Sara P.}

Hi Sarah!

I just wanted to check in and let you know about our two week old beauty, Samuel.

I left my massage with Deborah on Monday, Nov. 21st feeling so calm and content. During the massage, I visualized myself making dinner that evening and then soon after, welcoming a baby.  Even though my guess date wasn’t until the 26th, I felt centered and ready… almost sure that he was planning on coming soon.

Sure enough, contractions began around 10 p.m. on Monday. We went to bed and I tried very hard to IGNORE the contractions until they were making themselves known in a bad way early in the morning, at which point I woke up my husband to keep me company.

I labored at home until 3 p.m. on Tuesday, when we decided it was time to go to the hospital.  Once at Fairview Southdale and 4cm dialated, I used every position and technique imaginable to help me through the long and painful labor.

The tub, the shower, the birthing ball, music, massage, standing, sitting, squatting.  When it came down to it, the pain was so intense that none of those things really mattered.  To be totally honest, yoga didn’t matter, breathing didn’t matter, moaning (and Oh Lord did I moan) didn’t matter.  What mattered was inner strength and total determination.

I kept repeating in my head, “I can do this,” and “this pain is temporary.”  When the transition phase was in full effect from 8-10 p.m., I hated everything and everyone and made deep, dark noise like I didn’t know I could… and I didn’t WANT to keep going, but I knew I COULD.

I remember screaming “I don’t want to do this anymore!” but knowing simultaneously that I COULD do it and WOULD do it.

Finally I felt the urge to push after allowing my doctor to break my water, which had stayed intact through the already almost 24 hour labor.

I pushed for an hour and twenty minutes, and Samuel was born at 11:21 p.m. on Tuesday, 11/22/11.

Looking back on it two weeks later, I’m proud that I accomplished a natural labor. I’m content knowing what childbirth really feels like from start to finish. But more than anything I fully know now how different it is for every woman, just like pregnancy. We can’t all expect the same birth; we can’t all hope for something beautiful and spiritual.  My labor was not beautiful. My labor was not spiritual.

When Samuel came out, I wasn’t elated; I was so glad it was over.  I wasn’t thankful that I got to experience the birth I had “planned,” (which I did).  I was just thankful that the pain was done.  I would never want to steer any mom away from having a natural birth, but I see now that it may not be for everyone.  And that’s okay!

I’m in awe at how different we all are, how amazing we all are, and I know now more than ever how much community matters.  It’s so important that we continue to talk honestly about our fears, our strengths, our opinions, our perineums, our epidurals, our cravings, our children. 

Thanks to Blooma for introducing me to that community!  And let me introduce you to Samuel!

Much love,

Sara P

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Blooma Birth Story: Janelle + Baby Evelyn

As I reflect on my daughter’s birth six months ago I am amazed at how clear my memories are from that incredible day.  I hope that they always will be.  My second daughter’s birth was completely different from my first daughter’s birth three years ago.

With my first I was 10 days overdue and had my water artificially broken at the hospital.  I never had Pitocin but worked hard the whole 19 hour labor to keep it going and pushed for two hours.  I can still remember the incredible pain and what a long road it was.

This past May I never expected to wake up at 6 a.m. five days before my “guess date” feeling contractions.  As the morning passed my two biggest fears were being sent home from the hospital with false labor, and what I would do when my 3 year old came home from preschool and I was still home.  Neither one happened!

I rocked on my exercise ball and watched the noon Twins game on TV.  We live 3 blocks from the stadium and I joked with my husband that we should leave home before the game lets out.  As the day went on I ate a light lunch and tried to relax in between the intensifying contractions.

All of a sudden the contractions picked up, big time.  I got a panicky feeling and told my husband we didn’t need to be leaving for the hospital—we needed to be AT the hospital.  As if a movie, right that instant we heard fireworks which meant the Twins won—and that the game was over.

We grabbed our bag and pillows and scrambled down to our car on the street.  I always wondered which neighbor I would see when I was in labor—ironically we rode the elevator our ER doctor neighbor!

We got to the street and fought the swarms of Twins fans.  My husband tried (successfully!) not to hit any of the jaywalkers as he drove.

I could feel myself fighting the contractions and getting more panicky, as hard as I tried to stay calm and breathe through them in the backseat of the car. We’d almost made it to Fairview Southdale when we saw the nurses picketing for the upcoming potential strike.  As if the car ride had not been adventurous enough!

Sarah Longacre was my doula and we met her at the hospital entrance.  She and I walked up to the birthplace while my husband parked the car.  It was an immediate source of strength to have her with me for this, again.

Once inside the nurse watched me work through a contraction in the hallway and admitted me to a room immediately.  She told Sarah that she guessed I was dilated to a 6.  Sarah and I’s eyes met and she bet the nurse I was past that.

I stripped down — having a baby soon anyway — and got on the bed to be checked.  In the nurse’s words I was “a 10 with a bag of waters about to break!”

I have never seen so many people move so fast!  I had to pee and wanted to do it in the toilet, then was ushered back to the bed.

One standing contraction and my water broke.  Two more contractions in the bed and my doctor miraculously walked in the room, having just been called.  He got into baby catching position and I pushed with the next contraction.

My mind was doing ridiculous linear math instead of focusing on the moment… let’s see, if I was in labor half the hours as last time, then I must prepare myself to push for one hour since that would be half of last time.

My doctor told me to pause and then push, and all of a sudden I had a baby on my chest!  I was stunned!

My daughter Evelyn was born at 3:47 p.m., just 23 minutes after getting to the hospital.

I came home from the hospital on a Friday.  I remember nursing my sweet baby girl Saturday morning and realizing it was 9 a.m.  It felt so strange not to be at the prenatal yoga class I’d been to every week for months!  (And I felt my ears burning with Sarah telling my birth story.) :)

When I described that very happy but almost ”out of place” feeling to other new moms they don’t understand it, unless they are part of the special place that is Blooma.

Blooma and its people build an incredible community of support throughout the journey into motherhood, support which I have since enjoyed “on the other side” as well.

Thank you Sarah and thank you Blooma for helping start my daughters’ lives with positive momentum!

Janelle

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