On February 3rd, 2009 at 12:30am, little Tsugi Meila arrived into this world in a most peaceful way. Her birth was quite different than my first delivery, when my first daughter was born with the use of forceps. This had been a difficult experience for me, as I had not been notified or asked beforehand. I didn’t have a doula at that time, and was not fully aware of all of the options available. After educating myself on birthing options and speaking with different mothers and friends about their birth experiences and use of midwives and doulas, I knew I wanted to do everything I could to have a different, more peaceful birthing experience this second time around. I originally chose to birth naturally at home, but insurance would not cover it. Therefore, I looked at birth centers and came across one of the only free-standing birth centers in the Bay Area, Sage Femme.

My labor began around 8:45pm on February 2nd. Prior to the onset of my labor, I felt great, and had just eaten dinner with my family. I had been experiencing inconsistent contractions, or “false labors” the week before, but by 9:30pm my labor had intensified to the point that my partner decided to call my doula to let her know that real labor had begun. We then called my midwife, Judi, to let her know that my contractions were consistent and that I felt it was time to head over. Within fifteen minutes, my doula, Lindsay Germain, arrived at my house and we were packed up to leave for the birth center. The car ride over was difficult to manage, as I felt nauseous with every turn or sudden brake, and my contractions were becoming stronger by the minute. Fortunately, my doula was there with me, helping me through each wave and using pillows to make the ride easier. I felt excitement wash over me, as I knew that our baby would be arriving that night.

We arrived at Sage Femme birth center in San Francisco by 10pm, and my midwife, Judi, was there waiting for me. Her first step was to check my progress, and she found that I was 4 ½ cm dilated and 90% effaced. Recognizing that I still had a journey ahead of me, I decided to get comfortable at the center. We unpacked my bag, pulled out the heating pad, and then I started to stretch on the birthing ball.

For the next two hours, my labor progressed naturally and with force. For me, laboring was the most difficult part of the process. As my labor transitioned, the spaghetti I had eaten for dinner came up. My doula offered cold compresses and a blanket to comfort me, and my partner rocked and held me during the really tough parts. Ultimately, I remember looking within myself as I passed through this transitional phase, and I focused on releasing anything associated with discomfort from the darkest corners of my mind. Once I released this negativity, I felt like it was time for me to push.

By the time midnight struck, my adrenaline had kicked in and I was ready to begin pushing. I had run out of laboring positions to try and was at a loss for what to do next, so my midwife suggested moving to the birth tub. Just as I stepped into the water I experienced one of my most difficult contractions yet; I stood very still, held my partner’s hand and breathed through it. As the contraction ended I sat down in the tub, where the warm water helped my body release itself. I was able to completely let go of all tension and relax through the contraction that followed, again holding my partner’s hand and focusing on my breath.

Finally, I felt the urge to push. As I did, a little head crowned and came out. Shoulders, torso and legs emerged with the second push. Our baby floated to the top of the water and my midwife gently placed her on my chest, allowing me to begin nursing immediately. Everyone in the room wanted to know if the baby was a boy or a girl, but I was so out of it I hadn’t bothered to check. I looked down to see that the baby that had been growing inside of me for nine months was, in fact, a little girl.

One week later, we named her Tsugi Meila, which means Next Born Child and Wisdom, respectively. Tsugi weighed 8lbs 7oz, and was 20″ in length at her birth. At two weeks and five days old, she was a little over 10lbs and 22″ in length. She remains as peaceful now as the day she was born, and our family is so thankful to have another little girl!