Upcoming Events - March 2017

• Coping with Motherhood - Thursday, March 2 & 16, 10:30 am-12pm, FREE

• Babywearing Class - Saturday, March 4, 10am-12pm, FREE

• Babywearing Dance Class - Every Friday 9:15-10:15am, $10/adult or $40 for 5 classes

• Breastfeeding Basics - Tuesday, March 7 & 21, 6:30-8:30pm, $30/couple

• La Leche League Meeting - Wednesday, March 8, 7-8:30pm, FREE 

• Young Moms Meetup - Thursday, March 9, 4:30-6pm, FREE

• Breastfeeding Cafe - Friday, March 10 & 24, 10:30am-12pm, FREE

• Weekend Breastfeeding Cafe - Saturday, March 11, 10:30-12pm, FREE

• Meet the Doulas - Wednesday, March 15, 7-9pm, FREE

• Cloth Diapering Class - Saturday, March 18, 10-11:30 am, FREE

• Choosing Quality Childcare Seminar - Wednesday, March 20, 6:30-7:30 FREE

• Craniosacral Therapy Clinic - Saturday, March 25, 2-4pm, FREE

• Express Yourself, Pumping and Breastfeeding Class - Tuesday, March 28, 6:30-8:30pm

The Birth of Sebastian Fox

By Chelsea Harmon

Throughout my pregnancy, I practiced hypnobirthing.  I was skeptical at first, but I decided to buy a few tracks on Amazon and listened to them during naps and going to sleep at night.  I didn’t feel like I prepared myself like I should have with my daughter, so I wanted to make sure I did this time around using any possible method. As soon as I felt my first contraction (they started Friday before my 41 week Monday appointment), I started practicing my breathing and stayed in tune with my body to stay relaxed. They weren’t very intense like I remembered with my daughter, but gradually increased tightening little by little as the weekend passed.

I woke up the morning of my 41 week appointment feeling defeated that I didn’t already have a tiny squishy nursling in my arms. I was mentally prepared to go overdue, but never expected to make it to this appointment. We only have one car, so I had to drop my husband off at work before I could make my way to Chapel Hill. It was an hour drive to the center and wasn’t one I wanted to make again until I was having this baby. I decided to pack our things, just in case a miracle happened like going into labor on the way to my appointment, but I already knew we were absolutely not having a baby that day.

I got to the hospital early for my ultrasound so I could grab a cup of coffee.  As I’m checking in for my ultrasound, the front desk lady asks if I am alone or if I had someone to watch my daughter.  I was alone, 41.1 weeks pregnant, and now being told I was probably not going to be allowed to have my ultrasound.  I wanted to go hide in a dark corner and cry.  Finally, they decide they would try as long as my daughter would sit still. As far as I knew, everything looked healthy except the fact that I had slightly elevated fluid.  He didn’t go into detail about what that meant exactly, so I was pretty clueless.  I texted my mom and husband and told them how it went.  My mom texts back “don’t be surprised if they want to induce you.”

Wait, what?

After my ultrasound, I headed straight to the midwife’s office to talk about what next steps we were going to take. Emily asked if I was comfortable with my daughter hanging out with the ladies in the front, and I knew something wasn’t going as planned. Unfortunately, because of the elevated fluid levels, I was automatically risked out of birthing at the center. I was immediately flooded with tears and a huge lump in my throat.  I felt like my body had failed me. We discussed my options, but ultimately the safest way was to get the baby out as soon as possible by way of induction. There was no way I was going to risk the health of my baby, so I loaded up my daughter and drove an hour back home to pick up my husband from work.

I cried the entire way. I had to get it all out before picking him up. I was sure he had already started googling all the problems and risks (prolapsed cord being the biggest one) associated with elevated fluid (and he did).  I felt I had to be strong so we would both stay calm.

We quickly grabbed lunch to go and made our way back to Chapel Hill. We dropped our daughter off with my mom and headed to the hospital.  The ride to the hospital to have a baby is a weird, surreal feeling.  It never feels like how you imagine it to feel. It was around 3:30 PM when we finally checked into the hospital.  We were clueless and had no idea where to go.  I tried to prepare myself for being induced, telling myself it was okay, and that I wasn’t a failure.  This had to happen to keep our son healthy. We were about to meet our son! We finally reached our room, got set up, and I was put on the monitor.

We were waiting for the induction to start when my midwife, Sarah, came in and asked if I could feel my contractions. I could, but they weren’t really intense and only felt slight pressure. She had been watching them as she was about to send in the request for Pitocin, realized how close they were, and we came up with a new plan: castor oil. I had heard of this before and was honestly terrified of it. My first gut reaction was to say no; however, I was more scared of Pitocin, so I decided to give it a try.  By this time, it was around 5 p.m. She told me to chug it like a beer, which I did. Except castor oil, mixed with grape juice, is not as easy to chug as a beer.  It’s safe to say I will never be able to drink grape juice again.  Sarah said she was giving me until 9 PM to see if the castor oil would do the trick. I was told all the other nurses and staff made fun of us while swearing up and down it wasn’t going to work. I wanted it to work. I made myself believe it was going to work. It had to work. I didn’t chug this nasty concoction for nothing!

While waiting for the castor oil to kick in, we tried to relax and watch a movie. Instead, we ended up watching the contraction screen almost the entire time.  I went to the bathroom twice and by 7:30 PM, I was swaying through each wave in my husband’s arms.  The baby had to be monitored 24/7, which basically meant it was a huge pain to get into a nice position to help ease the intensity.

 

When things started to really pick up, I quickly got into my zone. The room was dark and quiet. I was able to get myself into a comfortable position on the bed where the baby could still be monitored. To endure each contraction, I counted. When I got close to 30, I knew it was almost over. Nausea hit around 10:30 PM and throwing up was unavoidable at that point (even with the help of a little friend called Zofran). After throwing up multiple times all over my husband and myself, I had hit my breaking point. I was done and completely over it.  I talked to my nurse and asked to talk to the anesthesiologist for an epidural. I quickly signed my natural birth over.

   

That’s when my birth fairy, Sarah, stepped in (forever thankful for her). She supported me any way I wanted to go, but asked if she could check me to see my progression. I was at 7 centimeters, and she assured me I was almost there.

Holy crap, I could really do this!

Sure enough, about an hour or so later I felt the urge to push.  I have never felt such huge emotions; it was an out-of-body experience. My instincts took over, and I had no control over my voice.  At last, after 5 or 6 pushes, my sweet, slippery baby boy was handed over and placed on my chest. 

Sebastian Fox Harmon was born at 12:37 AM on May 10^th.  I was in a mixed state of complete euphoria, exhaustion, and intense relief from it finally being over. At least until it was time for the placenta, which felt like giving birth all over again.  He latched right away like a champ.  Six months later and I am still in awe of him – not to mention my body for pushing out an 8-pound, 3-ounce  human being.  I have given birth with an epidural and without. I have never felt more empowered and proud of myself than I have after my natural birth experience. 

However,

Women are incredible and strong any way they birth.

Birth Announcements

Welcome, Sweet Babies!

*Angus Bram McCorkle – November 22 – 7 lbs., 9 oz.

Georgia Greer Nall – December 1 – 8 lbs., 4 oz.

Rhea Lynn Duncan – December 3 – 7 lbs., 2.5 oz.

Hatuey Henderson Little – December 3 – 8 lbs., 7 oz.

Micah Nathaniel Henderson – December 4 – 9 lbs., 15 oz.

Riley Adeline Johnson – December 5 – 7 lbs., 15 oz.

Eyram Sky Semawu – December 5 – 7 lbs., 10 oz.

Caroline Rodwell Payton – December 6 – 9 lbs., 4 oz.

Adelaide Fielhauer – December 7 – 7 lbs., 13.5 oz.

*Ember Rees McCullough – December 9 – 8 lbs.

Julian Hill – December 10 – 6 lbs., 10 oz.

Evangeline Jolee Brown – December 11 – 10 lbs., 3 oz.

*Victoria Violet Grether – December 11 – 8 lbs., 2 oz.

*Oliver Reen Jaworski – December 13 – 8 lbs. 5 oz.

*Riley Aurelia Jones – December 13 – 7 lbs., 4 oz.

Adley Elyse Towle – December 14 – 8 lbs., 13.5 oz.

Calvin Paul Mayfield – December 15 – 8 lbs., 3 oz.

Wesley David Stalbroten – December 17 - 8 lbs., 10 oz.

*Gemma Weil Hambley – December 19 – 8 lbs., 13.5 oz.

Kyleigh Alijah Hemphill-Carr – December 19 – 5 lbs., 8 oz.

*Simon Blake Fairman-Stokes – December 19 – 6 lbs.,15 oz.

Opeyemi Zendaya Shoderu – December 20 – 7 lbs., 6 oz.

Arlo Seth Fonseca – December 22- 7 lbs., 10 oz.

*Clara Lucia Nieves-Pavuk – December 25 – 7 lbs., 15 oz.

Haven Wilder Wheeler – December 27 – 7 lbs., 11 oz.

Brooks Otis Phillips – December 28 – 8 lbs., 3 oz.

Jack Rōnin Brown – December 29 – 8 lbs., 9 oz.

Wesley David Ingram – December 31 – 9 lbs., 8 oz.

December Stats:

Total babies born: 46

Biggest baby: 10 lbs., 4 oz.

Smallest baby: 5 lbs., 4 oz.

To be included in this celebratory list, please email Missy at missy@ncbirthcenter.org 

with your baby's birth announcement information that includes 

their name, date of birth, and birth weight as well as a photo, if available.

If you would like to send us your birth story along with photos,

we are happy to include that in a future newsletter!

Coping With Motherhood Group

Have pregnancy and motherhood turned your world upside down?

     

Coping with Motherhood is a peer support group for pregnant and postpartum women who are struggling with mood changes during the childbearing years. Facilitated by Nancy Albrecht, RN, MA, IBCLC, the group provides a safe place to share concerns, strengths, and ways to prevent, cope with, and recover from perinatal depression and anxiety.

     During a Coping with Motherhood meeting, moms are welcomed to a positive and private space where they can share feelings and support each other in the process of recovery. There are tears, but also laughter; talk about anxieties and fears, but also baby and breastfeeding advice; a chance to admit the pain, but also see the way to better days. Since the group began, almost two years ago, over 50 women have gotten support from the meetings and each other.

     Nancy shares the philosophy of the group, “We believe that while all mothers desire to be the perfect mother, we all fall short. You are a good mom as you seek help, take care of yourself, and do the best you can every day!”

   The group meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month, 10:30 am – 12:00 noon at WBWC, in the Living Room (Suite 304). Call Nancy at 919-933-3301, ext. 207 for more information. No need to RSVP, and the group is open to all women, not just WBWC clients.

You are not alone. You are not to blame. With help, you will be well.

Postpartum Support International

WBWC Represented at the Women's March on Raleigh

WBWC women and their babies showed up in force to join the Women's March on Raleigh on January 21.  The group took a bus from the Birth Center to downtown Raleigh to march in support of women's right, health care, reproductive rights,  LGBTQIA issues, gender and racial equality, and economic justice. There was an excellent turnout, and it was a great opportunity for peacefully empowering women and talking about important issues!

Babywearing Dance Class

Fridays 

9:15-10:15am

Starting January 27

Looking for something fun to do with baby? Come join this new dance class and wear your baby while you get your groove on! We'll do some easy stretches and learn some simple, fun dance routines. It's a great way to get fit and meet new moms. No dance experience necessary!! 

Bring your favorite carrier and wear clothes you can move and groove in. Toddlers are welcome, as well as those who want to join in without a baby. The class will be held in the meeting room on the third floor.

$10/adult or $40 for 5 classes. Cash or check only. 
***This class is now ongoing and will meet every Friday!***

MILC Moment: The Truth About Pumping & Dumping

By Rebecca Costello, IBCLC

Pumping and dumping: not being able to nurse, and pouring your milk down the drain, is NOT a fun experience! Mothers are often told to stop breastfeeding and/or "pump and dump" because they are on medications, or needed to have a scan or test (like an MRI). This seems to be widespread - we hear about this advice being given by everyone from dentists to urgent care doctors to pediatricians. And yet so often, when we look up the medication or test, it is perfectly safe for breastfeeding to continue. You poured your milk down the drain for nothing! Moms may pump and dump for hours or days before finding out they could have breastfed all along. Why does this happen?

Which book or website your health care provider uses to look up medication or test safety can make a big difference. One study used a list of 14 drugs that were commonly prescribed to breastfeeding mothers, and looked how many were considered safe in frequently consulted resources. Several resources said NONE of the medications were safe. Others said about 50% were. It turns out, 85% were fine! Many health care providers don’t get any education about which resources are most accurate.

So where should you turn for advice about medication safety and breastfeeding? One option, of course, is WBWC! We often take calls with questions like “I had a CT scan today – they told me I couldn’t breastfeed for 24 hours, is that true?” or “I’m having a dental procedure next week – which pain meds are safe?” Our most frequently used accurate resource is the book Medications & Mother’s Milk, one of the “bibles” of breastfeeding and medication safety. It’s on the shelf in almost every office!

An even more accessible reference we sometimes use – and that you can use from anywhere with an internet connection – is Lactmed, a free website from the National Library of Medicine. They provide information on thousands of medications, herbal supplements, contrast used for scans (try typing “CT contrast” into the search box), and even specific procedures (try “MRI” or “X-ray”). Often the information makes it very clear that it’s safe to keep breastfeeding. If you have questions or concerns about what you read, please give us a call; we are happy to help you sort through it. We want you to continue nursing or pumping with confidence, knowing that you’re continuing to provide the best you can for your baby!

Mindful Birth Workshop

February 12^th 1:30-4:30pm

WBWC, Suite 304

Cultivating Mindfulness Techniques

for Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting

 Mindfulness is about being fully awake, in the present moment. When we practice mindfulness we can become more focused, relaxed and calm. Life slows down and we begin to experience the vividness of each moment. Learn and cultivate the Mindfulness Techniques as developed by Jon Kabat Zinn at the Center for Mindfulness, University of Mass. Not only will these techniques assist you in pregnancy and birth but will offer you a set of skills to use as a parent and throughout all areas of your life. This introductory workshop will include techniques for taming the stress response, mindful breathing, body scan (mind/body connection), and introduction to seated meditation. All of which will be useful tools for the labor process.

A short mindful movement (yoga) session will also be incorporated into this time. You will learn simple yoga postures that will help ease pregnancy and be useful as labor positions.

*pre-registration recommended, class size will be limited

$60.00  Early Bird by Jan 22^nd is $50.00

Register with info@carolinawellnessintitute.com

Led by Paula Huffman BS,RN,ERYT, Mindfulness Instructor

Paula is a perinatal educator and has been working with pregnant women and couples in the area for 25 years in both a medical and educational capacity. She is holds specialty certifications in prenatal yoga, restorative yoga, childbirth education. Paula also provides Doula services on a limited basis. She studied through the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Mass, and teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Pain Management Classes at the UNC School of Medicine’s Program on Integrative Medicine. All of these services are offered by Paula through both group and private sessions. (919) 260-0255

We Value Our Volunteers!

By Latasha  Jordan

WBWC is grateful to all the wonderful volunteers who share their time and talents with us! Volunteers are vital to keeping the clinic running smoothly and efficiently. They serve as clerical assistants for Women’s Birth and Wellness Center (WBWC). We have recently created a volunteer title called The Front Desk Helper. The Front Desk Helper serves as a valued team member who participates in completing daily tasks that help WBWC provide a positive, professional, yet personal experience for the client throughout their visit to the center. Each volunteer works with the Front Desk Manager to complete and perform daily administrative task that include  faxing documents, pulling charts, filing, making reminder phone calls, scanning charts, and taking messages. 

Length of Appointment: The Front Desk Helper is assigned to one day per week for a period of three months. After three months, the Front Desk Helper may be reappointed for another three months at the discretion of the supervisor.

Time Commitment: One day per week (Monday - Friday) for three hours (9 AM-12 PM or 1 PM- 4 PM.), for a minimum of three months.

Qualifications: Basic knowledge of computer and data entry. Pleasant manner, patience, problem-solving ability, dependability.

Support: On the job training for this position will be provided. In addition, the Front Desk Manager will be available for questions and assistance.

Dress Code: Business Casual

If you are interested in volunteering with the center please contact Latasha Jordan at Latasha@ncbirthcenter.org.

Upcoming Events - February 2017

• Coping with Motherhood - Thursday, February 2 & 16, 10:30 am-12pm, FREE
• Babywearing Class - Saturday, February 4, 10am-12pm, FREE
• Babywearing Dance Class - Every Friday 9:15-10:15am, $10/adult or $40 for 5 classes
• Breastfeeding Basics - Tuesday, February 7 & 21, 6:30-8:30pm, $30/couple
• La Leche League Meeting - Wednesday, February 8, 7-8:30pm, FREE 
• Young Moms Meetup - Thursday, February 9, 4:30-6pm, FREE
• Breastfeeding Cafe - Friday, February 10 & 24, 10:30am-12pm, FREE
• Weekend Breastfeeding Cafe - Saturday, February 11, 10:30-12pm, FREE
• Meet the Doula - Wednesday, February 15, 7-9pm, FREE
• Cloth Diapering Class - Saturday, February 18, 10-11:30 am, FREE
• Pass the Puree? Introducing Solids Class - Saturday, February 18, 10:30am-12:30pm, $30/couple
• Craniosacral Therapy Clinic - Saturday, February 25, 2-4pm, FREE
• Express Yourself, Pumping and Breastfeeding Class - Tuesday, February 28, 6:30-8:30pm

Happy New Year

From Our Family To Yours!

Community Prenatal Care

First session for June due dates will be January 11. Reserve your spot in your group now! 

Call 919-933-3301, x207 or email nurses@ncbirthcenter.org 

Community Prenatal Care (CPC) at WBWC is a unique program designed to meet the needs of families delivering at our birth center. It is an an alternative to traditional prenatal care. After your first two prenatal visits in the clinic, you can choose CPC: monthly group visits alternating with individual clinic visits until your baby is born.

Inspired by an evidence-based model of offering prenatal care to women in a group setting and research that indicates a higher level of satisfaction, increased knowledge of pregnancy, and fewer preterm births for women in group prenatal care.

CPC consists of six 90-minute group sessions that include health checks for you and baby, time to ask questions and share advice and support with other moms/families with due dates close to yours, information from the midwife and nurse facilitators.  

 The group setting is focused on you and your family. This type of prenatal care enhances your ability to make decisions about your own care, and builds your confidence in your ability to birth, feed, and parent your baby.

You can read FAQ about CPC at www.ncbirthcenter.org.

Everett Wes Leonard's Birth

By Jen Leonard

Friday, November 4th (almost 41 weeks), I woke up around 3:30 AM with contractions every ten minutes. I had already had this kind of “false” or “early labor” a few days earlier, so I didn’t get too excited. I tried to lay there, relax, and doze between them. By 6:00 AM, they were slightly more painful, and varying between 8-10 minutes apart. I still wasn’t letting myself get too excited. I haven’t had spontaneous labor since Emma, our oldest. All the others were either Pitocin-induced (water broke, but labor didn’t start), or castor oil induced.

I went downstairs, opened our back door, and breathed in the cool morning air. It was especially crisp that morning. My parents were up; they came to stay with us to help watch our other 9 kiddos when we went to have the baby, but I didn’t tell them I was having contractions yet. I think I finally mentioned it just before going to wake hubby up around 7:00, but I said it in a “no big deal” kind of way. I was sure it was false labor, and it would fizzle out momentarily.

Hubby and I sat and had a cup of coffee, chatting and enjoying the quiet of the house.

Once I started to bring kids downstairs, my contractions started picking up. I had to stop while I had them, breathe through them, and even change positions. It was then that I knew, these weren’t stopping, I was in labor! Around 8:00, I paged the on-call midwife, and quickly got a call back. I let her know that I felt I was in real labor, and we agreed that I should head in. My parents took charge of the kiddos, and my four oldest (15, 12, 10, and 10) all pitched in to help hold down the fort.

We got to the birth center around 9:20, but we didn’t rush in. We drove slowly, and enjoyed the fall colors that seemed to pop overnight. Once at the birth center, the midwife checked me out, and we discovered I was already a good 5 cm, with bulging waters, and a baby deep in my pelvis. “Wow! This is happening fast!” I said a quick prayer of thanks, and we all discussed my laboring goals. I told them that I would love to walk around outside the center, and they were very encouraging. I just needed to pop in often to listen to baby and get checked out. No problem!

Hubby and I strolled outside, and God blessed us with *THE* most amazing fall morning to labor. Words just don’t do it justice. The wind blew loose leaves from the trees, and they rained down on us. The birds and squirrels scurried around collecting food as I breathed through each contraction. Friendly people came and went and smiled at us, as they witnessed us laboring outside. I saw a midwife friend and nurse, who wished me luck and said they were so happy that I was laboring that day.

Contractions started picking up around 11:00. I stopped my waddle, grabbed my belly, bent my knees, and started my momma-cow lowing. My hubby clung to me, rubbing my back, kissing my cheek, and reminded me how much he loved me. The support from that man always leaves me speechless. The way he is always the perfect balance of “there for me”, but never doing the “wrong thing” during labor…. it’s as though he can read my mind. Which, after 13 (almost 14) years of marriage, and 10 kids, I’ll bet he can! He prays for me, he whispers in my ear that I’m amazing, he rubs my aching back, wraps his arms around me to support me when my knees get weak. He’s amazing. I could not do this without him. His voice is my soothing “labor music”, and his touch is my “pain relief”.

We headed back to our room, as I was starting to feel the urge to push. The nurse quickly

filled the tub, and I collapsed into the warm water. My hubby stroked my head, and we were pushing in no time. That warm water, though. Oh my, how it relaxes me and takes so much of the pain away! When pushing began, I can honestly say that was the FIRST real pain I had. I had labored all that time with little to no pain. It was amazing.   I think I pushed maybe 6-8 times and he was born, in the CAUL, just like our eighth child (and second son). This was supposed to be a rare thing, but it’s happened to us now, twice! Crazy! Everette “Wes” was born, and gurgled a bit, so we were all anxiously trying to get him cleared, and then the most beautiful sound…his cry. My eyes welled with tears, and I soaked up my biggest, beautiful 10th baby. He was 8 lbs., 13.5 oz, 22 inches long! He nursed right away, and is my most peaceful baby yet!

I can’t describe how full and happy my heart is, having this beautiful labor, and birth… and this beautiful little boy to add to our “little” family! We are all so thankful for him! He's our *5th* WBWC baby, and I'm so glad that we've had these 5 amazing birth experiences! Women's Birth and Wellness Center is just *the* best group of midwives I've ever been blessed to know! 

Birth Announcements

Welcome, Sweet Babies!

*Peter Henry Souroullas – October 31 – 9 lbs.

Escher Mayes Prince – November 1 – 8 lbs., 8 oz.

Ava Leigh Coggins – November 3 – 6 lbs., 15 oz.

*Jackson Reed Howes – November 3 – 6 lbs., 2.5 oz.

Benjamin James Mills – November 3 - 8 lbs., 8 oz.

*Everett Wes Leonard – November 4 – 8 lbs., 13 oz.

*Ismael Saif Mohamed – November 6 - 8 lbs., 5.5 oz.

Daniel Warren Plating – November 9 – 8 lbs., 11 oz.

Bert Durham – November 9 - 8 lbs., 4 oz.

Adeline Isabella Brattoli – November 11 – 8 lbs., 2.5 oz.

Samuel Thomas Robertson – November 12 – 8 lbs., 15.5 oz.

Judah Bear Coburn – November 15 – 7 lbs., 14 oz.

Evangeline Hope DeAssis – November 16 – 8 lbs., 4 oz.

Ian Matthias Cromwell – November 18 - 5 lbs., 10 oz.

Immanuel Benito Luciano – November 22 – 9 lbs., 2 oz.

Lydia Mae Strickling – November 24 – 8 lbs., 9 oz.

Amelia Grace Engelhart – November 24 – 6 lbs., 4 oz.

November stats:

Total babies born: 32

Biggest baby: 11 lbs., 4 oz.

Smallest baby: 5 lbs., 10.5 oz.

To be included in this celebratory list, please email Missy at missy@ncbirthcenter.org 

with your baby's birth announcement information that includes 

their name, date of birth, and birth weight as well as a photo, if available.

If you would like to send us your birth story along with photos,

we are happy to include that in a future newsletter!

Spotlight: Tianna Dean, RN

WBWC’s nursing staff is expanding! Tianna Dean, RN moved to NC from Texas to join us as a full-time nurse. Since September, she’s been providing labor, delivery, and postpartum care, as well as doing home visits.  Her warm, comforting bedside manner, thorough knowledge of women’s health, and dedication to the midwifery model of care have made her an excellent addition to our team.

Tianna graduated from Southern Union State in Alabama and has been working as a nurse since 2013. Her husband’s career as a US Army Ranger has given her the opportunity to provide nursing care across the country. She has worked at large Level I trauma centers in Columbus, GA and El Paso, TX, and has served our military women and spouses at Martin Army Medical Center.

She gained invaluable experience as a labor and delivery nurse in a high-risk setting. However, her strong desire to provide nursing care in an out-of-hospital setting inspired her to make the big move when an opportunity to work at WBWC arose.   She is passionate about supporting women through empowered birthing choices, education, and excellent quality care. Tianna is continuing her commitment to women’s health care by pursuing her Master’s at Frontier Nursing University and plans to become a midwife.

Outside of work, Tianna stays busy raising her 5 amazing children, ages 7 months to 17 years, entertaining, and decorating her home.

“I am blessed to be able to serve women every day, and I gain a wealth of wisdom from the amazing midwives and nurse practitioners I work with!”

We Love Referrals!

The best compliment we can receive is a referral from you. We hope that you enjoyed your time with us so much you'll tell your friends. You'll receive a $25 gift card after their visit!

Recipe: Mulled Apple Cider

Fill your house with the wonderful smell of apples and spice, and warm up with this delicious drink!

4 whole cinnamon sticks

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

8 whole allspice berries

Peel from 1 orange

Peel from 1 lemon

1/2 cup maple syrup

6 cups unfiltered apple juice or cider

Place cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, allspice berries, orange peel, and lemon peel in a medium saucepan. Pour in maple syrup and apple juice, then bring to almost a boil. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and serve in mugs.

from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/mulled-apple-cider/

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The Birth of Oliver William

by Kendra Broo

For the past few months, I have been wondering how this birth story would read.  With our first son, Arlo, we had a wonderful birthing experience.  Erik and I were freshly graduated students of our Bradley birthing classes, and after an easy, enjoyable pregnancy there was no reason I was planning on anything other than a smooth labor and delivery.  Fortunately for all of us it was, and we were able to have a natural, out-of-hospital birth at the local birthing center.

Fast forward to two years later.  We found out I was pregnant with baby number two just before Arlo's second birthday.  Having had an easy, enjoyable pregnancy the first time around, I expected the same again.  Much to my surprise, this one did not go as smoothly.  I spent the first 14 weeks nauseated throughout most of the day, with fatigue so extreme at times I felt like I could barely care for our toddler.  Just as the nausea started to subside, I came down with an awful case of the flu which kept me home and out of work for nearly three weeks.  The rest of the pregnancy was filled with feelings of anxiety, heartburn, swollen ankles, and some pretty intense back and rib pain.  None of which I had experienced before.  Early in the third trimester I was told that this baby, we choose not to find out the gender this time, was in the OP (sunny side up) position, but not to worry since it was still early and he/she would likely turn by the time I was full term.  Every appointment that followed confirmed that baby was still comfortably hanging out OP, and every birth story that I read about birthing a baby in this position talked about everything from extreme back labor to a long pushing phase to broken tailbones.  I was doing all the exercises recommended to turn this baby, but nothing seemed to be working.  In the last few weeks leading up to the birth, I had fully convinced myself that I would be experiencing a long, hard labor - likely with complications related to the baby's position.

The actual birth story I think really starts the day before the birth.  I was 39 weeks and 4

days, nearly a week longer than I went with Arlo.  I was getting anxious to meet baby and starting to worry about going well past the due date.  Leading up to Arlo's birth, I had a full six days notice that labor was imminent.  I had starting losing my mucous plug nearly a week before and was also having braxton-hicks contractions that were increasing in both frequency and intensity.  This time around, I expected the same signals telling me that my body was getting ready for labor.  But the only changes I noticed in the days before the birth were a slight increase in the braxton-hicks, which were still far too mild for me to think anything was about to happen, and an increase in pelvic pressure - although I knew both could last for a week or two before true labor started.  And so, I was growing worried that I was approaching my due date without any hint that this baby wanted to exit my body anytime soon.


So, I figured I should start trying to get things moving.  I went for a long morning walk with Arlo, dumped extra hot sauce on my lunch, and that afternoon I googled "natural ways to induce labor."  I read through lists of old wives tales until I came across a website that stated " The best advice to past-due women longing for that first contraction? Skip the home remedies, eat right, rest and enjoy those last few days of pregnancy as much as possible. The safest and healthiest labor is one that starts spontaneously."  And immediately I realized how true that was.  I decided to just relax and try to stop wondering when it was going to happen.

That evening, both Erik and I were unusually tired.  As well, Arlo had taken a shorter than usual nap that afternoon and was showing signs of being tired well before his usual bedtime.  So we put Arlo to sleep early and headed to bed ourselves, nearly two hours earlier than usual.  While Erik was getting Arlo ready for bed, I had the urge to quickly tidy the downstairs living room and kitchen, despite feeling as tired as I was.  When I went to sleep that night I had no idea what was about to happen next.  I don't remember having a single contraction that entire evening before we went to bed, and I certainly had no other indication that I would wake up anything other than my usual pregnant self. 
It was 1:00am exactly when I felt the first contraction.  My first thought as I woke up was "what the hell?!  who is doing that to me??"  I realized I was having a contraction, but decided immediately that the braxton-hicks were just deciding to pick up in intensity and it probably meant nothing.  I dozed lightly until around 1:20 when I felt another.  Slightly annoyed that I was awake so early and would probably have a hard time getting back to sleep (I had been also dealing with some pregnancy-related insomnia for the past month or two) I decided to just lay there and see what happened next.  I had a few more contractions and ended up getting up to go to the bathroom where I noticed that I was losing small amounts of my mucus plug.  Around that time I decided I was probably in early labor, but by 1:45am the contractions were less than five minutes apart, and growing stronger.  I fought the urge to try and ignore them, climb back in bed, and turn on Netflix - my usual coping mechanism with the middle-of-the-night insomnia I was growing accustomed to.


At this point I started wrestling with feelings of what to do next.  On one hand - I had a

really fast labor last time around.  Active labor lasted just five hours with Arlo, and the midwives had warned me that this time would likely be much shorter.  On top of that, we now had a good 45 minute car ride to the birthing center, much longer if we were to wait until later in the morning and hit rush hour traffic.  But on the other hand, I couldn't help but think about the baby's OP position and how, in my mind, I was going to have a longer labor this time around.  As well, I really didn't want to wake anyone up - Erik, the midwives, Arlo, or friends to care for Arlo.  So I decided to just labor a bit on my own.  I went back and forth between the bed and the bathroom.  I was timing them at this point, and they were around four minutes apart lasting around 45 seconds each.  Part of me knew that I should at least wake Erik up and let him know what was going on, and the other part of me was hungry and wanted to eat.  So of course, the stubborn, pregnant side of me decided to head downstairs to have a bowl of cereal before I woke Erik up.  If this was true labor I was going to need to eat before things got more intense.  I had no sooner set the milk on the counter top when I was hit with a contraction that brought me to my hands and knees on the floor.  It was during that moment I knew what I had to do next.


Erik had been sleeping in a spare room next to ours for the final months of my pregnancy - my tossing and turning was keeping us both awake and we both slept better in separate beds.  Just shy of 3:00am, I quietly tiptoed in his room - partly feeling really silly for waking him up when I was feeling completely fine between contractions, and partly thinking about the next strong contraction that was probably now only a minute or two away.  I woke him up and said something like "hey, I think I am in labor and we might need to go to the birthing center soon."  He sleepily asked me if I was having contractions or if I was timing them or something like that.  I don't even know if I answered before the next wave hit and I was suddenly on hands and knees on his bed moaning my way through the contraction.  Suddenly wide awake, he literally jumped out of bed saying "yup, this is happening" as he ran into our bedroom to change his clothes; he knew those moans well, having coached me through my previous labor.


I told him I wanted to eat before we left, and he was already scrambling to get things together so we could get out the door.  I calmly reminded him we still needed to call the midwives to let them know we were coming.  Erik called and got the answering service, who asked him questions related to my progress so they could relay the message to the midwife on-call.  I was contracting every three to four minutes at this point, and after answering a string of questions he grew frustrated and I heard him (almost shout into the phone) "I don't know, but my wife is having a baby!" 


Minutes later the on-call midwife called us back and asked us the same questions again.  Erik finally handed me the phone and after she heard me moan through a contraction she said to head in and she would meet us at the birthing center.  Erik made us some toast at my request, all the while growing increasingly anxious and saying things like "I hope we make it there."  And eventually I started to wonder the same thing.  Luckily we had already packed the car with our birthing bags and the infant car seat.  I told Erik to let out our dog and to feed both her and the cats before we left as we didn't know when we would be returning.  He then ran upstairs to wake up Arlo and get him loaded into the car.  


What happened next is one of my favorite parts of the story and something I never want to forget.  I put on my shoes and headed into the garage, about to get into the car.  I realized that I should probably try and explain what was going on to Arlo because he would likely get scared or concerned when he heard me having contractions.  I opened the back door, where Arlo was already buckled in his seat, and he looked at me and asked "mommy, where are we going?"  I told him simply "to meet the baby."  His eyes opened wide and his mouth formed a perfect little round shape.  "Ohhhh, exciting!!" he responded with a big smile on his face.  It was such a sweet, genuine response from my little guy who had been waiting for so long to be a big brother.  It's a moment I want to remember forever.


Backing out of the driveway at 3:40am, headed to the birthing center with our toddler sitting in his car seat directly behind me, felt surreal.  I had never planned on going into labor in the middle of the night and in my mind if I did I was going to spend a few hours laboring at home before we left the house.  When Erik started up the car, my Chris Stapelton CD started playing and instantly I was drawn into his deep, calming voice.  Before I had the first contraction of the drive I restarted the CD so I could scan through my favorite songs as we drove.  During the contractions, I focused on the music and lyrics and almost felt hypnotized.  I couldn't be on hands and knees and still be buckled in so I had positioned my body to be as much on my side as I could, with my head somewhat over the center console and holding on to the back of the drivers seat as I needed to.  Between contractions I sang along quietly and reassured Arlo that I was doing okay and these were the noises I had to make for the baby to come.  He didn't seem too phased by the whole experience and surprisingly stayed wide awake the entire drive.  

Erik was completely in driving mode - hands gripping the wheel at three and nine as we drove 80-90 mph down the nearly empty highway. During the drive I attempted to text and call my friend, Rhianna, who was on-call to pick up Arlo from the birthing center should I go into labor in the middle if the night.  She didn't wake up for the calls, but in the end it ended up being a blessing and I realized it all worked out the way it did for a really good reason.


We pulled into the parking lot of the birthing center just 29 minutes after we left the house - certainly making record time.  When we had arrived to the birthing center when in was in labor with Arlo I was mid-transition and can barely remember walking inside the building.  This time, I was still feeling completely normal between contractions and walked in the door like nothing was happening.  Erik carried in Arlo and the midwife and nurse were just inside to greet us.  I asked if he remembered which of the four birthing rooms I had Arlo in, and he pointed to one of the doors.  Since we were the only people in labor at the time, I had my choice of room and was really happy we could welcome this baby in the same exact place that Arlo came into the world.


I went straight for the bed and had a contraction almost right away.  I asked the midwife, Lydia, if she wanted to check my dialation status to see how far along I was.  As she was checking she felt around for a little while without saying anything.  I started to worry (do you see a trend here?  yes, I am a natural worrier) and told her if I was only two centimeters or something not to even tell me.  She said she felt the head, bag of waters, that I was 9cm, and the baby still had to move down a good bit.  This was exactly where I was when I had arrived to give birth to Arlo.  Erik and I exchanged glances, this was really going to happen and probably pretty soon.  We were going to meet our baby and Arlo was about to become a big brother!


Being the middle of summer and almost always uncomfortably hot, the thought of getting into a warm tub did not sound appealing at all.  I had used the tub for pain management during Arlo's birth but had no desire to this time, so I stayed where I was on the bed.  It felt like the contractions had started to space themselves out since our arrival at the birthing center, but since I was no longer timing them I can't say for sure.  They were still what I would call pretty moderate in intensity, I definitely had to moan and work through them but they were by no means unbearable.  Between contractions I sat up and chatted with the midwife, nurse, and Erik who was sitting in a rocking chair nearby holding our slightly stunned looking toddler.  I don't remember what we talked about but I remember laughing a few times and at one point I told them we hadn't decided on a boys name yet which somehow Erik had turned into a joke and we all laughed.  At one point I almost felt silly were were all just sitting around waiting for the baby to come.  Here it was, the middle of the night practically, and I was feeling completely fine between contractions.  I mentioned that I felt like labor was slowing down a bit and that I didn't even feel like I had hit transition yet.  Lydia said she thought I had, and that it was normal for things to slow down sometimes upon arriving in a new place.  Not two minutes later I was hit with the most intense contraction yet, and immediately after told her how I regretted saying what I had just said.


After I had been laboring at the birthing center for 30-40 minutes or so, I asked Lydia how I could encourage the baby to move down.  She said what I was doing with frequent position changes would help, but we could also try the peanut ball.  My friend Katie, who is a labor and delivery nurse, had told me about this special ball they often use for women in labor with an OP baby.  "Yes!" I thought, let's try that.  So I laid down on my side with the peanut shaped ball between my legs to help open my pelvis.  A contraction came on and the intensity was so much that I started pushing the ball away and kicking my legs to move it off the bed.  Erik saw me thrashing around and immediately came to help me back to hands and knees, by far my preferred position to labor in.  Sometime around this point the midwife and nurse stepped out to greet another woman who had just arrived in labor.  They told us to come get them if anything changed.


After the peanut ball incident, Erik set Arlo up in a big, squishy beanbag chair the nurse had brought in for him.  He put on a Mickey Mouse cartoon on his phone and covered Arlo with a blanket, hoping he would fall back asleep.  We had tried a couple more times to touch base with our friends, still without success.  At least at this point Arlo was totally engrossed in his show, not even caring about his laboring mom on the bed not 10 feet away.  Erik was now by my side, rubbing my back and helping me work through contractions.  They were taking more of my attention and I was no longer feeling "completely fine" between them, I was starting to become grateful for the rest.  All of a sudden, I felt the urge to push a little so I did.  At first I thought the baby had descended into the birth canal but there was no pain associated with the feeling so I was unsure as to what was going on.  Immediately after the push I felt a pop and was instantly covered in warm water.  My water had broken!  I remained on hands and knees, stunned at what had happened.  My water never broke spontaneously with Arlo so I hadn't experienced that feeling before.  Erik literally ran out the door to get the midwife and within seconds they were all back in the room.


Still not knowing what to do at that point, I simply told them "I'm all wet."  Which was pretty obvious by the puddle underneath me!  The nurse quickly changed out the wet pads that I was kneeling on.  I didn't look to see what they were doing but there was suddenly a commotion at the foot of the bed, and I knew they were getting the birthing supplies ready. Lydia said to me "Kendra, I think what is about to happen next is that your baby is about to come."  I asked her if I should take off my shirt that I was still wearing knowing that we would be doing skin-to-skin immediately after birth, and Erik started to help me finish undressing.  He started to help me with my bra and suddenly a strong contraction came along with the urge to push.  Instinctively I wanted to fight it, I remembered how much I disliked the feeling of pushing last time and I was really wishing I didn't have to.  I gave into the urge and felt the baby move down the birth canal during what felt like a nonstop contraction.  I had pushed out Arlo laying on my right side and remember liking that position so I immediately lied down and assumed the same position.  Lydia told me to grab my left leg and during the next contraction curl towards her and push with everything I had.  I barely remember a break from the previous contraction and it was happening again.  It took every bit that I had, but our new little baby came into the world during that next push, just six minutes after my water had broken.  The intensity of the actual birth was considerably more than I remembered with Arlo, and pushing him out was by far the most pain I felt the entire labor.


We had put in the birth plan that if it was possible Erik would like to catch the baby.  But with as fast as everything happened, and the fact that he had his cord wrapped around his neck, foot, and hand, Lydia ended up being the one to guide him in to the world and place him on my belly.  He had a short cord and couldn't quite make it up to my chest yet.  He cried loudly immediately, and seconds after he was born Erik announced, with the most proud look on his face, "it's a boy!"  I realized in that moment that I had forgotten we were about to find out the gender, something that I had always thought would be the first thing on my mind after I gave birth.  I was super excited to learn that we had another sweet boy in our family, and then filled with mild concern that we hadn't yet decided on a boy's name.


Through the whole commotion of bringing his little brother into the world, our two-and-a- half-year-old sat quietly watching his show, either oblivious to what was going on or maybe just choosing to ignore it.  Erik picked him up and asked him if he wanted to meet his brother, and at that point Arlo realized there was a new tiny person in the room and became interested in what was going on.  He spent some time next to us looking at the baby but eventually wanted to go back to watching his show, which was fine because I needed Erik next to me for what was about to come next.


After the cord stopped pulsing the midwife clamped it and Erik took the opportunity to cut it.  The placenta was delivered a short time after without issue.  At this point, Lydia started to assess me to see if I needed stitches, and with the amount of pain that I experienced during the birth and afterwards, I was not surprised to learn that I did.  I later learned that our little guy was born with both shoulders coming out at the same time (usually it is one then the other) which is the reason for the tearing that occurred.  Another midwife, Carey, came into the room about this time, she was second on call and since the other laboring woman in the birthing center was about to deliver, they called her in for backup.  She came into the room at a great time, and was an awesome support person during what ended up being a rather painful repair.  Eventually Lydia left to go catch the baby in the room next door, and Carey took over with the stitches.  After what felt like an eternity (in reality was probably something like 45 minutes), she was done and I was able to sit up and for the first time really get a good look at our newest family member.  He had began rooting very shortly after he was born and had already spent a good amount of time nursing.  The first thing I noticed about him was his tiny, pouty lips and round face.  I fell in love immediately.



It was around this time that we got in touch with our friends who we had been calling to come pick up Arlo.  They were very excited to learn that we had a boy, and said they would jump in the car immediately to come up.  Rhianna wanted to know could they all come - her, her husband, and two kids, and I loved the idea of them all visiting to meet the new baby.  We met John and Rhianna in our Bradley birthing class when we were both pregnant with our first babies, and have been good friends ever since.  They are the closest thing we have to family in the whole state, and I was thrilled to have them all come visit during such a special time in our lives.  When they arrived a bit later, Arlo was filled with so much excitement to not only see his bestie, but also to introduce them to his new little brother.  He started literally jumping up and down on the bed next to me when they walked in, talking so fast we could barely understand him - "my new baby brother right there!!  Baby was born!  bBaby came from mama's belly!" and we all had a good laugh.  All four of the kids in the room had been born at that very birthing center, three of them in that very room!  I like to think that it was a very special time for all of us.

They hung out for a bit and gave the new baby some snuggles before heading out with Arlo and the overnight bags we had packed for him.  It was a little hard to say goodbye to my toddler, but he was so excited to be going to his friend's house he didn't seem sad at all to leave, which made for a really easy transition.  In the end, I wouldn't have changed a thing about the birth and realize how awesome it was to have Arlo there to meet his new little brother right after he was born.

After bonding for a few hours with our new little guy, he was finally weighed and measured.  He looked so tiny to me so I was shocked to learn he weighed a healthy 7 lbs 6 ounces!  He measured in at 19.25" long.  Not long after he was born, it was shift change at the birthing center and the midwife who came on for the rest of the day was Allison, the same midwife who delivered Arlo! She was the one who did Oliver's newborn exam, and everything checked out just fine.  Erik and I spent the rest of the morning discussing boys' names and texting family to let them know that the baby had arrived.  We hadn't wanted to wake anyone in the middle of the night to let them know I was in labor, so the first text everyone received was a picture of him and a family picture of the (now) four of us!  After a few hours of discussion, we decided upon the name Oliver William.  Oliver was a name we had considered with others in the months before the birth, and William is after Erik's maternal grandfather.  After getting to know him these past few weeks, I couldn't picture him with any other name.

I am beyond thankful that we had another healthy, supported, natural (and fast!), out-of-hospital birth.  Everything I had worried about in the months leading up to the birth - back labor, long pushing phase, broken tailbone due to an OP position baby, turned out to be non-issues.  Oliver was not born OP, and must have turned sometime during labor.  He entered the world four hours after active labor kicked in, less than five hours after I felt my first contraction, and only 90 minutes after our arrival to the birthing center.   We headed home later that afternoon, and again, just as it had after Arlo was born, felt surreal walking in the door with a tiny little person who wasn't there when we departed just hours earlier.

Welcome to the world, little Oliver!  Your parents and big brother couldn't love you any more if we tried.