Stories

we felt prepared and informed about every decision we needed to make

We were so happy to find Miranda. From our very first interaction, we felt so comfortable and friendly. She was instantly our three-year-old’s new best friend <3.  We always felt like Miranda was listening to our concerns and preferences and we were on the same page when it came to Covid precaution.

Miranda went above and beyond taking my health issues into account, and we dealt with our anxieties surrounding homebirth and our previous experience with birthing in a hospital by planning and exploring options as well as talking through best/worst-case scenarios. We felt prepared and informed about every decision we needed to make.

My pregnancy went well, but I was struggling. My iron was very low, I have a terrible time eating the recommended calories and protein, and some of my autoimmune-related health issues flare even more when I’m pregnant. Miranda was always a text or call away if I had questions or concerns, so I had honest supportive feedback whenever I reached out.

Just as it had been with Bayzl, my first born, I started experiencing prodromal labor over a month before my due date. It was pretty clear that this issue was being worsened by the stress of my demanding customer service job that I’d only just started, but I needed this baby to stay in there and my body was doing too much. When my employers couldn’t accommodate my needs, I had to take a medical leave. Miranda was wonderfully supportive through this tough decision. She had given me many things to try managing my contractions, but when it came down to making the decision to leave, she assisted me with documentation supporting my request. The contractions slowed down significantly once I was able to listen to my body and respond with what it was asking for.   

I started having issues with my digestion, which is common for me living with Crohn’s disease, but it felt necessary to proceed with added caution when it came to Ezra’s nutrition and growth. Miranda referred me for an ultrasound with a doc familiar with Crohn’s to check in on him. We were anxious about going into the hospital but trusted Miranda’s judgment. This was the first time Blair was able to come with me to an appointment and see Ezra on the ultrasound monitor. As soon as the doctor stepped through the door, he told us Ezra was doing perfectly well and was right on track. Whew!

Now we were just left with the waiting. Two weeks past my supposed due date, I woke up and began counting contractions at the breakfast table. These weren’t unlike the contractions I’d been having all along, but I was just tired of waiting, and counting, timing, and recording was something to focus on. These contractions were not any more intense than my prodromal labor, but they were much more consistent and continued all day long. We made up the floor bed we had planned out in the living room and I continued to count, pace and bounce, and rock. Still no baby. By dinner time, we had upped the ante. Bayzl and I were having a full-on dance party to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and when it came time to eat, I only sat down long enough to chew and swallow, then back to the yoga ball to bounce. Still no baby. I let Miranda know where we were at, and she wisely suggested I try to get some rest. If this was it, I had now been on my feet all day trying to move Ezra out, and I needed to prepare for the real work of active labor.  

At 10:00 pm, I laid down in my bed to see if I could fall asleep and Blair got Bayzl to bed in her room. I may have drifted a bit, but by 11, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I got out of bed and let Blair know my contractions were definitely getting stronger. We waffled a bit on whether or not to text Miranda yet, but ultimately, we wanted to make sure she made it considering the distance and the sub-zero temperatures we were enjoying that February.

I rode the contractions as they built and was somewhere between attempting to relax/not yell and swear, writhing in piles of blankets and pillows on the floor bed while trying to concentrate of the playlist I had carefully assembled of “non-annoying songs”, and pacing between the living room and the bathroom. I’m pretty sure my water broke and I threw up around the same time.

My mom arrived to be there for Bayzl if she woke up, and Miranda pulled up soon after. Miranda listened to the baby and gave us space to labor while she set up her stuff and gathered the supplies from our birthing kit. By now things felt like they were moving pretty quickly. It felt like almost immediately after, I was ready to push. Pushing is never really an option in my experience. It’s just happening. I remember changing positions a few times and completely rejecting the tennis ball massage we’d practiced. The only thing that seemed to help or distract enough was Blair squeezing the pressure points on my feet. I did some more yelling and swearing, much to my mother’s delight – who was now holding a flashlight for Miranda as her assistant was still on her way.

Miranda calmly and expertly guided me through contractions and acknowledged my work and the pain that came with it. After a few pushes, my body moved into a contraction that seemed to never end. I didn’t know when to push and when to rest because the contraction was not relenting. Miranda had told me we were going to take the next few pushes slowly, but after listening to his heart, she told me Ezra wanted to be born sooner than later and to push hard to bring Ezra the rest of the way. Miranda directed Blair to get behind me and help me prop up a bit as I gave birth to Ezra’s head. I reached down and felt his soft, slippery hair.  I got onto my hands and knees and pushed Ezra into the world. Miranda passed him under me and invited me to pick up my baby when I was ready. I lifted this floppy little miracle and listened to his first cries as my own tears filled my eyes.

Ezra was born at 2:19 am weighing 8lbs, 11 oz, and measuring 21 inches. Miranda handed me our baby still attached to the unborn placenta. I laid back and we both bundled in blankets as I started to shake uncontrollably, teeth chattering, freezing, and spent – just like when Bayzl was born. He latched and nursed right away and Miranda’s assistant arrived just in time for the placenta. The placenta was delivered about five minutes later, and we were able to keep the cord intact until it stopped pulsing. It was truly amazing to be nursing our baby with his placenta in a bowl next to us while it gave him all of the blood and nutrients it had been holding. At the hospital, they wouldn’t agree to wait longer than 30 seconds, so this was huge.

We looked around in disbelief as we found ourselves with Ezra finally in our arms and there we were, at home, at peace. Miranda and her assistant gave us space as they gathered everything up, put laundry in, and made me up a huge plate of fruit and yogurt that I tried my best to eat. By 5am, I was settled in our bedroom with Ezra in his co-sleeper bassinet and Miranda soon said goodnight and that she’d see us in about 24 hours to check on us.

Having our baby at home with Miranda by our side was the most amazing and empowering experience – night and day compared to our hospital birth where we felt like we were going into battle to protect our rights and wellbeing. Miranda will always be in our hearts and we will never forget this gift.