Becky's Story - August 2010
My name is Becky. I have four amazing little ones that came from three very different pregnancies and births. When I became unexpectedly pregnant with my twin girls, I knew it was going to be my last pregnancy and birthing experience. I wanted to have a different type of birthing experience than I'd had with my older children so I joined CafeMom to interact with some other moms and get ideas. That's when I came into contact with Crystal. At that time, I had no clue what a doula was, what they did, or even if it was something I wanted. There was a lot to consider, you know, to have some strange person there when you give birth.
After talking to my husband we agreed that having a BETTER birth experience was the goal. With my oldest, I went to the hospital with back pain two weeks before my due date. They checked my cervix and I was eight centimeters dilated! The staff told me I HAD to get an epidural right then, so this being my first time, I was like sure ok. I look back now and realize I could have had a nice, drug free birth had I only been given the option. But, it was never given to me. With my second pregnancy, I was in labor for three days. I was in so much pain due to my daughter being face up. I was having contractions but no dilatation. For three days straight, the hospital turned me away saying I had to rest and that I had no other option but to live with the pain until I was induced three days later. During both of these births, my loving, caring husband instead became more loving and caring to our visitors than he was to me, which only added to the stress of what was going on.
Since this time was going to be the last, I wanted to have someone for me, someone to help inform and educate me so that I could make my own choices. I received this from Crystal. After the first couple of talks and visits, I realized this was not going to be some strange lady in my birthing room, but a friend, the partner that I was missing from my previous births. We created a birth plan and she educated me about each of my choices before I decided what I wanted for myself and for my twins.
Early morning on August 8, 2010 I realized that I might not get the perfect birthing experience that I was looking for. At 31 weeks I started bleeding, my placenta was abrupting. I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. My husband called Crystal and she was there, early in the morning, with us. With all of the chaos and the hospital staff in and out of my room, my husband freaking out, and me worrying about my older children, Crystal managed to stay calm and ease my fears as much as she could. She never left my side, not even for a moment, as we were uncertain of the outcome of our little ones.
When it was decided that I would be delivering my twins nine weeks early, I cried. I cried so hard and Crystal was there to give me her shoulder. I was rushed in for an emergency cesarean to deliver my twins. When I was wheeled back into my room, the first face I saw was Crystal's. When my husband left to take my older children to get dinner and then home to sleep, Crystal was at my bedside. When I was being moved to my postpartum room and stopped by the NICU to see my little ones, Crystal was with me -- she even took a few pictures for me.
During my hospital stay, Crystal came to help me out with breast pumping because the hospital's staff was really no help. My twins were in the NICU for five and six weeks and I had Crystal's support the entire time. Whether it was calling to say hi, asking about the twins, or helping me again with breast pumping when I went home and had to use a different style of pump, she was there.
Now, I have two very happy and healthy eight month olds and I still get a call here and there from Crystal to say hi and see how we are all doing. My family is very grateful for the support that Crystal has given us. She helped to make a very difficult and unexpected situation go a lot smoother.
After talking to my husband we agreed that having a BETTER birth experience was the goal. With my oldest, I went to the hospital with back pain two weeks before my due date. They checked my cervix and I was eight centimeters dilated! The staff told me I HAD to get an epidural right then, so this being my first time, I was like sure ok. I look back now and realize I could have had a nice, drug free birth had I only been given the option. But, it was never given to me. With my second pregnancy, I was in labor for three days. I was in so much pain due to my daughter being face up. I was having contractions but no dilatation. For three days straight, the hospital turned me away saying I had to rest and that I had no other option but to live with the pain until I was induced three days later. During both of these births, my loving, caring husband instead became more loving and caring to our visitors than he was to me, which only added to the stress of what was going on.
Since this time was going to be the last, I wanted to have someone for me, someone to help inform and educate me so that I could make my own choices. I received this from Crystal. After the first couple of talks and visits, I realized this was not going to be some strange lady in my birthing room, but a friend, the partner that I was missing from my previous births. We created a birth plan and she educated me about each of my choices before I decided what I wanted for myself and for my twins.
Early morning on August 8, 2010 I realized that I might not get the perfect birthing experience that I was looking for. At 31 weeks I started bleeding, my placenta was abrupting. I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. My husband called Crystal and she was there, early in the morning, with us. With all of the chaos and the hospital staff in and out of my room, my husband freaking out, and me worrying about my older children, Crystal managed to stay calm and ease my fears as much as she could. She never left my side, not even for a moment, as we were uncertain of the outcome of our little ones.
When it was decided that I would be delivering my twins nine weeks early, I cried. I cried so hard and Crystal was there to give me her shoulder. I was rushed in for an emergency cesarean to deliver my twins. When I was wheeled back into my room, the first face I saw was Crystal's. When my husband left to take my older children to get dinner and then home to sleep, Crystal was at my bedside. When I was being moved to my postpartum room and stopped by the NICU to see my little ones, Crystal was with me -- she even took a few pictures for me.
During my hospital stay, Crystal came to help me out with breast pumping because the hospital's staff was really no help. My twins were in the NICU for five and six weeks and I had Crystal's support the entire time. Whether it was calling to say hi, asking about the twins, or helping me again with breast pumping when I went home and had to use a different style of pump, she was there.
Now, I have two very happy and healthy eight month olds and I still get a call here and there from Crystal to say hi and see how we are all doing. My family is very grateful for the support that Crystal has given us. She helped to make a very difficult and unexpected situation go a lot smoother.
