Birth Stories & Testimonials

Birth Center

"My contractions started around 5:30 Friday evening, continuing for the next nine hours while I tried to sleep, though I found it very difficult!  At just after 3:00am, my husband, John, and I were on our way to the birth center, calling my mom and my doula in between contractions, and texting John’s family to ask for prayer!  Enduring contractions while restrained in a car seat was not fun, but everything changed when we arrived and walked into the birth room.  Our midwife, Pam, greeted us with a gentle, calming smile, the room peaceful and dimly lit with candles, the birth tub filling with warm water.  She welcomed us warmly, asked me some questions, and watched as I went through a contraction or two to see how long they were and how I was coping.  John was doing a beautiful job coaching me through it, rubbing my arm and encouraging me.  Pam asked if I wanted to be checked for progress, and I decided I was curious, and would you believe it?  I was already at 8 cm!!  We were all shocked, and I thought to myself, “If I’m already this far along, this is going to be easy!”  (Little did I know my contractions were just getting started!)  Pam quickly called Jan for backup, because as far as we knew, the baby could be here any time!

I changed into a nightgown and got into the birth tub, which felt lovely at first.  I’m not sure how long I was there (I was beginning to lose all track of time by this point), but while I labored in the tub, all our reinforcements arrived: Jan, my mom, and my doula, Charise.  Before I knew it, I couldn’t stand the tub anymore, either because I was too warm or just couldn’t sit still and needed to move around.  I climbed out and spent the next few contractions hanging on John’s neck, and eventually made my way to the edge of the bed.  My memory of the pain is most vivid at this point, as I entered the transition phase of labor.  Since I am a doula myself, I knew all the “right” answers as to the best ways to cope with the pain and allow myself to relax and my cervix to open, but while the logical part of my brain cycled through all these things, often my laboring self could do nothing but hang on and survive.  The best thing was when Pam knelt next to me and reminded me gently that while it would be best for me to try and keep my voice deep and resonant as much as I was able, rather than letting it escalate to a tighter, higher sound, it was also okay for me to do whatever I felt I needed to do, because it was my birth and I was the only one inside my head.  What a relief – to be reminded of what I knew was true yet still receive permission to just survive, whether I was doing the right or wrong thing at the moment.  And wouldn’t you know it, her “permission” took enough pressure off of me that it made it a little easier to relax and focus my energy downward and outward.
My water broke when my body began pushing, and I say “my body” did it because out of all the pushes over the next hour, the only one I ever made the conscious decision to participate in was the final push that brought my baby into the world.  Every other push was completely out of my control, and in many ways that was a blessing, because I don’t know if I would have had the courage to finish if I’d have had the choice to hold back!  Most of my time pushing was spent on the birth stool, with John and Charise handing me my water cup and fanning me, my mom watching from a distance and praying constantly for me, and Pam and Jan vigilantly watching my progress.  All I could think about was my desperation for it to be over yet my fear of moving forward!  It was a scary time, but the love and support from the people around me was absolutely invaluable – I can’t imagine going through it without them.  At 7:22 Saturday morning, we welcomed our beautiful little Benjamin into the world!

John was the first to announce, 'It’s a boy!', and Pam and Jan were careful to evaluate Ben and me without disturbing our first moments together as a family, as we snuggled and took in our sweet son.  Though his birth would have been beautiful no matter what, I couldn’t be happier that we chose Well-Rounded as the place to bring Benjamin into the world."

~Christy & John Schmidt, Waukesha 

Birth Center

"I woke up Monday and thought I was in labor, but ended up just having sporadic contractions all day Monday, all day Tuesday and Tuesday night.  Wednesday morning, Eric and I were driving to work and he suggested I call Jan, our midwife, to talk about the situation.  The contractions were still irregular, varied in intensity and never very strong. However, she told me to go home and rest, that things might start to progress and if not, it was one more day off for Thanksgiving.  After taking two naps during the afternoon the contractions kind of stalled out.  But when I got up around 7 p.m. to have dinner things started to progress.  By 10 p.m. the contractions were getting stronger, but still erratically spaced.  By 12:45 a.m. the back pain with each contraction was severe enough that I couldn't talk on the phone and Eric had to call Jan.

We arrived at the birth center a little before 2 a.m.  Jan confirmed what Eric and I already suspected, my back pain was so severe because little girl was posterior.  She had been correctly positioned up until the last few days before she was born. On a positive note I was already 4, almost 5, centimeters dilated and almost completely effaced.  

I'll be honest I wasn't dealing with the pain very well, especially with the awful back labor.  Eric was amazing; there to comfort me, press on my back to help alleviate the pain, and constantly reminding me to relax when I found myself tensing during a contraction.  The only other thing that seemed to help was when I got in the tub.  Eric told me afterward my entire body relaxed when I got in the water.  That was the first time I was able to get any rest and actually slept a bit between contractions, even when they were only a minute or so apart.  

When it came time to push, we found out she had rotated and was now anterior, but her head was asynclitic, or tilted slightly, making it more difficult on both of us. However, at this point I was so happy I got to push.  I knew I would get to meet our baby soon, the contractions weren't as bad, the back labor was gone and I could finally put my desire to tense up to good use by pushing.  I was out of the tub during this stage and spent an hour and a half pushing from six different positions. Finally, at 7:27 a.m. our beautiful Lyra was born.

I was honest from the beginning that the pain scared me tremendously.  But thanks to Coral and Jan and everything we learned, Eric and I got to have the labor and delivery we had hoped for.  I got to move around, use the tub, and push from the positions I wanted.  Jan and the birth center provided the perfect, warm and welcoming atmosphere for Lyra’s arrival. And it's amazing how quickly you forget the pain when you see your baby for the first time."

~Tiffany & Eric Wait, Cedarburg

Birth Center

"I wasn't comfortable giving birth in the upper unit of a duplex we rented do to privacy issues.  I had a few discouraging experiences with “modern medicine’ as it related to my pregnancy and so at almost 20 weeks I decided I wanted to find an alternative solution to a very mainstream ideal.  My girlfriend had taken her birthing classes at Well-Rounded and Coral came highly recommended.  Within our first visit with Coral I knew that the center was where I wanted to welcome my baby into the world.  I was now on a mission to find a midwife who not only worked with the center but would also be a good fit for my husband, our baby, and me.  Coral gave us a list of resources and after a few meet and greets we found our midwife.  We took the Bradley Method class taught by Coral and anxiously awaited our first born.  I labored with Hannah for almost two and a half days with little progress but an experience that I wouldn't’t trade for the world.  In the two days at the center I laughed and cried.  The birthing tub was a welcome retreat during what seemed like a lifetime.  With progress being slow and the risk of infection looming, my midwife finally made the decision to move us to the hospital.  An hour after entering the hospital we were being introduced to Hannah without complication. 

Many have asked if I could do it all over if I would do it the same way again or just plan a hospital birth next time.  The answer is a resounding YES!  I would plan it the same again.  I fully believe that had I labored for that long in the hospital I would have either been encouraged to take drugs or been a potential candidate for cesarean section.  Instead I had the most wonderful experience with my husband, birth coaches and midwife in our home away from home.  I am moved to tears whenever I recall the center and those days we prepared for our family of three.  For any mother-to-be contemplating whether or not an out-of-hospital birth is right for them I strongly encourage you visit the center.  Coral has done an awesome job creating a sanctuary for your blessed event.  As an added bonus the center takes care of all the postpartum clean-up.  Leaving you to go home and enjoy the new addition to your family.   

Coral, thank you so much for all your support during the pregnancy and after.  What we learned in The Bradley Method class was vital to both of my natural births.  You are dear to our hearts!"

~Christina Hess, Lake Geneva 

Birth Center

"I’m so glad I found the Well Rounded Maternity Center! I wanted my 3rd baby to be born at home, but my husband wasn’t quite comfortable with that. So I looked up birth centers near Milwaukee and was happy to find Coral’s. I had already had a successful natural childbirth in a hospital prior to this, but wanted to avoid the hospital and all the potential unnecessary interventions altogether. The birthing room was very nice and homey, and the birthing tub was a big selling point for me, too. It was a good compromise for my husband & I for our birthing place, located near a hospital in case of emergency. I also liked that there was a separate room with toys and things, where my parents could play with our other children.

We met up with my midwife at the birth center around 12:30 pm. After she checked me out, we all decided my husband and I should go get some lunch and walk around for a bit. There were plenty of places near the center to eat and shop or walk around. My labor picked up fast after eating, and we headed back to the center shortly before 2 pm. Coral was very helpful and accommodating, making sure the tub was full and warm when I arrived ready to get in it. Candles were also lit in the room when we arrived. At 3:05 pm, only an hour after I got in the tub, our almost 8 lb, beautiful baby girl was born into the water. It was a great labor and delivery, I thank God for that blessing. We were able to stay at the center as long as we needed to, and ended up heading home about 6 hours after the birth.

I would definitely recommend the Well Rounded Maternity Center to anyone who wants to avoid the hospital for their birth, but for whatever reason isn’t going to birth in their own home. It’s the perfect alternative."

 

 

 

 

 

 

~Samantha & Kenneth Wilson, Waukesha

 

Birth Center

"My birth, aside from the pain, was almost magical in how beautifully and easily it went for me and baby Mark. On a snowy winter night I arrived to a warm room lit by candles and christmas lights, and a cup of hot tea. As the contractions became closer together and my attention became entirely focused on my labor (and finding any position I could to make it easier) I had an array of options open to me. I was able to go from a chair to a yoga ball, to the pool and then to a lying position, and then back to the pool, which is where I stayed for the duration. The contractions really became hard to get through at this point, but Coral, my doula, and Ginnie, my midwife, were able to keep me focused on the work I needed to do to deliver my baby.

I honestly believe that without that gentle and constant guidance, my labor would have been longer and harder to get through. At the moment of birth, Mark was pulled out of the water and placed on my chest. He already seemed to be comfortable there, and barely cried at all but started right in on his attempts to breastfeed. (Within an hour he was latching on and suckling a bit. That first night he woke me at 3:30 and breasfed for over an hour!) After the placenta was delivered, everyone (midwife, doula, husband, friends and family) gathered in the birthing room to toast this new little life and share some thoughts on the occasion. Then it was to bed for some much needed R&R.

The accommodations were very comfortable and nurturing. Coral let us stay as long as we needed to. Remarkably, I was ready to go late the next morning after giving birth naturally to a 9 lb. 6 oz. baby boy. I left amazed at what my body was capable of achieving, and amazed at the new little boy in my arms. I think a natural birth was able to give me this unique experience the way I wanted it to be - free from unnecessary medical intervention and focused on the joy and magic of giving birth. I am very grateful to have had the Well Rounded Maternity Center as birthing option."

 

 

 

 

 

 

~Laura & Jeff Vanderbilt, Milwaukee

 

Birth Center

". . . my birth was AMAZING. During transition and when he was crowning, I thoroughly loved every moment of it! The feelings, sensations, everything. I yelled out how great it felt, as he was emerging from my body, which is supposed to be the "worst" of the pain... but none of it was the"worst" and none of it was painful. I never felt any negative pain at all, did not feel scared or worried about anything. It was so amazing.

What I really want you to know, the part that was the most special... is that if your birth center did not exist, we would have had him in a hospital and it would have been an entirely different experience. My husband would not have gone for a home birth. It took a while for him to adjust to the idea of an out of hospital birth at all, but he now acknowledges that it was a a great experience and that he actually wishes we were so informed and made such a great choice for our first son as well. That means a LOT coming from my husband! A home birth in our actual home was a little too far out sounding for him, and your middle-of-the-road option of a freestanding birth center was truly a gift. The way it just fell into our lap- first learning about doulas, then finding our wonderful doula, who lead me to you, and the birth center....

... it was such fate, and the birth itself was so healing, so incredible. I know for sure that it would not and could not have been such an unbelievable experience in a hospital.

It was so perfect for us- for our family and for the baby, and without you and the birth center, a hospital birth would have been a whole different story. Thank you."

~Allie, Wauwatosa

Bradley Birth 

"I wanted to let you know that Lincoln and I have a wonderful healthy baby girl! she arrived on her due date promptly at 3 am. My labor went very smoothly - I had occasional contractions Saturday night and all day Sunday, spent the day doing some last-minute errands, and over dinner my contractions started to get more serious. At 10:30 my water broke and we went to the hospital - when we got there I was 5 cm. Willa was born 4 1/2 hours later. At no point did I feel a need for any drugs (til we got to the stitching up.... which took almost as long as the labor!).

We both felt that your [Bradley] classes were a TREMENDOUS help and the nurses and [the midwife] all commented on how well we worked together, for which much credit goes to you. Lincoln went from being a skeptic about the whole idea of birthing classes to singing your praises to anyone who will listen! Thanks so much!"

~Lilith & Lincoln Fowler, Milwaukee

(For Bradley testimonials, see the birth blog)

Parenting Naturally Support Group

"The Parenting Naturally group was a bright light in the dark for me. After my son was born one of my two close friends moved away with her new baby and my other friend was busy with her newborn and going to college and working. I was the only stay-at-home mom I knew and soon I became very lonely for some adult conversation. During a phone call with my midwife she suggested Corals parenting group and I decided to go. At the first group I was re-united with a friend from Bradley class and we've been close friends ever since. The wisdom and support I gained from being a part of the group helped me beyond measure."

~Emily, Waukesha

Parenting Naturally Support Group

"When I stopped working to become a stay at home mother with our second child I was thrilled with the opportunity to be home. However, I was unprepared for the loss of my social network of work friends. Suddenly, I was alone all day long with an infant during winter feeling lonely and unsure of my new path in life! We had a successful VBAC thanks in part to Coral's Bradley Childbirth Classes, so I knew about her Parenting Naturally Support Groups (and later the C-Section support group). I began attending playgroup group weekly and found an incredible wealth of resources from the moms there. I then signed up for the Yahoo list and was able to post questions any day of the week and have people willing to offer suggestions. Eventually these moms became an even more important element in my life. They became my friends. Five years and another child later I still attend playgroup once a week while my daughter takes the Children's Yoga classes at the Center. I have shopped the Bellies and Babies boutique for cloth diapers, baby supplies and resale maternity clothing and even sold items of my own at times. The staff is friendly, helpful and fun ! I've taken prenatal yoga and enjoyed the occasional massage. So many aspects of my life have been enriched by Coral and The Center for Well Rounded Maternity Care. I couldn't imagine my life without it and the wonderful women I've met as a result. I'm forever grateful."

~ Erin Cassidente, Menomonee Falls