Tiffany's Story (Eden)

When I found out I was expecting my second daughter, I knew immediately I wanted to have her at The Birth Center, just like I had with Evie. I was certain I wanted to experience that same calm, empowering atmosphere again it felt like the perfect place to bring my baby into the world.

In the days leading up to Eden’s birth, I had been experiencing contractions off and on, but they never seemed to build up to anything intense or consistent. It felt like things were just dragging on. But then, one evening, everything changed. I had a strong contraction and instinctively squatted down. That’s when I noticed my water starting to leak with each contraction. It was a moment of clarity … kind of  — I realized that labor was finally kicking into gear. I looked at my husband and said, “I think my water’s breaking, but I don’t think that means it’s time.” He looked at me like I was ridiculous for not recognizing the signs.

We quickly texted my doula and Jamie, our midwife. Jamie, knowing this was baby number seven, suggested that we head in sooner rather than later. But in that moment, I was still in complete denial. I was only 37 weeks and five days, and I just didn’t think I was far enough along to be in full labor. I remember telling my husband, “Let’s just go get checked, and then I'll get to  come back home and go to sleep.” He, of course, was not having any of that. He was practically chasing me around the house, trying to get me to hurry while I wandered around in complete denial  

Finally, we made our way to The Birth Center, and when we arrived, everything was already perfect. The room was warm and inviting, the tub was filling up, and to my surprise, we were in the same room where I had delivered Evie — I couldn’t help but feel so touched by that. Jamie greeted us with her reassuring presence, and when she checked me, I was already at six centimeters.

We decided to wait for a while to see if my water would break fully on its own while we waited for my doula, It felt like an oasis — soft music, dimmed lights, and a sense of calm that made everything feel right. It was so different from my hospital births and I was grateful to be there, surrounded by the people I trusted most.

Once my doula arrived, we decided it was time to pop my water. I knew that after that, things would likely pick up quickly, so I took my time getting up. Sure enough, as soon as I stood up, contractions intensified, but the space was so peaceful that I didn’t feel rushed or overwhelmed. I spent a little time outside the tub, unsure of what I wanted to do, but Jamie’s calm words helped me focus. She said, “I think that means it’s almost time for you to meet your baby girl.”

I made my way to the tub, and the relief was immediate. It was the perfect choice — the warm water easing the intensity of each contraction. After about 30 minutes, my body began to push without me even having to try. Eden was born in the water, and as soon as she came up to the surface, Jamie gently placed her on my chest. It was such an overwhelming moment of joy. We had our daughter in the same space we had our other daughter, and she was completing our family. The emotions hit hard — this was our last baby, and we had given her the most perfect entrance into the world.

Jamie helped me move into the bed, and we spent those first precious moments snuggling with Eden. The Birth Center had once again provided the peaceful, empowering experience I had hoped for. After about two hours, we were able to head home, and I couldn’t help but reflect on how amazing the entire experience had been. The birth center was truly the perfect place for the birth of our last child, and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.