Birth of Ari at Seasons Community Birth Center
Independent birth centers can be a great option for those looking for an alternative to hospital birth. Seasons Community Birth Center is a much loved birth center in the Denver area. Mikayla reached out looking for a doula and photographer for the birth of her second child, you can read her birth story below!
“As a pediatric nurse, I had my first baby in a hospital. I was admitted after premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and induced with Pitocin shortly after. I endured a long labor with several complications that nearly ended in a C-Section. It was not what I had expected or wanted for my birth story, which is why when I became pregnant again, I started looking into midwifery care. I found Seasons Community Birth Center and knew immediately it was where I wanted to be. As a nurse I was nervous about the safety of delivering outside a hospital, but my concerns were quickly and carefully attended to by the experts there. The birth center staff advocates for every patient to have a doula, which is when I found Jess Dory—my doula and birth photographer!
This pregnancy again resulted in early rupture of membranes, but we were luckily able to get contractions going soon enough. I was in contact with Jess the whole day, and she met us at the birth center around 6:30 pm, just as contractions started ramping up. My husband Caleb connected his phone to the speaker to play the playlist we had built together for the birth. We also brought a metronome app which was useful for me to concentrate on during the early contractions. I was able to labor in a beautiful room and took advantage of all the options for pain management that Seasons had to offer. I started immediately in a hot bath, followed by the TENS unit, Rebozo support with my midwife Valorie, and eventually moving to nitrous oxide when the contractions got very intense. I was allowed to labor in any position or part of the room that was most comfortable for me at the time, which was so very different from my first birthing experience!
Caleb and I were able to have a short facetime a few hours in with our 5 year old daughter who was at Grandma’s house anxiously awaiting the arrival of her new brother. Jess was also at my side attending to my every need—reminding me of the coping techniques we had talked about, as well as getting me ice/water and honey to keep my energy up. I was so grateful that she was able to help find me things I needed while Caleb could keep close by and hold my hand.
My son Ari was born at 12:04 AM and we were immediately in love. We were given ample time during the golden hour to rest, snuggle, and enjoy our new bundle of joy. Jess gave us our space but made sure we knew she was close by. When staff got caught up in another birth shortly after mine, Jess stayed later than expected to make sure she could capture Ari’s first exam, weighing, and the first time he latched at my breast.
I am forever grateful for the birth experience I got from Seasons Community Birth Center—for the way they advocated for me when it felt like nobody else would—and for encouraging me to find Jess. Jess was so more than an extra person at my bedside when I was at my most vulnerable. She was a voice of reason when times were tough, an advocate to help keep me safe, and the photos she captured were absolutely beautiful (they bring tears to my eyes often). Jess and I keep in touch even now, and I feel I have gained a friend. If I were to bring another life into this world, there is no other way I would choose to do it!”
