Calling All Mamas: Get Your Birth Stories Ready!
The thing about birth stories is that they are a lot like the babies they come with. No matter how many there are I never get tired of them. Each little face draws me in . . . just as each story does.
I read your stories. Every single one you send me. I know which one of you:
- Broke your breast pump while trying to induce labor
- Birthed your son despite his asynclintic position and your daughter while talking on the phone with your midwife.
- Posted not one, two or five, but EIGHT birth videos for baby #1 and then pushed #2 out sideways
- Woke up in full transition as the first sign you were in labor
- Timed contractions while watching Knocked Up with baby#1 and then Facebooked during labor with #2.
- Basically asked your midwife for weed to ease the pain
- Wrote about trading roles with your clients when you went from doula/midwifery student to first-time mom
- Delivered a breech baby at home the first time around and then started really showing off with number two.
- Successfully had a VBAC and then gave birth to #3 on Thanksgiving Day while I stood by with my camera
- Walked into the L&D ward barefoot and pregnant
- Birthed a TEN AND A HALF POUND baby at home in water . . . first-time mom, too!
- Included a photo of your placenta in your birth story
On your mark, get set, WRITE!!!
Call me a birth junkie, but I love these stories. After I posted Micah’ birth story, many of you contacted me to share your experiences and offered to help me process through mine. Whether it was a planned induction, hospital birth or water birth it seems we ALL need to talk about it. One of you wrote:
I’m so glad I didn’t bore you to tears with my novel! I think I still feel the NEED to tell my story because I so badly wanted a natural birth and didn’t get it. I keep re-living the experience, like I have to remind myself that it [the lifesaving c-section] REALLY WAS necessary
So let’s talk! Next month (July 16th) I’ll be hosting a Birth Story Bash where you can link up your birth story or photos with the Mommypotamus community. Birth photogs please also link up your slideshows! It’s going to be a great opportunity to get to know each other better and learn more about the multi-faceted birth experience. If you have a story to tell but haven’t written it yet GET STARTED!!! To participate just post your story on your blog and visit next week to post the link here. If you don’t have a blog email me and we’ll work out a way to get your story published.
I hope this goes without saying, but graphic descriptions, photos and video are WELCOME! This is BIRTH! Are you excited yet???
Whenever I notice lumps now I do my whole regimen: Phytolacca...
Mommypotamus via FB
P.S. If you don’t have a blog email me and we’ll work out a way to get your story published.
Nicole Stidham via FB
Oh yay, I’ve needed a deadline to get this done!
Katie Lacer via FB
I love love love the birth story round up. It’s how I found you to begin with!
Mommypotamus via FB
I love it too, Katie Lacer! Can’t wait to read everyone’s stories!
Mommypotamus via FB
Oh oh! I want to read your story, Nicole Stidham!
Rachael Tucker Lampkin via FB
Already done…I was actually just reading it…Korvin’s first birthday is tomorrow.
Kirsti Vossler via FB
Haha! Yay! I think I’ve had a new baby every time you’ve done this so far.
Thanks for the two week heads up…I’ll get cracking on Anna’s story. 
Maria Bloomfield via FB
My son’s birth story includes his father rushing home from a job 4 hours away and only arriving 4 minutes before he was born… and a partial placental abpruption… I think mine might be just a bit too exciting =D
Maria Bloomfield via FB
My son’s birth story includes his father rushing home from a job 4 hours away and only arriving 4 minutes before he was born… and a partial placental abpruption… I think mine might be just a bit too exciting =D
dweej {House Unseen}
My newest nugget was born 1 week ago today and I still haven’t written her story. It keeps rolling around in my mind and I keep waiting for the perfect words to start. Praying they come to me in the next two weeks…
dweej {House Unseen}´s last [type] ..Malpositioned Babies and Prodromal Labor
Heather
Congratulations! I hope you find the time to write – I’d love to read your story!
Mommypotamus via FB
Oh my, Maria Bloomfield, I would LOVE to read your story!
Maria Bloomfield via FB
=D I occasionally blog on Tribal Mamas (which everyone who writes on is generally too busy cooking GAPS foods in order to really do it too often!), but I don’t think that is a good forum for a birth story. I will try to get it to you via e-mail if I have a chance to write it out. It is rather comical. My mother-in-law was my coach, my own mother was fainting, my husband was panicking driving to me… lol
Mommypotamus via FB
Maria Bloomfield -Oh please please PLEASE let me publish that!! So funny!
Coasting anon
Placenta poster here
Had another baby back in October. This one was over 10lbs too like the last one…oh yeah, but she showed up in one push less than 34 min after arriving at the hospital while standing next to the bed. Needless to say, it was a little hectic so this time we didn’t even see the placenta, no less take a picture of it!
Coasting anon´s last [type] ..To Pre-school…and Be-yooooonnnnd…
Heather
Ahhhhh, so good to hear from you placenta poster!
Can’t wait to read your story!
leah
I love, love, love birth stories!! I’ve had four home births…two babies were delivered by my husband because the midwife didn’t make it in time and one was a planned unassisted birth. Every one of them was awesome. The last one was my only “normal” birth, meaning the midwife was there and we actually had some help. Lol.
Autumn Harvey Grasty via FB
Just sent you an email – I don’t blog, but just had a woman-centered Cesarean on Tuesday. As a girlfriend said, this story is gasp-worthy, and I want to shout it from the rooftops!
Autumn Harvey Grasty via FB
Just sent you an email – I don’t blog, but just had a woman-centered Cesarean on Tuesday. As a girlfriend said, this story is gasp-worthy, and I want to shout it from the rooftops!
Mommypotamus via FB
Got your email, Autumn Harvey Grasty! Sending you details so we can get you published!
Andrea Sangjun
Here is my birth story. Is it one birth story per person? Cause I have three.
Thank you! This is fun!
http://andreasangjuns.blogspot.com/2011/11/colleen-faith-sangjuns-birth-story.html
Andrea Patterson Sangjun via FB
I keep commenting on your blog but I don’t think it is showing up. Or is it? Anyways here is the link to my birth story on my blog in case it truly didn’t show up on the other comments. Thank you!
http://andreasangjuns.blogspot.com/2011/11/colleen-faith-sangjuns-birth-story.html
Andrea Patterson Sangjun via FB
I keep commenting on your blog but I don’t think it is showing up. Or is it? Anyways here is the link to my birth story on my blog in case it truly didn’t show up on the other comments. Thank you!
http://andreasangjuns.blogspot.com/2011/11/colleen-faith-sangjuns-birth-story.html
Mommypotamus via FB
Andrea Patterson Sangjun – Oops! It looks like your comments were going to my spam folder. I’ve corrected it so any future comments should be published immediately.Thanks for sharing your story – I hope you’ll stop by in a couple of weeks and link up then too! (And more than one story is definitely welcome!)
Andrea Patterson Sangjun via FB
Oooooooh! Oops. I have a terrible ailment called the “Mommy brain” and can’t seem to pay attention. I’m not suppose to link up till the 16th…. Not now.
Mommypotamus via FB
Ha, no worries
I’d rather everyone show up early to the party than no one show up at all! See you there!
Holistic Kid via FB
Oh goodie! I didn’t realize I had another purpose for the birth story I just posted. Very cool idea, Mommypotamus.
Caelene Peake via FB
How long do you recommend the story should be? How do we submit?
April Thornton
This was my 5th birth, but the first 4 were in the hospital with epidurals. And for my 5th baby, I opted for a water birth at home. SO glad I did! http://aprilthornton.blogspot.com/2011/10/birth-of-baby-girl-thornton.html
Mommypotamus via FB
Caelene Peake – As long or as short as you want! If you have a blog go ahead and post it there, then on the 16th I’ll create a linky so you can post it to share with everyone. If you don’t have a blog email me your story via my contact form and I will publish it!
Alexis D
Unfortunately you are going to have to wait for the next round of birth stories after this one for mine b/c baby isn’t due until mid-late August!
Rachel Kiser
I just found your blog– I love it! Here is my baby girl Olive’s birth story, in all of its long and wordy glory!
http://colinkairachel.blogspot.com/2012/04/olives-birth-story.html#comment-form
Heather
Hi Rachel! I can’t wait to read your story (but actually, I have to because my littles are hungry!). Hope you link up at our birth story swap next Monday!
Emily Ligon via FB
oh i love this! i love birth stories! i will have to work on stories for my 2nd two kids this weekend
Emily Ligon via FB
oh i love this! i love birth stories! i will have to work on stories for my 2nd two kids this weekend
B's Birth Story. - a humble place.
[...] is hosting a Birth Story Bash and so I thought I’d share B’s story here since I was probably going to do it [...]