• Name: Melanie Keeton

• Baby Name: Eleni Josephine (1st baby)

• Weight: 7lbs 0oz

• Legnth: 19.5in

• Birthday: October 2015

• Gestation: 40+4

• Time of Birth: 1:28pm

• Location of Birth: The Midwife Center, Pittsburgh, PA

I was 40 weeks and 3 days pregnant with my first baby so we decided to try the Scalini Eggplant Parmesan Recipe to see if we could get things going.  My Hypnobirthing Instructor gave copies of the recipe to everyone in our class.  This restaurant in Georgia has had over 300 babies born within 48 hours of mom eating this meal.  We thought it would be fun to try.  Its delicious and it worked for me...I went into labor the next morning at 4am!

My contractions were pretty regular by around 9am and very manageable with the breathing I learned in my hypnobirthing class. We stayed at home until about noon when my contractions were getting stronger and closer together. I would describe my contractions as intense but not painful.  We called my doula to come over and started getting ready to go to the birth center. As we were about to leave I threw up so that was a good sign that things were intensifying. Then as I walked over to the front door I heard/ felt a pop and a gush and my water broke. I threw on a depends (so glamorous!) and we got in the car for the birth center. That drive was horrible. Everything intensified drastically after my water broke and we were in the car over cobblestone/brick roads 😬. That part was definitely painful.

We got to The Midwife Center by about 12:30pm and when they checked me I was at 6cm. My mom left to get my grandma, my husband went up to the bathroom and the midwives went to check the lady in the other room so it was just me and my doula. They had the tub all ready for me and I was excited to get in as my contractions were really intense at this point and I thought the warm water would help me stay relaxed and focused.  Since I was at 6cm, I figured I would have a few more hours at this intensity and I wasn't sure if I could do it.  It still wasn't painful but it was intense and exhausting.  I knew if I wanted to transfer to the hospital for the option of an epidural, this would be the time to do it.  This is where my mind was as I sat on the toilet before getting in the tub.

Then to my surprise, as I sat there my body started pushing on it’s own. It freaked me out because they just told me I was only at 6cm and I was afraid of hurting myself or something. The doula called the midwife back in and she just said "listen to your body". I stood up and delivered my little girl standing in the middle of the bathroom about 15 minutes later.

I used Hypnobirthing J breathing to breathe baby down instead of pushing but my body definitely was doing the work. I think I experienced a bit of that baby ejection reflex. She would have shot right out but her hand was up by her face slowing her down.  I had a small 2nd degree internal tear. Total transition was about 15min and “pushing” stage was about 15min. My husband barely made it back from the bathroom in time and my mom (who is a doula herself) missed the birth. She got back about 3min after I delivered (I think I’m the only birth she’s ever missed lol).  Eleni Josephine was born at about 1:30pm 😊.

This birth experience taught me that it's ok to not be in control all the time and that I don’t have to look to others for validation.  Birth is about the most out of control over your own body you can be and I'm a bit of a control freak.  This birth taught me to let go and hearing the Midwife say “listen to your body” was life changing. It applies to so many different areas of my life, it's a great lesson.  If I’m feeling uncomfortable I should listen to that, if something doesn’t feel right I should listen to that.  Now I can trust my intuition so much better when it comes to parenting.  

Thank you Eleni!