The Birth of Zeedan

By Roots Community Birth Center client, Chika Chima-Nafiu

In January of 2019, I learned I was pregnant with my first baby. I was receiving care from an obstetrics practice, but I kept thinking about out-of-hospital birth. I Googled birth centers in the area and found Roots.

I didn’t pursue switching at first, but when my chiropractor recommended Roots, I decided to call. I was right at 36 weeks, which, at the time, was the cutoff for transferring prenatal care. I took a tour and saw that I could sign up for classes, which was something I had been looking for. I registered for classes and officially switched my prenatal care.

During my labor at Roots, the baby’s heart tones became a concern, so I transferred to the hospital. My son Taneem was born on October 17, healthy and perfect. Even though I did not deliver him at the birth center, I loved the care I received from the Roots team.

A Second Pregnancy with Roots

In the spring of 2020, when I learned I was pregnant a second time, I knew I would go with Roots the whole time. I was more anxious with this pregnancy than I was the first time. I was worried about Covid, afraid I might contract it and the effect that would have on the baby. We followed pandemic restrictions heavily, with my husband, Alaba, buying groceries and me going out only for appointments with the midwives.

Overall, my pregnancy was healthy, and so was the baby. But I constantly worried that my anxiety would mean I’d need to transfer again. The George Floyd murder added to my stress. As I got to about 33 or 34 weeks, I focused more on self-care and relaxation to deal with my anxiety.

My due date was January 3, 2021. In the weeks before that, my husband and I started contemplating moving to Chicago. Our lease in Minneapolis was up, and we needed to move as soon as possible. So we began looking for a house in Chicago.

My mom came into town on December 25, with the plan to stay for two weeks. January 3 came and went, and I started to realize that the longer I was pregnant, the less time my mom would be with us after the baby was born. She had to return home to Chicago on January 11. I already had a toddler, and my husband was working full time, so I was nervous about not having her help.

The Beginning of Labor

At 9:05 p.m. on January 7, I thought my water broke. Or did I pee on myself? I called my doula, Rhonda Fellows, and she said it sounded like my water did not break. I was not having contractions, so I focused on packing for the move. I also walked around our apartment and climbed the stairs.

On the night of January 8, I began feeling contractions. I decided to start timing them and realized they were seven minutes apart. I woke up my husband and told him, “I’m in labor. It’s happening!” I called Roots, and they asked how far apart the contractions were. They suggested waiting until the surges were five minutes apart before going to the birth center.

Around 12:15 a.m. on January 9, I called Rachel, and we decided to go to Roots at 12:30. Rhonda was already there, and she had snacks and drinks ready for me. There was applesauce, Gatorade, coconut water, and other things to nibble on. By 2:30 a.m., I was in active labor, and my water broke. I breathed through the contractions and liked being in the birth tub for a while. Then I got uncomfortable, so I got out. I tried many different positions — lying down, being on all fours, kneeling, swaying with my husband, and sitting on the toilet.

I was willing to try any position, and I trusted my doula because she had a good sense of what I needed when I needed it. Anytime I got uncomfortable, she suggested switching to something else. No matter which position I was in, Rachel checked the baby’s heart rate, and it sounded great. I was concerned because I knew with my first baby, his heart rate stayed too low, and I felt like his positioning was part of the reason that happened. During my second pregnancy, I had a consultation with Ann Marie Gilligan, creator of Gilligan’s Guide, and she helped me understand how to encourage the baby to be in an optimal position.

Breathing, Pushing, and Birth

Around 3:40, Rachel asked me to stop pushing because, similarly to what happened during my first baby’s birth, I had a cervical lip. Rhonda and Rachel suggested some herbs that would calm down the contractions and give the lip time to fully dissolve on its own, and it did. During that time, my birth team walked me through what was happening and supported me beautifully. Not being able to push but having the urge to push was worse than the contractions. I really remember that process and give kudos to Rhonda for helping me. She taught me to breathe like I was blowing a feather, visualizing it floating, without bearing down and pushing. That was her trick, and it worked phenomenally.

At 4:42 a.m., I was ready to start pushing again. I was on the bed, and Rachel asked, “Do you want to get into the tub?” I said, “No, we’re already here. I’m not moving anymore.” I wanted to get it over with. I tried pushing on all fours, and that was not working. Side-lying did not feel right either, so I flipped onto my back. I didn’t think I would give birth on my back again, but that’s what felt best. As the baby’s head was crowning, the contraction stopped, and Rachel said, “Don’t push,” which extended the ring of fire. I felt every single inch of his head until the next contraction.

My second baby boy, Zeedan, was born at 4:56 a.m. on January 9, 2021, weighing 8 pounds, 7 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches long. Just like when Tandeem was born, my husband prayed over the new baby, so everyone stopped and gave him that time. After the prayer, Rachel put Zeedan on my chest. He soon nuzzled up to me and started breastfeeding. I remember thinking, “Thank God it’s over. It was worth it because he’s here.” It was surreal, a great feeling. I told Zeedan, “You were the one who’s been in there all this time.” It was like an out-of-body experience, watching myself with him.

The placenta birth went well, and my bleeding was good. My husband cut the cord and laid the baby back on my chest. I did have a small tear that required a couple stitches. We rested at the birth center for a while. I felt kind of shocked, asking myself, “This is over?” I knew the answer was yes, and the next thing I asked was, “When can we go home?” I remembered being at the hospital with my first baby, wanting to go home but having to wait 24-48 hours. This time, we were discharged from Roots at about 8 a.m. I was glad to go home while my mom was still in town.

Reflections on My Experience with Roots

When I think back to my second baby’s birth, I have one wish — that every pregnant person could have a Roots experience from the minute they find out they’re pregnant and all the way through delivery and postpartum. It’s a family. I cannot speak or think about my children’s birth stories without Roots being a chapter. It’s monumental.

Even though we moved to Chicago on January 15, just six days after I gave birth to Zeedan, I will always support Roots. I hope they are here for years to come, and I want to take my kids back there to see their names on the boards someday and to meet Rachel and the rest of the team.