The Birth of Indie

By Roots Community Birth Center client, Jade Michels

When I learned I was pregnant in the spring of 2021, I reached out to Roots right away. My partner’s cousin had given birth there about three years ago and had a great experience. In addition, my partner, Henry, is a person of color, and he wanted to be around people who looked like him for the birth of our baby.

I had a low-risk pregnancy, and my prenatal appointments were awesome. All the midwives were great. I knew it didn’t matter who was on call when I went into labor because I met all of them. It wasn’t like a hospital where I didn’t know who would be there for my birth.

My only concern was a previous back surgery. I was worried that labor would be especially painful for me because of my back. I had back pain during my pregnancy, and the midwives listened to my concerns and made sure everyone was aware of my medical history.

Being pregnant during the pandemic went as well as it could. Roots did a good job of meeting us where we were and let us know that some virtual prenatal appointments were available. All of the staff — from the front desk to the midwives — was fantastic. It was like walking into your family’s house on a holiday every time we had an appointment.

Realizing I Was in Labor

My estimated due date of December 18 came and went. Around 8 p.m. on December 21, I started to feel something different happening in my body, but I was in denial. I didn’t think I was in labor. I thought I was constipated, so I went to sleep. When I woke up, I was having bigger and deeper contractions. I took a shower and thought, “There’s no way this is labor.” I decided to call my doula, Priscilla, and she encouraged me to call Roots.

At 4:30 a.m. on December 22, I talked to the on-call midwife, who suggested I try to rest and eat. They said they would call me and check on me before the on-call schedule changed at 7 a.m. I tried to sleep, but I couldn’t. I was up and on the yoga ball and walking around. Around 8 a.m., I talked to Priscilla again, and at 10, I had some blood show. Priscilla had planned to come over at about noon. Right before she arrived, I lost my mucus plug. When she got here, I was lying on the bed and feeling a lot of pressure in my bottom. Priscilla suggested we call Roots again. I spoke to the midwife for six minutes, and during that time, I had two contractions.

Everyone knew it was time to go to the birth center, so we got everything packed up. It was a 20-minute drive to the birth center. Priscilla had grabbed a pillow for my back, and my partner missed a turn. But overall, the car ride was not as bad as I was expecting.

Meeting Our Daughter

We arrived at Roots at about 2 p.m., and I labored in the tub for the majority of the time. I also tried laboring on the toilet, but it wasn’t a very comfortable place because I couldn’t rest. I moved to the bed and used the peanut ball, but it was very uncomfortable for me.

There was a moment on the bed when Priscilla and I had this amazing, unspoken communication. In my mind, I was trying to find the words to say that I wanted to go to the hospital because of the pain. I opened my eyes and locked eyes with her. There were no words spoken, but I had a contraction while looking at her and thought, “I can do this. We’re staying right here.” I knew I was going to be able to finish at Roots.

I was having so much excruciating pain in my back that it was hard for me to relax. I got back in the tub, where I fell asleep between contractions. That’s when things really switched for me and labor started moving a lot faster. I was in the tub for maybe an hour and a half before Indie was born in the tub.

During those last five or six pushes, I was smiling and joking with the midwives. Something in my mind switched, like I knew it was just a matter of time. I was relaxed because I was basically done and labor was almost over with. I felt the ring of fire and the Roots team told me they could see her head. I was nervous she was going to come out with no hair so I asked, “Is she bald headed?” They said, “No! She has so much hair.”

I was lying back in the tub, but I pushed through the ring of fire because I knew she was almost here and I wanted to see her hair. Indie was born at 6:47 p.m. on December 22, 2021, weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and measuring 18.25 inches long. The midwife, Ashley, scooped her up and put her on my chest. I remember thinking, “Oh shit, I just had a baby! This actually just happened.” I was really in disbelief.

I delivered the placenta in the tub, and Ashley put it in a bowl. Henry, Indie, and I all moved to the bed, where we hung out and did skin to skin. The birth team helped Indie latch on, and she had no problems with breastfeeding. After being so tired and feeling the surge of adrenaline, we just talked about what had happened over the past 20 hours. We had dinner, I took a shower, and we left Roots around 10 p.m.

Reflecting on my Birth Experience

After Indie’s birth, it was so nice to have postpartum appointments so the Roots team could check on us. Rachel came over to make sure Indie was gaining weight, and I was so grateful I didn’t have to go out, especially on a holiday weekend. During all my postpartum visits, the Roots team checked Indie’s latch and answered any questions I had about feeding or anything else.

Overall, we were super happy with the birth experience. Henry and I liked how small our birth team was and that it was just us in the room. My mom was also there, and it was important for her and Henry to be there supporting me. Everyone made sure Henry and my mom were present and just as involved as the doula and the midwife. They all rotated helping me get through the contractions. Priscilla and Ashley encouraged Henry to step out and get something to eat, which is something he wouldn’t have wanted to do if we were at a hospital.

I would strongly encourage more families to look into birth centers and plan an unmedicated birth if they’re able to. It’s an awesome, empowering experience to be able to do that and listen to your body.