Baby Boy, born at 5:49 PM, 7 lbs 10 oz
I always knew I wanted my cousin Stephanie to attend my births, and I was happy that the birthing center would be ready in time for my first child. The fact that my husband and I live near Chicago was not going to stand in my way. Two weeks before my due date, I moved back in with my parents in Steuben County with my husband driving over on the weekends. Luckily the day I started to go into labor was a Sunday so everybody was in place to head down to the center on Monday morning. I got settled into the hot tub, and my husband was comfortable enough to take a nap on the bed. The day passed quickly enough with my step dad watching TV in the living room, my mother tempting my appetite with various treats, and my best friend stopping by in the afternoon to help me with pushing. Although I chose not to move much after I got settled into my room, my family enjoyed being able to consider the entire center as their home away from home for the day. After the birth of our son in the early evening and our first bath together in the hot tub, we were ready to head back to my parent’s house although we hadn’t decided on the name of our new baby yet. However, Stephanie, Melissa and Britte didn’t pressure us and told us to take a few more days to make our final choice. The whole experience was as calm and relaxed as it could be and all I could have asked for. We are looking forward to having our second child the same way.
– Erica
