The Birth of Atlas Renn

As soon as we discovered we were expecting our first child, we started searching for a midwife for a home water birth. We found Vines Midwifery and met with Jennifer to ask questions and see if this was the right option for us. Immediately I fell in love with her sweet personality and knowledge of midwifery. We spent the next nine months planning and preparing for the arrival of our daughter. Every appointment Jennifer would answer our questions and encourage us in this unknown journey. She empowered me was by taking away the FEAR of birth by giving us knowledge. We were prepared to have a home birth, as well as prepared with a back up plan in case of an emergency. On Friday, September 19, a day after my original due date I met with Jennifer as we checked my cervix to see if I was dilated. I was at a zero, with very little sign of activity. I went home that evening and woke up at 2 am with some light contractions. They progressed during the day, but being a first time mom, I didn’t think they were “real” contractions. By seven o’clock that evening I realized that I was probably indeed in labor and reached out to Jennifer to let her know what was going on. Jennifer is so calming and reassuring. She encouraged me and gave me information so that I was prepared for what was about to take place. Over the course of the next few hours my contractions increased and we started to prepare mentally, and prepare our home to welcome our first daughter. After about 48 hours of hard back contractions we decided to give Jennifer a call. I wasn’t sure what was happening but my body was getting very worn down and I needed her to come assess the situation. When she arrived she checked me, took my vitals and spoke with my husband to get a read on what had been happening before she got there. This was about 2am on Monday, September 22. After taking my blood pressure she spoke with us and calmly suggested we head for the hospital, which was our back up plan. I was upset because this wasn’t what I had wanted, but Jennifer answered all of our questions and helped me realize that in the end being in the hospital for this birth was going to give us the best chance at having a healthy baby and mother. She feared I had developed pre eclampsia in the process of labor. When we arrived at the hospital Jennifer never left our side and instead teamed with the hospital staff to facilitate our desires. She was correct in her assessment. I had developed extremely high blood pressure and they checked me into a room. While monitoring me and hooking me up to magnesium, the hospital staff suddenly panicked as they lost the baby’s heartbeat. They rushed me into the ER to conduct an emergency c-section. As you can imagine I was exhausted, confused, and scared. While in the operating room, as they were preparing to put me under, they found a faint heartbeat the machine in my room had not picked up. The surgery was no longer necessary and they allowed me to continue to labor with the hope that I would be able to have a vaginal delivery like I wanted and had planned for all of these months. After another long day of laboring, and no more progression, they informed me I would indeed be having a c-section. The entire time Jennifer helped me to understand my options, she stayed with my family, and she made me feel very comfortable in an environment that was not at all what I had planned for. She also helped to voice my desires and be an advocate for me when I wasn’t able to do that for myself. September 22, 2014 at 10:11 pm, after almost 72 hours of labor, my daughter Atlas Renn was born via c-section at Vanderbilt University. The joy of seeing my precious baby after such a tumultuous few days was worth it. In the end even though my birth was not at home unassisted like I planned, she was in my arms and that’s what mattered. Jennifer and her staff celebrated with us and didn’t leave until we felt comfortable enough for her to do so. She returned the next day to offer support, advice, and brought the hospital staff goodies as a thank you for their dedication and service. I had spent months meeting with Jennifer and her team, preparing our birth plan, talking through our options, listening to the heartbeat, stomping out fear and doubt, and encouraging me that this is what I was created to do. And she was right. Even though my labor did not look like what I thought it would, it didn’t diminish the fact that I WAS A WARRIOR. I labored and I fought to bring a beautiful baby into this world. I am so thankful for the wisdom and discernment Jennifer exhibited to get me the care I needed. She feels like a part of our little family. We love her dearly and her love for her job seeps into every aspect of her care for her clients. Thank you Jennifer for your dedication to your clients and for helping to empower women during this special time in our lives.