Baby Asher { Birth }- Fort McMurray, AB - Jenna Buffett Photography

– The Birth of Asher –

I’m so excited to share the birth story of Asher. This little doula baby was brought into the world by the most loving parents. Asher’s mother decided to become pregnant in the face of the Fort McMurray fires. Life is short and an experience like that can really shake things into perspective. Asher is the perfect name for this handsome fire baby.

The birth story of Asher written by his Momma:

“I wasn’t really sure what to write or how much detail so I just began typing. Writing this story made me realize, once again, what a great support you were during my pregnancy, labour and post-partum. There is no dollar value that can truly cover your worth!! Thanks again!

I realized during the birth of my son that a birth plan is just a plan! It is the best case scenario plan and that sometimes it is out of our control as to what takes place and you have to be prepared to roll with the punches.

From day one I was very clear with Jenna, my husband and my OB that my birth plan was to involve zero medication and definitely no C-Section. To be honest every time my OB mentioned it I became the crazy hormone riddled pregnant lady and was very blunt that we were never to discuss or mention C-Section again. I had the ideal pregnancy – never sick, no swelling, no pressure and very little discomfort…even at 10 days overdue so why discuss it?!

On day 10 my waters ruptured outside the ER entry the morning I was having my NST. The doctor told me that if my contractions did not start naturally in 24 hours that I would have to return to be induced. This was not a part of my plan so I walked and walked for the remainder of the day. 24 hours later and to my disappointment my contractions still had not started so I was induced. Labour started and I fought the good fight doing it au natural just as my birth plan had outlined. Shortly after contractions had begun the baby’s heart rate was inconsistent and sometimes dropped lower than what the doctor had liked but my birth plan and I were determined that he was to be born vaginally and with the support of my doctor, my doula and my husband we decided to continue monitoring and to continue natural labour.

My ‘natural labour’ consisted of induced contractions that found me having 7-8 of them in a 10 minute period but I had Jenna and my husband by my side so I found my rhythm and just focused on breathing. After what seemed like hours later there was no break between contractions and I felt I could not go on any longer, no matter how much breathing I did or gas I inhaled. During every contraction I contemplated the epidural but somehow felt that I was bailing on my birth plan but I also felt these were not normal, natural contractions and I needed the epidural to allow myself to go on.

Epidural!! Oh the sweet release of pain!! It was like a brand new start to the labour. A start I would never have as minutes later the doctor came in and decided that he didn’t like the heart rate of my son and he wanted to complete a C-Section. Oh how that phrase took the wind out of my sails. How it caused me to feel disappointed – disappointed that I wasn’t able to do what I had planned to do and that somehow made me weak.

Then it came to me! I realized my life would never be about what I wanted first anymore but what my child would need. This was my first duty as a mom – making sure that he was safe! So I agreed with the doctor – “lets do this”!

Lying on that table in the OR with my husband by my side it was all still so surreal, I wasn’t scared or excited, it was as if the entire day was a blurry dream….then I heard my son cry and reality struck! Life would never be the same, in a good way! We cried too! They laid my son on my chest and all I could say was “you are finally here”. It was in that moment, the moment of looking at my beautiful child that I realized I wasn’t weak, I hadn’t failed that day. It didn’t matter that I had been induced, hooked up to monitors, restricted to the bed due to the wires, had an epidural or a C-Section (all of which I was so adamant was not to be a part of my birth plan), what mattered was that I had the best of intentions when I walked into that hospital that morning, the intentions of bringing my baby into the world in the healthiest way possible and that was exactly what I did.

If I could go back and do it all over I wouldn’t change a single thing. It was true that I had made a plan and had veered from it in every way possible but being a great mom means that I am able to veer from the plan in a moments notice because of my child’s needs…and I will be a great mom!”