by Anne Ferguson and Aileen Larson
Exactly nine years ago, we were both working hard to bring our oldest children into the world! Anne's son Henry was born at 12:14 pm at Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia and Aileen's daughter Lily at 12:30 pm at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.
We didn't know each other in 2006 when those babies were born. We met in 2008 through our local chapter of Attachment Parenting International. We became friends and quickly realized that our kids shared a birthday and not only that, we were literally pushing at the same time!
Fast forward to 2014. We were both doulas and Hypnobabies instructors and we decided to become business partners. We'd like to share just a little bit of how our birth experiences nine years ago shaped our work as birth professionals.
From Anne:
My birth was very straightforward and just what I hoped for. It was 12 hours from start to finish, and I pushed for 2 hours to bring my 9 pound baby into the world! Thanks to the support of my husband, midwife, doula/friend, mother and future sister-in-law, I was able to have the natural birth I desired. We had episodes of "Friends" playing in the background! It was a great distraction and brought some humor to a serious scene. Looking back with all I know now, I realize I was very lucky that everything went so smoothly. I knew even then that I would become a doula someday. My birth went as well as it did in large part because I spent time up front assembling a team that supported the type of birth I wanted, and I wanted to be a part of that type of team for other women. Now, 9 years later, I'm so thrilled to be able to support women and their partners as they work towards the births they want as a birth doula and childbirth educator!
From Aileen:
My birth was long due to a malpositioned baby (if only I'd known about Spinning Babies back then!). I ended up with several interventions that were not in my birth plan, and didn't feel like I was listened to by the staff at the hospital. I pushed for over 4 hours, and got to hold my baby for a few seconds before she was taken to the NICU. Happily, my baby and I were reunited after only 5 hours of separation. She has grown into a wonderful, sassy, smart girl & I'm glad I get to be her mom.
The support of my husband T. J. and my AMAZING doula, Sarah Biermeier, were the shining lights in my birth experience. Without Sarah's support and skill, I am certain I would have had a surgical birth. I knew right away that I wanted to become a doula and support other women in their birth journeys. I love teaching Hypnobabies, doulaing, and encapsulating placentas. Being a Birth Nerd is the best, most rewarding job I've ever had - except for motherhood!
Here are those "babies" and their proud mommas now!
Exactly nine years ago, we were both working hard to bring our oldest children into the world! Anne's son Henry was born at 12:14 pm at Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia and Aileen's daughter Lily at 12:30 pm at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.
We didn't know each other in 2006 when those babies were born. We met in 2008 through our local chapter of Attachment Parenting International. We became friends and quickly realized that our kids shared a birthday and not only that, we were literally pushing at the same time!
Fast forward to 2014. We were both doulas and Hypnobabies instructors and we decided to become business partners. We'd like to share just a little bit of how our birth experiences nine years ago shaped our work as birth professionals.
From Anne:
My birth was very straightforward and just what I hoped for. It was 12 hours from start to finish, and I pushed for 2 hours to bring my 9 pound baby into the world! Thanks to the support of my husband, midwife, doula/friend, mother and future sister-in-law, I was able to have the natural birth I desired. We had episodes of "Friends" playing in the background! It was a great distraction and brought some humor to a serious scene. Looking back with all I know now, I realize I was very lucky that everything went so smoothly. I knew even then that I would become a doula someday. My birth went as well as it did in large part because I spent time up front assembling a team that supported the type of birth I wanted, and I wanted to be a part of that type of team for other women. Now, 9 years later, I'm so thrilled to be able to support women and their partners as they work towards the births they want as a birth doula and childbirth educator!
From Aileen:
My birth was long due to a malpositioned baby (if only I'd known about Spinning Babies back then!). I ended up with several interventions that were not in my birth plan, and didn't feel like I was listened to by the staff at the hospital. I pushed for over 4 hours, and got to hold my baby for a few seconds before she was taken to the NICU. Happily, my baby and I were reunited after only 5 hours of separation. She has grown into a wonderful, sassy, smart girl & I'm glad I get to be her mom.
The support of my husband T. J. and my AMAZING doula, Sarah Biermeier, were the shining lights in my birth experience. Without Sarah's support and skill, I am certain I would have had a surgical birth. I knew right away that I wanted to become a doula and support other women in their birth journeys. I love teaching Hypnobabies, doulaing, and encapsulating placentas. Being a Birth Nerd is the best, most rewarding job I've ever had - except for motherhood!
Here are those "babies" and their proud mommas now!
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