From the start, my experience with Glory Birth in Kansas City was a blessing. I was so excited to be able to birth with them again! Having had previous births with a different company, I was very impressed by the way the midwives, Gloria and Rebekah, were able to be professional and yet simultaneously so personal and caring. The prenatal visits were intentional and left me feeling thoroughly cared for. I never felt rushed and I appreciated how well-rounded their knowledge base is, with so many tools to help with every part of the pregnancy and postpartum season. I have always chosen homebirth because it enables me to birth in a way that supports my values; trusting that my body was made to birth, eliminating unnecessary interventions, and choosing empowerment over fear. Being able to birth at home is such an intimate and wonderful experience and it makes a huge difference having a team of people who I could feel confident in their ability as well as at ease in their presence. It’s apparent that they love what they do in the joyful way that they work. Additionally, they were very intentional about helping to create the birth that I wanted in every way they could from the atmosphere in the room to how they could best serve me during labor.
When the time finally came, I woke up one morning with cramping and mild contractions. I wasn’t sure if I was actually in labor but as I was very uncomfortable I decided to cancel the prenatal appointment that I had scheduled that morning. Gloria checked back in with me every couple of hours to see how I was doing and if things were progressing. As I hadn’t yet reached my due date, I had a hard time believing that I was experiencing true labor. I rested, did some light cleaning, and spent time with my family throughout the early labor. Around 5 pm my contractions finally became rhythmic and increased in intensity. I let the team know that I felt confident that the baby would be coming today. They said they would come as soon as I was ready for them. Very quickly the contractions went from noticeable to requiring my full attention to manage. I labored for a while on the birth ball and in the shower. At around 7 pm I noticed the end of my contractions started to feel more similar to transition so I reached out for the team to come. My husband began to set up the birth pool and my parents came over to watch my other children. When the midwives arrived they brought with them a presence of confidence and ease. They were great about offering various pain management aids without being invasive. The team helped set up the birthing area so that I had everything I needed ready to go. Soon it was time to get into the pool, which I was very eager to do. Once I was in the water things picked up quickly. The warm water was soothing but also seemed to move things along. Shortly after I felt the urge to push with my contractions. This part of the birth felt unsettlingly different from my previous births but Gloria was very helpful in assuring me that everything was ok. My baby girl came soon after. As I had previously expressed, my desire was to catch the baby once she was born. The team helped to facilitate that, which was so fulfilling to be able to do that for the first time. I also appreciated how they included my children and empowered my husband in the whole process. After the baby was born they were very attentive to make sure my baby and myself were comfortable and healthy. They were very thorough in the clean up process and took their time to set us up for success. They went over standard postpartum care information and other helpful tips, and left an aftercare sheet just in case I missed something or had a question. A couple of days later they came back for a checkup, and then once again at two weeks. The team made sure my recovery was going smoothly and that the baby was adjusting well to life outside the womb. When I experienced some breastfeeding related issues Gloria and Rebekah were very responsive in working with me and my baby to resolve the problems we were having. They also provided me with a lactation consultant which was very helpful moving forward.
Im so thankful for Glory Birth and look forward to birthing with them again!
