MyMaine Birth, Kaitlyn’s two Holly No.7 Maine Birth Center Birth Stories.

Welcome to MyMaine Birth, a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experience in the beautiful state of Maine. From our state’s biggest hospitals, to birth center births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated. From the first feelings of pregnancy to the first cry of your newborn, we explore the journey of childbirth in all of its beauty, intensity, and emotion. Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you!

If you are looking to capture your own birth story, I highly recommend considering my Maine Birth Photography services. I am a skilled professional Maine Birth Photographer and am very passionate about capturing the raw and emotional moments of the birthing process. I design a personalized and intimate photo album with every birth photography session, creating a lasting and beautiful memory of one of the most special moments of your life. For more information head over to https://www.mymainephoto.com/birthphotography

Today’s birth story guest is Kaitlyn and we are going to be hearing her share about her two Holly No.7 Maine Birth Center Birth stories today.

Join me and listen here! Scroll down for the full transcript.

Angela: Hi Kaitlyn, Welcome to MyMaine Birth!

Kaitlyn: Hello!

Angela: Thanks for taking the time to chat with me and share your stories today!

Kaitlyn: Of course! I’m super excited.

Angela: Me too! So to start will you share a little bit about you and your family?

Kaitlyn: Absolutely, so my name is Kaitlyn, of course, I live with my husband and sons in Brewer, Maine. It’s kind of unique, my husband works out in Alaska, so I spend a lot of time solo mom ing. I think that’s a huge point to make because it’s a big part of our story right now. That’s our deal. I was a teacher prior to having my kiddos and I’m just doing the stay at home thing with them for now.

Angela: So now can you share a little bit about when you found out you were pregnant for the first time and a little bit about your thought process when choosing your care?

Kaitlyn: Yes, I know, so thankfully prior to even conceiving I had already looked into it, so I want to make that clear because I feel like it would be very different had I not. So I had already had a little bit of an idea that I was looking for something alternative to a hospital birth. So we found out we were pregnant about a month after our wedding, shocking enough, I know! And we started looking in the area and unfortunately we weren’t really feeling a home birth because we rent an apartment and that just didn’t feel right, it just seemed not the right fit for us at that time. So we looked at the Holly No.7 Birth Center and we went and saw the facility. Now, you have seen the facility and if anyone hasn’t, I beg you to just go look because it is just beautiful! And as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to give birth there. So we had our first meeting with Chris at around 12 weeks and it was just love at first meeting, truly there was just nowhere else that I was going to give birth to my babies.

Angela: So what did your prenatal care look like and did you decide to do any testing?

Kaitlyn: So it was 2020, so that was a very weird year for appointments. I saw them at 11 weeks, and I was down in Massachusetts quarantined. Then we started our appointments I think monthly. In the appointments I really want to say that I felt cared for. They listened to me, that is something that I have never felt in any doctors appointments ever. And I don’t think it was the baby, of course, but the way that they asked me questions - even just about how I was feeling emotionally - not even about the baby, just the care that I felt. It felt like I was talking to a friend I had known for years. So all the tests we did, I never felt daunted by any of them. The glucose ones, which I think those can feel really scary - I feel blessed that I didn’t feel that - because I was so supported with them.

With my first son with my first glucose test, I got to eat the pancakes and bacon meal instead of doing the Glucola, and I think just having the support to have those options and to know that there’s other ways to go about pregnancy is huge, huge. So needless to say all of the tests I felt fully supported and that goes for both pregnancies because I used Holly No.7 for both, and yeah I just felt great. I felt great having them as my midwives.

Angela: So tell me about your labor and birth!

Kaitlyn: So I was 41 and 2, so that being said - I also felt very supported going so far. I know a lot of people don’t, they don’t feel safe. A lot of my family members were questioning my sanity at that point, and I mean Covid enough I felt alienated but god let me tell you if you make some special choices during pregnancy you are going to find out who is accepting and who is not and I find a lot of grace for that now but it took me awhile. Because it’s upsetting, to have that judgement just because I choose to do things a little differently. But anyway, we went to 41 and 2 and I felt great. My back started hurting the night before I gave birth, and my husband and I were laying there and watching the standard Netflix and pizza delivery or whatever it was and I was like oh thats funny. But I didn’t even think I was going into labor. You would think at that point everything would have been a flag but I think because I was so far we were just like, it’s never going to happen.

But needless to say, I went to bed, contractions through the night but I was able to sleep. As soon as I woke up I knew it was the real deal and so I texted the midwives and you know them - they were on it - they said we were going to labor as long as we can at home, it doesn’t sound like it’s anything to be concerning. So I just had my tea and read my book, I didn’t even wake my husband up. He woke up a couple hours later and strolled out and I was like - I’m in labor, and I was just sitting quietly on the couch. And you know you think of those moments, you see it on TV just frantic, running to the hospital. And it was so calm. I felt so at peace. And this was baby number one.

I was just like I’m in labor, I already talked to them, we are all going to meet there in a couple of hours. I’m good, I’m going to go shower. And he started cleaning the oven - like in what world? I think maybe he panicked, I don’t know if he even remembers, but he went and started like cleaning the kitchen and the oven. And I was like - honey we need to get our bags together, but I’m going to go shower. So we went into labor, we got there at 11 and the girls were already there and had everything set up. And again I just remember walking in and feeling still calm, I set up my music - I was allowed to have just the whole room zenned out exactly as I wanted it. And I am a very environmental person, like it impacts me greatly. So it was really nice, again if you know the facilities you know what I’m talking about. You go in and you just feel - the birth rooms are like a beautiful hotel room, like nicer than most hotel rooms I get to stay in, you know. And I was just so excited.

I had Julie and Anna were my two midwives, they were actually the two midwives at both my children’s births which is really special. And we gave birth in the same room which is really special. Something about that is just phenomenal to me that it was just my husband and me and those two in the room for both times. But yeah, so I got there at 11 and things escalated fairly quick. I just remember, god birth is wild, I just remember being there and walking around and casually talking and contractions were happening in and out but it wasn’t anything wild. And then it hits. And Julie warned me, I remember her saying to me - eventually here it’s going to feel like a tornado is happening. And I was like, ok, I’m very go with the flow - so I was like, that sounds find. And I really think thats a great way to explain it because you just go into this whirlwind of nothing else matters except birthing your baby.

So this is an interesting thing we talked about, prior to birth and after birth we realized we should have thought more about it - so I’m like a strawberry blonde kind of redhead naturally, I dye my hair a little no big deal - but Julie and I discussed this and she said you know a lot of people with red headed genes bleed more in birth. And its just one of those things you know, when your midwives - because they have been birthing for so long - you just need to trust more of it, I think there is something to be said about that.

So birth was going great, he crowned for about an hour and it was brutal. And I started bleeding quite a bit. And at this point I was in the tub. Everything at that point I was in the tornado but it was still flowing, everything was great. My midwives and my husband had ordered Thai takeout so they were chillin, they were enjoying the space. We were in a good space for awhile. But then it just started to take a lot longer and they weren’t sure how it was going to progress. So I remember her saying, we were in the tub and we couldn’t be in the tub anymore because we needed to get on oxygen. So I was put on oxygen and she said we have about two minutes before we are going to do an episiotomy, because thats how it was going. And she said - grab the olive oil. So I remember my husband went and grabbed the olive oil, and I’m not sure if it was me hearing those words or if it was like the last ditch effort, but we got that baby out. But I was on my back on the bed, totally fine.

I didn’t have a preference to where I gave birth I just wanted us to be ok. So we gave birth, but the bleeding just didn’t stop, and it kept going. And oddly enough my placenta didn’t come out, it stayed stuck. So in hindsight we probably should have done a Pitocin shot prior too, but I got one at that point. And you know you wait kind of awhile for the placenta, but it just wasn’t budging. And it was just wild, I was holding my baby, my husband was holding me up. Anna was holding the bucket and Julie just had to go up and get it out. Just one of those moments you can’t mentally prepare for, and the room was just covered in blood.

I remember looking around after and just being like wow it looks like a murder scene in here. We were all healthy, great, the bleeding stopped - everything leveled out and it was a beautiful birth. But I just remember being like holy moly, you just can’t prepare for the little things that can happen. And I just can not say how grateful I am that Julie didn’t pre-emptively do anything - she trusted my body. And thats what she said after, she said - I trusted your body, I knew you could do it, we just needed to give it time. And knowing when was safe and when wasn’t - I trusted her wholeheartedly there. And we always say she is like an angel on earth because truly what would we have done without her? I’m sure it would have been very, very different in a hospital setting. And again, nothing against that - to each their own, I just that’s all I know. So that was number one.

Angela: Oh my gosh, so how was your postpartum time and recovery?

Kaitlyn: So we we got to the birth center at 11 on a Sunday and we were out at home by 10am on a Monday and I just love that! They had already come to see our house, and I was bed ridden because I had hemorrhaged so I had to be in bed for about 4 or 5 days. So that was fine, and my husband thankfully was an Angel man and took care of the baby. So that was just interesting, I didn’t expect to be bed ridden. You expect to be laying down a lot but it was so hard to not move. And I got mastitis quite bad the first week at well which was a struggle. I didn’t know much about it prior to pregnancy, that is something I wish I had known a bit more about. I feel like I wasn’t good about just the care of nursing when you are a first time mom. Like second time around I knew a lot more and didn’t have any issues. And I just feel like, if anyone out there doesn’t, just it’s so good to know about the nursing a little bit more. It’s so important. But my postpartum care was great, my midwives stoped in every day to see if we were ok. They brought me flowers. It was just the sweetest experience, I felt like shit but they were so supportive. And I just knew that no matter what, like little things like he had a rash and I was able to text them. And it was just a really beautiful experience because of them and my husband, thank god.

Angela: Its so good to have that support

Kaitlyn: Yes, very much so!

Angela: Do you want to share now about when you found out you were pregnant for the second time?

Kaitlyn: Yes, so baby number two, my son was 15 months old when we found out - so they are exactly two years apart. We weren’t trying, but we weren’t not trying - so it was an utter shock, but at the same time I was like whoa - they are going to be two years apart. And again, my husband works in Alaska, and you can’t plan when you are going to get pregnant and so the timeline was - he was going to have to leave two weeks postpartum. And just knowing that was instant like - gut wrench, you know? But I’m a believer in you are given what you need - we were blessed with two kiddos in two years, and thats that. And thankfully we had such good care and birth at Holly No.7, we knew that was where we were going to be. And my husband was gone most of the pregnancy, he tried to work most of the time so that he could be home for longer at the end and postpartum. But I got to bring my first son Will with me to all the appointment, and it was so sweet. I will never forget the first time he heard his brothers heartbeat. And it’s just so sweet when they get to come with you. And I was so glad, a lot of parents don't get to do that and I was forced to, and some days it was hard being pregnant with a toddler in the middle of the summer. But in hindsight I’m so glad he was able to be there for all of the experiences. And of course the ladies over there were so supportive and loved having him, so that was nice.

Angela: So was there anything else you want to share about his pregnancy?

Kaitlyn: Well this one was a little interesting because I got really big really fast and they actually thought there was a potential for twins. So there was a good solid 24 hour period where we weren’t positive. But thankfully, obviously we did not have twins. And we tried to postpone as many of the ultrasounds as possible unless need be. And unfortunately at the end he was transverse, so sideways, and his head was over on my right side. And he was moving a lot during pregnancy, like I would see his whole body flip constantly. But towards the end, I either thought it was a really big elbow or I could see a softball on my side. Obviously it was his head, and this was now at 38 weeks. When I had my appointment with my midwives, of course they check his position, but because he was moving so much he was down one second and then sideways the next. So with that you have a few options, I did all of the spinning babies. I was upside down as much as humanly possible.

And we actually went through with the external cervical version, so I drove out to the hospital in Dover-foxcroft and one of the midwives met me out there which was really sweet. And they did the version, because at that point he was breech. So he was going from breech to down and it was wild. So they spun him down and the doctor said she had never had an unsuccessful one. And before she was even down the hallway he was already back out. So she pushed him back again, and I’m laughing about it but it’s’ obviously a painful thing. I’m a very mind over matter person so I just remember sitting there thinking - I can do anything for this baby. But also realizing that she is grabbing my baby from the outside of my stomach and turning it - is a mind blowing thought. So she did that again and she held him there - and I remember we had to stay there and talk for like five minutes while she held him down, just trying to get him to really set in there. And we did that and I just had to wear a belly band, and I just had to keep trying to shove that child down. And thankfully when I went into labor he was kind of at an angle but enough where they were comfortable with it at the Holly No.7 Birth Center. But that was absolutely wild, and we had such a smooth pregnancy that it was just a funny little ending, and it wasn’t anything super disruptive but enough to know that there was a huge chance for a c-section which is huge difference than what I am used to or what my vibe is.

Angela: Yeah, because in Maine midwives are not allowed to attend breach home births and if you were in the hospital they would push you for a c-section.

Kaitlyn: Yeah there was no way, she said there was one local doctor and he is elderly so he only comes in every once in a while. Because most doctors don’t even do breach births anymore.

Angela: Yes.

Kaitlyn: Yeah, and that was one of those moments where I was like, I really need to be at peace with whatever is going to happen. And thats huge for me and I think thats huge for anyone going into birth. Because you really don’t know. I mean I didn’t know even during. I was like I don’t know what this kid is going to do, I didn’t trust it because I didn’t know. And to just keep that mindset up to just make it through.

So we ended up going into labor at 9pm, and it’s funny because it’s exactly what I had hoped for. I put my 2 year old down while I was contracting. I always nursed him to bed and we had never been a night without him, we co-sleep. I’m that mom. And that was my number one concern, what was Will going to do, how was he going to react. So I just wanted to put him to bed one more time. And I was contracting pretty good while I was doing it. And I stood up and, with my first pregnancy my water never broke. But this pregnancy, I stood up and my water broke. Already so different than my first. And because of his position we had to be careful because of timing wise if there was something going on, I don’t know. Either way, we called the midwives and Julie had just attended another birth and she had just gotten home. And god bless her soul she lives on Mount Desert Island about an hour from here and she was like, alright I’m going to nap for about an hour and I’ll come help you. I’ll be there she said. Because she is my girl, she knows that - she is a support for me, a massive support for me in Birth and I just can’t get over that. She’s like I’m going to nap for an hour turn around after helping birth somebody else’s baby and come do this for you. Like these women are just blessed people.

So we go over and I let them know, this is happening quick. I could tell. So we were laying there in bed trying to rest, and everyone was resting. And I just looked at my husband like it’s happening, this is going down, I want to be in the bath tub. So we go in the bath tub and I start contracting. I don’t know how long, it went very quick compared to my first son. There was none of this long tedious crowning in and out, none of that - it was very quick. I was much more determined and focused I think. We were in the tub, my goal was to have a water birth, again I’m not picky - I just want us happy and safe, like it’s good. So we are in the water and we do have the water birth and its magical and beautiful and I have a video on my phone someone took of him getting on my chest and I was just saying this is the best feeling in the world.

There’s something about being in the water too, it just felt very natural. I don’t know, and we took a bath for the first time together my two sons and I for the first time the other day and we were just sitting there and it just instantly brought me back and I just couldn’t believe the size of him now. And it was just this beautiful nostalgic moment a few days ago. But anyway, he was this beautiful 10 pound baby, a little chucker. We had the water birth and a couple hours later we noticed his breathing was not quite normal, it was a bit rapid.

So they were keeping an eye on it, I didn’t realize the severity of it all - maybe they were doing that intentionally, like of course they were doing it intentionally. But they came in and were like, we need to transfer you to the NICU. So it was very interesting because I to a T had the birth of my dreams, like literally everything I had manifested. Down to putting Will to bed, the timing, and we had planned on being home by noon. But his breathing didn’t slow down. So they called the ambulance, and it was all such a whirlwind. because I had given birth 4-6 hours prior to this and now I’m up walking him out to an ambulance. And it just makes me thing, wow - the stuff moms can do because I remember you just do what you have to do for your kid. I don’t even ever remember struggling, I was just like we need to get him care - let’s do it.

So we got transported to the NICU and it was pretty funny because he was full term born on his due date and he was huge he had a bunch of hair. And so in the NICU that’s not quite what they’re used to, so it was just like a funny entrance to such a sad situation. It just helped my mama heart, but yeah that was really challenging. I remember it was like 8 or 9 hours I was next to his little cot. Because he wasn’t in an incubator, they just needed to monitor his breathing. But I couldn’t hold him, they had the tubes in his nose. We couldn’t nurse, it just - looking in hindsight was so different. We went from the most blissful birth to just like a cold postpartum - thats the only way to word it is it just felt so cold. Versus being brought home 12 hours after you give birth and flowers from your midwife. So that was hard.

Angela: Wow yeah, thats super hard. So how long were you in the NICU for? What did they find?

Kaitlyn: There were no conclusions. So they did test - pretty much what happened was we had to rule everything out. So because he was so big, I guess a lot of bigger babies have the rapid breathing - but again you just have to monitor it to make sure it doesn’t escalate. I didn’t know any of this until having him. And then also babies born in water have a chance of swallowing their own poop and breathing it in could cause an infection in their lungs and it could cause infection. So we just had to rule all of that out, and again being big and born in the water. I was like, ok we obviously have to do that.

So we spent a few days just doing tests, taking X-rays of his lungs making sure the fluid dissipated and then finally - it was only five days - it was a long five days, but I’m just really blessed because I know what a lot of people go through and now after having been in there I could not imagine. I left the hospital room twice, I just stayed there surviving on protein bars - it was wild. But again, just a beautiful birth story just turned strange. So my birth really was beautiful so I try not to have a negative outlook on it, because it would be really easy to go down that path. So I like to look at it as just a really beautiful birth with a strange ending. But he is beautiful, healthy and perfectly fine now.

Angela: Yeah the mindset is really important

Kaitlyn: Right, right, even the cervical version - I had never even heard of one of those. Thats just one of those things that again until you are living it you just don’t know, so mindset, mindset, mindset right? You just never know what is going to happen. We should probably take that into everything in life, not just birth.

Angela: Absolutely. So now tell me about your company

Kaitlyn: Well it’s called Real Messy Motherhood. Right now, I’m alone with my two year old and nine month old and I will be alone for 90 days at a time, it’s messy. So Real Messy Motherhood stems from just the truth of what I’m living right now, the loneliness of postpartum, the lack of support, honestly the lack of friendships. Because it’s hard to be friends with a mom who is so tied down in so many ways. So Real Messy Motherhood is a mom community that is going to consist of monthly discussion group. I’m kind of hoping its going to be like a moms group to meet other friends and its going to be virtual just because I live in a very small town in Maine and think of all the moms everywhere, I can’t imagine how lonely we all feel. And we don’t need to do it alone. That is the premise behind it is - we don’t need to do it alone.

I was a teacher prior to having kids and I am a certified health coach as well, so my goal is to bring some activities for kids. One month it might be, how to get your kids involved in cooking and nutrition, one month is might be getting your kids involved in fitness, one month it might be just mom fitness. But my hope is to switch topics every month and my hope is to just come and learn and ask questions and grow together. And I’m also starting a podcast as well. And the podcast is just going to be me talking mom life because that is what I am in the thick of right now. It’s going to be just everything from birth to pregnancy to toddler hood and I think it’s even important to talk about kids up into the teens because I think those moms get forgotten and they are still moms. So I want to sit with that. So my goal is just to keep it real with mom hood and to just have a space for moms.

Angela: Yeah, I love that

Kaitlyn: Yeah, just building the community I need

Angela: Yeah, that is so important, so how do we get ahold of you?

Kaitlyn: So right now, I am alone with the kiddos so building a website is a lot harder than I envisioned when you are doing it with no sleep in the evening hours. So I am hoping for mid-tune around the summer solstice for my website. That will be the first topic month of June as well as the launch of the podcast. Right now I am only on Instagram and that is @realmessymotherhood. But again the website is coming and I am just so excited to connect with other moms and just help build each other up, I feel like everyone could use that.

Angela: Yeah, I totally agree. Alright well I will link all of your contact information in the show notes and thank you so much Kaitlyn for sharing your stories today.

Kaitlyn: Thank you and I hope that you have a beautiful night. I appreciate you making the space for birth stories because it felt really good to talk about it. I had never talked about mine before. Like, truly sat down with the intention to talk about birth. And after making this plan with you I thought - how crazy that I have never sat down to really digest this. So thank you for holding that space for moms.

And that’s the end of another episode of the MyMaine Birth Podcast!  Thank you for joining me and listening!  I hope that the stories shared here have been inspiring and informative to all of my listeners.

If you’re looking to capture your own birth story, I highly recommend considering my Maine birth photography services.  I am a skilled professional Maine Birth Photographer, and am very passionate about capturing the raw and emotional moments of the birthing process, annnnd I also design a personalized and intimate photo album, creating a beautiful and lasting memory of one of the most special moments of your life.  For more information about Maine Birth Photography head over to https://www.mymainephoto.com and schedule a complementary zoom consultation with me!

Thank you again for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review! And I’ll See you back here again, next week.