Our daughter, Katelyn Nicole Fogarty, was born in the water on July 9, 2002. She loves the water so much; she started infant aquatics classes when she was six months old. We are very proud of Katelyn and the wonderful birthing experience we shared when she was born.

We would like to share what we have learned, to help other people have a great birthing experience as well. It takes planning and preparing, but the effort is well worth it.

When I first learned that we were expecting a baby, I began taking water exercise classes at Westlake Recreational Center. The water relieved my body from the weight and pressure of being pregnant, and the closer I came to my due date, the more it helped.

This led to our decision in having a waterbirth. St. John West Shore Hospital in Westlake was the only hospital that offered waterbirths. We have to say, this hospital was outstanding! The birthing rooms were beautiful and the nurses made us feel like family. The best thing about having a baby at St. John West Shore Hospital was our midwife, Colleen Brezine, CNM, MSN. She created a birth plan with us, which was helpful in communicating what was important to us. For instance, we wanted an all-natural delivery because we didn't want to risk drugs crossing the placenta to our baby. We wanted to wait to cut the umbilical cord until all the blood had transferred to the baby. Plus, I wanted to nurse the baby immediately after she was born so she would get the awesome benefits of the colostrums in the early breast milk. We also wanted to make sure the baby was never taken away from us the entire time we were at the hospital.

The next best thing to having a midwife was a doula. We were very grateful we decided to have a doula, especially since this was our first child and we didn't know what to expect. We chose Rae Schmidt because she had experience working with our midwife and the nursing staff. Having a doula made all the difference in the world!

When I began having contractions, doula Rae came to our house and made sure I stayed relaxed and hydrated. We put a birthing pool in our living room and filled it with warm water, I labored in it until I was dilated to nine and a half centimeters. My contractions were very painful until I was in the water and then the pain went away. The water relaxed my skin and muscles and made it easier for the baby to move down the birth canal. It's important to relax and be one with your body and having a doula helped me achieve that goal.
When we arrived at the hospital, I labored in the birthing tub for a half hour before I had Katelyn. It was surreal. The lights were down low and music played softly in the background. The room felt private with only a nurse, my husband, our doula and our midwife with me. It was a moving experience to have a midwife and doula who really cared about us and made the birth of our daughter the best it could be.

To learn more about what to expect, we attended Bradley birthing classes, which last for twelve weeks and are very thorough. We learned about nutrition, the effects of drugs during labor, exercises, breastfeeding, coaching tips for the husband, relaxation techniques and much more. We looked forward to attending each week with other couples and sharing our experiences. It was like having a support group.
In addition, we listened to imagery tapes at bedtime to help us stay focused, relaxed and positive. More importantly, I stayed active during my pregnancy and did things that were easy and fun, like swimming and belly dancing.

All of this helped us accomplish our goal, which was to have Katelyn without the aid of drugs. In turn, I was able to recover faster and Katelyn was alert to bond and breastfeed. It was our most amazing and successful achievement and we would not have done it any other way. Katelyn agrees, too!

We hope this information encourages more women to trust in their bodies and know that we were created in such a way as to give birth. We need to believe in ourselves and follow our instincts when it comes to having babies. It's up to us to find what works best and make it an unforgettable and memorable experience.
Having a child is a journey, with every moment celebrated and embraced.

Tim and Renée Fogarty would be happy to answer any questions regarding their birth experience. They can be reached by e-mailing waterbirths1@yahoo.com.