AustinABC.Com

Baby Imogene

To the staff of the AABC,

Thank you so much for the wonderful care you gave to me and Imogene! I had such a wonderful experience with you. I really appreciate how understanding and accomodating everyone there is. You put up with me when I freaked out and you managed to squeeze me into your schedule when I showed up on the wrong day.
Most of all though, you helped me have a beautiful , natural birth! You created a safe enviroment, both physically and emotionally, where my baby could enter the world. Special thanks to Lauren for all your hard work on the night /day of the birth....good catch!

Also, thanks to Roswitha for getting us through the first half of the labor. Thank you for your honesty and for just being who you are.. Thanks to Teri and the other assistants. You all were so great! Everyone at the birthing center rocks! Hopefully, we will be back in a couple of years.

Trisha Kummer
Brent Thomas
baby Imogene
March 2008

The Birth Story of Baby Roestta

Great Ladies of the Birthing Center:

A mere "thank you" doesn't even begin to express my gratitude toward you all. The unending support and care you have shown me truly SAVED ME when I was most lost.

It may sound cliche and overused but "I really couldn't have done this without you!"
From the insurance problems to the personal problems, plus a stubborn breech baby who later gave me trouble with gaining weight/nursing....I always felt great comfort knowing I could turn to any of you for support.

THank you , thank you, thank you for helping me bring my beautiful girl Rosetta into this world and getting her off to a healthy start.

I will always tell her stories about her "team of fairy godmothers" who helped her mommy out in a time of great need. Maybe she will grow up to be a midwife or at least deliver her child at Austin Area Birthing Center.

I will be singing your praises for years to come. We will be in touch from Alaska and hopefully come visit next winter. Wherever we are, you will always be in my thoughts and prayers. You are all amazing women and should be very proud of the good work you do.

Always,

Jeffrey and baby Rosetta
delivered 3-5-08

The Ellison's have had all 5 of their children at AABC!

Parents Kristie and Albert Ellison with Nathaniel, Albert, James, Aligayle and Vivienne.

Giving Beautiful!

To all the beautiful women at the Austin Area Birthing Center....

Our greatest heartfelt thank you to all who helped us welcome our beautiful baby girl, Doris Ann Resor into this world!

What a marathon... 20 hours, 5 midwives, and a little bit of a push! We will never forget our time with all of you and the loving support you gave to our new family! each one of you had something to give us. And all with the warmth and love of a giving mother.

Jenny...you urged us into the night. Lauren...laughter and endurance, caring and delivery! Roswitha...strength, grace and believing in in us! Charlotte...a kind welcome to the new family.

We will miss you all and yet you will always be in our thoughts as a great part of our birth story!

Much love and happy babies to all!

Our New Answering Service Number (512) 473-6642

Please make a note of our new answering service number: (512) 473-6642.

Jennifer Barnes and baby Lowell

Lowell
12-1-07

To everyone at AABC,

Thank you immensely for your loving, gentle, and thorough prenatal , birth, and postpartum care. My extended family was blown away by the obvious love that was lavished on Lowell at his birth and by the gentleness with which I was treated as well.

I am SO blessed to have been able to birth at the Austin Area Birthing Center. Thank you for this life-changing opportunity and for your love and excellent care.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Barnes

A welcome note from Trinity

Dear Birthing Center Staff,

Thank you so much for a safe and wonderful birthing experience. My mommy wanted me to be as comfortable as possible as I came into this world and this was the perfect place to do that. A special thanks to Joan Smith, CNM who birthed me. SHe was gentle and exactly who I needed to make the transition peacefully.

I appreciate all of you,
Trinity 4-8-07

Birth Story of Scarlett Snow O'Brien

The Birth Story of Scarlett Snow Oâ��Brien

Itâ��s hard to put into words the rapturous arrival of our baby girl, Scarlett. I am in awe of my body and in awe of this tiny little girl who has come into my life.

We didnâ��t know the sex of the baby until birth and we had planned a natural birth with no drugs.

At about 2:20am on October 29, 2007 I started feeling "funny" in my lower belly. It was a mild tightening of the uterus, which mainly felt uncomfortable, like I had eaten a bad burrito or needed to take a really good "poo". I was pretty sure I was on the "train to Labor" I woke Owen up at 5am and told him I needed him to start timing contractions. Sure enough, they were as regular as clockwork about 1 minute long and about 4-5 minutes apart. Pacing really helped with the pain. I called AABC and Roswitha told him to come in and see what was what. We stopped to get Owen an iced mocha, and I would writhe around in the passenger seat. It sucked to be sitting. Movement was very comforting.

We arrived at the birthing center around 7am. Roswitha took me into the exam room and checked me. "Oh, Michelle", Roswitha said, "You are eight centimeters. You are going to have this baby today, yeah?" (Note: Roswitha is German and the most incredible midwife EVER. She must excrete some sort of hormone or something. I donï¿½t know what it is, but it is magic, and hearing her voice makes me turn to Jell-O.)

I was chatty and pretty calm when I arrived at the center, and Roswitha was apparently stunned to discover that I was at 8 centimeters. Anyway, we choose the Windsor Room (so named for its lovely chandelier and Victorian type dâ��cor) as our birthing room. I took off my skirt and just started pacing the room during contractions. I made to my parents and soon afterwards, things got a bit crazy.

I trust everything that comes out of Roswithaâ��s mouth, .if she said, "Weâ��re going to perform a frontal lobotomy" I would have agreed, "Okay, yes , sounds good!"

After my bag of waters broke, things got out of control. She brought in an exercise ball and set it on the bed. She had me get on all fours and slump my torso over the ball. I bellowed out like a farm animal. Owen would try to put counter-pressure on my lower back to alleviate the pain. As I was lying there slumped over the ball, Joan leaned down and asked me if I needed to push. Joan was the midwife on call for my birth and arrived about this time. Mainly, I felt like I needed to be shot with a tranquilizer dart. I could only mumble and drool, so I was glad I was in competent hands.

Joan got me off the ball and checked me to see if I had made progress. Apparently my animal noises had done some good. She maneuvered me onto my side, bent in one leg and curled my head into my chest and urged me to push with every contraction. As each contraction would crash over me like a wave, I would push with everything I had, then collapse into what can only be described as a comatose state. Owen asked Joan if the head were in the proper position and if so, could I start squatting.

I knew squatting was getting us somewhere fast because I could feel the pressure of the babyâ��s head with each push. "Oh my gosh", said Joan "Look at all that hair" Now, ladies, that is quite a sight that I will NEVER forget: The top of my babyâ��s head emerging from my vagina. It was both surreal and incredibly rewarding.

Giving birth in the tub was the dream birth I had been planning, so they filled up the tub with warm water and moved me into the deliciously, heavenly soothing bath. The water was so soothing that the pain was dulled. Joan needed more leverage to actually get the baby out, so she asked me to get on all fours. So, I moved to all fours, my ass in the air, ready to hear the baby. The baby slid out into the water! Joan pulled the baby up and from the water and Owen saw the baby face to face,upside down. I heard the baby crying, but I didnâ��t know if we had a boy or girl, yet.

All during labor, Joan had used the pronoun, "he" so it was funny to hear her say, "Oh, itâ��s a SHE!" They put a little cap on her and set her directly into my arms. We both sat in the tub staring at each other. She reached up and touched my face. I was in a blissful, cracked out state. I was holding MY baby! It was magnificent and overwhelming.

I would have paid someone not to have to push anymore, but the placenta came right out. They showed it to us. The cord was a brilliant white and deep purple- blue, and the placenta was just a mish-mash of knobby reds, crimsons and blues. Within a matter of minutes, they maneuvered me to the bed and put my baby next to me. We all watched in amazement as she latched on to my breast and began sucking like a champion! I was again blown away by this sublime event. She weighed in at 7lbs. 7oz., 20.5 inches. Now, two weeks after the birth, she is 8lbs. 3oz. which doesnâ��t surprise me because she eats ALL the time. I mean ALL the time.

Love to you all,
Michelle

Samantha Christianson

Dear AABC:

Thank you all so much for being a part (a HUGE part) of this pregnancy and birth. I am forever grateful for the sincere care my entire family received.

JOAN: Thank you for the safe delivery of Noah. Your motivation, encouragement, and support was a huge help to me when I was ready to give up and sleep.

JENNY: Thanks for helping me get into labor as I requested. I was starting to think I'd be pregnant forever!

ROSWITHA: Thanks for so many things! For recommending herbs to help with my blood pressure and for the hugs that eased my concerns. Thanks for your sense of humor and for your honesty. Thank you with my whole heart!

LAUREN: Thank you for drawing my blood in such a way that I didn't feel it. I am petrified of needles!

TAMARA: Thank you for always giving such a warm welcome and inviting smile. The center would not be the same without you!

HEATHER: You make me smile! Somehow, you manage to make even the brightest day brighter! Thank you for keeping spirits light during my labor and delivery.

TERRI and SAKRE (postpartum care): Thank you for the gentleness, support, knowledge and conversation. You were wonderful and I am thankful for the amount of time, even though small, I received your care.

JEAN: Last, but definitely not least! Thank you for AABC! Your center is beautiful and your staff is wonderful. Please don't close your doors anytime soon. We want a big family and I can't imagine going anywhere else!

Thanks to everyone!

Samantha Christianson

Sara, Nate and Benjamin Brown

Benjamin Jasper Brown | July 25, 2007 | 8lbs. 3oz., 21 inches

Dear Roswitha, Viola, Terri and everyone at AABC,

We've been meaning to thank you for providing us with such a wonderful and memorable birthing experience. Now that Ben is two months old, I'm finally getting around to it!

Although I had no idea what a beautiful birth would be like, I certainly had a beautiful birth. We can't imagine having a baby anywhere but the birthing center now.

Roswitha, thank you for all your positive encouragement. I'll remember your kind voice and positive vibes next time I have a baby. Viola, thanks for being with us when Ben was born, and reminding me how to push effectively! Terri, thank you for taking such good and gentle care of us. We felt much more confident bringing this little gem home after you finished with us!

We will certainly be singing your praises for years to come!

Sara, Nate and Benjamin