Me & Baby W skin to skin
Our precious baby boy arrived safely into our arms at 41 weeks and 2 days—“late” by Western medical standards, but perfectly on time for him. He was healthy in every way, and we couldn’t have been more grateful.
The days leading up to his arrival were filled with the anxiety that often accompanies post-dates visits and discussions of potential risks. Determined to avoid induction, I spent hours walking at the Yellowknife Field House, practicing spinning babies exercises, and called in Dr. Kyla Wright at Rekindle Health to provide some labour inducing acupuncture. I believe all of this, combined with my trust in my body and baby, played a crucial role.
When labour finally began, it unfolded over what felt like an eternity: 18 hours of early labour followed by 9 hours of active labour. Miraculously, I only had to push for 30 minutes after all that. The early labour stretched across three sleepless nights—contractions surged from midnight to 6 AM on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, gradually building in intensity until active labour commenced on Friday morning.
I had avoided membrane sweeps throughout my pregnancy, but at our post-dates appointment on Thursday, I decided to have one for that extra nudge. To my relief, I discovered I was already 5 cm dilated, which confirmed that those early labour nights were indeed doing their work!
The lead-up to the big event left me exhausted. I thought I had never felt so tired, but seven months of frequent night wakes later has quickly rivalled that fatigue!
The aforementioned frequent night waker, 1 day old
We arrived at the hospital around noon on Friday. I spent much of my time in the soothing embrace of the bath—such a gift during labour. However, I also experienced intense back labour until I received four sterile water injections in my lower back, which completely transformed my ability to cope. I can’t emphasize enough how magical water is as a source of relief. Water is medicine.
Labouring in the bath with support nearby
Throughout those long hours, I was supported by an incredible team. This is truly a love letter to them.
In addition to my wonderful partner, who held my hand through it all, I was blessed to have friends and NBC team members Heather Heinrichs (midwife) and Cailey Mercredi (birth auntie) alongside me during this transformational time. Their support extended from a previous miscarriage through my entire pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. This continuity of care shaped my experience profoundly.
The dream team - My partner Nick, Heather & Cailey. And little baby W breastfeeding.
I vividly remember a moment during pushing when the sensation became overwhelming, and I felt the urge to retreat from my body. “No, no, no,” I exclaimed. Heather gently asked what I was resisting. When I expressed how intense it felt, she reassured me that this was part of the process and that everything looked good from her end. With the encouragement of my team, I was finally able to embrace the powerful grunting, howling, and breath-led pushing I needed to bring my baby into the world.
At 7:09 PM, baby W was born, weighing 7 lbs 2 oz. He was the most perfect sight I had ever seen. Words fail to capture that moment; he had my whole heart instantly, and I knew I would do anything to keep him safe, nourished, and loved. I still can’t believe I get to be his mom. We spent those first precious hours snuggling skin-to-skin, helping him figure out how to latch as we began our breastfeeding journey together. I never wanted to let him go. We celebrated the incredible accomplishment of birth with a huge burger and truffle fries from the Woodyard—truffle fries are how we celebrate at NBC.
A very memorable burger & fries (and hug)
If I had to choose one word to describe my birthing experience, it would be “safe.”
I felt safe because I was surrounded by trusted people who possessed extensive knowledge of the birthing process and understood my hopes and wishes.
I felt safe due to my own understanding of labour and birth.
I felt safe in an environment I was familiar with, having attended many births there over the years.
This sense of safety allowed me to fully surrender to the experience, transforming one of the most challenging days of my life into something equally beautiful.
My experience underscored the importance of midwives and doulas, comprehensive prenatal and childbirth education, and the necessity of giving birth in familiar places with people who support us. Birth needs community.
Beyond the incredible prenatal and birth support, I received exceptional postpartum care. NBC’s Indigenous Birthworker Treiva checked in regularly for three months after my birth, providing nourishing meals that facilitated healing and rest. Cailey continued to support me, providing soothing body work to help my postpartum aches, while Heather and Rachel, NBC's Lactation Specialist offered lactation support that ensured a joyful breastfeeding relationship with my little milk monster.
Auntie Treiva snuggling W at a postpartum visit
Auntie Cailey at a postpartum visit giving W snuggles & also getting his gas out (he was a very gassy baby)
I embraced all the NBC services available to me. While I knew how invaluable these resources were, my experience gave me a deep, embodied understanding of the importance of community care.
The support from this amazing team of birthworkers was vital to my healing and essential to my mental health as a new parent. They laid the foundation for my sense of safety.
This is the vision we hold at NBC: for all families in our care and community to have satisfying, healing, and meaningful experiences throughout their reproductive journeys. We strive to lower barriers to support and foster an environment where families feel safe enough to surrender to these transformative moments.
Me & Baby W reppin the NBC gear
I am profoundly grateful for what we have built, and I hope we can continue to offer our support and services for years to come.
Birth stories are essential, no matter where they fall on the spectrum of experiences. Throughout my labour, I reflected on the stories of my past clients, drawing strength from them. If you’ve read this far, thank you for engaging with my birth story. It has been healing to share it with you.
We would love to hear more birth stories from our community. Our intention is to start a series with them so that others can draw strength in the same way I did. If you’d like to share yours, please reach out. We can ensure your story is shared anonymously if that feels safer.
I'll leave you all with this awesome photo of Heather and my placenta. TW: organ/blood!
My placenta!
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