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Making Your Birth Experience The Best It Can Be

If there is one thing that is for sure about labor is that it is unpredictable. And for a first time mom-to-be, that feeling of the unknown can be a little scary. To help calm Emily Wieber’s fears, she met with a birth designer from Sanford Health.

I know that not everything always goes according to plan, but I had an idea of how I wanted my experience to be,” says Wieber. “Having a birth designer was an amazing experience. They gave us so much information and helped lay out the perfect experience for my family and I. Even though my labor went a little quicker than expected and I didn’t get to do everything I had wanted, it still made me feel ready for the day.”

The birth designer wasn’t the only person Wieber met with to help her prepare for her big day. She also attended numerous classes offered by Sanford Health and decided to use one of Sanford’s doulas who would be by her side during the birth. A doula is a non-medical birth coach there to help a woman before, during and after childbirth, providing emotional support and encouragement. Women giving birth at Sanford Health receive care from an OB physician and the support of a certified nurse midwife during their hospital stay.

“My husband and I don’t know how we could have gone through such fast, hard labor without her,” says Wieber. “Hannah, our doula, was so very patient, kind and understanding. She even took photos of us in our first moments as a family of three to help us document the day! It was so great to have her there to remind us of different birthing positions and breathing techniques I could use to help with my intense and frequent contractions.”

While Wieber had a fairly uneventful pregnancy, things changed when she had to be induced when she had gestational hypertension at the end of her pregnancy. What could have been a scary situation was eased thanks to her care team.

“The doctors and nurses were great at explaining what to expect and reassured my husband and I that we would be in good hands,” says Wieber. “It was so good to know that the entire team at Sanford’s birth center was close at hand in case we needed them.”

When Wieber arrived for her induction, things moved quickly. After six to seven hours of hard labor, the Wiebers welcomed a healthy baby boy named August.

“It was hard but so worth it,” comments Wieber. “It is a life-changing experience having a baby. I can’t explain how much love I felt for our little family during those first moments after August was born.”

While at the new birthing floor at the Sanford Medical Center Fargo, Wieber also took advantage of the massage therapist, having a photographer take her newborn’s first photos and what turned out to be a brief time in the spa tub.

“I wish I could have been in there longer,” laughs Wieber. “But my labor went too fast for me to enjoy it.”

Now August is almost five weeks old and doing great, and so are Mom and Dad.

“We came in later for another appointment and the staff was so incredibly kind and patient with us,” explains Wieber. “We met with a lactation consultant who helped sort of reassure us that we were doing a good job and that our little one was happy and healthy. And every moment throughout our pregnancy experience, I really felt that the staff was taking care of all of us. People were ready to answer any of our questions even though they probably get asked those same questions over and over again from new parents. But they made us feel special which is something we truly appreciated.”