With my first child, I had an old male doctor who came from the era where if you had a Cesarean Section once, you had one again. I was also young and uneducated about giving birth. This birth was C-section.

I went through long, irregular back labor and my daughter was not in a position to come out. I had my mom and her boyfriend for support but they were not all that helpful. They basically just watched since they did not know what to do. It was a bad experience and kind of scarred me emotionally.

Having my son was a new experience for me. I wanted to be in charge of my birth and do what women were created to do. I wanted to heal the wounds of my bad birth experience. I wanted to have a vaginal birth after C-section (VBAC) with no drugs. I decided to have a midwife and doula, and educated myself on pregnancy and birth.

I realized I was in labor on Saturday morning. I sat at home with my doula and sister-in-law until about 6 p.m. When I got to the hospital, I was 4 centimeters dilated. I was checked as little as possible by the staff. This birth wasn't as medical as my first birth; it was more natural (I hope you understand what I'm trying to say). I was allowed to move around, use the birthing ball and chair, and sit in a tub. The doula and my husband were great with helping lessen the pain and helping me with breathing.

I did have a vaginal (with no tearing or episiotomy and I recommend perineal massage) and drug-free birth like I wanted. My son came at 3:06 a.m. on Sunday. He was 8 pounds, 15 ounces and 20 inches long.

It was a beautiful and spiritual experience. I think I could go through this again someday. This experience has also inspired me to want to become a doula and maybe even a midwife someday. Thanks for reading my story. I hope it has been reassuring to women who would like to have a VBAC or anyone who is interested in natural childbirth.