Birth Story: Susan Kowalske

Baby Repete arrived at 12:38am on February 5, 2010, with Daddy on the speakerphone and Crunch Granola's fabulous Jennie at my side as our Doula.

After my 41 week appointment, I was feeling the same few mild contractions I'd felt after the last two appointments with membrane stripping. My husband, Ryan is in the US Coast Guard and was out to sea, so I called Meghan, a friend across the street, we had a glass of wine and sat down to watch Grey's Anatomy.

After the show, I took a shower, to see if these contractions were real, but I still hadn't timed them and I wasn't worried. My first took about 36 hours from the first noticable contractions, and these contractions were no big deal. The shower slowed them down, so I called my friend Kelly (who had promised back up to let her know we weren't having a baby tonight, told Meghan I'd see her tomorrow and started in on laundry and cleaning. Too bad the contractions came back with a vengeance!

At 11pm, I still couldn't decide if this was for real or if it could wait until the morning so I didn't disturb my sleeping toddler, Pete. I called the birth center, the midwife asked me to come in to get checked. I called Ryan (out on the boat) to let him know I was going in to get checked. He said there's nothing he could do, they were out on a search and rescue call but to give him a call if they admitted me. I called Meghan to take me and my toddler to the birth center and called Jennie.

We arrived at the birth center at 11:50pm. I called Kelly and she came to pick up Pete and took him back to her house. I was checked in at 6cm, monitored for 15 minutes. Jennie ensured all my birth plan wishes were honored, because I was in no state to think about the birth plan we had written together. I barely had time to use our planned pain management techniques, but I was able to get in the tub, and 2 pushes later arrived my fat little baby at 12:38am without so much as a Tylenol. He was 10 POUNDS 6 OUNCES! 21 inches long.

We had to wait for Ryan to return home 18 hours later to officially name our new baby BOY, but decided on Chester after Ryan's grandfather.

Thank you thank you thank you to Jennie, Kelly and Meghan for all your help. This further proves Karma's a bitch. I mean, who needs a backup plan, after all, it's not like I'm going to go into labor so fast I barely have time to get to the hospital...


I was so honored to be part of "Chet's" birth. Susan was absolutely amazing! My very first birth as a "doula in training." Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of such a very special moment! xo Jennie