My name is Angelique. I have been with my husband since
2001 and we got married in 2004. We have two sons Marley and Cash who we
birthed with a midwife at South Coast Medical Center in Laguna
Beach. Having my children was the best experience I have ever had
and my life’s purpose changed the very day that I became a parent for the first
time. From that moment on, I knew that I wanted to help families to
achieve their birthing goals and my career had forever changed. I quit
teaching high school and several months later decided with my sister to become a
Holistic Health Practitioner, Massage Therapist, as well a Hypnobabies
instructor and Doula/Hypno Doula.
I want to help with the birthing process,
from the time a couple decides to start a family. It is truly the
most exciting, empowering, and special time in life. My husband and I didn't have childbirth
education and luckily our birth was quick (Marley's birth story is below),
but then I was able to be in Michelle's room when Sunny
was born,(they were born in the same room by
the same midwife only 12 weeks apart from each other) Michelle was so calm and in control and everything seemed so beautiful and natural. Even though I didn't have an epidural, I still wish I would have been as peaceful as she was during her birthing time. She was/is a true inspiration and it was then that I realized that THIS was the childbirth education I was looking for and never found, and therefore chose not to have any.
After the birth of both our children we sought out Hypnobabies so that I could have this birth for my children to come and to share with women who are seeking the same experience for their births. It was then that I realized that although teaching is my passion, it is the subject content that was wrong. My passion isn't in the high school History class after all, but rather teaching Hypnobabies to parents to be where my heart beats true.
I live in Costa Mesa and have three sisters. Michelle and I work together on all fronts. We are both birth assistants for a few midwives in our communities, we are both Doulas, Childbirth Educators, we both work in the office for our midwife BJ Snell, and we are part of the group CABO. For more information on that www.projectcabo.org
My husband is in a Master’s program to be an MFT (Marriage Family Therapist). We are managing to both live out our dreams while supporting each other in our endeavors. Luckily, we have our families nearby to help us out when we need it!
We are truly blessed to have the love and support that we have. We are so lucky to have such tremendous help as we are both pursuing our passions. It is because of our family that we are able to live our dreams! To them we are eternally grateful!! This is what it is all about!
My pregnancy with Marley wasn't the easiest. I was put on partial bedrest from week 16 until week 35. That was a long time to stay put. I had a shortening cervix. Luckily I made it to full term. I went to my midwife when I was 38 weeks pregnant for a normal check up. I was feeling a little discomfort and asked her if she would check me. She was very surprised and told me that my bag of waters was bulging and I was 3 cm dilated and to go to the nearest restaurant and have dinner and walk around for a bit and see what happens. I was so nervous. My husband and I went to BJ's pizza, ironic because our angel of a midwife is also named BJ. I was in awe and couldn't stop crying. And to boot, we weren't expecting this so we had no bags in the car and weren't prepared at all.
After dinner we walked around for an hour in shock that tonight could be the night, it was a Wednesday. We called BJ and she suggested we go to the hospital. WHAT???? So we did. I got checked again, still a 3. Then I went to the bathroom and noticed what I now know was my mucus plug. The nurse suggested that we walk around the hospital for an hour.
Nothing happened and we were sent home.
For the next two days I had mild birthing waves. No big deal but they did keep me on the couch. Unfortunately, Matt and I decided not to do childbirth classes because we couldn't find any that we liked, I was also unaware of Hypnobabies at the time.
I saw on the computer that the full moon was on Saturday at 5:45 am and told my husband, "that is when I will start my true birthing time". I even called Michelle, who was my Doula, and my parents.
Sure enough, 5:30am on Saturday morning I woke up to my water breaking. It was a surreal experience. My husband jumped out of bed and grabbed a towel and told me to go to the bathroom. We sat in the bathroom together and the look on my face must have freaked him out because he just sat so quietly. He called BJ who informed him to relax and call her when my birthing waves were 5 minutes apart for an hour. I got off the toilet and made my way to our bed and had a very strong birthing wave. I told Matt, "we gotta go NOW!!!" I KNEW it was time. AND to boot, we live 35 minutes, with no traffic, from the hospital. So Matt called BJ back and told her we were on our way.
OH my dear husband, this is the funny part of the story. He decides to feed the dog, clean the dishes and wash the windshield of the car at this moment as I am standing there saying "WHAT ARE YOU DOING????" But they get nervous and this is what they do.
On the way to the hospital he was calling everyone and stopping at every red light. I was telling him to just keep going. We got along PCH and the sunrise was so pretty. He put on a Tim McGraw cd and I remember us singing lyrics here and there between birthing waves as we were approaching the hospital.
We parked the car and walked, YES, walked through the entrance of the hospital and a sweet nurse happened to be right there to help us to the LDR (Labor Delivery Room)
I immediately went into the bathroom again and minutes later my midwife was there. She asked me to get into bed so that she could check me and I was already at 9cm and fully effaced.
By 9:14am my beautiful Marley was born.
I thought I was in my birthing time days before he would actually come. Marley was 10 days early so I was convinced that this baby would be the same! It seemed like I was just always having birthing waves.
Luckily I work with my midwife so I was around her a lot.
My due date was March 17th so I was ready any time in March.
On the 20th, I woke up at 3 am to a nagging feeling in my back. I was dreaming that I was getting shot with needles. I finally just woke up and put myself in the bathtub. About 4am I got out of the tub and went in my towel to the living room and sat on the couch. I felt pretty awful.
Matt came out at about 5am because he leaves for work around that time and he asked if I was okay. I assured him that it was probably me just having another bout of “Today’s the Day!!!” syndrome and told him to just go to work.
About 20 minutes later I called Michelle, the world’s best Doula, and told her that I was really uncomfortable. She, too, had been receiving my calls quite a bit at this point.
I noticed that my birthing waves were getting a little stronger. Still, I was able to talk through them and walk through them.
I called my parents to come over just in case Marley woke up because I just couldn’t be the mom that I needed to be at that moment.
My parents came over and by this time I was stuck in the corner of my kitchen. I was really having to concentrate through each birthing wave. I called BJ and talked to her through a couple of birthing waves and then told her I was going to call Matt and wait for him to come home and then head to the hospital.
Matt got home at about 6:30am and we got in his car to make our 35 minute drive to the hospital. My parents were right behind us in their car with Marley.
We got to the hospital at about 7am. I got into the room and was having to really concentrate at this point. I had my IPOD geared with all the Hypnobabies scripts and had some playlists of music for the times that I needed a Hypno-break.
Upon getting into the room I noticed that this birthing time was a lot different than Marley’s.
I couldn’t do anything except stand at the window with my head pressed against the glass.
BJ arrived and wanted to check me. I was at 5cm. GREAT!!!!
They wanted to monitor the baby for 20 minutes and for the life of me I just couldn’t lie in the bed. I couldn’t sit in a chair. All I wanted to do was stand. At this point we are at South Coast Medical Center (which is now closed) and the nurses there are SO great. Brenda, my nurse, sat on her knees on the floor holding the monitor so that I could stay standing at the bed. She is so sweet.
Now it was about 8am and BJ checked me again. I was 8.5cm.
I was having a difficult time and told BJ that I was about to give up and she got me out of bed and into the shower. This was a great place to be because it was in the back corner of the room and somewhat away from everything else. A great tip from my friend Dawn, who is also a patient of BJ’s, was to go in the tucked away shower and just be.
At a certain point I felt that if I went through this without drugs that I was not going to come out the other side as the same person.
I ended up getting an epidural at 9:30 and having my 8.5oz baby boy at 12:51 pm.
I was so disappointed with myself and afterwards really beat myself up about not trusting myself and my birth team more.
Later that day BJ came back to the hospital to check on me and asked me if I had seen my own birth video yet. I hadn’t. She said that Cash was sunny side up, facing my stomach instead of my spine.
NO WONDER!!!!!
When she left I let out a cry of relief. And then I smiled. I had my healthy baby boy in my arms and a birth I enjoyed, even if I did have pain medication. I have to say though that I missed not feeling him come out into the world. I missed the support I had when I birthed Marley. BJ and Michelle had to be so involved with the first birth because I needed them to walk me through everything. With the epidural for my second baby there really wasn’t much for them to do and I truly missed that bonding that happens during this intimate time. I hated not being able to move around because I got the epidural, not only for the birth but for several hours afterwards!...And I hated not being able to feel my own body. I will not have another epidural. I really want my next baby to either be born at home or at the birthing Center that BJ is opening soon!