Tayo’s Birth Story

A redemption, A surrender, A victory!

When I found out I was pregnant with baby number three, Chris and I both knew this experience had to be different from our hospital births with our first two boys. We immediately began searching for a midwife in our area.

When I first reached out to Jordan, she kindly responded but let me know January was already full. My heart sank. I prayed and surrendered it, telling myself, “whatever is meant to be, will be.” Not long after, she emailed again and said that if my due date was toward the middle or end of January, she felt she could take me. That moment felt divinely orchestrated.

We scheduled a consultation and instantly knew that a home birth, especially with this team, was the right choice for our family. We were incredibly blessed to find an office that truly caters to families, offering comprehensive, supportive care under one roof.

We enrolled in childbirth classes (very different from the hospital ones we had previously taken!) and they completely changed our mindset. The education, preparation, and empowerment we gained were invaluable. I truly believe every expecting family should take a birth class like this and consider hiring a doula, whether planning a hospital or home birth.

Before this pregnancy, I didn’t fully understand the difference between a midwife and a doula. After our classes (taught by an amazing doula), we realized how important it was to have continuous emotional and physical support. If we were committing to a home birth, we wanted to feel fully supported and prepared.

Another major difference this pregnancy was weekly chiropractic care. Staying aligned helped ensure baby was in an optimal position and supported my body tremendously throughout pregnancy and labor.

With my first son, I was induced at 41+ weeks. I desired a natural hospital birth, but after 32+ hours of an intense induction and nearly an emergency cesarean, he was delivered vaginally with forceps assistance. While we were grateful he arrived safely, it was a physically and emotionally difficult experience.

With my second son, I agreed to an induction at 39 weeks after being told there was a possible concern on ultrasound. Without asking further questions or seeking clarity, I trusted the recommendation. That birth lasted over 17 hours and left me once again feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the process.

A Different Path

With Tayo, everything felt peaceful and unrushed. At 41 weeks, I visited maternal fetal medicine to ensure baby and I remained low risk and safe to proceed with our home birth. Everything looked perfect. We were cleared to continue.

At 41 weeks and 3 days, mild contractions began around midnight. They quickly intensified, and my birth team came to our home. For the first time in my life, I fully trusted my body and allowed it to do what it was created to do.

By 5:30 a.m., after approximately five hours of labor, our sweet boy was born.

The pain was wild, there’s no sugarcoating that. But I would choose this birth again without hesitation. The peace, the control, the trust, the empowerment , it was worth every sensation.

A Personal Victory

Confession: For much of my life, I’ve felt like I didn’t always follow through on goals or give things 100%. When I reached 41 weeks again, fear started creeping in. I worried I would “end up induced” again.

But this time, I stayed the course.

For the first time in my life, I fully committed to something that felt impossible, and accomplished it. I trusted myself. I trusted my body. I trusted my team.

That feeling alone was life-changing.

The Recovery

Recovering at home immediately after birth was incredible. No IVs. No hospital stay. No swelling from fluids. No epidural back pain. Just rest, bonding, and peace in our own space.

And a little humorous confession…to anyone who says, “I had an epidural and felt everything and it didn’t work!” … trust me. It worked. 😂 After experiencing an unmedicated birth, I can confidently say the epidural absolutely does something!

Introducing…

Tayo Nikolaos Andreas Lester

January 23, 2023

9 lbs 2 oz

22 inches long

“Tayo” means worth joy or boy full of happiness and he is exactly that. 

We are blessed beyond belief.

Our Incredible Birth Team

Midwife: Jordan Miles – With Women Midwifery

Midwife Student: Kendra Carnley

Doulas & Childbirth Educators: Angela & Sadie – Mama’s Friend Birth Services

Placenta Encapsulation & Tincture: Angela – Mama’s Friend

Chiropractic Care: Dr. Jessica – Family First Chiropractic

Naturopathic Support: Sadie Pipkin, ND

Lactation Support: Nourish Lactation Services LLC

This birth was more than bringing a baby into the world.

It was redemption.

It was healing.

It was surrender.

It was victory. 💙