Different Ways to Labor: Finding Your Rhythm at the Birth Center

Different Ways to Labor_BCSO

Different Ways to Labor: Finding Your Rhythm at the Birth Center

 

Every labor is different, and so is every birthing body. That’s why birth centers encourage movement and flexibility during labor. You’re not confined to a bed or attached to machines. You are free to follow your instincts, change positions, and find what feels right. Movement is more than comfort. It’s a powerful tool that can support the natural process of birth.

 

Why Movement Matters in Labor

Staying mobile in labor can make a big difference. Moving around helps your baby find the best position for birth. It uses gravity to help you. This opens your pelvis and supports natural pain relief. Movement can shorten labor, ease intensity, and even prevent interventions. At a birth center, there are no IV poles or cords holding you back. You’re encouraged to move in ways that feel good and help your labor progress.

 

Upright Positions

Standing and walking during early labor can be especially helpful. As your body works to bring your baby down, staying upright encourages progress. You might walk the halls, sway with a partner, or lean over a counter or birth ball. These movements help your baby descend while relieving pressure on your lower back. Upright positions make the most of gravity, which is one of your best tools in labor.

 

Seated and Supported Positions

Not all movement means standing. Sitting on a birth stool can help open the pelvis. It also guides the baby downward, especially during the pushing stage. A birthing ball allows for gentle bouncing, hip circles, and upright resting. Using the toilet or a chair offers familiar support. This natural position boosts comfort and makes the experience more effective. Supported positions help your body work well and provide rest.

 

Hands-and-Knees and Forward-Leaning

This position takes pressure off your spine and sacrum. It’s especially helpful if your baby needs to rotate for a smoother birth. Hands-and-knees laboring can also relieve back pain and give you a break from standing. You can lean over a birth ball, the side of a bed, or even into your partner’s arms. In water or out, this position brings ease and flexibility.

 

Side-Lying or Restful Positions

Sometimes, the best thing to do is rest. Side-lying positions are perfect for conserving energy, especially if labor is long. You’re still in an ideal position for baby to descend, but with less strain. Pillows or your partner can support your legs and hips. This position slows things down. It helps if labor is too fast or contractions feel too strong.

 

Water Labor

Water can be a natural, gentle form of pain relief. Soaking in a birth tub helps your muscles relax and allows freedom of movement. You can float, kneel, sit, or rest in hands-and-knees positions in the water. Warm water relaxes tension, lowers pressure, and brings calm. This helps the body’s natural rhythm.

 

Squatting and Kneeling

These positions open the pelvis and use gravity in the most direct way. Squatting may feel intense, but it can be ideal for pushing. With support from your partner, a squat bar, a sling, or a stool, you can lower yourself into a powerful birthing stance. Kneeling also opens the hips and can be adjusted for comfort with pillows or tub support.

 

Using Tools and Support at a Birth Center

Birth centers are designed for flexibility. You’ll find birth stools, birthing balls, peanut balls, tubs, slings, and more. Your midwife will guide you through position changes, make suggestions, or simply follow your lead. You’re encouraged to experiment and adjust, not forced into one way of laboring.

 

There’s no single “right” way to labor. What matters is what works for your body and your baby. At a birth center, you have the freedom to move, the tools to support you, and a team that honors your rhythm. Trust your body. Trust your instincts. And know that you are supported every step of the way.

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Jami L. Johnson

Staff Childbirth Educator
Since 2010, Jami has passionately advocated for natural childbirth education, leveraging her experience as a Doula, Lactation Counselor, and Placenta encapsulator. Jami is honored to join Birth Center Stone Oak as their staff Childbirth Educator. Jami is committed to lifelong learning. She hopes to advance her education to become a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Her academic achievements include a Master’s degree and a Bachelor of Science. As a military spouse and homeschooling mother of four, Jami’s personal experience with natural childbirth methods enriches her professional role.
Cassie Sewell, Office Manager

Cassie Sewell

Office Manager

Helping others reach their full potential physically, mentally and spiritually is a passion for Cassie. For over 25 years she worked in full time ministry along side her husband running a business, teaching, fund raising and managing hundreds of volunteers.

Near the end of that career she also started caregiving for family members with various illnesses during their time of need. With over 15 years of caregiving experience she has worked with and advocated for both children and adults with a mirage of diseases and ailments.

 

Wellness is an ongoing study for Cassie. She began a journey into Holistic living after her first two children were born knowing it would improve the quality and longevity of life for her family.

Cassie is honored to be a part of Birth Center Stone Oak. Her initial interaction with the center was through her daughter who gave birth here. Working with like-minded women who keep the well-being of their patients at the forefront is inspiring.

 

A Dallas native, Cassie moved to the San Antonio area after her marriage to Jimmy Sewell and together they raised a family of 6 in the San Antonio and Boerne areas. They have been blessed with 8 grandchildren. Their family enjoys camping and hiking with their rowdy bunch any chance they get.

Cindy Lockhart, LM, CPM

Cindy Lockhart, LM, CPM

Midwife

Cindy has been drawn to birth since childhood; one of her earliest memories is of crawling into a culvert to help a laboring dachshund. It’s hard to say how much the dog appreciated the help but the experience started Cindy on the road to birth work. She voluntarily spent many nights labor sitting horses and cattle and couldn’t help but question some of the interventions she frequently saw in ranch life; why did some cows need to have their calves “pulled” while others came trotting out of the woods, calf in tow, having “needed” no human help at all?


These questions grew in significance with the birth of her first child in 1990; a rapid and joyful delivery of a posterior (sunny-side up) baby, born en caul (in the bag of waters). A magical experience that quickly became dramatic when local restrictions limited her midwife’s ability to manage a hemorrhage- a situation that resulted in an ambulance ride and abusive and hostile interaction with hospital staff. The OB involved likely thought he was making a point in favor of hospital delivery for all women but Cindy walked away from the experience strongly believing in personal choice, the importance of well trained and properly equipped midwives, and the paramount importance of access to compassionate and understanding medical care when needed.


Five weeks later she attended her first midwifery training; and though 5 more children, homeschooling and home keeping, multiple moves, and several life upheavals have caused some changes of course, the road always leads back to birth. She started her first apprenticeship in 1991 in Austin and worked with over a dozen midwives in the area, gaining a broad perspective on individualized care.


Interruptions in midwifery were filled with countless years of education in nutrition, early childhood development, physical and occupational therapy, and even a massage license. But no matter what she was trying to do, the calling to support birth in all forms kept knocking. After a particularly long break (2001-2008) a stranger called, stating “Someone told me you could help my goat give birth.” Without hesitation Cindy went. That is a longer story but the short version is, the need for compassionate and adaptable care exceeds limits; everyone deserves it.


Cindy moved to the San Antonio community in 2014 and has served many hundreds of area families. She feels strongly about the principle of a midwife for every woman and the importance of education and has helped to train over a dozen students, many of whom have become practicing midwives. She continues to work toward a supportive birth community where transfers to a hospital (when needed) are met with compassion and respect.


Cindy is very honored to be a part of the Birth Center Stone Oak team and to be serving alongside a diverse group of women while serving so many more.

Amber Gaddy, LM, CPM

Amber Gaddy

Midwife

In 2014, during the pregnancy of her first child, Amber got to experience midwifery care first-hand. The midwives who cared for her and her unborn child during pregnancy changed her life. Their loving guidance showed Amber that she too wanted to be a midwife and be able to offer families the same gentle, supportive care that she received. Following the powerful homebirth of her first child, Amber continued to work as a doula and prepare for midwifery school. She began her formal education in 2018 with Midwives College of Utah and in 2019, began her apprenticeship with the San Antonio Birth Center and four amazing preceptors.

During her apprenticeship, Amber assisted at and was the primary midwife under supervision of over 100 births with SABC. During this time, she also found a moment to give birth to her second baby. In June of 2021, she completed her apprenticeship and, in the fall of 2021, became nationally certified and licensed by the state of Texas. When Amber is not practicing midwifery, she spends time with her two beautiful children and her husband of 9 years, Devon.

Christy Rodriguez Stone Oak_upscale 2

Christina Rodriguez

Office Manager

Christy is a passionate birth doula, animal lover, and artist.  She graduated from Butler University in 2022 with a degree in Psychology.  After worrying that she would never find a job she truly enjoyed, Christy is overjoyed to have found Birth Center Stone Oak. “As the office manager, I have been gifted the opportunity to learn and grow personally and professionally while also forming meaningful connections with great people.” Working in a birth center setting is one step in her dream to pursue career in birth work. Since starting here in March of 2023, Christy has absolutely fallen in love with the clients and staff and can’t imagine herself working anywhere else.

Birth-Center-Stone-Oak-Angela

Angela Gurno, MS, LPC, NCC

Therapist

Working in the counseling field is a blessing to me, as is working with Birth Center Stone Oak. I previously had a private practice here in San Antonio and before that, I was fortunate to have several years experience in a broad variety of mental health and substance abuse settings.

My involvement with Birth Center Stone Oak began in 2012, and is close to my heart, not only because of the excellent work they are doing, but because being a parent myself, I know how important it is to have the right kind of support and understanding through this journey. Due to the change in dynamics within yourself, your family and especially physically to your body, there are sometimes issues that may arise where you need guidance and resources before and after the birth process. Oftentimes we do need help to work through these difficulties in order to rebalance families, enhance our coping skills and thoughts, and increase our ability to enjoy and live life fully.

Birth-Center-Stone-Oak-Angelina

Angelina Artho D.C.

Chiropractor

Angie Artho, D.C. has been a chiropractor for over 10 years and loves to provide natural chiropractic care especially to children and pregnant women. Her specialization has allowed her to see the tremendous healing ability of these young bodies.

Dr. Artho attended Texas A&M University and received her bachelor’s degree in Agronomy in August 1999. After marrying and learning more about chiropractic she decided to pursue this great career and graduated from Parker College of Chiropractic (now Parker University) in January of 2004. Since then she has been delivering loving chiropractic care to countless patients.

She is married to Damian Artho, D.C. (Parker 2003) and has four kids, Allison, John, Nathan, and Aaron. A San Antonio native, she returned home over 4 years ago.

To book an appointment with Dr. Angie call 210-434-5772.

Dr. Angie’s schedule at Birth Center Stone Oak:

1st Monday of the Month 2 – 6 p.m.

The rest of the month are Wed, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Birth-Center-Stone-Oak-Joi

Joi Brock, LM, CPM

Consultant Midwife

After my youngest became more independent, I knew it was time to start preparing for the next stage of my life. I had a strong desire to serve women and to offer services that would support her experience in pregnancy and birth. It was a natural transition to care for women as they traveled their own path of bringing their children into the world.

I began working with expecting families in 1998 as a birth doula, childbirth educator and licensed massage therapist, specializing in maternal and newborn care. In January of 2004 I began my midwifery apprenticeship training and had the amazing opportunity of “catching” first baby!  Upon completion of my educational and clinical training I sat for my national exam, and in February of 2006 received my Certified Professional Midwife certificate.  In June of that same year, received my state licensure as a Licensed Midwife in Texas. From massage therapy to childbirth educator to doula and finally to midwifery – each journey added to the skills and information I could share with mothers and their families; to benefit them as they walked their own path through pregnancy and birth.

Over these years I have attended over 750 births – each being unique and amazing. My philosophy is to return honor, respect and empowerment back to where it has always belonged – to the mother!

Through my journey as a midwife, I knew there needed to be a place for women and their families to have care on their terms – and thus Birth Center Stone Oak was born.  I am honored to be a part of the care families are offered by midwives at Birth Center Stone Oak. It is always a miracle to watch as a woman and her family work together to bring a new life into the world. Their love, commitment and amazing power can be felt at each birth.

  • Licensed Midwife since 2006
  • Nationally Certified Professional Midwife
  • Birth Doula and childbirth educator since 1998
  • Preceptor for the ATM Midwifery Training Program
  • Preceptor for the Midwifery College of Utah
  • Preceptor for North American Registry of Midwives
  • Board Member of the Association of Texas Midwives
  • Lifetime member of San Antonio Area Midwives Association
  • Member of Texas Coalition of Birth Centers
  • Member of American Association of Birth Centers
Jordan Brown, LM, CPM

Jordan Brown, LM, CPM

Midwife

Growing up, I knew I wanted to help others. I wasn’t sure how, but going to nursing school was somewhere I knew I could start. I absolutely loved it and have worked in several areas, each field giving me new inspiration and passion for educating families and their support systems. In 2017 my husband and I welcomed our daughter into the world.when we began our family, I knew we were going to want an out-of-hospital experience, so we sought out the midwives here at Birth Center Stone Oak.

In my 41 weeks of pregnancy, I was more educated about my body and the process of pregnancy than I ever was during my entire nursing education. In 2017 my husband and I welcomed our daughter into the world and then 14 months later we said hello to our son. Each of the pregnancies and births were so different, yet there was consistency in the quality of wisdom and care provided to me and my family.

To say I was inspired is an understatement! I began my apprenticeship here at the birth center in 2019. Since then I am state licensed, nationally certified. I have attended countless births and supported families , attended breech trainings, become a member of the Association of Texas Midwives, and fallen absolutely in love with this “job”.

I believe that birth is a powerful moment, not only in a woman’s life, but for the whole family, and should be given the respect as such. When a woman looks back on this amazing work of birth she has done, it should be filled with memories of empowerment, respect and growth. It is my mission as a midwife to educate, empower, and encourage families as they walk their journey of bringing a new baby into their lives.

Erika Brown, LM, CPM, CLC

Erika Brown, LM, CPM

Clinical Director

After becoming a direct entry midwife in 2006, Erika founded and ran a home birth practice in Ohio for 8 years.  In 2013, she sat for the NARM CPM exam, receiving the credential of Certified Professional Midwife. Her license to practice midwifery from the state of Texas was awarded in 2014 when the decision was made to relocate to San Antonio. Erika’s involvement with Birth Center Stone Oak began in 2017 as a staff midwife and has evolved into being the owner and Clinical Director.

As a midwife, Erika has special interests in VBACs. breech birth, and water birth. She has attended nearly 1000 births. Every midwifery situation is approached with a foundational belief that birth works. Erika works to help parents become strong in knowledge and choice so they can in turn create strong families.  Because Erika believes that each family is unique, she can help you create a custom birth experience you will always remember.

Erika has 6 children ranging in age from 11 to 24 as well as two step children. Five of her children were born at home in water. When not practicing midwifery, Erika likes to spend her free time homeschooling children, attending Taekwondo tournaments, and cooking.

  • 2006 – Graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Michigan School of Traditional Midwifery
  • 2011 – Received breech birth and VBAC training at The Farm Midwifery Center in Summertown, Tennessee
  • 2015 – Sat on the Ad hoc Water Birth Committee for the state of Texas
  • 2019 – Breech Without Borders breech training
  • 2020 – Reteach Breech and Gold Learning Breech Birth
  • 2022 – Certified Lactation Counselor
  • Maintains membership in the Association of Texas Midwives and San Antonio Area Midwives Association