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Where to watch "Birth Stories"
17. Episode 17
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Elena left Russia nine years ago with her two sons. Her boys are now sixteen and eighteen. She and husband Eric married two years ago and are expecting their first child together, a girl they will name Katarina and call Kitty in honor of Eric's grandmother. Tea and Pablo's baby will have a multicultural lineage. Tea is Persian and Pablo is Mexican. A family celebration before the birth of the baby brings everyone together. Sports enthusiast Mary's water broke at her friend's house, and to avoid ruining her friend's beautiful cream carpet, Mary stood over her empty gym bag! Mary's labor is steady and slow, she endures hours of contractions before requesting an epidural. The painkiller allows her to rest and regain her strength. After several hours of pushing, the medical team recommends the use of a suction device to aid in the delivery. The strategy is successful and a healthy baby boy, with a slight cone head, is born. Rob and Mary are overjoyed to finally meet their child.
16. Episode 16
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Tea and Pablo met in a club. Two months after their first date, the couple married. Now they are expecting their first child. When Tea first found out she was pregnant she had conflicting emotions. Her first ultrasound put everything in perspective and now she and Pablo are overjoyed. Mary and Rob are living in a hotel until their dream home is finished. Construction is behind schedule and they are trying not to stress out about it. Mary teaches high school at the school she attended as a teen. Many of her students are the children of her former classmates. Doris is in early labor at the hospital. Her doctor breaks her water to speed things up. Douglas isn't certain how he's going to hold up, he has a weak stomach and he had a hard time when Nathaniel was born. It's time to push and Douglas is ready to help. Doris gives birth to a baby girl without Douglas fainting but he declines to cut the umbilical cord!
15. Episode 15
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Mary is eight months pregnant and as active as ever. A high school teacher and a natural athlete, Mary doesn't let her growing belly slow her down. When she was thirteen weeks pregnant she ran the Boston marathon. She's put the running on hold for now and hikes, uses the treadmill and lifts weights when she can. Husband Rob is also active and the couple enjoy a round of golf together. Doris was a single mom to daughter Olivia when she met Douglas. Douglas took to fatherhood immediately and considers Olivia his own. A family outing to look for used baby furniture yields little results. Deanne is at home and in labor. Things are advancing rapidly and well. Her luck runs out when it's time to push. She tries unsuccessfully for three hours to push her baby out. The mid-wives announce it's time to go to the hospital, an exhausted Deanne and supportive husband Jaime, concur. After an epidural and some rest, Deanne tries to push again. But the baby isn't budging. The doctors suggest a c-section as the safest way to deliver the baby. Deanne and Jaime agree and soon their son is born. It's not the natural home birth the couple planned but mother and child are both healthy.
14. Episode 14
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Doris and Douglas are expecting their second child; Suzanne's contractions are taking a toll on her.
13. Episode 13
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Deanne and Jaimie are expecting their second child. Deanne's first labor and delivery was long and difficult. This time, they are going to use hypnotherapy to get through it. Jaimie is slightly skeptical but he's supportive of Deanne's decision. This is Suzanne's first baby, she's in her mid-thirties and everything about pregnancy feels unfamiliar to her. After a difficult night, they go to the hospital to check the baby's heart rate. Suzanne is worried, the baby hasn't been moving much. The doctors check the baby and everything is fine. After another scare, they wind up in the hospital again and are offered an induction, which they turn down. Carly and Mike's third child is on the way. Carly is having the baby at home even though she knows it's big. Her labor starts in the middle of the night and Carly manages it like a pro. Carly makes it look easy to give an all-natural birth to a 10 pound baby.
12. Episode 12
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Carly and Mike plan to have their third baby at home; Nikki welcomes her healthy baby boy.
11. Episode 11
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Carly is expecting her third child and is treating herself to a spa day. She and husband Mike almost didn't have children. Before having children, the couple sought counseling to ensure their relationship was solid and ready to sustain the arrival of a family. Nikki and David's baby had a scary first trimester, during a routine ultrasound doctors found a potential genetic problem. More testing was ordered and in the end the baby was fine. But Nikki is still worried and won't be satisfied until her son is in her arms. David is worried about Nikki, he takes good care of her. Janice's blood pressure is really high and her doctors order a c-section. Everything is more serious given that Janice is forty-two. She's relieved that her pregnancy is almost over but mourns the fact that she won't be able to deliver the baby vaginally. She and Kevin prepare for the surgery and baby Grace is born without complications. Janice and Kevin introduce Grace to her two big brothers.
10. Episode 10
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David and Nikki are crazy about each other. Nikki has a 12 year old daughter, and didn't want any more children until she met David. David really wanted a child and now they are expecting a baby boy. Originally from California, Nikki moved to Toronto ten years ago when her daughter Hayley was a baby. She's proud of her accomplishments but slightly concerned about financial stability these days since her business just went bankrupt. Before running the lodge, Janice was a successful artist. She doesn't have much time to paint anymore, her job is too demanding. Fatherhood is Kevin's second big challenge in the past two years. His first was learning how to co-manage the lodge. Janice's health is a concern for her doctors, her blood pressure is rising and her baby is getting big. Jenny and Paul are at the hospital, Jenny's water broke and she's being induced. To counter her fears, Jenny is wearing a Japanese good luck charm and her lucky socks! Her labor progresses quickly and she delivers her daughter without a hitch. Their daughter is born on Father's Day, a special gift for Paul. The baby's minor kidney defect will have to be treated with antibiotics but overall, the baby is healthy.
9. Episode 9
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Janice and Kevin met on-line. The thirteen year age difference and the fact that Janice has two adolescent boys, didn't matter. After the dog ate Janice's oral contraceptive pills, she wound up pregnant. Janice manages a beautiful lakeside lodge where Kevin works as the handyman. They all live in two rooms in the back of the lodge. Paul bought Jenny a home Doppler machine to listen to the baby's heartbeat. Plagued by serious anxiety over losing the baby, Jenny can't believe something so wonderful is happening to them. She feels undeserving. But she's coming around and even starts putting away the baby clothes and lets Paul assemble the crib. They continue to consult with specialists regarding the exact condition of the baby's kidney. It's the eve of Lynette's c-section and she's nervous. She's never had surgery before and she's never had a baby before, so she's feeling anxious about what lies ahead. Once in the hospital, her procedure moves along smoothly and soon the couple is holding their baby, who weighs almost 11 pounds!
8. Episode 8
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Lynette and Chris moved from Newfoundland to downtown Toronto. They love the downtown scene and feel at home in the urban jungle. But a baby is on the way and so is a move to the suburbs. The couple is miles away from home and misses their family. Lynette has gestational diabetes and is having a big baby, so her doctors recommend a c-section. Jenny and Paul are getting married. Jenny had a hard time finding a wedding dress that conformed to her pregnant figure. The morning of her wedding, surrounded by her bridesmaids, Jenny announces the doctors have detected a slight problem with one of the baby's kidneys. Now she has something very real to worry about. Kim is in labour and she's dealing with the pain as best she can. A home birth rules out painkillers. The midwives and husband Wesley are helping her to manage the pain. Kim decides that a walk up and down her street in the middle of night is exactly what she needs. Kim handles the final contractions like a pro and gives birth to her baby girl in her own bedroom.
7. Episode 7
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Jenny runs a gourmet catering business from her home. This is her first pregnancy and it's been a challenge. She experienced a lot of nausea at the beginning and some of the cooking smells really got to her. Jenny plans to be back at her stove a couple of days after her baby's birth. Meanwhile, she's grappling with serious anxiety regarding her baby's health. Jenny refuses to unpack the baby clothes she bought, for fear she might jinx her pregnancy. Husband Paul, isn't allowed to prepare the nursery, and he's feeling frustrated by her paranoia. Kim and Wesley come from different backgrounds. Both sides of the family needed time to adjust to the interracial couple. At first, the fact that Wesley was dating Kim who was a single mother was hard for his Indo-Canadian parents to accept. It's in the past now and the families enjoy each other's company. Kim is expecting a girl, and is worried that her daughter will suffer like she did when she was young. Kim was victim of serious name-calling, which damaged her self-esteem. Katie and Bruno's baby's birth is induced and is born without complications. Their infant daughter has a small kidney defect which will require regular medical attention, but she'll be fine. Katie and Bruno and their other three children welcome the newest member of their family.
6. Episode 6
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Katie and Bruno are expecting their fifth child; Lyall prepares a room for the home birth.
5. Episode 5
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Katie and Bruno are expecting their fifth child. Their third baby died immediately following birth from kidney failure. The impact of losing a child has had a profound effect on the family. During a routine ultrasound, the doctor reassures the couple that baby #5 is healthy and its kidneys are functioning properly. To make ends meet, Katie operates a second hand children's clothing store and works part-time as a fitness instructor. Lyall feels that the mid-wives are using scare tactics to get the couple to agree to a hospital birth and prepares a room for the home birth. Lisa on the other hand, has accepted that a hospital birth is the safest route. However, now she has also been told to prepare for a possible c-section. It's a second blow to her birth plan. Mariam goes in for induction and after a long labor is finally ready to push. Her doctor is concerned about the progress and is keeping an eye on the baby's heart rate. Finally, he opts to use a vacuum to facilitate the baby's delivery. In no time at all, a healthy baby girl is born much to the delight of her parents!
4. Episode 4
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Mariam and Joe are tickled pink about becoming parents. It wasn't supposed to happen, Joe has a problem with his sperm. As a young medical student, Mariam is busy. But Joe takes good care of her, he even gives Mariam the injections she needs to control her gestational diabetes. Their baby is big and Mariam is being induced on her due date. Her obstetrician also happens to be one of her medical professors. Lisa and Lyall visit the local hardware store to pick up supplies for the home birth of their second child. After her latest exam, their mid-wives recommend moving the birth to the hospital. Lisa's baby is large and she had a c-section with her first, which increases the risk of her uterus rupturing. Lyall is disappointed and angry, he feels the mid-wives have suggested this change too late in the game. Lisa however, is more pragmatic and considers the change of venue. Kim and John's fourth baby is on its way! At the hospital, the doctor jump-starts Kim's contractions. Once they kick in, Kim receives an epidural. Feeling better, she settles into the job at hand, but not without giving her husband John a hard time in the process! She gives birth to a healthy baby girl, and she and John are friends again.
3. Episode 3
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Lisa wants a home birth; Kim and John have their hands full; Isabelle is being induced.
2. Episode 2
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Stephaney and Frank are expecting triplets; Isabelle and Zach; Jana and Scott's financial burden.
1. Episode 1
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Stephaney and Frank are expecting triplets - no explanation, no history of multiple births in the family. But three little ones are on the way _ two boys and a girl. That's a lot of babies for this 22 year old, first time mom. Stephaney is scheduled for a c-section, but four weeks before the date she goes into labor and the procedure is moved up. Three healthy but premature babies are born and whisked to the neo-natal unit before Stephaney and Frank can hold their children. Isabelle and Zach have been together for fifteen years. Now, in their mid-30s, they're expecting their first child _ and it's time for a big lifestyle change. Both have been working for years in the television and film production industry. Isabelle has quit her job, the hours were killing her. Their biggest concern _ they've been a couple for so long, they aren't sure what impact a child will have on their relationship. Jana has two daughters from a previous relationship and a son with her partner Scott. The couple is expecting their fourth child. Scott has embraced his role as stepfather and father. But the couple is anxious about the financial burden of such a large family. Jana is bracing herself for her fourth c-section, being a surgical nurse doesn't ease her anxiety about the looming surgery.
