When David and Corinna Dominy decided to have their baby at home, they had no idea they would be doing it in a setting more like the 19th century than the 21st.
Jude Michael Dominy was born at 5:04 a.m. on Feb. 9 at their home on Long Street, but they had no power yet. It was still out from the storm on Feb. 7.
At about 2 a.m., Mrs. Dominy’s water broke. Mr. Dominy went to work, finding a propane heater and calling the midwives. He scrounged up a heater and two lanterns, but was unable to reach one of the midwives, whose phone wasn’t working with the power outage. He reached the second one, who would need to stop and wake up the other midwife on her way in from Alsea.
“I was actually really close,” Mrs. Dominy said. “It was only a three-hour labor…. which was great under the circumstances.”
By the time the midwives arrived, about 4 a.m., Mrs. Dominy’s contractions were coming three and a half minutes apart.
The midwife from Alsea called from Corvallis at 3:30 a.m. and still had to pick up her partner.
“When they weren’t here and I thought that I was going to be having the baby by myself with David, it was pretty nerve-racking,” Mrs. Dominy said. “When they weren’t here … I was thinking maybe we should just go to the hospital.”
The midwives arrived and started getting what they needed together. They checked the baby and Mrs. Dominy, making sure everything was all right, but there wasn’t much to do but wait as it turned out.
Mrs. Dominy wasn’t really concerned about not having any power.
“It was actually pretty warm, so it was okay,” she said.
“It made for an interesting story,” Mr. Dominy said. “This may seem like another birth to many people, however, others (like myself) would look at this like a blessing from God in the midst of the disaster.”
Jude weighed 8 lbs. 7 oz. and was 23 inches long.
Jude means praise and came from the Bible. His middle name, Michael, which means who is like God, and was used after his father’s brother, Clifford Michael Dominy.
Paternal grandparents are George and Suzanne Dominy of Sweet Home. Maternal grandparents are Keith and Kathy Cantrell of Sweet home and Merideth Allyn of Junction City.
Great grandparents are Janice Dominy of Portland, Ray Cantrell of Sweet Home, Joan Scofield of Sweet Home and Richard Scofield of Albany.
Mr. Dominy is a security guard. Mrs. Dominy is a homemaker.
The Dominy’s had their first son, Titus Allan David Dominy, at home as well. He is 20 months old.
“The only difference is you don’t have immediate attention,” Mrs. Dominy said.
The technological advances of the hospital are not available, Mr. Dominy said.
But the midwives have oxygen and tools for potential procedures available.
“It’s much more relaxing doing it here,” Mr. Dominy said. “You don’t have to pack up and take it over there (to the hospital).”
In-home births also provide more personal attention and more one-on-one time than going through a hospital, Mrs. Dominy said.
Mrs. Dominy already knew her midwife when she had her first son.
“I just wanted to see what it was like at home,” she said. “I liked it so much with Titus, I just decided to try it again. I think it’s a lot easier to screen your visitors…. Also you get to see the baby. They don’t take him away.”