He has arrived! 6/28/12.. our second sun made his grand entrance!
His birth was..an intense experience. Not in the dramatic sense of the word but spiritually invigorating, physically and mentally demanding and emotionally empowering!
Throughout our pregnancy, and even now, the words 'home birth' and 'no midwife' got MANY reactions. From super brave to 'out of my mind', I've heard it all. We both understood how unwavering faith could seem both brave and crazy to some people. So we stuck to our plan, never considered backing out or letting fear change our minds. Watching our love and faith grow and change has been an experience in its own rite. So anywho...We'd just ended a wonderful barbeque dinner with my family. Apparently I was already in labor throughout the evening and didnt realize it. My uncle kept warning me that I would laugh the baby out and that was fine with me....but no such luck. The house cleared out around 10pm..we were in bed by 11...and I couldnt get to sleep for the life of me. I felt like a ball of energy, which I now know was a spiritual signal the birth was imminent. I got out of bed so I wouldnt disturb and swept the front of the house. I found myself having to pee every 1-2 minutes...nothing new to a pregnant woman. Well wouldn't you know, my waters started to flow..not a 'breaking' or burst as i'd expect....a constant "trickle". It was about midnight. I let the king know and jumped right up, to which I said "ummm sir, you have to be to work at 4 am, get your rest, we have time!" He laughed but laid back down as I proceeded to clean the house. My mom had told me a 'sesame seed sweep' would clear the energy in the house so I tried it. Our house is pretty positive most times so I cant tell if it worked or not but I was able to get to sleep afterward. I woke up again at 3 am to fix breakfast and eat a lil something. After getting back in bed and into a deep sleep, I was awakened at around 7:30 by a heavy contraction...my first one. At the same time, our 2 year old decided it was time to start his day. I sat him down with his breakfast and PBS and did some last minute cleaning. I ran a hot tub of water betqeen contractions, they were about 7 minutes apart and getting heavier every time. At about 4-5 minutes apart I sat in the tub...sweet relief! Of course, the toddler wanted to join me, so until I couldnt bear the extra energy, we sat and labored together. Becoming uncomfortably hot is not hard to do in the middle of a New Orleans summer so our water labor only lasted about 10-15 minutes. We got out, got dressed and called daddy. I was now doubled over with the intense squeezing feeling about every 2-3 minutes. Time is definitely relative during labor and childbirth! At about 8:45 we were all laboring together. We gave our big boy (2 y/o) free reign of the front of the house while we labored in the back. He was still an active participant though, moaning and groaning in unison with mommy! It's funny now looking back. I'd set up lots of herbs and incense, essential oils..the whole nine...when the moment came, all I could think of was my body, my babies, and the greatest man in the WORLD telling me I could do it every time I swore I couldnt.....and that I did. I remember saying repeatedly "I cant do this", and wondering if I was dying. I prayed SO much! My spirit I could hear clear in those moments saying "Fear NOT, for the Lord, YOUR God is with you", that was the most comforting thing I've ever experienced. I can say now, having a good man to support me through birth was the greatest tangible gift I could've imagined. Having strong faith that we would get through it was beyond words. When I got to the point of "no return" a small voice said "reach down"...and there it was. I felt his head about to crown. As my king ran to get my 100th cup water, his head crowned...I ROARED....and then I saw his face. Those first moments were magic. Just me and baby. Seconds, or minutes later, my body pushed and he was fully present! I cant read minds but I can guess that a man bringing his child into the world with his own hands is life altering, to say the least. :) Our whole little family stood in the bathroom and marvelled. We had done it! I had done it! As intense as it was, I wouldn't go any other route. After the memory of pains fades out, all that's left is the absolute beauty of the experience. B