My second baby was due before Christmas, December 20th. My first baby was born at home after a 45hour labour. Many people are shocked that I was allowed" to labour for "so long", but I found the labour an amazing experience further enriched by being at home. When i fell pregnant with my second child I had no doubt as to where I would give birth and whom I would have to care for me and catch my baby.
As with my first child, I employed the services of our much loved Midwife, Judy. For the months leading up to the birth, Judy would come to our home, sit down for a cuppa and a chat and measure my belly in amongst the flurry of everyday family life. Serren would love these visits and anticipate the time of listening to the baby's heartbeat with the Doppler, excitedly!
Christmas came and went with much disappointment from my part. When was the baby going to come?
How much longer will I be pregnant? Why do I have to be overdue? Through all of this Judy kept up her visits, reassuring me, suggesting different ways to get things moving, and checking that the baby was
happy. And of course the baby was happy; it was in a warm, comfortable and in a wet womb!
Finally, 9 days after my due date I rang my naturopath in desperation to try and kick start labour. She suggested a homeopathic called caulophyline (double strength) and mugwort tea (2hrly). Soon after I started taking the pilules my practice contractions started to become regular. This continued all day. They didn't hurt so we continued with our day. I stopped taking the homeopathics at around 6pm and the prelabour tightenings continued. This was great! I really felt like things were moving and that we might actually get to see our baby some time soon.
Yes! I phoned my support people, Mum and Rochee, and arranged for them to come over and to bring some food. I was getting hungry and true labour could be hours away. I tried phoning my friend Kiz, but when I received no answer I remembered that she'd gone to the beach for the day. This made me a bit sad but I was sure I'd get onto her a bit later when she returned. (We tried ringing a couple more times that night with no answer. Sadly, she didn't hear the phone until 9am the next day). I also rang Judy. She said I sounded good and to ring her back when I needed her. I loved the fact that she trusted me to know when needed her. i felt so strong.
That night was spent watching TV, talking, laughing and rubbing my back. At about I Opm I had a bath. It really relaxed me. Serren was in bed asleep and so after I had finished my bath, I thought I'd join her, much "' to everyone's surprise (and probably disappointment). I was in bed and asleep by I I pm. I slept soundly, only stirring for a few stronger contractions.
Then at exactly 3am I was awoken by what can only be described as pressure inside my vagina. I remember thinking "do I need to go to the toilet or what?" Then my waters broke. I leapt out of bed and the waters flooded the floor. At the same time I called out to Wayne, (whom was still more asleep than awake), to "get the towels, now!!Poor Wayne, by the time he got back I was giggling my head off as much at the sight of him butt naked with a hand full of nappies, as at the thought of what I must look like! And, the baby was coming!
My contractions started 15 minutes later and quickly grew closer together until they were 3-5 minutely. My support people (Mum and Rochee) were up and doing everything they were asked to. "Rub my back ... harder ... hot nappy ... NOW! HOTTER!") They were amazing. Especially at that time of the morning. Wayne rang Judy at about 3.30am. She asked to speak to me and after hearing me through a couple of contractions, she thought she'd better come over. Good. I was glad.
After this things started to get a bit hazy for me. I know that Serren got up at about 4.30am to go to the toilet. I can imagine what she was thinking when she saw her lounge room full of people at that time of morning! I was really glad she was awake, though, as she gave me the focus I needed to concentrate on the powerful contractions that were rippling through my body. I went to the toilet to empty my bladder and Jude suggested I jump in the shower. Bliss! The hot water streaming down my back was awesome, melting the pain away.
After half an hour or so, Jude suggested we fill up the bath. I was on the floor of the shower anyway so I put in the plug. Wayne climbed in with me, to support me from behind. As the waters rose, the pain of the labour changed. Soon I was drifting off in between the contractions. I was almost asleep at times but the now familiar build up to the contraction, the waves, quickly awoke me and brought me back to this worId. I was aware of all my loved ones in the room and treasured their presence. I was truly at one with the baby at this time. It was like we were both in that ethereal world working together, and only through working together could we complete our journey back to this plane. It was incredible.
I could feel her moving down the birth canal. I hardly pushed as she was doing all the work herself. She craved to be born as much as Wayne and I craved to see her. Judy sat at the end of the bath and did her finest, encouraging us, reassuring us and just being, with us. She could see our baby's head and showed me in the mirror. I watched our baby crown and emerge from my body so gently and peacefully. She didn't make a sound. Judy caught her in her arms and placed her across my belly. It was 6.55am.
We named her Bellah Rene Alice Glenn and she weighed a hearty 91 b 10 112 ozs. Bellah is indigenous for the Crimson Bottlebrush. It is also Italian for 'beautiful'. Rene is Wayne's grandmother's name and Alice is my grandmother's middle name. She didn't cry for weeks after her birth.
It's only since she has turned 8 months old and separation anxiety has set in that she has really learnt to cry at all. Sometimes I think that it is just her temperament to be so placid and sometimes I wonder whether her birth played a big role in shaping her personality. Whatever; we love our little Bellah Bean.
My Midwife
My midwife is close to my heart and embedded in my special memories. My midwife shared one of my most intimate moments, the birth of our second child. She shared the moments throughout labour when there were times of self doubt, unexplainable pain and feelings of not being able to go on.
She shared the days beforehand of prelabour, when others doubted my body's ability to birth naturally.
She shared the early days of my pregnancy with neverending sickness and the grief of babies lost.
She shared the joys of first felt kicks, heartbeats and movements.
She shared past birth experiences and ways to make this time different. She shared many hours preparing for the birth of our baby, getting to know our family and helping us to prepare for this new life stage.
She shared our fears, goals and aims.
She shared her knowledge, skills, experience and resources. And together we planned for the labour and birth.
Throughout my labour, I was surrounded by people to offer support, wisdom and strength. I felt embraced in a cocoon that was warm, calm and comforting. I laboured at home in water, just as we had planned,
with my midwife, partner, daughter and support people surrounding me. All this helped me focus on the task at hand, the labour and birth of our second child.
Everytime I opened my eyes I saw the face of my midwife, intuitively knowing when and what support I needed She offered guidance,encouraging words and reassurance that my body was able to birth our child naturally.
With the support of our midwife, my partner delivered our second daughter. Ourfirst daughter witnessed the gentle and calm birth of her sister and cut her cord.
The moment of birth was exhilarating and the elation of holding my daughter's wet slippery body just moments after birth, so powerful and memorable. Our midwife through her faith, wisdom and guidance
helped create this moment. This moment of purejoy and happiness.
Our midwife offered strength and support into the night and in the days that followed the birth and continues to offer support.
The feelings of overwhelming love, happiness and joy I feel when I remember our birth, from thefirst night in our own bed snuggled as afamily, and every time I look into my daughter's face are magical.
Ifeel so privileged that I was so powerful in creating, nurturing and birthing our baby and everything went just the way we planned
My midwife is close to my heart and embedded in my special memories, not only because she shared one of our most intimate moments and helped to create a birth that was everything we dreamed of, but because she shared thejourney.