My first birth!

I had had an easy, healthy pregnancy. I felt beautiful and giant and sore and lovely all at the same time. Time crept on as it always does, and I found myself at 41 weeks pregnant, wondering if I might be pregnant forever! I remember going for a walk that day and frustratedly taking a seat on a rock by our creek. My trusty dog, Nora, came and sat annoyingly close to me. I wondered aloud to her if she knew something I didn’t…. I believe she did!

That evening around 10:30, I was in bed and felt suddenly like I needed to stand up. As I began waddling to the bathroom, I felt and heard a “pop”, and looked down in time to see a splash of fluid. My water? I am really having a baby?!

We anxiously called the midwives to let them know. Knowing I was a first time mother, they encouraged me to try to rest and gather strength before the big finale. I agreed, although any mother knows that lying down to rest while birth is near is almost impossible!

I was only able to rest for about an hour before my contractions were too painful to work through while laying down. I quietly got up, as to not wake a sleeping husband, and headed to my bathroom. I labored in there for another hour or so, alone, wondering what the heck I had gotten myself into. Surely birth couldn’t get more intense than this?

I woke my husband up around 12, asking him to stay with me. I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious. He called the midwives again to let them know what was going on. Again, they assumed my labor would be longer than this, so they encouraged me to move around and try different positions, but assured me that they would be on their way shortly. This was about 1:30am. My husband was quickly throwing things together, getting the pool filled up, taking care of all the things, when I suddenly yelled for him. I needed him NOW! I was still in the bathroom, laboring on the toilet. Knowing what I know now, this certainly didn’t help to slow things down! Not long after he joined me, I told him baby was about to be born. In as kind a voice he could muster, he told me that he didn’t see a head. (Lol!) My husband, calm and collected, reminded me not to scream, but to put my energy towards pushing. Shortly after, baby’s head was born! It wasn’t but a moment later that his slippery little body flew out into my husband’s arms. We did it! We looked at baby and at each other in awe for a few moments, as the world stood still until I suddenly remembered that we needed to check the time! 2:10am. Just under 4 hours since my water had broken. It was shocking, exhilarating, wonderful, unforgettable.

The midwives arrived shortly afterwards and got us all situated and cared for. That first shower postpartum almost felt like I was on another planet!

From that moment, I was hooked. I asked the midwives the very next day what it would take for me to become a midwife. While I’m not there yet because I know that being at home with my children is the most important work, I pray that the Lord might open doors for me to pursue it in the future. Birth is incredible!