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Birth Stories
Leo Blue
Water birth
Born lovingly in his home on 6-3-07 at 6:33 pm
9 pounds 4 ounces and 22 inches long
I had the pleasure of taking Friday morning classes (and a few Saturdays) with Mary Jo. I have had the entire summer to watch our baby grow and reflect on Leo’s birth. I now share my birth experience with you all, a wonderful, strong community of women, who are all connected through yoga, pregnancy and birth.
I awoke at 3 am with a start. I lay in our bed listening to the rain steadily coming down wondering why I was suddenly awake. As the moments passed I felt a reverberation that started in my hips and flowed over my baby, squeezing and hugging us. Oh, that’s why I’m awake, I remember thinking, today is the day I’ll have our baby. The surges came very consistently every ten minutes and after twenty minutes or so, I was wide-awake. I didn’t wake up my husband or five-year-old son as I left the bed with my precious secret. I engaged in a flurry of activity: vacuuming, cleaning, last minute laundry, dishes and created a grocery list for my husband. I reread all of my birth affirmations one by one while taking in long, deep breaths (Childbirth brings more aliveness to me). All the while, I was having consistent, mild contractions that continued to come ten minutes apart. I walked through these sensations, realizing that with each uterine surge my body was opening up to birth my baby (With each breath I let go to receive my baby).
At 6 am I called Nancy to let her know what I was up to. My contractions were coming every nine-ten minutes with the same intensity and rhythm. Nancy suggested I eat breakfast and go back to bed. I was to call her at around 11 am to give an update. I then called all of the grandparents and shared my secret: today is the day! As I crawled back into bed with excitement and lots of energy, I whispered to my husband, Cristian, “Our baby is going to be born today.” The rain continued to come down and soothed me as I lay, attempting to sleep. When Roman, our son, woke up at 8am, I shared our secret with him. He squealed with delight and wondered when Nancy would arrive. I rested, but never really went back to sleep.
At 11 am I called Nancy and gave her the update that my contractions were consistent, steady and building in strength. They coming every eight-nine minutes apart and I was able to breathe through them without much effort. Our family arrived, began preparing food and shared in the excitement. Nancy requested that I call her at 4 pm unless I needed to call her sooner.
At noon I moved to our bedroom, no longer wanting to talk and walk, but desiring to be in the space that we created to have our baby. While soft music played I found leaning over the birthing ball and gently swaying my hips to be very comfortable. My husband rubbed my lower back and offered kind, gentle words of encouragement. Deep, long moans, with every exhalation signaled to my baby that it was safe to begin moving further down into my pelvis (I breathe fully and freely and let go). The contractions were building in strength, coming about every six-seven minutes apart. I began to feel low back pressure with each contraction. Our family and son were free to wander in and out of our birth space to check in and be present. We had spent a lot of time preparing our family members about birth sounds and birth work (Nancy terms) so that Roman would feel comfortable with the birth process. Nancy and I had talked about what a gift it would be to give our son Roman the opportunity to witness birth as a normal, natural, family event.
Between 2:30 and 3 pm my contractions began coming every six to five to four minutes apart. At 3 pm I called Nancy and shared with her my progress. As we were on the phone, I had a long contraction that required much focus, breathing and moaning to get through (My body will guide me in labor. I will trust it. I will not resist it; rather I will surrender to it). Nancy remarked that the contraction was a strong one and that my body was crossing over into active labor. Nancy requested that I call her in thirty minutes. Within the next thirty minutes my contractions began to get closer together, every four to five minutes apart. My exhalations continued to be long and deep with moans that helped to open my cervix further (I am helping Leo to feel safe so that he can be born). At this point in my labor, I found myself standing up holding onto the bar in my closet while slightly squatting. When I called Nancy at 3:30 pm, the contractions were four minutes apart. Nancy reported that she and Therese were on their way.
At 4 pm Nancy and Therese arrived. They swiftly set up the birth supplies, prepared the bed and checked in with me. The birth tub had been filled with water and I was eager to get in. Nancy listened to Leo’s heartbeat and quickly checked my cervix. I was dilated between 7 and 8 cm and was free to get into the tub! What an incredible feeling it was to submerge myself into warm water. The water helped me to further relax (My cervix is soft and ripe like the rosebud). At some point during labor, Leo had turned posterior in my pelvis. Nancy explained that when you get in the water at almost 8 cm, complete dilation occurs very quickly. However, due to Leo’s posterior position, I did not get to 10 cm right away. While in the water, I assumed a squatting position in an effort to open up my pelvis. I labored in the water for one hour and a half before I needed to go to the bathroom. Roman visited us frequently when I was in the tub. He brought toys from his bathtub to float in the water and also a pitcher to pour water over me. He rubbed my forehead and hair while telling me he loved me. Roman proudly asserted that his brother would be born soon. When I returned from the bathroom, Nancy suggested that I get into the polar bear position on the bed. During each contraction, Nancy pushed on my sitting bones to help Leo turn. I stayed in this position for thirty minutes. This was a very intense part of my labor as the pressure was strong in my back and I was moving closer to 10 cm.
At 6 pm a cervical check revealed that I was complete! Nancy also reported that Leo had turned anterior and I was free to push. I got back into the water and waited for my body to feel the urge to push. I felt a strong urge to push and Nancy guided me to listen to my body. I assumed a squatting position and leaned back onto my husband. I pushed with all my strength as I hoped to help Leo descend into the birth canal. My moans turned into roars as I remember feeling like a bear giving birth (I am strong enough for this). I remember thinking that my pushes weren’t very productive and were very difficult.
All of our family members were now assembled around the tub. Roman’s excitement was mounting as he asked Nancy for an explanation of what was happening. Nancy reported that Leo was going to be born soon and that his head was crowning. Nancy asked Roman if he wanted to feel his brother’s head and took his hand in hers and placed it on Leo’s head. “He has a lot of hair”, Roman exclaimed. Nancy guided me to slow down my pushing and pant through several contractions. After Leo’s head was out, Nancy instructed me to lean back as Leo floated out into the water with the next push. At 6:33 pm, Leo was born into this world. Leo had turned posterior again and was born looking up at all of us with his arms stretched out to the sides. His eyes were wide open under water. “He’s a stargazer”, said Nancy, a term given to babies born posterior. I lifted up Leo and placed him on my chest. “Welcome water baby”, I whispered. “You did it Mama!” shouted Roman. Shortly thereafter my placenta was delivered. Roman remarked, “Wow, what a big placenta!” I then got out of the tub, still holding our new baby and nestled into my bed. Our family is forever changed by the profound, beautiful and sacred experience of birth in our home.