The birth of my babies

I have two amazing birth stories to share.  Both natural and unmedicated.  My stories make me proud, not only to be a mother but to be a woman.

 It was Valentine’s Day 2010; I was 39 weeks pregnant with my first. I spend the whole day hoping this won't be a silly cliché love baby (I was single at the time).  So baby waited until 2am on the 15th.

I woke up thinking I wet the bed, but as I got up and the water kept flowing, I knew it was time.  I grabbed my bags, woke my mother, and off we went.

 We got to the birth centre about 02:30; the midwife checked me and decided I needed to get into the birth pool immediately.  Then the contractions started.  At first they weren't that bad, and I joked about them.  But they grew more intense, none the less I handled the pain very good.  By 5am I was so tired and just wanted to sleep.  I got into bed and immediately fell asleep.  By 7am I woke up in allot of pain, they wanted to check on the baby and this and that but I just wanted to get into the water. 

My mother and the midwife helped me to the bathroom, halfway there my knees went weak, and I could hardly walk.  For some reason I got into the bath on all fours. The midwife instructed me to rather sit, and as I sat out popped this blue little thing.  I was in a total daze, and I remember my mom saying: "take your baby". I took it and held it close to my body.  We waited for the cord to stop pulsating, and when she cut the cord my mother took my baby to the room.  I stayed in the bath a few minutes more and birthed the placenta. No tears, hardly any pain. 

The experience was amazing. By 10 am I just wanted to go home. I was tired but felt great. And so my beautiful daughter Cara-Mia was born

Three years later, I was married and pregnant with my second baby. From the moment we found out I was pregnant we knew we wanted a home birth.  We went for two ante natal classes and after that we were even surer that that is what we wanted.  We found a midwife who would assist us at home and who supported our decisions.

On the 28 th of November 2013, I was 39 weeks pregnant. I woke up and when I went to the toilet I noticed a heavy brown discharge.  We had a scheduled appointment with the midwife around 11am, so I just ignored it.  At the midwife I did my usual urine test.  She also noted the discharge.  I could see on her face I wasn’t going to like the news.  Either I had a very bad infection, which needed antibiotics, or I was in labor. 

 Our birth plan strictly stated no internal exams, but I was pretty gatvol and would have been over joyed if baby just came already.  With the internal she discovered I was 5cm dilated.  I read so many birth books, and read so many stories; I knew I could still be in labor for days.  We went home and because I felt fine, I send my husband back to work, promising I would call if something happened.

He came home around 4am, and by then I have started with contractions. Although they were regular they weren't painful at all.  We called both our mothers as they were invited to be present for the birth.  My mother came with her bags packed.  She herself birthed 4 children unmedicated.  By 10pm every one was tired of waiting and we decided to call it a night.  My mother and father in-law went home, and my mom slept in the guest room.

 

I woke up at 4 am the next morning, I just couldn't sleep.  I bounced on my birth ball, read a birth book, and ate two bananas.  By 6am I was gatvol of being alone. I woke my hubby and told him to start filling the birth pool.  I knew it was going to take long, so I decided to just take a normal bath in the mean time.  By then my daughter and mother was also awake.  My mom sat with me while I was in the bath, and her words was "You seem fine; I don’t think baby is coming any time soon".  As I got up to get out a huge contraction over whelmed my body. My mother helped me and I sat on the toilet another huge contraction came and my water broke. The head was crowning.  I couldn’t move but wanted to get to the bed.  As my mother and hubby helped me to the bed my mother literally held the baby’s head, in case he fell out.  I kneeled next to the bed, and with a fourth contraction baby popped out. Born into daddy's hands.  Sometime between the second and third contraction hubby called the midwife.  Needless to say she and the doula was too late.

Our planned assisted home water birth turned into an unplanned, unassisted, dry home birth.

 

And so Ciane Jacob was born, a beautiful baby boy.

I can't wait to birth again, it is so exiting and empowering.