My First Birth
Jody’s Birth excerpted from the book from Spiritual Midwifery
6 months pregnant, 1974
When Cara came she said it looked like I would be an easy baby-haver and she was expecting a good birthing. That really made me feel good and I agreed with her.
My rushes were five minutes apart and I was two and a half centimeters dilated when Cara came. She called two other ladies to come. When they got there they gave me an enema. I was sure glad of it, too.
Cara left. Denise and Carol let Douglas and me be alone and tell each other how much we love each other and get some energy happening. From time to time Carol or Denise would come and check to see how dilated I was.
I got to four or four and half centimeters and then didn’t seem to change much. I didn’t realize it then, but I think I was just waiting for Cara to come back.
I was surprised at how fast time was passing. I kept thinking, “I bet I have a baby before dark!” It was a very pretty sunny day and not too hot. It was also very peaceful. For that matter, the whole thing was so relaxed that I could hardly believe it
was real.
I half expected everyone to get up and leave, saying, “Dress rehearsal is over.”
When Cara came she told me to breathe very slowly during rushes, hold it, and exhale slowly. The next rush I went from four to seven centimeters!
Soon I started getting the urge to push. II was propped up in an almost sitting position with Douglas at my side. When Cara told me to push I was to raise my head up. take a deep breath, pull on the back of my legs and push.
As soon as pushing really got going, everything else vanished. My back had been hurting a little and my legs were cramped, but that went away.
Pushing was like swimming under water–when you want to come up for air you can usually stay just a little longer. So when l’d feel like giving up during a push, I’d say to myself, “Push a little harder, this may be the one!”
After a while I could see the head. It looked tiny. Once I was crowning, Cara wanted to take it slow so I wouldn’t tear. When the head was almost out Cara told me to pant so that I wouldn’t push (and she could check to be sure the cord wasn’t around the baby’s neck). I thought she was crazy, but it worked.
Then another push and out came the head. It sure did look big-bigger than the little thing we’d been seeing. I was watching in amazement. Another push (was I still pushing? It seemed so easy now!) and out came a shoulder, then the next shoulder and—wush—a baby!
He had started crying halfway out. Cara said, “lt’s a boy!” before I’d had time to notice. He peed before the cord was cut!
Douglas and I kept looking back and forth from each other to Jody. I felt like I could do anything – I felt so grateful and happy. Carol gave Jody to me after cleaning him up. What a nice baby!
He was born around 6:30 that evening and weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Cara told me l was a nice lady and thanked me for a good birthing.
I thanked the ladies and they gave me a hug and left the three of us together.
He cried a lot at first and wasn’t interested in nursing.
About eight hours later he stopped crying, and had his eyes open. He looked at me real hard and then started nursing.
Leah, Our Second Baby – excerpted from the book, Spiritual Midwifery
I was trying not to be impatient since my due date was past and I seemed so ready. Douglas and I were spending as much time as possible paying attention to each other.
Sunday night we went for a walk and the moon looked pretty full, so I said to it, “Shine on me, maybe this full moon will bring the baby out.” We made love before we went to sleep-that’s what put her in there and I think that’s what got her out!
At 2:30 AM I woke up to go to the bathroom and was so sleepy that all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. I tried to go back to bed and I had to go again—that’s how I started with Jody so I thought hmmm. . . . I lit a lamp and saw some bloody show. I woke up Douglas and told him to go call Cara.
I was having cramps in my legs. I didn’t think they were rushes at first, but they started coming and going so I figured that they must be. I didn’t like the cramps; they made it hard to get comfortable. I thought to myself, “No, I don’t want it to be like this.”
Around 3:00, Cara sent Leslie over to check me out. I wanted an enema so I could stop going to the bathroom and get comfortable. Leslie checked me and I was six centimeters dilated so she called Cara. Cara said “No enema,” and she was on her way.
Douglas and I started smooching. My water bag broke during a kiss. I heard it and felt it and told Leslie. Everything was moving right along. I still wasn’t having what you’d call strong rushes. I was comfortable now, legs barely cramping.
My whole body was shaking. Douglas had a very tight grip on my hand and it felt like an electrical hookup. I had a rush and said to myself, “Relax, relax, relax.” Douglas started shaking all over like I had been, and stopped when my rush stopped! I realized then that feeling everything intensely was good because it put me in control.
Cara came with Cynthia and checked me. I was almost fully dilated and they started setting everything up. I told Cara I thought I could push. She told me to wait because they weren’t ready. That was okay with me.
When everybody was ready I tried pushing. I didn’t feel like I was rushing any more, but I was in complete control so when I wanted to I’d say in my head “push” and be surprised to find it happening and feeling just as I remembered. Cara said later it looked like “effortless great pure effort.” I thought it felt great. I took it slow so I wouldn’t tear when her head came out. I looked down and liked being able to see her. On the next push not much seemed to happen and I thought “This is going to be a big baby and I am going to have to push harder to get her out. Can I do it? I have to!”
Out she came on the next push or two, crying a little. Cara told her she was gorgeous. When I could hold her, we looked at her and loved her.
Born Monday at 4:19 a.m., weighing 9 pounds, 4 ounces.
I didn’t need stitches.