Born naturally- a beautiful experience. Born: February 6, 2008
3:14 p.m.
7 lbs. 9oz.
20 ¾ in.
Written by Kate (mama)
Before I get into the story, let me back up a few steps to give you an idea of where my mindset was prior to giving birth. First of all, my best friend was also pregnant and due about a week before me. We had been attending pre-natal yoga together every Sunday (almost) at Yoga One from Arati, our very gifted instructor. We also took the HypnoBirthing course together at Best Start from France Wilson. All through my pregnancy, I had a feeling my daughter would be timely, if only slightly early, whereas my best friend Nanci kept saying her little girl would likely be a little on the later side (as she herself is often fashionably late). Nevertheless, I definitely expected my friend to experience childbirth before me. I told myself that I still had some time, since Nanci hadn’t given birth yet. I was caught off guard when one evening while watching t.v. , I seemed to “pee” my pants (a lot!). Apparently, my baby was getting ready for her grand entrance, so I figured I better finish packing my bag! I knew I had some time, though, because I was laughing and at ease about the situation. I slept, listened to my HypnoBirthing CD and practiced my breathing techniques through the night. The next morning, my boyfriend, James called Roberta at Best Start just to check-in and let her know what my status was at the time. She said I could come in so she could see how I was doing. We went in to the birth center and talked to her, and she said she thought I might be back that evening or possibly the next morning. The next day happened to be Super Tuesday, and I remember commenting that I really meant to vote this time! James and I talked about how funny it would be if the baby were born that day, which was also Fat Tuesday, because her birthdays would coincide with Mardi Gras celebrations (Oh Boy!). When we left Best Start, James drove me to Filippi’s in little Italy to get a yummy cheese sandwich. Then, we went home to enjoy each other’s company (as Roberta had wisely instructed us to) until it was time to return to the birth center. Time passed and I practiced my pre-natal yoga, listened to Rainbow Relaxation and Birth Affirmations, watched the Best of SNL-Chris Farley and other shows to “increase my endorphins”, tried to sleep, went for a very long short walk and waited for a notable change. At about 3:30 a.m., I woke James up and made him call Kel. He described to her how I was feeling, and it all sounded normal, so we resumed what we were doing, waiting again for something resembling the labor scenes I had seen in the movies. That dramatic moment never came, but morning did and in anticipation of my impending weekly appointment, I had James call Best Start once again to check-in. They told him to bring me in for my regularly scheduled appointment, which would probably put me more at ease. We got in the car, and went to the birth center. They took me right into a room (I was so happy I didn’t have to weigh myself!). Only moments later, I heard the words calmly spoken by Roberta, “You’re about 8 centimeters dilated”. It was a cool day for San Diego, so I waited while the heaters were turned on upstairs in the birth room. James went home to pick up our bags and was back before I knew it. It turned out our daughter was going to be born on Ash Wednesday. They filled the tub and I got in as soon as possible! The warm water was incredibly relaxing. I highly recommend it! James set up my laptop to play the HypnoBirthing CD, followed by my personal playlist, which included everything from rap to country! This part seemed to whiz by for me. Basically, I focused on my breath and listened to what my body was telling me. I put every confidence in my midwife, Kel, who had suggested to me at my appointment the week before, that I consider the possibility that giving birth could be a beautiful experience. I had been open to that possibility, and I was noticing how natural and beautiful this process was turning out to be. My midwife assistant, Matea was monitoring the baby’s and my vitals. James was in charge of music, hydration, and moral support. Kel told me to let her know when I felt the urge to push, and I did. Kel, Matea, and James encouraged me through the pushing. Kel kept telling me she knew how much hair the baby had in order to help motivate me. At 3:14 p.m., our sweet baby was born. Kel told me to reach in the tub and pick up my daughter, Kachina. I picked her up onto my chest and smiled. I was beaming with such enormous love for her. Her daddy called to her, “Kachina”, and she turned her head toward his voice and opened her eyes. She was peaceful and calm. I felt so much joy that she was finally in my arms. We waited until the umbilical cord stopped pulsing, and then James cut the cord. James held her as I got out of the tub. She snuggled right up to him. Shortly after, Matea weighed and measured her. She was 7lbs. 9oz., which James and I laughed about because we had talked to her while she was in the womb about being around 7 1/2lbs. (not too big and not too small). She was very close. James started calling family to announce our exciting news. A few hours later, we were heading home with our beautiful daughter, a true blessing from God. I am incredibly thankful to my partner, James for his support and love. He wasn’t too sure about a water birth, pre-natal yoga, or HypnoBirthing at first, but he put his faith in me. We are both so happy that we went to Best Start and were able to deliver our baby as a natural water birth. I am so appreciative to both Kel and Matea for their care in the delivery of my baby. It was as Kel said, “a beautiful experience”. The Best Start birth center staff was supportive throughout my entire pregnancy. My pre-natal care and delivery experience were more amazing and wonderful than I could have ever expected.
