April 4th, 2020. 5am.
I woke from a light sleep. Nothing abnormal, just another sleepless night at nearly 42 weeks pregnant. I decided to get up, and I walked into our bathroom, still half asleep. I remember stopping to glance out the window. The sky was still dark, but there was the most lovely choir of birds in the trees right outside. They sang and they sang, and I stood there mesmerized. A wave of peace washed over me and I thought “Today is a lovely day to have a baby”.
It’s a moment I’ll never forget.
I went back to sleep, only to wake again a couple of hours later. I felt a few surges, but nothing painful. I contemplated going on with my day as normal. But I felt a strong pull from my baby that I should not. So I ate a light breakfast, drank my morning coffee, and decided to retreat to a warm bath. This was at 11:32am.
I took a photo of my beautiful belly as the water was running, and I just knew that it would be my last. I shed a tear, and got in the water. My husband came in to light some candles as I tried to enjoy some of the last moments with Storm still safe inside my womb.
Just as I suspected it would, the warm water intensified my surges, and I began to feel more pain, but it was extremely manageable. I began to chat on the phone with a few of my friends to let them know that this was likely it. It was time. I felt the excitement grow. Once the pain was no longer eased by the water, I got out and laid down in bed.
This was at 12:45pm.
I found the most comfortable position for me was on my side, with a pillow between my legs. I’m not much of a water birther and always find more pain relief from staying stationary, so lying down or using a birthing stool are my go-to positions.
While I relaxed through the waves of labor, my husband told our older children and tended to them. I was getting very chatty and excited.
At 3:00pm my waves grew in intensity.
I was still hesitant to call my wonderful midwife, Brandi Wood because I truly thought it might be a long labor since I picked up on it so early on, but my husband contacted her anyway to keep her up to date. At this point I stayed stationary and began to really utilize the hypnobirthing techniques I used with Kohana’s home birth.
Things picked up even more so and at 4:30pm my husband made the call to my midwife. Her and her team arrived around 5:30pm or so. At this point I was still thinking it was silly for them to arrive so early. My contractions were not too terribly bad, and I figured I was going to labor through the night and give birth in the early morning. But after an hour or so of them being there, I felt my waters go. The relief I felt was amazing. I felt renewed and refreshed. My waves were stronger, yes, but the pressure had shifted lower into my pelvis and it was much more manageable for a while. I was talking much more at this time. Still trying to crack jokes.
It didn’t last too long, however.
I felt myself inching towards transition around 6:30-7pm. I needed silence during each wave so I could remain loose and not tense. It was at this time that my midwife and her team encouraged me to move, try the shower or bath, or get on my hands and knees. I tried all of these, but they were all excruciatingly painful for me. Movement and I do not go well together while in labor.
Around 7:30-8pm I hit “the wall.” I vocalized to the room “I can’t do it. I can’t do this” and I sort of laughed at myself internally because I knew that meant baby would be here soon. So did the entire room. I said the magic words and everyone burst into action.
I found at this point I was frozen with each wave as no position felt natural or comfortable, and so I decided to stand with my husband holding me for support. The fetal ejection reflex had started to kick in, but due to Storm’s position (OP – meaning his spine was against mine) it felt as if my body’s pushing was pointless. He felt stuck, even though he was not. It felt almost as if my pelvis was numb. It worried me for a moment, but I made the choice right then to trust my body as I felt no danger. Storm was partially in the birth canal, and I could still feel his feet tapping about in my belly. I knew he was just fine. We were safe, and this was a beautiful time.
I became more vocal with each wave, feeling my power in every growl. In those moments, nothing else existed but he and I. My body was hugging him through each peak exactly as it should. I was nothing but a sacred vessel for him.
The portal of life.
Seconds later his head was out and I asked if he had hair. My incredible assistant midwife checked and said “yes! I see some hair!” I smiled and resumed once another wave took hold. My body took over once again and within a few more waves, out he poured from me like a waterfall. Relief. Love. Beginnings.
The assistant midwife and I caught him and I held him up to my then empty belly where he was inside only seconds before.
The first thing I said was “Oh my gosh, he is so SMALL!” Everyone in the room laughed, because he was certainly not small weighing in at 9lb 10oz, but compared to Kohana (10lb 14oz) Storm felt more like a 6lb babe to me!
I held him close while everyone monitored his heart and lungs as he was slow to pink up. He quickly gave his first little cry only moments later. Within ten minutes my beautiful placenta was born as well.
Storm Wilde was welcomed earth side at 9:00pm on April 4th, 2020.
The rest of that evening was spent with the two of us in bed, nursing, nourishing, and replenishing. We took an herbal bath together. Our three older children spent time meeting him, and they fell in love with him as quickly as my husband and I.
Our midwives left around 1am.
There we sat, a new family of six. A sacred little life born in our home. Together. While the world raged on the outside, we were safe and warm.
I cherished those moments, and I still do.
His birth was nothing short of magical.
He is nothing short of magical.
