The birth of Emily Rose 24/6/2012
After my 41 week antenatal appointment, I felt anxious and pressured. I’d just tried to have a rational discussion with my obstetrician as to why I would not consent to induction and it was made clear that i was stubborn and irresponsible in her eyes.
I went home to go over my affirmations from my “Birth Goddess Cards” particularly the one about only my baby knowing when it was the right time to arrive, and I edited a picture of my very pregnant belly with the quote “all natural birth has a purpose and a plan; who would think of tearing open the chrysalis as the butterfly is emerging? Who would break the shell to pull the chick out?”. I also reassured my baby that I was very ready to meet her, and decided to relax in a clary sage bath before bed.
4am the next morning I awoke with those very familiar surges that were coming around 8 mins apart and decided to get up and sit in the lounge. By 7am I told my partner to go to work but be on call because I was pretty sure this was it. ( we had plenty of pre labour from my due date onwards but this felt differently)
I managed well on my own until he returned from work at about 3, by which time the surges were around 5 mins apart. I decided to call my sister and started to work out care for my older girls. At about 4.30pm I decided to go to the hospital to check things out.
Once I got in the car everything stopped. No more surges just a very tired mum and the midwife at the hospital confirmed what I was dreading. I was only 1cm. I wasn’t even in labour although it felt very similar to my other two labours. The midwife offered a stretch and sweep and although I had been against them due to being positive strep b I agreed. I was sent home but was back again by 1am with waves coming on ontop of another. Another examination revealed 1 was at 5cm, so I leant over the bed rocking my hips for about 20 mins.
When I announced that I wanted to push the midwife asked me to climb on the bed so she could see where we were at but as soon as I lay down my body took over and started pushing. It was unreal that I could not stop even if I had to! I decided that lying down was uncomfortable and climbed off the bed in a effort to get into a better position which I thought was all fours, but once standing my body took over once again And 20 mins later Emily rose came into this world weighing 4.78kg, 52cm long and a 37cm head! No pain relief, no tears no stitches just an amazing feeling of accomplishment!
Apgars were 9 and 9 and my big alert princess snuggled in eagerly for a feed for the next hour or so ( and hasn’t really stopped since!)
I really am a firm believer that babies come when they are good and ready and that unless there are medical issues your body won’t produce a baby too big for you to birth. I think the main thing to remember that normal birth is not a flawed process and with a little trust and surrender our bodies will do what they were made to do!
Thank you Katrina and your book “A Modern Woman’s Guide to a Natural Empowering Birth” for giving me the courage to trust what I always believed was right!
Kindly shared by Alicia Dixon (Victoria, Australia)
