I had a BABY!!!!
Hello everyone, I had a BABY!!!
This last Friday, February 3, 2006…
It was totally amazing!!!!!!!!!!!
I woke up early Friday morning having what I knew were no longer Brackston Hicks contractions. I started doing my hypnobirthing techniques and just actually enjoyed each surge as they came. They were not that intense, just enough to make me want to get on my hands and knees and rock a little. Between each one I would sleep. By the time Daniel and Dez were up for school, the contractions had passed and I wrote them off as good practice. I spent the rest of the day practicing on and off. I just rested on my birthing ball and had gotten into a pretty meditative space.
I had an appointment at 4:00 that I was pretty determined to attend so I began to get ready, as I showered I did so very mindfully knowing that this may be the last time I bathed my pregnant self. I braided my hair, and began to meditate on my warrior self. The minute I stepped out my front door I knew I was not supposed to leave my house, but determined to make this appointment I pressed on. Kecia offered to drive me and wait for me in case I needed to leave early. We never made it five minutes from the house. My meditation was broken, the contraction hurt, and I began to cry… she got me back in the house and I called Paul to come home. As soon as I was back in my safe home I got right back into my space. I painted my nails red, asked Dez to put on red and and we just sat around timing contractions. They were 5-6 minutes apart and lasting about one minute…
Things took off from here. Paul got home, he began setting up the pool and calling our list of to be called when labor starts friends, and rubbing my back gently between contractions. I was amazed at how each surge felt as it moved through me and reminded myself how good this is how strong I am, how it would get worse so just relax into it. The midwife got here at 7:00 p.m. and we found out that I was dilated 7 centimeteres. I was so impressed, and still just felt so relaxed and elated.
My grandmother was here, Destaney, Kecia, the midwife and her apprentice, and of course Paul. The energy was fabulous and everyone was so helpful. The midwife’s voice was such an awesome touchstone when things really started getting intense.
Finally, I had a surge that just took my breathe away. The midwife helped me lay over my birthing ball and everyone just nurtured me right through it. As soon as that surge passed I felt this urgent need to go to the bathroom. When I made it in there I felt the next surge coming and started saying “something is happening!! something is really happening!!!!” I reached down between my legs totally expecting to feel my babies head crowning but surprisingly did not. I said ” I want to get in the water now!”. When I stood up to make my way to the pool I did not feel t hat I could walk because I felt so full, the midwife just let me know that I could and her and Paul helped my to the pool. This all of 10 minutes from the big surge to the bathroom, to the pool was my chaos moment. It was actually very beautiful but I felt incredibly wild and out of control.
When I made it to the pool and finally got in that water, I cannot describe the level of relief that washed over me. I actually thought ” wow, this is better than anybody's epidural”. I laid my chest over the side of the tub and felt the next surge coming. I pressed my head into Pauls shoulder and suddenly the feeling in the room was of total and utter awe, I rolled over and picked my baby up out of the water…
I held the baby against my chest and just relaxed against the side of the pool, nice and toasty. Finally I heard Destaney say “what is it?" I said “it doesn’t even matter," but remembered that actually we have really been wondering for like the last 9 months what the gender would be.
And there she was a sweet little girl. Delilah Feather Spirit Duguid.
We are all so happy and just loving her. I can sit and stare at her forever. I wish I could make time stand still so I could absorb all the beauty of these moments. Here we are 5 days away and I am nursing strong and just basking in the whole phenomenal experience. Daniel just burst out crying with joy when he saw her, saying “I have a baby sister, a baby sister”, and Dez would make the most fabulous midwife, or doula she has just been in her element, and Paul well once you hand him the baby its all over you might as well just give up holding her again for a while!!
Thank you all for all your support energetically, emotionally, spiritually, and physically…
Love,
Sabrina (Delilah’s mom)