My (3rd) Birth Story

It was Friday morning. February 1, 2013.  My estimated due date.  Shortly after I awoke, I gazed out of the window at the palm trees swaying in the Florida winter breeze.  While caressing my belly, I contemplated how wild it would be if this baby decided to be birthed today, their estimated due date. I quickly released the thought and continued to prepare the girls for school.

At 3pm that afternoon, I gathered with friends in the school’s yard, while our children played.  We sat at a picnic table, under the trees, enjoying each other’s company, and the warmth of the Florida sun, while listening to the laughter of our children in the background.

I shared that a felt a few sensations, while driving to the school, yet didn’t think much of it as I reflected back on my other two journeys through labour and timing of each. And as I started to take notice, I realized these sensations were coming a little more frequently. Actually pretty frequently.  Our baby was letting me know they were preparing to leave the womb space and enter my arm space. 

By 3:30 pm, I decided to head home with the girls to prepare for birth. The mamas offered to follow us home, but I assured them we would be fine, as in my head, labour only began less than an hour ago.  Prior to leaving the school, I called both my husband and midwife, informing them the baby was coming. I still assumed there would be hours ahead of us, and I was determined to pick up a necklace I dropped off to be fixed. It was a necklace that a dear friend, mentor, and prenatal yoga teacher gifted me when we left San Francisco. The beautiful @janeaustinyoga made me a necklace of a pregnant mama, and I longed for the necklace and Jane to be with me on this birthing journey, which was thousands of miles away from San Francisco, where I birthed the girls.

As we entered the home around 4 pm, I attempted to prepare the girls dinner, yet I only got as far as thinking about it. Paul called and explained he was stuck in Friday afternoon traffic as was the midwife, and it would take them 1+ hours to arrive. He suggested I forget about dinner and make the girls toast. The toast was never made.  I made my way into the guest bedroom, which was furnished with our SF bedroom furniture.  In hindsight, I must have been craving what was familiar, as I laboured, on and around, that bed two previous times.

I found myself on my hands and knees, rocking, breathing, and moving inwards. The girls in their room and our dog by my side. Flowing cat. Child’s pose. Rocking hips. Exhaling, moaning, moving inwards even more. Attuning to my body, feeling into my body, riding the waves of the sensations, and exhaling slowly. Gratitude for my prenatal yoga classes with Jane Austin, gratitude for her teacher training, gratitude to my midwives, gratitude to my two previous births. Gratitude to my mother and her sharing my birth story. All of this carried me through the journey within and surrendering into what was. 

I am told the midwife and Paul arrived around 5pm. 

The sensations began to intensify and the midwife informed me my water had not yet broken, and advised me to sit on the toilet and push during one of my contractions. As the water broke, a sense of relief and release washed over me.  During my pregnancy, I had dreams of birthing in a squat position under a large tree in the woods. My heart yearned to make my way outdoors and into nature's arms. And as I stood to move out of the bathroom, I felt our baby descend down into the birth canal and the desire to push. I shared with Paul and the midwife that I was going to give birth.. Here. Now. 

I lowered down into a squat position with my husband miraculously holding me up, supporting me, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He was my roots, my grounding, my branches… my tree.

At 6:40 pm our baby was in my arms. Our lives transformed forever...

Throughout our birthing journey, our youngest daughter was running back and forth from the bathroom to their bedroom, reporting to her older sister what was transpiring.  And once he was birthed, the two of them joined us, to meet their new sibling and learn they had a brother.  

We returned to the guest room for the next 30+ days, and our community was absolutely responsible for making that a possibility –  from picking up the girls and dropping them off at school, and delivering homecooked nourishing meals for us all to enjoy.  

The girls still laugh that their baby brother was born in the bathroom. I love that they have a birthing story to share with him on his birthday, through their lens.  Apparently mom’s moans were really loud🙃

This was my third and final birth journey. My mother birthed me on her own terms, empowering me to birth on my terms , and I am here to support you along your pregnancy and birthing journey…on your terms. Whatever they may be.

I am here to support, empower, and witness… never the judge. I did it my way and may you do it your way.

Gratitude to my partner, who always supported my birthing wishes, even though they did not always align with how he was raised. For being my tree on this journey. 

Gratitude to my midwife, who helped make my wish for a home birth a reality.

Gratitude to Kiana + Marijah for being their for the birth of their brother.

Gratitude to my mother for giving birth to me at home and sharing my birth story with me.

Gratitude to my father who supported my mother’s wishes for a home birth and helped bring me into this world.

Gratitude to Jane Austin for her heart, classes, trainings and necklace.

Gratitude to this ancient Indian practice of yoga that has guided my along this path.

Gratitude for this Great Mother … Earth, who holds us, feeds us and nourishes us.

Gratitude to all of my teachers and their teachers and their teacher’s teachers....

Gratitude to all those who have birthed before me, alongside me, and after me.

Gratitude to you for reading my story. 

Gratitude to all beings.