The next day around noon, I began feeling some labor pains, but wasn't in "active labor" just yet. I was home alone (Scott was at work ), and I decided to go to the store, since we needed some food. That was quite an adventure! As I was shopping, I had to stop while having contractions. At this point a part of me knew this was going to be it, while another part of me stayed in denial of the fact that I actually was in labor. When I returned home I called my midwife who told me to call her back when the contractions were 10 minutes apart. This started happening around 2 or 3pm, but I didn't call her again until 4:30pm when Scott came home. During that 2 1/2 hours, I was alone in my apartment, I moved around quite a bit and found that I had to continually surrender to the pain that I was experiencing. I just had to be with myself and figure out a way to be present with what was now very real. This was it! The day I had been preparing for for 9 months. I didn't want to be in that pain, it was very challenging, but I knew it was inevitable.

Kate arrived at our apartment at 5:30pm to make sure all was well. She could see that the contractions were coming every few minutes and assured us it was time to go to the birth center. Scott got everything into the car and they both assisted me down the stairs into the clear and starry night. I looked to the moon for strength, she gazed back at me as radiant as could be. Our baby would be here soon.

I labored on the bed for a while on my knees facing the headboard. I held onto that headboard for dear life! Scott lay next to me gently touching my back at times reassuring me that he was there with me. I really went with what my body was telling me to do. My waking conscious mind was no longer in control. There was only one focus: breathe and get this baby out. My body was moving in all kinds of ways, dancing and rocking this baby down. And finally, my water broke! All over the bed. This helped relieve some pressure, but the muscle pain in my belly and lower back was still intense. It was time to get into the tub.

As I transitioned from the bed to the tub, I drifted back into the real world for a moment. I saw how beautiful the room was. Candles were lit, the lights were low, and everyone was just hanging out supporting me when I needed it. The beauty of this place is that there is so much room for freedom and spontaneity. Not only physical space, but the people attending placed no restrictions on me, they held no standard for what the birth experience should be, there was no judgment, just simple support. A truly amazing environment.

Submerging myself into the water made all the difference in my level of pain. All of the muscles that were working so hard got a chance to relax a little. All I had left to do now was push and relax, push and relax.

Again, there was no pressure by anyone for this to hurry along and Adrian took his sweet little time. The three midwives and Scott were all sitting around the tub, they were so calm and this really helped me stay focused on the task at hand. Everything became very fluid, all I could see were supportive faces, all I could hear were encouraging words. I continued to get onto my knees then sink back into the water, whatever felt comfortable. I opened my hips, visualizing enough room for the baby. I talked to him, asking him to come down. And slowly but surely his head became visible.

The women held a mirror between my legs so that I could see his head emerge. His head would come out then disappear back into the darkness. With each contraction he would appear a bit more. It was encouraging and incredibly powerful. I had to remind myself to slow down at the end of a push. I would get so excited when he would emerge that I just wanted to push him out right away. But I really didn't want to force it, so I waited through the contractions, with patience.

Now and then I would look up to see Scott meditating. I knew that he was connecting with me and the baby as we all had to have focus and clarity. Everyone was so calm and peaceful. I felt that everything I needed was there. Everyone was in harmony. I felt that we were all in meditation, and when I needed anything they all flowed toward me to provide that; and then they all floated back into their own worlds, never missing a beat.

When the baby's head finally crowned, I felt as though I was going to rip right in two. I screamed a high pitched scream, and out popped his head. I could feel his body moving inside me. All urge to push had stopped . He was repositioning himself so that his shoulders and body could come out, but he was a bit stuck.

~ ALMA Midwifery Service ~ Licensed Birth Center ~ Homebirth ~ Waterbirth ~

~ Phone 503.233.3001 ~ FAX 503.233.7686 ~ 1608 SE Ankeny St. Portland, OR. 97214 ~