What was it like to catch your baby?

[lovebeingamomma]

If not in water how did you catch your baby and did you find it very uncomfortable to do so?

[sbraz]

I was on my knees, leaning forward kinda, my husband was behind me supporting me under my armpits. I guess I was leaning forward quite a bit because I could see her crowning, and yelled at my husband to grab her... which he couldnt do or he would have dropped me, so I caught her. Right away I brought her up and and sat down leaning back against the tub. Actually catching her wasnt uncomfortable... the position I was in laboring then was the only position I wanted to be in at the time, and nothing could be called comfortable, haha. She was slippery though! I remember being afraid about that.

[MittensKittens]

It was wonderful, very thrilling! I gave birth in a squatting position, on the bathroom floor. There were lots of towels and blankets so my son would have a soft landing, just in case. But I caught him into my own two hands, and it was amazing. Physically, catching my baby was not difficult. :)

[RedPony]

I caught or helped catch my baby both times, but only went unassisted once.  It was pretty awesome. The first time I was in a supported sit on our bed and reached down to pull the baby onto my stomach.  Slippery to say the least and wonderful! The third time (we had a stillbirth in between) I was on hands and knees in our bathroom w/ my DH behind me, he caught as the baby appeared and I reached between my legs and got her backwards to pull her to the front then squatted back onto my legs.  That part, the squatting in a slippery, gooey patch   while holding a slippery, sudsy baby wasn't easy as I had to wait for my husband to lay a trail of towels from me to our bed! 

[LadyJennifer]

I caught my son and it was the most amazing experience! I was in the birth tub kind of squatting and leaning forward a bit. Hubby was behind me. I felt for his head and it was crowning, then he slid out into my hands. I brought him up onto my chest. It was the most wonderful memory I have of my births:)

[mwherbs]

The first home birth I could not figure out what position to be in, I laid down on the floor and after a bit thought this is stupid, then I rolled over to get up and was hands and knees but , dh and mw were in front of me and I thought they did not realize the baby was coming so I raised up on my knees and off my hands and grabbed her.
The next birth was a UC and I could not find a place anywhere in the house to have the baby and was walking out of the bedroom into the hall and he dropped down, brought me right into a squat, pause , I said to dh get me one of the blue things, (to put on the floor under me) and another contraction , I did some perineal support -upper guarding started to tip into hands and knees, but could feel the baby fall forward and also move off the perineum , and I just didn't want that so rocked back into a squat and his full crowning, and he turned a bit , pause and then he was born.... I really could not imagine letting anyone else catch my babies after catching one... Previous to our home births we had 2 hospital births, talk about having to surrender to caios. Anyhow I try to encourage all moms to catch their own babies, for one thing you can do the most effective perineal support also no matter how wildly altered you are you can be an active participant . So what is it like like the still point in a tornado ....

[UrbanSimplicity]

Originally Posted by mwherbs 

. So what is it like like the still point in a tornado ....

these stories are all beautiful, this in particular moves me
 

[kltroy]

I caught my daughter during her birth (hospital VBAC, so not UC).  It was amazing - I couldn't believe how warm and slippery and *soft* she was.  Compared to my wiry 2-year old son, who was so strong and wiggly, she was just... soft.  I was reclined and reached down to pull her out onto my chest as soon as I pushed her shoulders out.  Definitely catching her was the coolest thing ever.  It actually makes me want to have another baby, just so that I could experience that moment again. 

[sunnymw]

I was on hands and knees with my head smushed into my mattress and DH was behind me. I basically let him catch and hold a second as I threw my leg over the cord and turned around. I don't even remember doing it, but I can see it in the pics, LOL. You just do what comes natural.

[StrongBeliever]

Um...  AMAZING!  *haha*  I was in our bathtub, on my knees, facing widthwise(not facing the long way).  I actually pushed my hips forward to push her head out, rather than squatting...  I remember thinking that was weird, that I ought to be squatting, but couldn't really...  After that I eased back a bit, just holding her head in my hand.  Her bubble, really...  DD was born in the caul.  It happened so quickly, I can't really remember exactly what was going through my mind as her body emerged...  I just have the picture emblazoned in my memory.  She never touched the water, due to the tininess of the tub and the length of my thighs  This tiny little human caught in this wild milky sac, like looking at her through a flesh window, my hands on her somehow...  I can't tell you how but I held her with one arm while I pulled the sac from her face, and lifted her LONG LONG cord off of her shoulders(she wore it like a feather boa, it was also in a knot!), and then looked at her in awe.  Wow, it was so cool.  I don't remember worrying about anything, or having any sense of discomfort, or feeling the least bit like I couldn't manage it by myself.  It's like instinct took over.  I held her in both my arms then, her head resting in my cupped hands, and I called DH and DS in to look at her.  From there she went to the crook of my arm to breastfeed.  It was so simple...  I couldn't imagine having anyone else catch my babies.  :) 

[lovebeingamomma]

Thanks everyone for the great stories!  I can't wait. 

[jacie87]

It felt amazing, liberating, exciting. I caught my daughter and was completely alone for her birth. DH came in afterward with our other daughter to meet the baby, so I birthed completely unassisted and it was one of the best moments of my life. I was on my knees on a birthing pad in the bathroom, and I basically reached down with both hands and just caught her as she came out. She did bump the birthing pad on her way out but it wasn't a hard bump and she didn't cry at all when she was born until four hours later she cried the first time she peed. It felt so good to be honest that sometimes I crave giving birth again. It is an odd sensation but a very strong one.

[Almi]

I always hear a lot of women say that they want to have a baby immediately after they give birth to one.  So I'm excited to have my twins, because I actually get to do that! :)

[dayiscoming2006]

I didn't actually get to catch my second but I did push on hands and knees leaning my bottom down more toward the bed at the end in expectation of baby coming out. I felt my sons head coming out with my hands and it was so neat but sadly the experience didn't finish there as some nurses and an assistant doctor forced me onto my back for their routine delivery type thing. Stupid, but anyway, I know if they would have left me alone, I would have just let him slip out onto the nice soft bed and then probably would have scooped him up. I definitely don't think it would have been uncomfortable. I'm really looking forward to the unassisted delivery of my third. 

[Kuan Yin]

I birthed my son at home divinely by myself..............Female cats provide good medicine and sister support...................That birth was a VBAC and birthing my baby into my hands was beyond measure.................The only time when the universe made sense...............Many Blessings--------Follow your Hearts---- <3