The lilacs are blooming now and our newest family member was born last
night, at 9:15 PM on her May 11 due date. Early labour started at 7 AM but
took a while to pick up. Ds had my sister there as his labour support
person, but he really wanted to hang out with us until his 5 yo neighbour
friend came home, after which he mostly stayed at the neighbour's house. By
4 PM the contractions were pretty excrutiating with only occasional short
breaks. I must have walked miles in our apartment, eventually walking,
leaning and squatting at the same time, supported by my dh as I walked
through the pain. The pain was centered on my lower belly and I used a hot
water bottle there to soothe it. I coped by breathing, toning, and listening
to Tibetan Buddhist chanting. And relying on dh's constant physical and
emotional support when I got realy tired and discouraged. Ds occasionally
came in to check on us before going back to play. It's hard to say when the
pushing stage started - transition was not very distinct with the pushes
gradually getting added onto the painful contractions. Eventually I got into
our bathtub, which didn't help much but got me into a different position. My
waters broke with a huge pop in the tub, happily with no meconium visible.
Soon after I moved to our bed where I pushed out the baby's head, supporting
myself with my hand. The body quickly followed, caught by dh. By some
incredible toddler telepathy, ds brought himself home just before the baby
was born, and he and my wide-eyed sister saw the whole thing. Ds delightedly
cried "new baby!" upon seeing his sister for the first time. Her entry into
the world was very peaceful but she was quite alert, gazing around and soon
exploring my nipple. It was such a joy to experience private family bonding
time. The placenta birthed easily and my blood loss was minimal.
After the birth I found out that our Traditional Birth Attendant, Gloria
Lemay, had been on standby at our neighbour's house since 6 PM. Dh had kept
her apprised of my progress by secret phone calls without mentioning her to
me once. We invited her in to see the baby and she helped with cleanup. It
ended up being a perfect compromise between what I wanted (unassisted
childbirth) and what dh wanted (the reassurance of immediate medical
assistance if we needed it). The birth provided closure on what had been a
very difficult conflict between us and I am so grateful to have had the
birth experience that I dreamed of.
I am feeling great today. My parts are in great shape with only tiny
abrasions. Our baby is very alert and nursing lots, and so beautiful with a
full head of medium brown hair. Today found out that she weighs 8 lbs 14 oz.
Dh is a delighted papa and ds is carrying on with life as usual, with small
doses of getting to know his little sister.
Blissed out in babyland,
Ksenia
dh Stephan
ds Wolfi (2.5 yo)
dd ?? (<24 hrs)
night, at 9:15 PM on her May 11 due date. Early labour started at 7 AM but
took a while to pick up. Ds had my sister there as his labour support
person, but he really wanted to hang out with us until his 5 yo neighbour
friend came home, after which he mostly stayed at the neighbour's house. By
4 PM the contractions were pretty excrutiating with only occasional short
breaks. I must have walked miles in our apartment, eventually walking,
leaning and squatting at the same time, supported by my dh as I walked
through the pain. The pain was centered on my lower belly and I used a hot
water bottle there to soothe it. I coped by breathing, toning, and listening
to Tibetan Buddhist chanting. And relying on dh's constant physical and
emotional support when I got realy tired and discouraged. Ds occasionally
came in to check on us before going back to play. It's hard to say when the
pushing stage started - transition was not very distinct with the pushes
gradually getting added onto the painful contractions. Eventually I got into
our bathtub, which didn't help much but got me into a different position. My
waters broke with a huge pop in the tub, happily with no meconium visible.
Soon after I moved to our bed where I pushed out the baby's head, supporting
myself with my hand. The body quickly followed, caught by dh. By some
incredible toddler telepathy, ds brought himself home just before the baby
was born, and he and my wide-eyed sister saw the whole thing. Ds delightedly
cried "new baby!" upon seeing his sister for the first time. Her entry into
the world was very peaceful but she was quite alert, gazing around and soon
exploring my nipple. It was such a joy to experience private family bonding
time. The placenta birthed easily and my blood loss was minimal.
After the birth I found out that our Traditional Birth Attendant, Gloria
Lemay, had been on standby at our neighbour's house since 6 PM. Dh had kept
her apprised of my progress by secret phone calls without mentioning her to
me once. We invited her in to see the baby and she helped with cleanup. It
ended up being a perfect compromise between what I wanted (unassisted
childbirth) and what dh wanted (the reassurance of immediate medical
assistance if we needed it). The birth provided closure on what had been a
very difficult conflict between us and I am so grateful to have had the
birth experience that I dreamed of.
I am feeling great today. My parts are in great shape with only tiny
abrasions. Our baby is very alert and nursing lots, and so beautiful with a
full head of medium brown hair. Today found out that she weighs 8 lbs 14 oz.
Dh is a delighted papa and ds is carrying on with life as usual, with small
doses of getting to know his little sister.
Blissed out in babyland,
Ksenia
dh Stephan
ds Wolfi (2.5 yo)
dd ?? (<24 hrs)
: 
Congratulations!
