Greetings and blessings
Yesterday I attended a birth that by all acount has me in tears. It was a very positive and uplifting experience.
I have been working with a first time mom who had a midwife. Her plans were to have a home water birth. The midwife estimated her due date as 2/22 and when she went over that date began to use natural remidies to encourage labor. In addition the baby went posterior. A week past and she had not delivered so her midwife asked her to go to the dr. We found out the due date was off by five days. Which if fine since we all know it is not an exact science it is just a guess. At any rate. Friday, her water finally broke. The midwife suggested she get some rest until the contractions begin. However, when the contractions still had not begun by midnight, the midwife sent her back to the hospital.
Once she got to the hospital she did an ultrasound and told her that if the baby was under 8 lbs they would let her have the baby at home. However, if the baby was over 8 lbs they would keep her at the hospital. About 5 in the morning we found out they were keeping her and that is when she asked me to come.
To make a long story short, I call this a success story for many reasons.
1. Even though mom wanted to have a home birth, she ended up in a very caring hospital that welcomed her birthing team. The midwife, her apprentice and myself made a wonderful team. The midwife had her flipping from right to left and from front to back as often as she could. She had her walking, squating, and rocking. I thought this was so amazing because I watched her go from 6 cm to 9 cm in an hour.
2. This first time mom had a 14 hour labor that was all natural and the way she handled the pain was amazing. The only time she screamed was at the last to pushes.
3. The doctor, unlike some hospitals, made special preparations for them to take their placenta home and bury it.
Finally, but not least, she gave birth to a beautiful 9lb 2 oz, 22 inc, baby boy. I honestly believe that after being there wiih his wife, watching and supporting, I witness a husband fall in love all over again. What really touched me was that even though she has a midwife, apprentice, mom, dad, and husband. I was told that she demaned that someone make sure that I was there because she had to have me there for the birth. Her mother told me that everyone came, but I was who she asked for.
No matter how many times I do this, it never gets old. I cried as I watched that baby take his first breath. It was emotional for me because her mother had just buried her own father so to have gone through that and then to see your youngest child have her first baby was a great healing for her. I was so humbled by the love I saw in that room. I learned a lot from the midwife. It was, by all accounts, a most perfect experience.

_________________Ogechi Fowler,[size=100]CLD, ECE,RM,RH[/SIZE]
Natural Essence
Certified Labor Doula (CBI)
Childbirth Educator (In Training)
Early Childhood Educator
Usui Reiki Master / Teacher
Lvl II Ra Sekhi (Kemetic Reiki) Therapist
Certified Glorious Light Meditation Teacher