It was a typical Monday until 11 pm right on the nose. Justin and I had just finished watching one of our favorite shows, Seinfeld. I was enjoying Lily’rei’s hiccups and laughing and sharing this by holding Justin’s hand over my belly while she made my body bounce.

Then all of a sudden I felt a stronger pop-pop…it felt “different”. I got up and had some leaking, I felt then that my water had broken, but it was more of a trickle than a gush so I wasn’t sure. I used the bathroom and Justin called the midwife, who told him that I should start into full blown labor soon, maybe by morning so I should get some rest. She told him again as we had been previously instructed to wait until contractions were 1 minute in length and 5 minutes apart before coming in.

Before I could get into bed the power surges began, it was 11:05 pm. I went down to my knees in praying position and directly started to use my hypno birth techniques. I was calm and at peace. I went deep within my mind. I was truly centered and remained that way. I told Justin to begin timing the surges b/c they were fairly close. I could tell they were close together but how close I was not sure, I would just yell out ‘start’ and ‘stop’. I was still deep in my mind between them. He was very calm and gathered everything we needed to have with us and placed it into the car. The kids were all asleep and so it was just us doing the busy work. He timed them until 11:30 pm, they were 3-5 minutes apart!! WOWZERS! I wasn’t shocked at the time becasue I was using my mind to control thought patterns but I was aware I knew I needed to get to the birthing center soon.

Justin called the midwife again to tell her that we were coming in as I was ‘surging’ for 1 minute or more every 3-5 minutes, she told him that the ‘on call’ midwife would be called and should be there when we arrived.

Justin called a good friend who had previously agreed to come over at night to take care of the kids, she arrived and we left at 11:40 pm. We arrived at the birthing center at about 11:50 pm, no one else was there and the door was locked! I was on the steps outside and felt like I needed to push. Justin just smiled and said, “No, not yet…hang on me hun, hang on me.” And so I did. I did more Hypno-Birth visuals in my minds eye and breathed deeply and calmly while waiting for my midwife. It was a few more minutes and there was Peggy. She ripped and roared around the corner and into the parking lot, got us into the center and up the notorious ‘flight’ of stairs to the first room, the Lilac Room.

All I wanted was to get into the water! I asked if I could start to push because I kept feeling like I needed to and so my midwife suggested that she check me to see where I was. She did so at around 12:05 and quietly said to ‘go ahead and push a little if I felt like it’. It didn’t really register with me but Justin knew that meant I must be at a ten. He noticed Peggy beginning to scurry around a little more bringing equipment in and prepping the room, she shakily got on the phone and called the other midwife, Judy who was most likely a little shocked that I had progressed soo far soo fast. Justin asked Peggy how far along I was and she said… 9.5 to 10, a few minutes later, Judy arrived.

I began to push without a lot of effect or length at about 12:10 to about 12:30 am on July 22nd, 2008. It was in the back of my mind that I was very happy I was going into labor on the day I had chosen to months beforehand, however, the only person that knew this was Justin. I had no fear and my state of mind at this time was deep peace and during surges I went into my mind. I was empowered by the abiding peaceful feelings I felt. I knew I was in control of my body and that my mind was the tool to draw from. I placed myself in Hawaii, my favorite place in the world. I was on the beach, I could hear the waves, see the seas roll in and out and feel the breeze. It was also as if I could taste the salty air.

More concentrated effort was directed into the pushing with 2 to 3 ten second pushes per contraction. I was doing fine in the water but my pushing wasn’t very effective so I went to the bed to push some more. After pushing for a while there Judy suggested that I was pushing ‘uphill’ in that position and to try squatting on a birthing stool. I didn’t like it, my bottom was too bony for such a hard surface and after a few pushes I had to get up. She then recommended the toilet to let gravity do some work, IT HELPED, so they brought me back to the bed to finish.

The pushes were intense, I can’t say they didn’t hurt (they did), but they actually were not as painful as I had always imagined they would be. I was prepared in my mind and I was pushing with all my heart and with gusto “bearing into” them. I rolled onto my left side and with every ounce of energy I pushed my baby down.

I held J’s hand the whole time, poor guy, I think he may have lost some circulation a few times. ;0) He was right there in my face where I wanted to see him, I wanted to see his eyes. They were calm, telling me I could do it and that this was what I had planned all along and I could do it and WAS doing it. I was almost there…to the finish line!

Near the end he got close to my face and I could see his eyes welling up and he said softly, “she’s there Christie, she’s right there…just a few more pushes…you can do it.” That gave me such confidence and then another surge came. I took a huge deep breath and held it for the count of 10…next breath, I held it in and Judy said… ‘slow pushes now’ and her head came out about that time. Shockingly enough, I was not aware of this at the time!! I was too deep into my concentration. As the shoulders were restituting we all awaited another contraction to get the rest of her out. I had no idea but the midwives and Justin were anxiously waiting for another contraction as the cord had been wrapped around her neck once, and although unwound by the midwife was not pulsing as strongly as they wanted.

Finally, after a minute or so another contraction started up and with one big push Lily’rei was born. And Oh, what blissful relief! I looked down to see my beautiful baby, right there…I was in amazement. I felt renewed, sanctified, even purified through such a miracle as I witnessed right at that very moment. Again, the world stopped and Justin and I and Lily’rei were the only ones in it.

I felt such instant love for my baby. I was bewildered by my baby’s presence. It was so overpowering and seemed to consume my soul. Truly this instant love had been experienced before under very different circumstances, three different times as first Matalee, then K’Leanne, and then Jaxtin were placed into my arms.

They immediately placed her on my chest and we began to rub her to get her to cry. At about 40 seconds old she let her cries be heard! What a wonderful sound! I cried and kissed Justin and sighed a big sigh of gratefulness. I was so glad she was here I could not talk or say anything for a few minutes. I just sighed.

My first thought was that it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. It was hard but totally do-able, just as some of my friends had told me it was going to be! They were sooo right!!

The midwives took her apgars, they were 9 out of 10 at 1 minute and 10 of 10 at 5 minutes and 10 minutes. She was perfect. She got to lay on me until the cord stopped pulsing, which was about 10 minutes, then Justin cut the cord and the afterbirth was delivered without complications.

After everything was quieting down from the excitement and all, we relaxed and talked into the night about the miracle I held in my arms. I kept saying, “I DID IT, I DID IT, I did it the way I wanted!!” I was still in amazement at myself; my strength, my empowered body and mind. I knew I had been blessed and watched over. I knew that my Heavenly Father was watching out for me the whole time. I also knew HE knew what I desired and it was truly granted. My Body Had Done It!!! There’s a sign in the bathroom I saw there often and it came into my mind afterwards, it reads, “YOU DID IT!! I KNEW YOU COULD!!”

I was overwhelmed. I wanted every woman in the world to know they need not doubt they can do it! It became surreal to me when I realized that I had become another story like the very same ones that I heard of during pregnancy. These were the stories that literally got me through delivery. I looked up at both of my midwives about 20 minutes after giving birth and said very much enthusiastically, “I COULD DO THAT AGAIN, I could TOTALLY do that again!!” They almost laughed themselves into a frenzy when I said that. Then Judy piped up to the OB intern that was in attendance (she came near the end of everything) and says with a huge smile on her face, “Now what woman have you heard give birth in a hospital (with interventions) say that 20 minutes after her baby is delivered…?!!” We laughed so hard I nearly cried. The OB didn’t say anything, she just smiled. It was classic.

I was on an adrenaline “high”. I could not sleep for anything, but I was terribly hungry, so Peggy brought me a cream cheese bagel, it was the best bagel I had ever eaten, it tasted so great! I just inhaled it. She also brought the breakfast menu in, at about 5 am and we got to order what we wanted. I can’t remember what Justin ordered but I had scrambled eggs, strawberry waffles, bacon, fresh fruit tray and apple juice. It was brought in about 8 am and I think I ate on it for an hour. I was starved!

We checked out of the birthing center that afternoon about 2-3 pm after they had checked all the vitals and gave Lily’rei and I a clean bill of health. (Unlike a hospital birth where you stay for days, a birthing center allows you to spend more time with your newborn and get back home when you feel you are ready… many women try to leave before the mandatory 3 hour stay!!! And others never leave home and have their babies there… attended by the midwife)

Afterthoughts:
I am so very grateful for the gifts that we have been given. I feel blessings in my life now I could not have dreamed possible. I must admit that I am soo grateful for all the blessings God has given me. Matalee Ainez, K’Leanne June, Jaxtin Shale and now our newest precious angel baby, Lily’rei Elle!!!! God is truly Great, God is truly Good.

What a JOYOUS BIRTH!!
I was able to have just the perfect birth I wanted for myself AND my baby. I could not have asked for it to be any other way. And I would not change one single thing about it. There were many of my friends that helped me along my pregnancy journey and gave me advice, strength and encouragement. I appreciate you guys TONS [you know who you are!] and you may never realize how much those stories mean to me! Hearing your personal accounts of having a natural labor and birth gave me the burning desire to give my baby the same experience. I have such a sense of empowerment I feel I could not have gotten any other way.

Giving birth was absolutely incredible, as I know it is for everyone, whatever the circumstances…. it is always miraculous whether they realize it or not. But the satisfaction I feel deep within me for having done it calmly, at peace, in control of my body and mind — plus in a tranquil environment has been of priceless value and profound worth. My blessings are unmeasured and I feel overcome with love from my father in heaven and those that supported me through this most marvelous path of pregnancy, labor and delivery.

This story is dedicated to you,
our Lily’rei Elle, our love — our gift from heaven

18nov09_lilyrei1

Christie
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