The Birth of Heidi

After weeks of ice storms, Heidi came quietly first thing Monday morning. Like her 19 month old sister, she was 3 days early, and the stages of labor lasted almost exactly the same amounts of time -- passive, active and pushing -- except this time not in a hospital.

I suspected I began labor around 10pm Sunday evening. The most significant part was that all the stories I read of peaceful, nearly pain free births that seemed impossible became real as I somehow "released" the contractions under my breath. I'm not kidding, I just gestured and breathed the pain away and it worked. Naturally loud and talkative, I completely transformed and carefully made my way through the labor, coaching and encouraging baby down while I imagined my interior anatomy as accurately as I could and visualized her path. Everyone was surprised I had sighed my way through the dreaded Transition, apparently not leaving enough time to fill the tub for a water birth. My fear of stitches was quelled because I hesitated like crazy with each push and managed to stretch appropriately.

For a brief moment, I panicked when I heard "tight nuchal cord", but out she slipped without an issue. To my surprise, delivering the placenta hurt far worse than the rest and I reluctantly passed her over to my partner. I had enough time to have some coffee and breakfast, a hot and amazing shower before my toddler woke up and got to meet her new sister. I still replay it over and over with pride and amazement.