Birth is the sudden opening of a window, through which you look out upon a stupendous prospect. For what has happened? A miracle. You have exchanged nothing for the possibility of everything.
~ Willie Dixon
I fell in love again on Saturday. Our first grandchild was born.
Our daughter, Erica, was due at the end of April. Her last day at work was Thursday.
At that time, she said there were only two things left on her to-do list:
pick up a hose to fill the tub rented for the home birth
get the vitamin K1 gel for the baby from the compounding pharmacy
Erica has always been incredibly well organized and goal-oriented. She had publicly proclaimed that she aspired to have her first child by the time she was 30. She will reach that milestone this summer.
A health challenge in 2018 that threatened to diminish her quality of life nudged her to become even more diligent in her dietary and lifestyle choices, preparing her body to conceive and deliver a healthy baby. Her husband, Jamie, too, prioritized self-care, neither of them wanting to become a burden to the healthcare system.
At some point, Erica decided to have the baby at home. They did not wish to go into a hospital during the pandemic.
A lot of research and effort went into facilitating a home birth. Erica planned every detail and was determined to pull it off.
Interestingly when we told others, most people cringed at the prospect and warned about the potential for complications. Everyone seemed to have a story that created fear, which would have been discouraging for most, but not for our daughter.
When asked when she thought she would be delivering, Erica said Saturday. Her brother agreed. He said that if Erica says Saturday, Saturday it is.
Sure enough, Saturday at 5:30 AM, Erica sent me the message that it was go-time.
A mindful birth
Having taken a hypnobirthing course, Erica used an app to monitor the timing and severity of the contractions. A soothing voice coached her on how to breathe through them. Jamie was applying counter-pressure strategically as trained. We took turns when I got there.
The first of two midwives arrived at around 10:15. Much to our surprise, Erica was fully dilated. A few minutes later her water broke and the contractions became more intense. She stepped into the birthing tub. We drizzled warm water over her lower back and continued to apply pressure to numb the pain.
Within forty-five minutes of entering the tub, the baby had a bowel movement (meconium), releasing it into the water. Erica was asked to step out. Under normal conditions, meconium is not passed before birth. Prolonged exposure to it can be harmful to the baby. The midwife called the paramedics.
I was asked to prepare a hospital bag. Yikes! I could not find Erica's wallet with her health card. Because she had no intention of going to the hospital, Erica had not packed a bag.
The threat of ending up in the hospital nudged our very determined daughter to push with all her might.
At 11:53 in the morning, a beautiful, healthy baby girl weighing 7 pounds and 14 ounces was born. The paramedics arrived a few minutes later only to congratulate the parents.
Closing thoughts
Erica made the whole process look relatively easy. It was a minimally invasive birth event, with just some minor stitching at the end.
My own experience of delivering her at the hospital was not nearly as civilized.
The midwives have come to check on mom and baby already three times this week. Both Erica and Ryann Olivia (the baby's name) are exceeding expectations in recovery from the natural trauma of birth. Nursing is going well. Jamie's family and ours are counting our blessings and offering as much support as needed.
Amen. Beautiful story, happy it was a good ending. babies are a beautiful miracle .