The beautiful homebirth of Bindi Rose

rose · #1 (**permalink**) 16-02-2007, 02:17 PM

i was 40 + 14 and fee.ling like id had enough!
i woke early in the morning with a few tightenings, i warned sam and we discussed whether he should go to work or not, decided it was better to as baby was lying posterior so i wasnt expecting a quick labour

the food cupboards were empty, typical! i asked my brother (who was staying from the uk) if he would come shopping with me, i had no car and didnt want to struggle alone.
walking around the shop my backache was getting more intense but still no real contractions.

by the time we got home and packed shopping away it was about 10.30am and i was having contractions.
i felt the need to be alone with sofia or moreso withput the presence of my brother so happily agreed for him to go surfing, promising him i would phone sam and get him to come home, which i did.
knowing this was it and i was soon to be mother of two i ran a bath to share with sofia and we played in the water till sam arrives home aprox 12.30.
we then went for a walk it was hot but i wanted to keep moving and also wanted sofia to have a sleep which she did in the pushchair.

when we got back my brother arrived intrigued as to what was happening, we all chatted in the lounge for a while before deciding which room i would give birth in and started to prepare it, i chose the tiled floor rumpus looking out onto the garden as it was hot, swept the floor and gathered my things then half filled the pool with cold water.

i then checked my emails and NP

then tried to do some meditating and visulisations, kneeling against my bed with wheat pack on my back i felt a pop inside with a contraction, that was my waters breaking so returned to the lounge to tell the guys

jan my midwife phoned to see how we were getting on and we decided we would call her when we needed her.

the backache was constant it felt very different frommy previous labour, i slightly swayed and breathed through contractions silently.
sofia woke up and helped fill the rest of the pool with warm, i needed to get in.

while i got in and enjoyed the freedom of movement and relief it gave me sam made sofia some dinner. she was desperate to get in the pool with me so i agreed she could for 10mins or so then get out for a yoguart. i was pleased once she was out i could focus better. i thought now would be a good time for her present from me.. a playschool dvd

then i could really focus.

as i rolled around the pool, leaning on the side for contractions gripping the tiger eye stone i had chosen for my labour, my brother called out to say my mum had just phoned and she said to say she loved me

well that set some emotions running but it was nice to know she was thinking of me right at that time from the other side of the world.

sam phoned my midwife around 4pm, she arrived around 5, she asked to check the heartrate, i agreed, then she quietly arranged her things.
the house was peacefull, sam and sofia watching playschool and my brother reading.
i asked jan to get sam so she went and sat with sofia for a while, it was great to have sam and i held his hand for contractions they were coming real close to eachother now. sofia then joined us and my dog was sitting on the chair watching. although we had done a lot of preperation with sofia she was a little unsure she didnt like sam asking her to be quiet during my contractons and got a bit upset, so i had to come out of myself to settle her, she did settle but started tapping the side of the pool which i really didnt like, so after the next contraction asked her if she would like to ask her uncle to read her some stories and she did thankfully.

i could feel the baby moving down and with the contractions i repeated in my head.. bringing my baby down, while i visulised my baby moving down. the contractions were so strong and intense and one after the other, i felt the urge to push.. four more pushes and i birthed her head! jan asked me to feel if the cord was around her neck, it wasnt.

i felt her head with both hands, i could feel her tiny ears and nose and a head of hair that felt like velvet..wow

this was real i was doing it! and we were nearly at the end

sofia appeared at the side of the pool and my brother at the doorway and with one last contraction i caught her and pulled her up close to me

ahh relief, i settled against the side of the pool holding our baby, everyone there watching, most importantly sam and sofia who came in just at the right time to see her baby sister enter the world

7.05pm.

i looked between her legs, a little girl!
Bindi Rose we named her, she had loads of very dark hair and was covered in thick vernix.
she started searching for the booby and found it and didnt let it go for a couple of hours

during which i got out the pool birthed the placenta an hour later on the toilet, drank water ate honey on toast and soaked up our new baby girl.
i sat naked on my sofa with my two girls while sam and my bro were busy emptying the pool.

sam eventually got a cuddle about 10pm while i settled sofia to sleep.
then jan weighed her.. 8lb 4 oz, exactly the same as sofia

we decided to leave the placenta attached so jan and sam washed it and wrapped it up.

i felt totally amazed at myself for what id done.. it was a totally enjoyable empowering birth

oh and very easy