Ahh, Spring Is In the Air

Springtime. It's a great time for babies, don't you think? I was driving through my neighborhood rejoicing in all the greenery that has finally sprouted, and passed by the pond near our house. The geese have made fuzzy little goslings, and a whole family was hanging out near the water. It was one of those moments that just makes you smile, and I wanted to roll down the window and shout to them, "I have one of those too!!"

Babies are such a miracle. My miracle happened on Easter Sunday, when Noah came out of my body (finally!) and into the world. Noah Dean Bets was born at 2:12 pm on April 24th, 2011 at 7 lbs 14 ounces.

I gave birth to Noah at home, with the assistance of my very experienced midwives Kate and Jill and my awesome husband. I'll get into why I chose homebirth in a future post, but I will tell you that it was the most intense experience I will probably ever have in my life.

My labor started around 2:30 am when my water broke, which woke me up from a strange dream where I was flying through space admiring the constellations. No word yet on what that all means, but in any event I was startled and thought I had lost control of my bladder. Again. (Please see previous posts on this unfortunate circumstance of pregnancy.) I called my midwife and she told me that I probably did lose my water, and my contractions should start getting more intense. Try to sleep, she said. Sure! I replied, rolling my eyes.

Mat and I got up and tried to watch a movie and sure enough, contractions got stronger. Kate arrived at the house around 9:30 am, and when she checked me an hour later I was 7 cm dilated and ready to get the show on the road.

Did I already say that this was the most intense experience of my life? I loved that I could walk around my own home, lay in my own bed, choose whatever position I wanted to be in that felt, well, less uncomfortable than the other positions. But natural childbirth is...intense. There's that word again! My contractions were so strong and exhausting that as I worked through the transition stage into pushing, I was literally falling asleep between each one. Mat tried to joke with me, but I was in such a zone I just ignored him and concentrated. I've never felt so primal, so animalistic, so feminine, and like such a wild woman as I did while I gave birth to my son in my bedroom while Mat held me up. My screams echoed through the neighborhood, and I'm sure someone thought I was being murdered in there.

But I did it. Noah came out with his hand up by his head - not awesome for me but it seems to be his natural tendency. He was perfect in every way, and as I held the newly born him, my body still coursing with adrenaline and drenched in sweat, I lay back on my bed and sighed. Yes, I did it.