Belly casting

We have had a young Mama staying with us for a couple of months now. She is due tomorrow! I am very much looking forward to her birth. Not just because I will be happy to have normalcy back but, also because I feel strongly that she is going to have an amazing birth.
I have known Autumn since she was about 9 years old. I met her and her mother at a Rainbow gathering in Arkansas in 1999. Who knew that we would have this karma together? Anyhow, she wrote me several moths back announcing that she was pregnant. I was scared for her but, excited none the less. Then she started to write me letters expressing how she wanted me to be with her during her birth and wished there was some way to make it happen. She lives about 3 hours south of us and we couldn't see that it would work for me to travel that far for her prenatal visits etc. After much thought we decided that she should come stay with us until she had the baby. She arrived here in mid August, plump, scared and excited to be a Mom. Since then we have had many trials. I have had to be mother, midwife and friend. Some days have been better than others...but, in those first few weeks we made a vow to each other that neither of us would give up. That we were in this till the end! I think both of us have grown tremendously and it would dishonest of me to say that I won't miss her when she's gone home with baby in tow.
Renee (Autumn's mother) arrived 2 weeks ago to help with the final preparations for the birth and to help me out a bit. It has been much easier with her around because now I can have some help with the mothering part. One of the things we did was a belly casting. It was my first one! It was great fun and I think we did a marvelous job. toot toot...


Autumn wants us all to wear tie dyed t shirts to her birth. So, we have decided to paint the casting like a tie dyed t shirt and in the middle we will put a placenta print. We think it's gonna be cool.I will post with the pics of that when we get done.












We have taken a ton of pics to document this journey with her and I so, I will definitely be posting some more pics in the days and weeks to come.

M.I.A.

Greetings!
I am so sorry that I have been out of the loop for a while. Things have been very very busy here. I had a beautiful birth a month ago, that was also a bit of a surprise. The mama had called me several months ago. She was seeing a CNM at one of the local hospitals. But, wasn't happy with birthing in a hospital nor was she happy with the treatment she was being given. So, she was exploring other options. We met and talked until midnight one evening. But, after that I didn't hear from her for a couple of months. I knew she was getting close and thought of her often as we slipped into mid august. I wondered if she had the baby and if everything was good. Finally, about 2 weeks before her due date I got a call from her. She was asking if I would still attend her birth even on such short notice. You know me....I said "of course I will". About a week later I got a call in the morning saying her water had broke. I made all of my arrangements and waited for her to begin active labor. When I arrived mama was happy and glowing. I was so pleased and honored to called to this birth and felt humbled by how beautiful she was. We all decided to spend some time outside while it was still cool so, we sat and talked and ate fruit for awhile. Mama was having back labor so we would massage her back during contractions. Finally, I suggested she get in her tub for awhile to relieve some of her aching. While she sat in the tub she told me stories of amazing experiences in her life with shaman and with healing. She used many different stones and crystals in her bath, I watched in amazement. She seemed so calm and relaxed. After about an hour she got out of the tub and labored in her room. By that time mom in law arrived and we began to lay our hands on mama's belly during contractions. We would breath with her and visualize the baby birthing soon. Finally, around dinner time she began to push. First in a squat and then to hands and knees. She eased the baby out slowly into her hands and then I helped catch him in the end. It was peaceful and perfect as everything was supposed to be. All praises to the creator for another gentle birth! Welcome to Vox born 8lbs. 3oz. and perfect in every way.

Finding a way

I often encourage my mamas to write out their birth story before their birth. I want to hear their dream and I want to dream the same dream with them. I believe that together we can make that dream come true. It really does work if you believe in it.

I practice this magic in my own life as well. I strongly believe that I create my own reality. If I think it and put love into something it will happen. I have seen this occur in my life over and over. I have dreamed many big dreams and I have seen those dreams manifest into reality.

I have been thinking a lot lately about my dream for this path I have chosen. Where I want to go with my life and who I want to share this amazing gift with. It makes me think of myself as a young woman giving birth to my first son alone in a hospital. I was scared to death! I was embarking on a journey that was filled with unknowns. As this journey is as well. But, yet I continue with my head held high and courage in my heart knowing that one day I would find focus and things would fall into place. Today, I feel as if the clouds have parted and I can see clear as day where I am headed. What lies before me is karma. It is a road that I have walked for 34 years. It is the road of a warrior (yes, we women can be warriors too). It is the same path so many women walk everyday. Only, now I will walk with pride, head held high, stomach relaxed :) and a very loud voice that says, " I am a poor woman, that came from a working class family, that came from a long line of working class families and I have the right to live, love, reproduce and access the same loving care that the rich can access."

I believe that every woman has the right to be empowered during birth. Every woman should feel that they can afford kind, loving, gentle care from a midwife. I want to empower the poor, the gypsies, the teenage mothers. I want to go to rainbow gatherings and welcome babies in tents and teepee's. I don't want to be tied down to money, to making a living, to the word professional.

So, I am paving the way. I am creating a life that makes it possible for me to do what I love. To feel free to help my sisters without the pressing need to make money so that I can pay my bills and feed my family. Things are happening that lead me to believe that this is the right path for me. All arrows are pointing this way....and my heart says let's go!

A first for me

Our local birth center shut down and left many mamas displaced and in need of care. Dove was one of those ladies. I think that it was simply fate that we were thrust together at the end of her pregnancy. We have become good friends in the short time we have known one another and I am glad to have met this wonderful family.

Dove called me at 7:30am on friday morning very excited that she had started having contractions. So, I started to prepare my day for a birth. I got to Doves house around 10:30am and Dove was laboring beautifully. She asked me to check her dilation and she was at 2cm. So, I hung out for awhile and chatted with her, Reuben and her friend (who had come from California to be a part of the birth). I stayed for a couple of hours but there wasn't much change so, I decided to go home for awhile. At around 3:30pm I went back over to check on them and again there was little progress, so I went back home knowing I would be called in the wee hours. I was right...I got a call around 1:30am from Reuben asking that I come over because things were getting more intense and Dove wanted me to be there. When I arrived I could see that her contractions were much stronger and I thought that I should just stay at this point. I called Camille and Mona to come over and we began to get things prepared for the birth. We waited and talked and tried to sleep as Dove's contraction got stronger and longer and closer together. Progress was slow but, I knew that this baby would come if we just gave him time.
Finally, at 7am Reuben woke me saying that Dove needed me. When I came in the room she was crying and saying that she couldn't do it anymore, she was begging me to help. I checked for dilation and found her completely dilated and the baby had moved down. So, I said it's time to give birth to your baby. You can push him out. She pushed and pushed with very little progress but, baby was doing well. So, we got her on hands and knees. She pushed and pushed until finally her water broke, then she pushed some more and out came the head. I could see that his face was bruised and swollen from the descent. She pushed again and at that point I could tell he was stuck. I had her do the Gaskin maneuver still nothing, I reached my hands in and tried to corkscrew him out still nothing, I took a deep breath and tried again this time saying "you will come out baby!" And out popped his posterior shoulder then his whole body! What a relief. He was limp and pale so I handed him to Dove and told her that he needed her to call him here. She began to rub him and call his name. Soon he opened his eyes and started to pink up. I was so relieved that I nearly fell on the floor and cried. Maintaining my composure I thanked him for coming here to be with us. Welcome sweet baby boy. Sidney Just Free, born on April 12 at 8:35am, 7lbs. 8oz.


I have to admit that for a moment I was afraid. For just a second I wondered if I could do this. But, in the end I felt reaffirmed in my knowledge that I am a midwife and that is what I will always be.

A few pictures

I finally got a few pictures of the last birth I attended. This mama is just beautiful You can hardly tell she just gave birth! The first picture is of her first little one playing midwife (so cute).

Something new

So, my locks are coming in very nicely. They are untamed and beautiful! I really do enjoy having them. I like to feel them with my fingers and acknowledge the diversity in their structure.



But, as wonderful as they are...I still like having the option of being undercover. So, I have been trying my hand in African head wrapping. I had Jesse snap a pic of my most recent try at a cinnabon.




I love the way the fabric feels all wrapped up on my head. It gives you the feeling of wearing a crown. I truly feel like a queen. I am going to try a few other wraps but this one has been my favorite so far.

Perfect and ordinary

Sometimes I feel like my births just aren't dramatic enough to post about. Most of the births I attend are perfect and ordinary. Isn't that the way they were meant to be? Birth is a natural, spiritual and beautiful thing yet it is just another part of the life cycle.
I had my first repeat client this winter. Which is really an honor. I met J and her husband about 2 years ago. They had planned an unassisted birth but, things weren't happening how they planned. So, they called around looking for a midwife to help them. We came to that call. Things turned out beautifully in the end. I think the stall was emotional. This time around I did all the prenatal care and they called me when J started labor. I arrived, set up my equipment, and waited. J was glowing and was simply a Goddess. She handled labor with ease. Just before midnight J said that she felt something change. So, I grabbed my pin light to take a look and I could see the top of the babies head. Soon the head was crowning, then her whole head. The membranes were still in tact so I reached into the water and gently broke the sack. Moments later we saw the whole baby slip into the water. I reached for the baby to help bring her to the surface of the water. I saw then that she had a double nucal cord. That made no difference, she became alert in a matter of seconds. It was a gentle, wonderful birth day for Evelyn Violet.

I feel so blessed to be a part of such great uncomplicated births. I don't know if it is simply karma or if it is because I am so intent on being hands off. Either way I thank the creator for all that I see and know. I am grateful for the families that allow me into their lives in such a sweet and trusting way.