amanda's story | a christmas day birth
Warning.
This post includes pictures of nipples. If you don't know what nipples look like...maybe just skip this post and go look in the mirror.
Many thanks to this couple who has given me permission to share their raw birth pictures. Because not everyone births with a bra on.
:-)
Not even two years ago I spent over 24 hours with Kurt and Amanda as they brought their first baby boy into the world. It was an incredibly moving birth but one with lots of hiccups as labor stalled several times and exhaustion set in with 2 nights of no sleep. Amanda rocked it and was able to bring her son into the world with the compassionate use of an epidural.
When I found out they were expecting again I immediately accepted their inquiry to attend their birth (such an honor!) even though her due date was Christmas day. Their son had been born on his due date and I was positive the likely hood of a second baby on a due date was extremely low.
The Christmas season was such a beautiful one. Full of expectation in all kinds of ways. I was giddy as I communicated with Amanda as contractions came and left for weeks before her due date. It was early on Christmas morning that I got the call that things were picking up and their baby was choosing to come into the world on Christmas day! I had been up past midnight building toys for my kids and wasn't about to miss their faces so we woke them up super early and had a very sweet hour in the wee morning hours and then I got the call to meet them at the hospital.
I just can't explain in words how sweet that birth room was. The nurse and midwife were just so loving and the specialness of birthing a baby on Christmas was thick in the air. Amanda was rocking it and had labored all night on her own. When I got there things ramped up and got intense. When Amanda labors, the whole room is just in awe. She is so graceful and powerful at the very same time and really she brings labor back to its primal roots. Kurt is just my favorite. He is so tender with her and I just kind of stood back and watched their magic. It was not long at all before this baby decided to be born. No one knew the gender and we all held our breathe with anticipation as Amanda roared her baby into the world. A beautiful baby girl. Liana was SO wide eyed and settled right into her mama's arms with knowing eyes of intense love.
Soon came big brother who was 21 months old at the time. He was very pensive about the whole thing but as soon as he was able to nurse along side his sister he softened up.
This was my 7th birth this year of repeat clients. It has been SUCH an honor to be asked again and it has been transforming to see how each woman births with such confidence and power compared to her first baby. Amanda was no exception. She never faltered. She knew she could and she did.
We finished up our time together with a birthday cake-with a "0" candle on it :-) And I made it home in time to go to my mama's house for Christmas dinner.
It wasn't easy leaving that sweet cocoon of warmth and love that Christmas day but I feel like this family is my family and I know that love will always be there.
Thank you for letting me share your story.
