Birth Story – Baby after loss.

To begin to describe this moment…The birth of a baby, the birth of a mother and the beginning of a family.

To attempt to describe this emotion… Like a tidal wave. Shock, relief and a LOVE so strong and painful my heart burst open and knitted back together in a whole new way.

Grief… Our two previous pregnancy losses crashed through me. In this moment I mourned these losses again and in some way they made sense for the first time and I understood.

I remember thinking “Oh of course! THIS is our baby. We were always meant to have him. He’s finally here and he’s perfect.”

My almost 3 year old saw this picture and said “Daddy, Mummy, Baby… Ah Mum so happy!” Maybe that sums it up just perfectly.

Full birth story – I was curious and excited about what birth would be like and what sensations I would feel. My waters broke in a pre-natal yoga class, contractions started 3 hours later and they were red hot, 2 mins apart and lasting for a minute each. They were powerful! Still I questioned if this was the real thing… 3 hours later we went to hospital, I found being in water very helpful with contractions and tried some gas. Labour was 6 hours long and our baby was born. I was shocked, relieved and experienced the most incredible rush of love (the intensely powerful oxytocin) as he was placed on my chest.

Birth can be enjoyable. Birth can be empowering. Birth can be transformative. Women’s bodies instinctively know what to do and babies know how to be born.