As labor progressed and steadily intensified, she became too warm and wanted out of the water. We encouraged her to use this time to walk and use the bathroom as she seemed to be getting close to pushing. She sat in the bathroom for a few rushes and Delphine told me to be ready to grab the tray (we always keep the most needed birth essentials on a tray so we can be wherever the mama decides to let her baby out.) Mama did not like the idea of a bathroom birth, so we ventured back out to the great room. Mama took a hands and knees position in the center of the room, I began placing pads around and under her. Mama began to make high pitch noises, pulling up at the peak. We softly reminded mama to make her voices low, to roar her baby out. She literally growled like a lion, roaring her baby down. I felt drawn to place my hands on her hips and apply a gentle hip squeeze, she was extremely receptive to this counter-pressure. I continued through each rush, applying firm pressure. When the baby crowned, Del told me to get my hands ready. This little wrinkled, wet, warm head slowly entering the light felt magical against my eager fingers. The room fell silent, everything around me faded, until only this baby and I were present. As the forehead slowly slid into view, the movement slowly stopped. Delphine without hesitation moved her hands into place and I returned my hands to her hips, returning pressure. Mama instinctively brought her right foot forward into runners pose [ I wonder as I write this if that urge to run, to escape the intensity as the baby blossoms into a full crown is an instinct that evolved to assist in the ease of birth, right as the leg goes up to attempt to escape the pain, the pelvis opens just a little wider and out pops new life] another reason that following your body can facilitate an easier birth. Anyhow, as I applied pressure and mama repositioned, a beautiful, pink baby boy came down into Delphine’s hands. Mama exclaimed my hands were healing but I felt mama had done it all! I was reeling from the energy that surged from her body into my hands, such power!
We dried and wrapped them up, stepping back to watch this family fall in love. I took more pictures of their immense beauty and happiness, joyous of their labor dance. Mama was so mushy and loving (much different than her slight indifferent demeanor) as her oxytocin was flowing at full peak. Her love and appreciation were evident in her tender expressions and soft words. We assisted mama into a full squat so that she may birth her placenta. With ease her placenta was released and we helped move her to their prepared, waiting futon. She was gushing thanks and we kept smiling, telling her we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else and that we owed her thanks! Baby D latched with no problems and his newborn exam reflected a healthy baby. I helped mama to the bathroom and as I wiped her trembling legs with a warm washcloth, cleaning up the remnants of birth, she commented that we were saints to do something so personal and “icky.” I told her that when you have come to care about someone, it isn’t icky or gross but amazing and that I was honored to be in her space, to bear witness, and participate in something so intimate. I followed mama back to her baby, ensuring that she made it safely back to her bed and went to the kitchen to warm her some soup. Papa brought us a Polish cookie treat that is custom to give to the guests of a new baby and mom, if it weren’t for the fennel seeds, it would have been amazing!
I packed up birth instruments, organized the birth bags, requested help from Del in emptying the stubborn pool. I loved making it all disappear! It looked like nothing had ever happened, let alone the birth of a baby a few hours prior. I began the laundry and Delphine and I filled out the Health Department forms. When we were finished I deflated the birth pool and it had become very obvious that this new family of four was ready for sleep. We took our belongings and disappeared into the early morning fog.