And Eli makes 3 (not counting Napoleon)

I'm expecting!

What wonderful news, now what to do first?

I announced the news to our families, and asked around about prenatal care.  Through the suggestion of a family friend (who was a midwife at one point in her life) I tried a midwife who worked out of Garden City hospital.  It didn't work out, she was wonderful there just wasn't a connection.  I kept saying to my family, "i want to feel like I am the only pregnant woman on the planet, is that wrong"?  I was reassured it was not only ok to feel that way but completely normal and not a tall order.

I continued my prenatal care all the while on a search for the place that really spoke to me internally.  This is NO easy journey especially when you throw in the red tape of health insurance.  I need to also say that I have never taken such good care of myself in my life as I did during this pregnancy.  I was able to quite smoking, and drinking cold turkey.  I was a bartender aside from my day job, and giving up these things in that environment wasn't easy.  So I had to leave the job as well.  No regrets.

One night my partner and I watched a documentary The Business of Being Born, and this completely changed my way of thinking and my action plan was clear.  I knew a few folks including my brother that had emerged into this world via the birthing center.  Their reputation was amazing.  So I made an appointment to meet the staff and see if I was eligible. I say eligible because you had to be low risk and I was already almost 20 wks pregnant.  Good news I made the cut!!

Doug and I went through orientation with awesome Heather, and birthing prep classes with the wonderful Helen.  Talking to some friends and family during incubation sharing my feeling of natural childbirth I was greeted with side stares, and pursed lips.  "Girl your crazy, you will see its not that easy" "Have the epidural on standby" etc

All the visits were nice and normal everything moving as hoped and anticipated with the due date of June tenth approaching, and passing :)

At this point I had to go inside myself and have a talk with anxiety, and realize that it isn't time yet and to let go and let baby.  The anticipation and eagerness of fellow friends and family didn't make it easy.  June 22nd: My doula calls and says hey lets go to the USSF (US Social Forum) parade downtown, so we go, it was HOT but so moving and inspiring to see friends and smiling faces in Detroit uniting.

All my life I hear of animals being so sensitive to new life and energy moving, I think ok well if I have doubt I will just look to Napoleon (our dog) for a cue to get geared up, I was sure he would tell me when it Eli was near. If for some reason I had doubt.

June 23rd 2am... Napoleon and Doug snoozing in the bed, I awake to a dog barking relentlessly, I get up frustrated of coarse because I stayed up until midnight watching tv.  I go outside on the balcony and there is a stray dog looking up at my from our front sidewalk right at me, as if she were waiting for me to come outside.  I have never seen this dog before and never have since.  I decide to leave the dog and go back to bed and try to sleep.  Walking back to the bedroom my water breaks.  This is my first pregnancy.  I ask myself if I have lost control of my bladder, of course not.  I call the midwife, I am informed that there is no room in the birthing center.  At this point I realize that I could freak out and panic or remain calm and trust in process.  I chose the latter.  Sarah says to call back in an hour and say how I feel, my contractions didn't start instantly.  I make coffee, drink the rest of my red raspberry leaf tea, shower, light a candle.  I am forgetting something.  Oh right wake Doug and tell him what is happening.  Shower, record contractions, pack bag, make calls.  Family is informed and I call the ABC and Sarah wants me to come in so they can make sure I have ruptured.  Whisked up to the 3rd floor in the wheel chair in L&D to begin.  As I get up out of the wheelchair whoosh, no need to check I am sure that wasn't my bladder.  When Sarah checks she discovers that Eli is sunny side up, we have work to do.

My Doula met me at the hospital and we are pacing the halls in hope that we can get Eli to turn.  During this time the staff informs me that there is "room at the inn" and we can go o the ABC wing. 

I say until this day that if there were I ceiling fan in the room I would have labored from it.  I was so grateful for the ability to move around.  Tub, floor, rocking chair, floor, shower, etc.  Sarah and the ABC staff were so PATIENT, allowing my body to go through it's process.  15 hours of labor total and 3 of them were pushing... out comes my beautiful son Eli, weighing 7lbs 12.6oz and 21 in long.  The whole room claps, cheers, and cries.  What a WONDERFUL group of people the ABC staff are.  Thank you for the best memorable experience I will ever have.  Turns out I am not crazy, I was able to do this completely unmedicated and present.  Thank to the stray mystery dog that woke me to get the baby party started. 

 

Jamilia