MashaAllah , SubhanAllah. I still smile to myself thinking of the events of this past Saturday. I was privileged to attend a home unassisted birth of a first time mother. I had missed a few births in the past few months because of home commitments and other issues, but somehow this birth was perfect timing. In fact, I was supposed to have a class that morning, but the mother had to cancel because she was not feeling well.

I got up in the morning thinking it would be an uneventful day, relaxing with my kids. My phone had gone flat in the night and so I charged it and got this mama's SMS at 7am, when she had already texted me at 6am. I rushed to get my kids fed and left them at my mother's house. Her husband was texting me to hurry as he was excited:) "No stop in surges for last 30 mins. Sorry to rush you".

When I got there, mom was on all-fours on her bed riding her surges. Rocking her body back and forth in silence. Her waters had released at 4am and apparently she had wanted to drive herself from her mother's house to her house to birth, but her husband didn't allow it. *chuckle*

I knelt by her to let her know I was there. She acknowledged my presence and returned to attending to her surges. She was quiet, breathing through her surges. She would occasionally scrunch her eyebrows and her fists and moan. 

We reminded her to relax and release the tension in her body. "How do I do that?" she asked. "Smile" I ventured. And soon enough she started to relax.

"I'm comfortable in this position but my hands are tired". So we piled a heap of pillows against the headboard of the bed and she leaned on it, slightly elevated. This seemed to be her position of choice.

Her surges started to patter out and not long after, the tip of baby's head could be seen. Dad was excited by the sight and rushed to get towels. Mom's sister arrived to give support. Mom was still on all-fours breathing and smiling between surges. 


"But every time I relax I can feel his head go back in".  

"That's fine", we said smiling quietly, excited at this point. 

A few relaxing surges later, baby's head slowly emerged, almost all the way.. and then stopped just at the lips, like a turtle-neck sweater that didn't come down all the way.

Time stood still. 

Dad steadied his hands under baby's head.

"Mancungnya hidung dia!" 

Dad and aunty couldn't contain their excitement.

Another smile from mom..

After a couple more surges, baby slithered out wearing his cord around his wrist and with his hands against his chest... as if making du'a :) SubhanAllah.

Dad received baby, and after mom turned around and sat back down, Dad put baby on her chest.

What a beautiful moment.

We helped mom take her shirt off for skin-to-skin with baby. Then her sister and I left the room to let the new family bond and enjoy their magical moment together.

The mother was ecstatic and incredulous. Baby was alert and taking in his new world with bright eyes. They were both tired and enjoyed a good sleep. I left soon after and learned that the placenta came a few hours after that. 

Mother went to the clinic at night and got a few stitches (which she didn't appreciate) and was so happy and grateful for her beautiful birth and baby.

Alhamdulillah ala kullihaal! What awesomeness HE creates everyday in birth, through the simplest yet most profound moments.

I don't usually blog about the births I attend, because its the family's story to tell and not mine.. but it would be a shame not to share the sheer awesomeness of it.. plus mom gave permission.. hehe.

Congratulations and Mabrook to the amazing mother and father! May your son be the coolness of your eyes, and may you live to tell this wonderful tale to his children :)


Note: I do not promote unassisted cildbirth. This family decided they wanted an unassisted childbirth because they believed that it was the best for them. They are well-researched and informed and they made and informed decision. They were going to birth unassisted anyway, whether anyone was with them or not. I was just a companion.

How exciting that there are more and more studies being done about the effects of pregnant and laboring women's emotional and mental states on birthing outcomes. This particular study finds that women who fear birth have longer labors. 

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/27/fearing-childbirth-may-prolong-labor/

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57463127-10391704/women-who-fear-childbirth-have-longer-labor-times-study-finds/ 

Researchers at Akershus University Hospital in Norway found women who feared giving birth were in labor for 1 hour and 32 minutes longer, on average, than those who had no fear. 

"I'm glad there's now evidence to say that," Fischbein said, "but it's obvious." 

...duh...

According to the study, women who are fearful of labor and birth have longer labors and are more likely to need emergency c-section and assisted delivery (vaccum/ forcep extraction). 

Now, is that really a wonder? 

Grantly-Dick Read, in the early twentieth century, talked about how fear affects the effective working of the uterine muscles. Go back to the earliest times - the fathers of the Grecian school of medicine - Hippocrates and Aristotle -talked about the importance of the woman's emotional state, and the mind-body connection in labor and birth. Even the Qur'an tells us the story of Maryam r.a. and how she was told by Allah swt "not to grieve" and to delight in the sustenance (dates and water) that He provided. 

And yet, modern medicine is just recently becoming interested in how our emotional and mental states affect our physical, biological states. It has been so focused on treating the body in isolation and as separate and independent of our mind and spirit. 

Indeed it is an exciting time.. as Elena Tonetti says "We are approaching an era where science and spirituality are converging.."
Hear hear.

Wow. How long has it taken me to create a post here huh? Truth is.. I have lots of ideas and energy when it comes to birth.. but not so much when it comes to blogging. Am not a blogger by nature.. but this skill can be honed I'm hoping. Anyway, just a prelude as to what's to come - I like photos of birth. A picture speaks a thousand words right? So I think that's what I'll do.. I'll share with you some inspiring pictures/ photos/ posters which I love and that can be the focus of the post! Wish me luck on my blogging adventure!

This particular poster is awesome. Someone (a fellow birth junkie) created it and shared this on facebook, and I'm sharing it with you here :) ...Something so fundamentally simple, yet so difficult to grasp by most people today. This would make a great poster for your birthing room/ nest... I'd like to see this poster up in ObGyn's offices/ hospital labour wards!