BIRTH!

Here I am again with a blog on BIRTH.  My youngest daughter, Salome is pregnant with twin boys...fraternal...and should give birth any day now. It's July 22. Her  common law husband, Brad's birthday, by the way. How Cool would that have been for them to share a birthday?!  it's 8 pm ...she has 4 hours to make that happen!  If we could choose...which apparently tons of people do for convenience ( that is strange to me I love the excitement of the unknown!)
So, obviously my thoughts are filled with babies, births, my children, and Grandchildren.
I gave birth to all 3 of my kids at home. Two in a log house 1 1/2 miles back in the woods in New Brunswick. I was thinking today how my first experience was  painful and scary...but only because I had never felt this before. Plus I felt like I was hallucinating much of the time...probably hyperventilating! I started making my birthing spot in the first 2 hours...little did I know! Plus my husband had to go do chores for the neighbours...and I was worried that he had slipped on the ice surrounding their well and fallen in! Thankfully he returned coaching me (he'd read the books and was very knowledgeable)...nothing went amiss and...12 hours later, Zaak was born.
 The second, Saison,  I was more confident and had a midwife with me as well as my husband....and we weren't  a mile and a half into the woods.  Southern Alberta . The midwife brought her knitting and was settling in for a long night.. She had given me some herbal tea and apparently it worked like gangbusters! ....3 hours later I told her I felt like pushing...and she said that couldn't be....but checked anyway....yes indeed...follow your instincts when giving birth! Saison was probably my easiest birth and my most stubborn child ..ha ha... ....
3rd time, Salome ( about to give birth and causing much anxiety! I want to be with her so bad!) Again in the log house...and I thought today how odd it is...I barely remember any pain at all...I remember pushing her out and reassuring Zaak and Saison that Mama was ok....I remember that it hurt like crazy every time I nursed her for the first few days...and I remember I couldn't bare to be away from her even to eat for the first week or so...I had to hold her while I ate.
I've been with both my daughters and my daughter in law, Amber when they gave birth to their children, all except one, Acadia who was born in Guatemala...
I was so thrilled to share this experience with them and honoured that they wanted me there. I was so proud of how they handled it all.
I watched a documentary called "The Business of being Born" How giving birth is almost treated like an illness now a days. Like I mentioned early on...people actually choose the date of birth and schedule surgery! They want to be put out, put under...numbed! Yes, it hurts. But to feel that little body being pushed out...WOW!
I understand. Sometimes there is a need for emergency procedures and all...And I'm very grateful that there are trained professionals to deal with problems. But I it is such a great experience when nothing goes amiss!
And I'm very grateful that my youngest child, Salome, will be in good hands when she gives birth to those little fellows!
Thanks for reading friends!