Dear ladies, the other day I was searching for a certain article on my computer and while doing so, the following birth story popped up! I read it again and laughed and laughed. I had printed this in Above rubies back in 2004 and here it was, still on my computer. Although it was written so long ago, I thought I’d share it with you again today. I know you will enjoy a laugh, and also enjoy reading again of the wonder of birth. I have contacted Suzy and she is so happy for me to share it with you again. And after all these years, they are still growing their organic grains, but sorry, it is too far away to order them in New Zealand!MOTHER-IN-LAW DOES THE SPLITS!
It’s not often you invite your mother-in-law for dinner, and she doesn’t get to eat it! Instead of a meal she falls, hits her head on a macrocarpa post, pulls her leg muscles, does the splits, breaks her pelvis, helps birth a baby . . . and finally goes home hungry and wounded but, on cloud nine!
Here's the story!
Late Saturday afternoon, 07 June 2003, my husband’s mother arrived to milk the cow. After Mum and I got the cow into the yards, and she was busy milking I walked back to the house to prepare dinner. Instead of going through the gate I climbed over the cattle yards. A tightening came just as I got to the top of the yards. I had been having tightenings since I was 20 weeks pregnant and had became so used to them, I didn’t think much about them.
I climbed down from the yards and had to stop for a few moments. Although the tightening wasn’t painful, it grabbed me more than before. Mum finished milking and went back home saying they would return later to have dinner with us. She had cooked one of our home-grown chickens which was in her crock-pot and it would be ready around 7.30ish.
I started preparing the vegies ready for tea* and put them in the oven. The tightenings started coming more often and getting tighter. All of a sudden, I felt quite weary and went upstairs to lie down. Bruce sensed things were happening and rang his Mum and Dad to come for dinner as soon as they could. They were about to leave anyway and arrived at 7.15 pm. I heard them come into the kitchen and called out to Mum from my bed saying the vegies were in the oven, I was resting upstairs and would be down to help shortly.
At that moment I felt a popping sensation inside me and guessed my waters may have broken. Mum came upstairs, and as she came around by the side of the bed, she slipped on the rug, (we had just had our wooden floors waxed and polished). She hit her head on the macrocarpa bedpost and fell onto the floor. I looked up from our bed and was astounded to see my mother-in-law doing the splits!
I got off the bed to help her and felt this huge gush of water bucketing down my legs. Mum had cut her forehead quite badly. Blood was pouring out from the cut and splattering on the floor. As I stood on my feet, I felt a strong bearing down sensation.
In the meantime, Bruce and Dad, hearing the fall from downstairs, came running up. Mum was anxious about me and told me to get downstairs right away and told Bruce to fill up the birth pool. I walked downstairs, aware that Mum must feel that the baby wasn’t far away. I felt so in control that it didn’t occur to me that it could be close. My mind was still getting over her fall and doing her callisthenics tricks on our bedroom floor!
I got into the birth pool. I sat down feeling relaxed, peaceful and in complete control of my body. Two-year-old Sammy-Jo was right beside me, insisting on hopping into the pool with me. Mum arrived from upstairs to have her granddaughter begging her to put her ‘star’ togs** on. She wasn’t going to miss out on any of this excitement.
Once in the birth pool, she splashed in the little water there was, her voice shrieking with glee. She decided to help her Daddy and Poppa with the water situation. She grabbed the cold hose that was dangling into the water and aimed it straight at me, squirting it onto my back. I shuddered with the coldness. I immediately asked her to take the hose away, but Sammy-Jo was enjoying herself too much to stop. I didn’t have a show.
Meanwhile, Mum was leaning over the side of the pool, I told her I felt like bearing down. Mum knew I was very close to birthing this baby and there was no midwife. She couldn’t get near enough from outside the pool to see what was happening, so she said she was getting into the pool to birth this baby herself.
Sammy-Jo was ecstatic as she watched her Nana climb into the pool with us. We saw the excitement on her face as she shouted to Nana to look at her ‘star’ togs as the cold hose continued to squirt all over me. For a moment I forgot what we were actually in the pool for as I laughed at my daughter having so much joy. What an unforgettable moment watching Sammy-Jo enjoying the excitement of this baby’s arrival.
I called for Bruce to come and pray as I knew the baby was close to being born. I didn’t feel a strong urge to push, but I could feel the baby moving down and the head crowning. He prayed and I felt very calm and relaxed. Everything that was happening in my body felt very natural. My energy level was high, and I felt empowered.
The atmosphere became electric. Even time halted. Something more powerful than me was at work. When the next contraction came, I had the urge to bear down although I never felt any compelling need to push. It was only three or four contractions later when I felt the pressure of the head come through and our baby was right there before us. I was overwhelmed that our baby was out. Everything had happened so quickly that I had to stop and recapture the moment.
“It’s a boy,” Mum elatedly cried. He wasn’t breathing so Mum and Bruce both blew on him and in a moment he took a breath and out came that first cry that brings you back into time. It was 7.50 pm.
Mum immediately put a hat on him and wrapped a towel around him. We stayed in the birth pool, waiting for Gretchen, the midwife, to arrive and for the delivery of the placenta. She arrived at 8.20 pm, surprised the baby was already born.
Gretchen delivered the placenta then helped me out of the birth pool to shower. Dad went home and brought back the celebration cake which we all enjoyed with a hot drink. We laughed as we reminisced the entertaining events of the evening.
There must have had an enormous amount of endorphins at our home that night. It wasn’t until it was all over that Mum felt the pain kick in from her injuries. We had no idea she had broken her pelvis in two places until she was x-rayed at Palmerston North hospital two days later.
Troy’s birth was the most incredible experience, thanks to our wonderful God, the Creator of life. Childbirth is not something to be scared of. Birth gives woman strength and empowers them.
SUZY REA
Martin, New Zealand
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Bruce and Suzy grow organic grains such as high protein wheat for home users who mill their own flour, oats which can be rolled for porridge, muesli bars etc, organic stock food (for poultry), peas, barley, dinkel (spelt) - the ancient grain. They also produce organic lamb and beef. The grandparents are Keith and Lorraine Rea.
P.S. And although this testimony was written in 2004, they are still growing their organic grains today.
* “Tea” in New Zealand is what Americans call “supper.”
** “Togs” is the word for “bathing suit” in New Zealand.
Painting: Dorian Florez Zuleta (Colombia)
Paternidades - Dorian Florez Pintor Colombiano
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