In the relief of the dark, by myself, in the peace and quiet, I delivered my own baby, our fifth son. The only noise was snoring, the soporific sound of my husband asleep.Everything was OK with the world. I was opening. I was safe. I was relaxed. No glaring lights. No beeping machinery, no loud strangers pushing and shoving, grabbing my baby away from me.
The powerful intimacy of birth. This is something I won’t willingly give away. It’s deeply private and vulnerable.
“Why are you blowing on my face?” Hubby got there just in time. Just as Baby was born into my hands. No crying (he didn’t cry for four days). We turned the light on to check his breathing. Baby turned his eyes to look at us. Small and perfect. So we turned the light off again.
The warm bath was inviting. We hopped straight in. Baby was on my chest. A wet towel kept him warm. Comfy and cosy. Just us. The morning arrived, and the midwife too. She was happy to see everything had gone so well.
Window onto a summer night, I knew I was in labour in the night. I grabbed a drink and my worship music on the way to the bathroom. I found a couple of towels. I locked myself in with the comforting dark.
The window opened onto a summer night. My pillow was on the windowsill to lean on. I looked out into the tree in the quiet. At first, I stood holding onto towel racks. I was breathing quietly during the waves. I take it all inside and find strength there. Then a pause. I got down onto my hands and knees, opening my hips. I stood and lifted one knee to my chest, then the other. Then held the towel rack for another wave. Relaxing into it.
Further on, I was crouching. Just leaning against my pillow on the windowsill. Looking out into the leaves of the tree. Kneeling on the padded towels. It got more intense. I could feel I needed to push. Then came a few heavy-duty pushes. And Baby was crowning.
With my two hands and a towel I spoke to my husband, Jo, “The baby’s coming.” He heard me through the open window. He let himself in the door with the latch. He locked it behind him again. Hubby sat with me as Baby slipped into my hands. Warm and wet. I brought him out in front of me while crouching. Then I turned and sat on the towels.
Jo helped me hold him. We both looked at him. And he quietly looked at us. In the water we made sure Baby was snug and cosy with me. I had it ready and steaming in case I needed it. But I had felt more flexibility outside of the bath. Then as soon as Baby was born, it was so good to slip in. Warm and relaxed. I could feel his strong heartbeat against my chest. He was snuggling in, content.
Then Jo held Baby. The midwife sat quite happily nearby on the loo. She saw the placenta had come in the bath and stopped texting the back-up. I hopped out. I wrapped up in my dressing gown. Baby was against my chest as I sat on a towel on the loo. Now it was time to chat. The need for quiet and privacy was gone.
Now there was just the celebration. I think it was about two hours. But I don’t know. I wasn’t timing it. The midwife was so pleased for us. She knew that I probably wasn’t going to call her. That I needed to be by myself. But having her care and support was important to me. And especially afterwards. We knew everything was OK. She congratulated us. Placenta in a blue salad bowl I walked to our bed and Baby’s four brothers met him.
The midwife got a parking ticket. We sent a note to the council begging forgiveness. With Baby’s handprint!
KRISTIE BAYNE
New Zealand
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Picture: Johann and Kristi with their five boys, Enoch, Zion, Stefan, Noah, and Daniel.
P.S. As I read this beautiful account of Kristie’s birth, I thought of the question that so many liberal women today will not answer: “What is a Woman?” Yes, we know what a woman is. She can give birth. In triumph. In power. There is something so powerful about giving birth naturally. It does something to a woman. She knows she can accomplish anything. She understands the power and strength God has given to her. She does not need to vie for the man’s world. God has given her the privilege and strength to do what a man could never do. Conception, pregnancy, and birth are the glory of womanhood and the nation (Hosea 9:11).
~ Nancy
808 Hits
Sweetness is not something that is highlighted in women today. I wonder why, because it builds a beautiful marriage and makes a wonderful atmosphere in the home.
Oh, what a difference it makes when we take things to the Lord instead of into our own hands.
Be encouraged today, dear mother. You are doing a great work and you will receive your eternal reward. The impact of your mothering goes on into eternity.
I hear so much struggle, sadness, and unhappiness among us mammas, especially online. I’d like to share my intro to young motherhood that has set the tone for lifelong mothering for me.
, Shelah (6), Niko (4), and Monet (1).
What makes does a door swing open? It's the insignificant hinges that we hardly ever notice. And yet without the hinges the door cannot open or close. And so it is with our daily life. It cannot function without the seemingly common and insignificant things of life.
As mothers, how can we can be sweet and at the same time discipline our children and keep order in the home? Sometimes, we we may start yelling at everyone, but that doesn’t do much good.
Mothers, we are the guardians of our children’s minds. Are you diligently guarding?
Everything hinges on our attitude on the home. Dear mother, you have the power to determine what your home will be like!
I was inspired recently by reading again Psalm 104:24: "O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! in WISDOM hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches."
I am sure you did. Oh, what an historic day for our country on Friday. After nearly 50 years and the killing of over 60 million precious lives Roe v. Wade was overturned. How we thank God for His goodness to us and answering the fervent prayers of His people over the years. So many intercessors prayed. We have prayed for years. Our children and grandchildren have prayed.
Meant for Heaven, God knows why,
What is it like to walk in the presence of God? Psalm 89:15 says: “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.”
Exodus 2:9: “Take this child, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.”
God’s Word is often opposite to the way we feel or think. Isaiah 58 tells us that God’s ways and thoughts are far above our thoughts and our ways. Therefore we must get into the habit of getting online with God’s thoughts and His ways. To do this of course we must search His Word to know what He says. This is the only true way to live.
I am posting the following from a dear friend of mine, Nadia. I know you will be blessed by her confession of her walk with Jesus. Her words aren ot flippant. She knows what it is to walk through hard times.
. You might think I am dreaming. Well, let me dream on . After all, some dreams do come true. And this one has! It's the reality I am living in.
On Friday I posted about certain things God wants to do in EVERY THING. I noticed another EVERY over the weekend. Well. . . I have memorized this Scripture from a child but the “EVERY” came back to me in full force.
Have you noticed that God likes to use the word EVERY and ALWAYS?
The greatest blessing, stability, and power of the nation are godly homes—homes where the husband and wife love one another and together raise godly children to influence the world.