Scorpio - Earth Side (Part 2)

The Birth

My sister was in the tub for about two hours when her water broke and she felt the urge to start pushing. This is when the second midwife was called to come so that she could assist with the baby and the original midwife could assist with my sister. It was pushing time and this is where things got a bit blurry for me. Not only pulling an all nighter, but seeing my sister in this state was a bit tough for me. I knew I had to just keep going through the motions and supporting her anyway I can. That meant taking pictures and videos for her because I knew she wanted all of this documented. 

Throughout the long, but short night, my sister's birth playlist really reflected the events occurring. Taylor Swift knew what she was talking about when she sang "breathe in" and "this will all be over soon." All of us, except for my sister, were able to laugh about this, while she was the one is agonizing pain birthing her baby. Coincidence or not, the baby was born to a beautiful song sung by a male artist with lyrics saying "I know your name, but not who you are" and "you've got all my love." We only found this out by my brother-in-law shazaming the brith video and trying to catch the lyrics in between my sister's loud and angry grunts. In conclusion, we found the song finally and now play it to baby to see if he remembers...lol.

It was time for my sister to flip around and be on her back to start actively pushing with each contraction. After about 20 minutes of pushing, the midwife told us that the baby had a full head of hair. This was a good comedy break because to no surprise this baby had hair, considering both my sister and brother-in-law have full, thick, luscious locks. Approximately another 10 minutes of pushing was all that baby needed to enter earth side. At 5:57am the midwife assisted my sister pulling the newborn baby onto her chest and within seconds we heard a scream-cry. My sister's first words to her baby were "oh f*ck" and my brother-in-law sat behind them in disbelief. They both held and touched their newborn baby for a few seconds while the midwifes assessed the baby and umbilical cord. My sister did not hesitate at all to the open the babys' legs and look up at me saying "it's a boy" while her face reflected concern and my brother-in-laws pure excitement! (if you have not seen the picture of this moment, it is EPIC and one for the keeper box).

The After Birth

The minutes after the birth were very frantic and rushed, in order to ensure that both mom and baby were healthy and safe of course. My sister and brother-in-law both did skin-to-skin contact with their new baby as much as they could in between check-ups and monitoring. Their baby weighed on the dot 9 pounds and was able to latch very quickly to begin feeding. My sister easily birthed the placenta and shortly after my brother-in-law cut the umbilical cord, which supplied all of the oxygen and nutrients to the baby in the womb and exchanged it for waste products. The midwife was kind enough to give my sister and I a tour of the placenta, showing us all of the different structures and where the baby was developing throughout the whole pregnancy. As gross as it may sound, it was very neat to view this natural and beautiful process and to think our bodies can create a LIFE in that. I am all about learning for science and this was one of the highlight moments for me. If you're interested in learning more about the placenta, they still have it in their freezer (it has to be frozen before disposal in the compost or it can be buried to grow a tree...if only it was legal to capsulize it and ingest...).

Within a few hours, the midwives gave the green light for mom and dad to continue on their lives with a newborn added. Their services were all complete and they packed up all of their equipment to head to their next birth or appointment with another expecting mother. It was a bright sunny Sunday morning and when the midwives left, all 3 of us looked at each other (and at baby) almost in disbelief of what just happened overnight and a sort of 'now what' feeling. My brother-in-law had to clean up the birth tub and make their house look more like a home again, instead of a make-shift birthing centre. All of their immediate family members were lucky enough to be able to meet the new baby boy addition on his first day in the world. It was a special time for everyone because it was the first in both families: four new grandparents, two new aunts, one new uncle and of course, one new dog brother and one new puppy cousin.

My sister truly changed my opinion about the pregnancy and birthing process, and about having children in general. She was a champ, to say the least. Throughout her whole pregnancy, she still wanted to do the things she was used to doing and never let any of us treat her any different just because she was growing a human (except maybe having a bit extra lasagna, with both meat and cheese). She embraced all that this magical experience had to offer and shared this with those around her. She manifested a natural, healthy and safe home birth, which she was able to experience with no complications. Despite having one brief moment where she did not think she could do it anymore, she still persevered. She is THE strongest, kindest, most gentle and loving human I know and she is going to be the best mom raising this wonderful baby boy, alongside her spectacular husband and supportive family.

Scorpio

Overall, my sister was in labour for about 8 hours, technically active labour for only 5 hours including the extra hour with the time change. My sister, brother-in-law and myself all pulled an all nighter and were awake for approximately 35 hours straight. This was the second birth that week for the main midwife and she went to deliver another two babies in the days after. Baby and mom are both very healthy, doing excellent and enjoying this precious time together with dad and dog brother. I was honoured to be a part of my nephews' birth and bring him safely into this world. I gained a new best friend that day - a bond that is very special.

The miracle of birth is an experience of a lifetime. One of my top career choices before pursuing Naturopathic Medicine was Midwifery. This was my first real doula experience and definitely will not be my last. I already have a few people who have inquired about me being at their birth and it would be my absolute pleasure. If you are interested in doula care, connect with me to learn more!

**My sister was lucky to have had a very smooth, low-risk pregnancy and natural home birth. Please consult your health care provider if you are considering this type of birth plan. This wish cannot be granted for everyone as birth experiences are different and very individualized.**