Wednesday, September 7, 2011

"On the Night You were Born"

With Braelle's 1st birthday coming up, (10 more days!!) I've been thinking about the night she was born. (2:31a.m. to be specific). Thankfully my lovely sister offered to video tape the most challenging, rewarding time in my life. I'll treasure it forever. To me, birth is beautiful. The whole process from pregnancy to laboring, to birth...it's all so magical.

I've editted my labor and birth videos for yall to check out. (About 10 minutes altogether...the whole video is 2 hours long!) Don't worry, they are not graphic, but they do show a very in pain, rough looking, mama! You'll see...

My labor lasted 72 hours altogether starting with the first contraction that hurt. I spent 68.5 of those hours laboring at home...So I went in to the Charleston Birth Place 3.5 hours before delivering. I was 8cm at arrival. The first video shows what I was like by the time we finally got there. (in some serious pain)


Rough huh?! Giving birth was the most powerful thing I've ever done. I planned a natural birth and wouldn't change it for the world, and yes, I'd do it all over again. God designed the female body so perfectly for giving birth. It's important to trust Him in how He made us. He intended for us to give natural birth...and for it to hurt. Genesis 3:16 says, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children." And boy did it hurt!

3 hours later...


I love watching this video. Braelle was brought into the world in the most calming setting...warm water, dim lighting...mimicking the womb. I have the Charleston Birth Place to thank for that!

 Most would think that having a natural birth is scary because of all the possible outcomes that could occur. I'm here to tell you just the opposite. I had a very specific birth plan and it delivered exactly the way I planned. I had studied the birthing process and knew exactly what my body was doing the entire time. It's comforting to know a head of time that when I would say, "I'm dying, I can't do this anymore", it was completely normal, and just meant that I was getting really close to meeting my baby girl! It's interesting to me that the people that have hospital births are the ones that think birthing center births are uncontrolled. When in fact, an epidural or pain medicine have effects that can lead to more interventions. If you are induced, you are twice as likely to have a c-section. And the c-section rate at hospitals is 33% and rising. Verses 6% at the birthing center. This is why I chose to have my baby at the birth place, a controlled, dependable environment that truly wants you to have the best birthing experience you can have. And I did!
God has blessed me so much this year. Out of 70 trillion different genetic makeups Braelle could have been made, she was created how she is...perfect for me. I'm blessed that God chose me to mother her. I love her so much!

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