After a few days of anticipation, Blessy’s water broke early morning on the 7th. Before long, the contractions came in. The previous evening’s restlessness turned to excitement in her as she rushed to wrap up all the prep work. Coincidentally, we had a prenatal visit at Birth Village the same morning, we were pretty excited about the whole thing but knowing Blessy, our midwives stressed on the importance of resting out the early hours of labor and conserving energy. They have always been spot on with their advice since we started with them. The first trimester was especially hard on her, due to insensitive treatment and excessive medication from a couple of hospitals. At Birth Village, they got Blessy back on her feet, literally. Understanding her peculiarities and replacing supplements as per her philosophy in life with respect to nutrition and health with a regulated diet. After coming back home from our last prenatal, those couple of hours were the first of her ‘rests’. We were back post-noon with contractions back to back and she went straight into the warm pool. The water was so relaxing; she was smiling in between the contractions. It soothed her enough to sleep in between active labor! At 5 pm she was examined and we were informed that she was fully dilated. She got up with a surge of energy, her impatience driving her into walking, marching, squatting, and even dancing. Some of Blessy’s favorite tracks from her workout routine were played which had her grooving. The bi-weekly workout classes, the daily exercise routines (including climbing 12 floors every day) proved very effective in raising Blessy’s stamina levels to meet the demands of natural birth. Our midwives were both very patient, guiding us through the labor, never demanding or expecting things to go their way. They urged her to trust her body and go with her instincts. They even agreed to let her take a hot shower in the midst of the pain, which wouldn’t have been allowed anywhere else. The shower resulted in Blessy requesting to let her sleep some more. Our midwives played along saying she was welcome to try, even massaging her back when she was lying down. Within a few contractions, she was marching around again. It was twelve hours since the water broke when the real pushing began. Mother and child heaved and pushed for more than an hour on the birthing rope and then finally on the birthing stool and with complete squats till she finally broke through, first with a lock of hair and then a few minutes later her whole self…a beautiful baby girl! It was thrilling to finally see, touch, and hear this child we have been feeling for so long. I had great respect for our midwives for what they were doing at Birth Village, but that night showed me the extent of their dedication and expertise and their never-ending support. They worked very well as a team, including me as well in assisting the mother and daughter through the birth. It did not end there for them, so much to be said about not giving up till the baby latched for feeding and on spending the night on a couch right outside and checking on us to ensure everything was alright. We are very grateful to the entire staff at Birth Village, for enabling us to experience this birth in a way that we never thought possible. The bond we have formed with our daughter because of it cannot be described and we are forever indebted to them for letting us have that. Love Thomas (Proud husband to Blessy and even prouder Dad to little Isa) Bv notes What we love most about this mum is her honesty. She would always acknowledge her fears and was always willing to work through them Her man’s commitment and keeping her on track with respect to her diet and exercises is truly commendable as he would often be her workout partner throughout her pregnancy. Labor saw her completely open and working hard and calling out to her baby many times telling her little one that she was truly ready for its arrival Her intuitiveness would often prompt her to announce that she knew the baby was on its way She is also a woman who can groove as she jammed her way through all her contractions and swayed well bringing the baby down with great ease Absolutely proud of you guys! You both have come a long way!An amazing trio you will be and a wonderful example to many
