Wow...I just had a baby! Naturally!!

Diego was born on January 22. The night before I watched the movie Away We Go, and dream of the day when we move to Oregon. I went to sleep dreaming of green meadows, and large trees, and my little farm and garden that I wish to have some day. I was dreaming peacefully when suddenly I had that dream where you feel like you're peeing and it feels all warm and cozy. I woke up with a jolt to realize that my underwear was wet. What the?! I went to the restroom and felt more liquid come down. Hmm, maybe its just discharge, I thought to myself and went back to bed. Once I lay down much more liquid came down, "oh shit" I said, "my water just broke." My partner heard me and suddenly woke up, "your what did what?!" he asked. I smiled and said, "I think my water just broke."

The next thing I did was wake up my mamma, (we're living with my folks until we are financially able to be on our own). I asked my mom if she thought my water had burst. Suddenly as I stood over my mamma and daddy in bed I felt my first contraction. "uh, yea, my labor is beginning!" I said. My mamma suddenly jumped out of bed, "go take a bath and I'll make you some tea," she said. My father yelled, "tea? shower? we gotta go now!" I laughed and told my father to relax, I figured REAL labor wouldn't begin for another few hours; boy was I wrong!!

My water broke at 4:45am and my contractions began shortly after, lasting a minute and apart a minute and a half! By the time I was finished taking a shower and drinking my tea I was clenching my fist and grinding my teeth, the REAL labor had begun. My partner drove me to the hospital in one of the worst storms of the year, while I screamed in pain. Once we arrived in the hospital my midwife asked, "so we're doing this all natural right?" "I don't know, this hurts alot!" I responded. By 9:38am that same morning I moaned and groaned, and yelled and screamed a 6lb baby boy out of my what used to be cute vagina. But it was all worth it!

And yes, I did it all naturally. It's so amazing what the women's body is capable of doing. Don't get me wrong there where moments when I felt like I was going to die, but thats called the transition phase, right before you're about to push. It's such a painful but beautiful process. I felt as my baby made his way thru the birth canal, with every push he got closer and closer to entering this world. I was lucky enough to have birthed with midwives, who not once offered me pain medication, rather they motivated me and encouraged me to go on. And yes, I did ask for pain medication at one point, it was during transition when I felt like I was going to die, but deep inside I knew that I did not want any drugs. My midwife was calm and peaceful, encouraging me to listen to my body and "go with it."

This is the way birthing is meant to be. If you are not "at risk" or have a complicated pregnancy then you should be allowed to birth naturally, and preferably at home, which I hope to do with my next little one. It makes me sad to think that so many women miss out on the beautiful experience of birth. It's you and your baby working together to bring him/her into this world. And no, I am not stronger than most women, I do not have any super powers. In fact, all my life I've been extremely fearful and weak when it comes to pain, or so I thought. Now I feel confident and powerful. Every women is capable of birthing naturally, this is what we were created for. WE need to empower ourselves and break the chains from doctors and what mainstream says birth should be like. So yea, I guess you can say I've become a free birth choice advocate, I can't help it, I want all women to experience a free birth, to have the control over their own bodies and that of their children. Si Se Puede! It can be done! The power is ours women, lets do it!