After an hour and a bit of sleep, I am woken up to hear my granddaughter is on her way to my place for her home birth. My body goes into overdrive as the birthing pool is not yet assembled. She is a few weeks earlier than expected. I throw clothes on and get to work preparing the birthing room and the pool. Thankfully I had help.
The pool had to be inflated and then filled with warm water. It was inflated when she arrived but not filled yet. Now my attention goes to her needs as her doula. Thankfully her partner could join the team to monitor the water situation. Half way through filling, we ran out of hot water. Now the pots and kettles must be employed. Lots of action now. The midwife arrives and very quickly assesses that the baby is due to arrive very soon. She calls for back up.
Now the team consists of two guys working on filling the tub with pots of hot water, two midwives and one doula. Some people ask what the difference between a doula and a midwife is. The fast answer is the doula concentrates on the mother’s needs and the midwives concentrate on the baby’s needs. If there is no doula present the midwives take care of mother and baby.
The other “member” of the team was a voice coming through the computer my granddaughter brought with her. That voice was Shawn Gallagher who has recorded hypnobirthing audios to help mothers go through the whole birthing process. My granddaughter was listening to her during her labour. So now we add one more to our little team.
Once the birth pool was filled enough my granddaughter got into the pool which eased the intensity of the contractions a little. Water births promote more efficient uterine contractions and improved blood circulation resulting in better oxygenation of the uterine muscles, less pain for the mother, and more oxygen for the baby. So, within the hour of getting into the tub little baby Shawn was born, coming out into the world through some warm water before being placed on my granddaughter. 5:25 a.m.
The bonding began, and my granddaughter was overflowing with love for this new little human coming into this world. My granddaughter is a natural and the midwives suggested that she become an advocate for birthing moms. She has experienced a hospital birth, a midwife clinic birth and now a water birth. They also thought I should rent out my room for other birthing moms as it had everything they all needed.
One of the things I provided was an electrolyte balancing drink throughout to all the members of the team including my granddaughter. The electrolyte balancing powder prevents dehydration. It bypasses the stomach and contains three types of carbohydrates for energy and stamina. This was added to water. It was especially important for my granddaughter as she needed that extra energy between contractions.
The other perk I provided was energy chews for all the team members. They were very appreciative as everyone was missing their sleep. Each chew contains a scientific blend of caffeine from natural green tea extract associated with energy and performance, plus key amino acids L-tyrosine, L-theanine associated with mental alertness and focus, energy-releasing B vitamins and vitamins D and C. So, each chew boosts energy naturally.
So, the result was one very happy mother, a very healthy new baby boy (featured in the pictures a few hours after being born) and a team of support people who witnessed one of life’s true miracles – a birth.
Team Approach to Miracles
Here’s to miracles coming your way in your life this year!
Charlene
