Story told by Lyra's mother. 
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I woke up like a light to what I knew was a contraction. I could feel that birthing energy running through my veins right away. I hopped up to check the time and it was 2:51am. I had gone to bed thinking it would be at least another week before baby made her appearance. In fact I had come home and was steam mopping the floors at 9 pm
 that night when my hubby had mentioned he thought it might be tonight. I hadn’t had any signs of labor whatsoever though so assured him it wasn’t time. He’s pretty in tune with my birthing. If there’s a next time I will definitely trust him. 

When I woke up to the contraction I figured I would be in it for the long haul and didn’t want to get too excited too soon so I did a few things around the house. I brushed my teeth and walked outside to get some fresh air. It was freezing! I had another contraction about ten minutes later so I decided to pull up the contraction timer app and start keeping track. I texted my mom to share my excitement that baby was likely on her way. I tried to lay down to rest but there was no way I could stay still with all this energy flowing. The waves kept coming. They felt nice and rhythmic and I was reminded of the intensity that only birthing brings. After a few I decided I’d call the midwives to let them know. My first birth had gone pretty smooth and fast so we had planned on calling after just a couple rushes. I had woken her up so just let her know it might be too soon but I was having contractions. We decided I’d time them for another half hour and call her back. I pulled out some laundry to fold to keep myself occupied and when I did the contraction app popped up a message that it was time to head to the hospital. 

The boys were sleeping on the couch that night so I snuck in to wake up hubby. He asked me how I was feeling and I replied, “I feel like I’m having a baby!”. He was very excited and got up to get things ready around the house. He’s the absolute best birth partner I could ask for. Calm and confident in me. Always loving and supportive. I went back to folding laundry and he stood behind me through a rush holding my hips. I think they picked up speed then with the feeling of safety that he surrounds me with. He was getting the pool up and things in place while I was still texting the midwife. She was on her way by this point. 

Our 2.5 yr old son woke up to the sound of the air pump blowing up the pool. I was trying to change out the sheets in the other room when I heard Papa having a talk with him to let him know this would be a big event and it’s time for him to be a big help to mama. Fortunately he was in a great mood and also super cute coming in to tell me we should probably take a rest and tell stories. I was working through contractions and trying to get the sheets changed over at the same time, on my hands and knees through most of them. When I got a chance to lay down with the boy to try to tell a story I couldn’t lay and had to move. My waters broke and hubby was on the phone with the midwife so I yelled to the other room to let them know. My sweet son gets up and tells me, “We’ll get you fixed water mama”. I knew that things were about to move even faster at that point. The midwife was just around the corner at that point and arrived shortly after. 

I had been upright through all this, either leaning on something, over the birth ball or hands and knees for the rushes. I had gone in to turn the bathtub water on a few times but quickly turned it off because I didn’t want to waste hot water in the little tub when we needed to fill up the birth pool. I felt a very strong downward pressure on my perineum so was in the bathroom when the midwife arrived and listened to baby’s heart beat. She was strong and steady. She went in the other room to finish preparations for the water birth we were planning. 

Then, surprise! In one strong rush I felt baby move down through my birth canal to almost crowning. The sounds I made brought hubby and midwife into the room with me. It was a mad rush to get towels down on the floor as I was on the toilet and for the midwife to get her gloves on. I had whipped past transition and was in full blown birthing mode. She urged me to get off the toilet which I felt was impossible. Her calm voice assured me that I didn’t want to have this baby where I was, I could move and I needed to now. I reached over to turn on the tub water thinking I still had time to fill at least that. I got as far as my knees on the floor where I could lean on to shelf in front of me. Another contraction and she was crowning. It was intense yet totally manageable and it felt great to know that this was it. The toddler walked in to the sounds of the tub excited about a bath and started dropping his pants at the door. I said I wanted to get in the water and the midwife kindly laughed and said this baby’s coming now. Another contraction and her head was out, another and she was earthside. No intentional pushing on my part. I finally had experienced the fetal ejection reflex in it’s pure form! My sweet toddler exclaimed, “There she is! She was in Mama’s belly!” and laughed. How grateful I am that he got to share this experience with us! 

I moved to the bed and enjoyed the feel of her on my chest while we waited for the placenta. I had hemorrhaged after my first birth so we were patient waiting at least a half hour after this birth to deliver the placenta. She’s just perfect. Apgar of 10, weighing 7 lbs 5 oz and 18” long. She was born at 4:20 am, just 10 minutes after the midwife had arrived. Welcome to the family baby girl! ​

Here are some beautiful photos form a beautiful home birth! 

Sterling’s due date was a Tuesday. I had just hired a new barista, Elise, so I met with her in the morning to get her paperwork filled out and did a quick orientation to the cafe. I had a nice visit from a lady named Amber and she told me her pleasant home birth story. I ran by the optometrist to pick up my new glasses. It was fun to answer with “Today!” when people asked when I was due. 
 
I was really hungry so I grilled up a huge rib eye steak, an ear of corn and a big green salad. I ate every bite which surprised me because it was a lot of food even for my pregnant appetite! I then took a nice, long, 3 or 4 hour afternoon nap- much longer than usual. I was struggling with patience that day- I was ready!- so I really wanted to go into some nature to get some perspective. The problem was it was hot! Over 93 degrees I think, so I drove out to Tyron Creek where it’s nice and shady. 
 
I took a slow walk, and repeated some affirmations in my head the whole time, “I trust my body to go into labor when it’s healthy for both of us.” “I trust my baby to descend with ease.” “My cervix opens with ease.” “My body was made for this.” “My body knows when to go into labor.” I sat in the covered porch area by the front and meditated on how beautiful the nature around me was while a lady came in and practiced tai chi. I went out for another loop through the park and continued to meditate and repeat the affirmations. The walk and the trees felt great. 
 
When I got home my friend Jessica came over and we hung some art in the baby’s room and put up a cork board on his wall. We talked about how excited I was to birth and how confident I felt going into the experience. Before she left I mentioned to her that I was starting to feel a little crampy. 
 
When I had the house to myself I felt the urge to sage smudge our home for his entry, something that I really wanted to do once the house was completely organized and before he made his arrival. I blasted some deep house music on the stereo while I tidied up, wiped down all the counters and surfaces and swept the floors. The house felt the most clean and organized it ever has been. I lit candles all around the house and it made a such a pleasant environment. I went around all the rooms, doors, windows and corners setting a good clean intention with the sage. 
 
During the cleaning and smudging I felt more of the cramps and had thought about calling Perry but decided to wait. Shortly after I got done he came home and I was glad he did. His first impression was that I was smoking pot and couldn’t handle the smell of the sage. We talked a bit about the cramps and he decided he wanted to at least give the midwives a heads up so he texted the on-call number. Angela was the midwife on call and suggested that I try to get as much rest as possible so we laid down in bed and put on a movie. It didn’t last long because my cramps were getting uncomfortable to the point that I couldn’t lay still through them. I got up and wandered around the house and Perry got up with me. It was only midnight or 1am so we just put on some music and Perry lit candles for me and rubbed my back. 

Then the cramps that I was having started to developed into a rhythm. I wasn’t able to talk through them. Perry had the insight to download a contraction timer and started timing them while he was comforting me and getting the house ready in case we were going into labor. I was moving around the house so much that I kept losing my water glass so perry placed a cup in each room so that I would always have one near by. I hadn’t grasped fully that I was in labor at this point because it just wasn’t that painful or out of my control and I hadn’t seem any labor indicators like mucus plug or water breaking. I think that Perry knew we were on our way though and got the bed ready with the liner and continued to update the midwife. I was called to the water and drew a bath. Perry was so sweet and attentive, bringing in candles and even making a bed on the floor in the bathroom that he could lay on to stay near me. 
 
At that point my cramps started to feel like contractions and the water was so soothing. I think the water brought them on a little stronger but they were easier to handle. I approached them with a yogic breath focusing on the exhale. I felt the rush coming on, peaking and then easing away. I enjoyed the rhythm and the intensity. “My body was made for this,” “Surrender,” and “I can do anything for one minute” were my mantras. What I needed for myself was to be quiet and go inside to find my strength. Perry was having trouble knowing when they were starting and ending because I was so quiet about them but he caught on to my breathing patterns quickly. 
 
I entered a state that was very trancelike. I think I fell asleep even between some of the contractions. Being in our home and together with Perry was comforting enough for me to zone into my body and lose track of time. I must have stayed in the same position in that tub for hours because the water had cooled and been reheated a few times. It was very peaceful. While Perry was texting with the midwife I decided that I wanted to get into the birth tub and I wanted her to get there to check things out. Both the midwife and the doula, Giuliana, got there about the same time. All my modesty that I thought would be an issue was out the window. It was also a strange, surreal reality because I didn’t have glasses on so couldn’t see who was arriving. 
 
When Angela checked me I remember her saying “Oh! Your baby is so low!” and she said that I was about 6 centimeters dilated. When the tub was filled I got up to use the toilet and when I sat down there was a huge splash! We thought it was the mucus plug at the time but looking back it was my waters breaking. How convenient to be sitting on the toilet for that! I moved into the birthing tub and remember noticing that the sun was out by then. How amazingly comfortable that tub was with fresh hot water and room to float around!  
 
I went quickly back into the trance and just breathed through contractions with the comfort of Perry and now Giuliana as well. The stereo was once again playing house music that soothed me. The midwives left to get coffee and while they were I gone I woke myself up out of the trance from a change in my breathing. Rather that quietly breathing through rhythmic contractions I was now moaning steadily and consistently through something that felt different. Almost less painful, yet more intense and engaged. Giuliana asked if I was ready to push, and looking back I think that I had just slept through transition. 
 
When the midwives got back I was checked and she confirmed that I was complete and ready to push. 
 
Pause. I just laid there and settled into that place. That place after the contractions, after transition yet before pushing. I felt comfortable and safe there. Where I was headed felt scary and painful. I felt my pelvis opening up and my baby’s head easing between my bones. It hurt. I was scared so I didn’t push myself any farther. I rested. Perry was in the tub with me by this point and held me while I enjoyed the place that I was in. 
 
After quite a bit of time Angela came over and gave me some encouragement. She told me that I could keep doing what I was doing and the baby would eventually move down or I could go ahead and push and she thought he would come out fairly quickly. I wasn’t quite convinced yet that I could do it. I was afraid of the pain. I leaned over and told Alexandra that I was scarred. She assured me that I COULD do this and that I was already doing so well. With the midwives encouragement I accepted that It was a crazy place inside myself that I needed to go, but it’s what I had to do. I was ready to birth this baby. 
 
I moved into a position where Perry was behind me pushing with as much pressure as he could into my lower back. He was nearly pushing me out of the water. I breathed my baby down. I felt the pain and I stayed with it. Giuliana, the midwives and Perry all cheered me on which was exactly what I needed right then. I pushed- something that I wasn’t prepared for but I did it with control. My contractions weren’t feeling strong so I asked for help. Kai pressed on some acupuncture points and Perry stimulated my nipples and the contractions instantly picked back up! My vagina opened smoothly and my baby moved down. After a while Angela said that I was crowning. My first thought was ‘What the heck was I doing for the last ten minutes?!” Honestly though, the pushing wasn’t bad, it actually got back to the rhythmic flow like contractions which felt nice. Getting his little head out was exciting and I was amazed and how easy his shoulders and the rest of his body slid out with the next push. Our baby was in this world. 
 
Perry caught our little Sterling and brought him up to my chest. He reached up with a little hand taking in the outside air. What a incredible moment holding this little being for the first time. He wasn’t crying so Alexandra lifted him up to empty his lungs out and he let out a wale. Sterling was healthy as can be getting a 8/9 Apgar score. He weighed 8 lbs on the dot and was 20” long. 
 
Welcome to the world my love, my first born. ​