Spirituality of Labor and Delivery

My first pregnancy was the most spiritual memories for me. Each night, I would sit and rock and feel for kicks from the baby, while I prayed the evening Rosary. It always seemed baby was active as I was trying to settle down for my evening time for bed. 

Then, when labor time came -- starting around 2 am -- my water broke...I called my midwife...who happened to be down the road a few minutes from our home. She calmed me down -- (hey, first baby here) -- and she said to call her when things seem to speed up. I got very little sleep after that -- just couldn't sleep with contractions coming and going -- I even tried a shower -- like twice... and went to bathroom several times...it was more like bag of waters were leaking -- not a full break...just got things moving along...

So, around 8 am -- things seemed to get a bit harder for me, so I called her and she came over to check my progress...I don't remember -- maybe I was like 5 cm or so -- anyway, we got things ready for baby. I decided we probably did not have time for a birth pool set up and wasn't sure I was ready to try it - plus our home was tiny - so birthing on the bed sounded good. I asked for TENS Unit and used it on my back for labor pains were there. 

Hubby decided to go get water -- we had a store up the road -- kind of said -- "hurry back"...I was too busy with contractions to worry much about him leaving..

I guess I should have -- I think while he was gone or somewhere along the lines -- I probably went into transition -- (or maybe it was the oxygen I had some -- during the last stage of labor) -- but I felt kind of like I went on to a higher area of spirituality during this labor... I heard it seemed like an inner voice saying "Gabriella"...maybe it was the baby's angel talking to me? I have no idea...

Once I got onto the bed to start pushing, I kind of just put that encounter in back of my head and concentrated on pushing baby out on hands and knees. She tore me some with her nuchal arm (arm beside her head) as she came out plus her cord was wrapped around her neck -- the midwife quickly slipped this off... however, repairing me would wait...she first had to wait till the cord stopped pulsing and we cut it...

"It's a girl!! Yep, we had a baby girl -- then -- what about a name.. I gave the first name we had decided on and second name - but i kept thinking about the Gabriella.. finally I said, "Let's add a second middle name-- so we did!" 

Other things happened after birth - we had to transfer afterwards to do things that a homebirth midwife could not do -- but the birth experience at home was still one of my favorite memories. I still remember having this spiritual encounter...! 

I also kind of had something simliar happen with 2 of my other 3 births. So, I really feel that the spiritual side of birth should be considered by mothers during labor.

Anyway, check out our new facebook page: www.facebook.com/catholicdoula for birth stories and more. Thank you.