Lee's Story

The birth of the first child is perhaps the most profound single event in the life of a human being. For myself and my husband we were conscious of the span of choices that we had. I'm extremely thankful that we were conscious of even having choices.

Midwife? Homebirth? Hospital birth? Natural or medicated birth? To have eye drops instilled into newborn eyes? To have ultrasounds repeated in a healthy pregnancy?

As an RN for several years, I had worked a part of my career in the OR. Part of my duties were to assist in caesarian sections. Too often I had witnessed the miracle of a new life overshadowed by insensitivity in the OR. A woman's labour and emotions made insignificant. The newborn infant whisked away for measuring and weighing, an apgar score more important in the first moment of life than the loving embrace of a parent. I knew that if at all possible I wanted the birth of my child to be at home.

When I became pregnant I was 36, in good health, very active and living on a large sailboat. Upon meeting my midwives, any fears I had about my age or location were immediately alleviated. Yes it is possible to have a home birth on a boat.

Part of the incredible support we were given through my midwife was time. Our visits were never rushed, a comfortable cushion was present to air concerns, explore questions and to stimulate ideas. Not only was I given thorough examinations we were also loaded up with videos and books on top off our midwifes words. Knowledge was ours.

Through knowledge comes the ability to make decisions based on our value system instead of bending to the requirements of an institution's agenda; which is controlled by budget and the need to process masses. The unique facilitation of the birth of a single child is not high up on their list of priorities.

When the day of labour arrived I felt prepared and secure. Those many hours of labour are still vivid in my mind. I remember the feeling of being simultaneously in control and taken care of. I remember the comfort of being in my home with the music that I loved, the aroma of lavender and the support of my family and friends. With the help of coaching from my husband, my sister-in-law and my midwife

I found the pain of labour manageable and primal. Towards the end I took some tincture of skullcap. This took the intensity out of the labour pains and I was able to deliver without any analgesics, which was my preference.

When Lyra, our daughter entered the world she lay upon my stomach and looked at her mother and father, we looked at her. We knew each other; we were a family in that instant. There was no crying, her breathing was easy. We enveloped her in our arms and showered her with our tears and our love in a candlelit room with the gentle fragrance of lavender and strains of soft music in the air. Perhaps time stopped for this miracle of total love remains I have only to close my eyes and think back. The moment of birth is indelible.

Eventually after an hour had passed we released her to the loving arms of each person present and finally she was examined, weighed and measured. The midwive's equipment was packed away, I rolled over so that the sheets could be changed and then Stephen and I lay with our newborn daughter watching her sleep. Enraptured beyond our own exhaustion.

Stephen & Lee Hindrichs