Having a baby is quite an experience. All of the hormones, the sensations, the effort it takes in the last month to get up, much less go out and exercise (yes, I was told that I had to walk at least 30 minutes every day) finally ends with an all-nighter where I feel like I partied and exercised the week before but really just went on an 8-hour endorphin pumped trip. What can I say about childbirth? I can say that it is indeed different for each woman. I was told that I would change my mind about having a natural birth but I didn’t, I heard stories about good births, bad ones, and ones that ended in postpartum depression. But my pregnancy and birthing was entirely my own. In fact, during labor, the last thing I was thinking about was how to avoid the pain. I was just thinking about how to best deal with it. For those who don’t know, my water broke some time during the night of the 29th of April (2 weeks before my due date). I awoke to water pouring out of me periodically, which means that I had to make myself go into labor. After finally deciding that my water had indeed broken, Efrain and I got all our stuff into the car and drove to Prescott where I was to have my birthing. The midwife told us to go on a hike to trigger labor so we hiked a local mountain; Thumb Bute. I still didn’t go into labor so I went on a strict schedule of labor inducing tinctures and techniques. Finally by 6 p.m., I went into noticeable labor. By midnight I was in strong labor and by 1am I was in transition and by 1:45, I had Issa by water birth. My only complication during the process was that the umbilical chord was wrapped around Issa’s neck twice. Paula Matthew, the midwife, just undid the chord and all was well! Issabella’s face was a bit blue and swollen but that went down within an hour or so. It was pretty amazing to see this little whole human who had been moving around in my belly for so long, finally in my arms. My mother was the first to hold Issa after Efrain cut the baby’s umbilical chord while pop emptied out the pool that I gave birth in (bless his heart). The first weeks with the baby were wonderful but also just a big recovery phase for us both. Efrain and I were also in a pleasant kind of shock because we were not expecting her until the 15th of April. I must admit though, I didn’t have much room to spare because I’m so small in general and I can’t imagine how it would have been to have an eight-pound baby.
Now, a month later, I’m finally sinking back into reality and myself. Issa has a schedule all her own and I’m blessed to be able to just swing right along with it because I don’t have to work. In the meantime however, I’m just making plans for the future and learning how to keep up with my daily activities while caring for our new daughter and her demands. Slowly, I’m learning how to stay the person that I am plus being a wife and mother. Oh how quickly adulthood has come into my life! I also realize that I’ve been fortunate to go on with my rambling so long. In some cases, I feel like it is just about time for me to “settle down” as it were. That being said, I don’t plan on settling down in the traditional way (mainly because I don’t know how) and I will still go surfing, biking and traveling – the only thing being different than before is the fact that I’ll have two very lovely companions to come with me!
So hears to the future! May it be filled with prosperity, good books, food, adventure, music, friends and family.
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