I received an early morning text from my first time mom containing an image, asking me if this was a mucous plug. I smiled. Considering that it looked almost exactly like a cork made of mucous, I was confident in saying that was definitely a plug, and most likely the entire plug at once. That doesn’t happen often.
The labor was nearly textbook perfect , lasting just short of 11 hours. The contractions were 5-7 min apart nearly the whole time and grew in intensity consistently from start to finish. We used many positions and the Aquadoula. The remarkable thing to me was how this mom used thankfulness to help her cope through each contraction. She would quote a scripture, ask for strength, and then thank the Lord for the contraction. She knew she and her baby were healthy. She knew that her labor was normal.
This knowledge left no room for fear in her mind.
Yes. Her labor was hard. It was a labor. However, the lack of fear helped her trust the process and she was able to be thankful for the NORMALCY of her labor.
Baby was born with Daddy catching. Cord clamping was delayed. Breastfeeding initiated. Spontaneous delivery of placenta (2 hrs and 45 minutes later).
Thank you, Lord, for another beautiful home birth. We give you the glory.
We must understand that childbirth is fundamentally a spiritual, as well as a physical, achievement.
Dr. Grantly Dick-Read