Kimlee's Story |
It was to be our first child and I wanted a homebirth. Paul needed some convicing, especially after talking to one doctor who told us we were stupid and endangering my own and the baby's health by considering a homebirth. She went on to tell horror stories of births gone amiss. When we walked out, Paul was shaking and his face ashen, "I don't want you to die!" he exclaimed. I reassured him that I and the baby were fine and that I was fully able to birth this child naturally. After meeting with a midwife, doing lots of research and talking together he decided to follow the homebirth path. Regular visits with the midwife and on-going discussions and researching together were slowly expanding his view and acceptance of homebirths.
Paul being Paul, it took a few viewings of the video cassette of births before he could keep his eyes open and control his squemishness, for the most of it. When asked if he would like to cut the cord after birth, he confidently announced that he would have to think about it. Once the two of us were back in the car together he leaned over and whispered, "I don't think I can do that". No pressures I assured him, I would just like him to be present for the birth. Throughout the pregnancy the midwives joked that they would come prepared to look after him also.
Well the night/morning came. At 3:30AM I awoke having contractions and thinking I was peeing our bed. I wasn't in any discomfort so I quietly got out of bed and went to light a fire. I heard a noise behind me and turned. There was paul sleepy eyed, clutching pillow and blanket like a little boy in the cartoons. My water continued to amass a larger puddle on the floor and we discussed whether or not we should call the midwives. At 4:10AM we decided to call as they had a one and a half our drive to our place. Paul began to tidy up and I went to run a bath. As the contractions started to get stronger I went from bath to toilette to bath to toilette again. Paul would come in periodically to check on me. During one of his little 'visits' I informed him that the baby was coming. He looked at me sweetly and said, "yes, I know", and was about to go back to the kitchen when I repeated more emphatically, "NO, THE BABY IS COMING!", and walked over to him and put his hand between my legs so that he could feel the head which was beginning to emerge.
At this point I expected to see him grab his hand back, tell me to wait for the midwives to get here and run fleeing from the room and maybe even the house. However, as his hand touched the emerging head he took on a sudden aura of calm. It was like a veil of quietude had suddenly enveloped him as he said, "ok, we can do this." He paged the midwives and then proceeded to do all the right things, talk reassuringly but not to much, let me hang on to him anyway I needed to and check for the cord. I think I was so in awe of what he was doing it took my mind of the birth (almost) and after a few pushes he caught the baby and massaged its feet. I then took the baby and climbed into the bath, knew I ran it for a reason, and began to nurse our child. The bathroom was softly lit with candle light and the baby was lying tummy down on my tummy. After getting our page the midwife called while I was in the bath and asked Paul, "what is it?", meaning why have you paged me. The new pappa replied, "I don't know we haven't turned it over yet!"
Needless to say Paul had no problems cutting the cord. Kachina Christina is now five months old and still the wonder and joy of our lives.
