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Friday, March 04, 2011

Inga's birth story, part 1

I woke up to strong contractions around 1 am. From their length and intensity, I knew this was the real deal. I had to breathe slowly to work through them. Counting breaths became my early labor mantra. By the fifth breath, the peak would begin to subside. By the ninth or tenth breath, the contraction was gone. I got out of bed several times to use the bathroom and turn the water heater to the hottest setting, but otherwise made myself stay under the covers and rest. As much as I wanted to be up and moving with the contractions, I was too warm and cozy and tired.

I purposely didn't watch the clock, so I don't know how frequent the contractions were. But they were really intense. I listened to the Hypnobabies track "Easy First Stage" once. It was really relaxing and gave me welcome distraction from labor. I also composed a mental list of tasks for Eric to do in the morning: feed & dress the kids, drop them off at a friend's house, fill the birth pool, pick up toys, start a load of laundry, etc. Toward the end of the morning, I drifted in and out of sleep between contractions.

At 6:48 am, I got up to use the bathroom and decided that I had had enough. Time to get up and work with, rather than try to ignore, the contractions. I noticed the familiar pink-tinged mucous or "bloody show" that has heralded labor with all of my children. Soon we were all awake and getting ready. I called the midwife first thing to give her a heads-up, letting her know I'd call again when I was ready for her to come. I kept hurrying Eric and the kids on. Somehow I just knew that we didn't have the time for a leisurely morning. As soon as I got out of bed, the contractions starting coming much more frequently. I showered and dressed (bikini top & bottom, compression hose, yoga pants, & shirt) and started filling the birth pool as soon as the hot water tank had recharged. My logical brain was wondering if I was jumping the gun, but the instinctual part of me compelled me to act quickly.

By 8:15 am, Eric had returned from dropping the kids off. The pool was filling. From when I woke up until I got in the birth pool, I did "Rixa's labor hula" during contractions, as my sister-in-law calls it. This was right before I got in the pool and about 10 minutes before my body began pushing. You see me hit the button on the laptop when the contraction ends.



Eric hurried to finish last-minute tasks, then gave me a blessing. I've asked for one during each of my labors, and they have always been incredibly reassuring. By this point labor was really, really intense. I sensed the dizzy, spinny, buzzing feeling heralding the endorphins of advanced labor. But was I really that far along? I called the midwife a second time and told her to head over. I didn’t want her to arrive too early, but if my instincts were correct, things were really cooking.

I timed several contractions with Contraction Master. If this labor was anything like Dio's, I was getting close to the end based on how intense and how close together they were. These are the last contractions I had before I got into the birth pool (and in retrospect, about 30 minutes before the baby was born):

Somehow, I just knew that I would be pushing soon. There was no physical indicator, just an interior knowledge that the baby was on its way.

About 8:45 am, I got in the pool as it was finishing its final top-off. It was the perfect depth and temperature.

I was keen to film this birth, so Eric set up the video camera. I had a few contractions in the tub and started feeling a little bit pushy. Already? After another few contractions, in which you hear increasingly grunty vocalizations, there was no question. I knelt and reached inside. Sure enough, there was a hard round head about two knuckles deep. I felt around for a while, trying to figure out what was what. With all of the folded tissues and wrinkly baby’s head, it’s sometimes hard to tell where you end and baby begins!

Although the birth videos show only the physical side of giving birth to a baby, I was also going through an intense mental struggle. I knew that the sensations of pushing would only become more intense and more uncomfortable. Okay, let’s be honest: I knew it would hurt so much more than it already was. I dreaded it, yet I knew there was no escape. I’m not exactly fond of feeling a baby come out of my vagina, you know? It doesn’t feel good. First your butt feels like it’s going to split in half, then your vagina does. My vocalizations manifested this inner struggle, as well as the physical sensations going on in my body.

Like during Dio’s labor, I needed something to grab onto, so Eric and I “arm wrestled” during contractions. Once the baby’s head began to crown, I put my right hand down to support my tissues. I provided support against the perineum at first. Then, as the baby’s head emerged more and more, the burning and pressure moved towards the front. For the third time, I experienced the impossible-yet-inevitable sensation of a baby’s head emerging out of my body. My palm was cupped over the head. The baby was facing anterior, the smooth back of the head against my palm and my fingertips touching its face. There was a slight pause after the head was born. Then the shoulders emerged. I provided more counter-pressure in the front as the shoulders squeezed out. Another brief pause at the torso, one last little push, and the baby was born. I lifted it out of the water. We discovered we had a girl! We didn’t look at the clock until a few minutes after, so we’re guessing the baby was born at 9:12 am.

Soon after the birth, Inga lost muscle tone and color. I quickly realized that I needed to perform mouth-to-mouth. Fortunately, I became certified in neonatal resuscitation several years ago, so I knew what to do. It was tricky getting the angle right, since the cord was short. I gave her five breaths. After each breath, she coughed and perked up a bit more.

Within seconds of Inga being fully recovered, the midwife’s assistant arrived. I guess she hadn’t been debriefed about me wanting to be left undisturbed. She started bustling around and talking and asking questions and I got really annoyed. So I kicked her out of the room, saying, “I just need peace and quiet. I'm okay.” She beat a hasty retreat. This cracks me up.

One of my other favorite parts is in the middle of pushing when the phone rings and goes to the answering machine. It was an automated appointment reminder for my prenatal visit the next day!

I sat back in the tub for a few minutes to relax. It felt so good to be done!
Okay, now that you’ve read about the birth up to this point, go watch the videos. They're about 30 minutes total, from when I got into the tub until about 5 minutes after Inga was born. There’s some nudity since I don’t have a swimming suit bottom on, but it’s quite tame. Between the labor hula video and the birth video, you’ll get a really good idea of how I labor and birth. You’ll see me give birth in an upright kneeling position, provide my own perineal support and counter-pressure, catch my own baby, and narrate what’s going on. And you’ll get an earful of funky pushing noises!





Pretty intense, eh?

I rested for a few minutes, enjoying the warm water and weightlessness. The midwife arrived and helped me get settled into bed. Did I mention how good I felt? Ahhhh…I had a silky soft baby on my chest, I could finally lie on my back, and the hard work of labor was over. It felt glorious.

Inga started rooting around and pushing herself up with her feet. I wanted to let her do the breast crawl and self-attach. She started going through the breast crawl stages. But she got fussy and I was too impatient! So maybe 30 minutes after she was born, I gave her a little help and she latched on perfectly. The midwives and assistant stayed in the kitchen, entering the room only when I asked for something. It was a beautiful, quiet time spent snuggling and talking and resting.

I started feeling a bit grunty/pushy and figured it was time to get the placenta out. I called the midwife in. She held a bowl, caught the placenta, and then raved about how little blood I had lost—an estimated 10 cc (2 tsp) total! She took pictures of the birth pool and placenta bowl so that her colleagues would believe her.

About 2 hours after the birth, we did the newborn exam.
Then I showered and got my bottom half dressed. The midwife checked me for tears--just two periurethral skidmarks, so minor that they didn't even sting! Eric snuggled Inga skin-to-skin for a long time. It was fun to rest in bed together as a couple with our new baby.
After lunch, Eric brought the kids home to meet their new baby sister.



You might also want to read:
Inga's birth story, part 2
Part 3: Neonatal resuscitation
Part 4: Final reflections
.

87 comments:

  1. So incredibly beautiful it made my uterus hurt. Congratulations on your amazing birth!!

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  2. Thanks so much for sharing this. It's an incredible record of a great birth. If you're up to answering questions, I am wondering about your reasons for not having Dio and Zari there for the birth. It's a decision I'm trying to make right now for my daughter who will be 22 months when her sib comes in April.

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  3. intense and inspiring!

    you were so calm and collected it brought tears to my eyes- such a powerful birthing goddess! <3
    thank you so so so much for sharing Inga's birth- welcome earthside baby girl!

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  4. Very intense. I am always amazed at the contrast between women who birth quietly and those who are very vocal. Both equally as intense. I had to laugh at Eric's arm after you had squeezed it, there were finger marks. There is something to be said about a the birth partner too, so cheers Eric for being a calm and supportive presence for Rixa. I am thrilled for you and your family.

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  5. (you were just pushing her out at I posted before, so of course now I have more to write)
    I love how you continued to speak to her, and how obvious it was when she went from pink with great muscle tone to dusky and floppy. And the way she opened her eyes and looked around after that 3rd (I think) breath you gave her and IMMEDIATELY turned purple, then pink again was amazing! So nice to see a situation like that handled seamlessly and without any panic behind it- as it should be! <3

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  6. (you were just pushing her out at I posted before, so of course now I have more to write)
    I love how you continued to speak to her, and how obvious it was when she went from pink with great muscle tone to dusky and floppy. And the way she opened her eyes and looked around after that 3rd (I think) breath you gave her and IMMEDIATELY turned purple, then pink again was amazing! So nice to see a situation like that handled seamlessly and without any panic behind it- as it should be! <3

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  7. That was really interesting to watch, thank you so much for putting it out there.

    Two questions, if you have the time or inclination for your next post.

    -Do you/your midwife have any theories about why Inga lost tone + colour after being so pink at first?
    You dealt with it brilliantly.

    -Also, did you have an unusual cord insertion this time?

    Zari and Dio meeting Inga is just precious. I love Zari doing the older-sibling-is-boss thing :)

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  8. I am so happy for you! She is beautiful. I love your birth hula!

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  9. What an awesome post! Thanks so much for sharing your birth. I love how calm you stayed during the resus... I'm a newborn nurse at a busy maternity hospital and even I was getting a little nervous watching Inga take her time to come around. You handled it beautifully. I also have to give cheers to your husband for being such a solid anchor for you.

    Oh.. and I laughed out loud when you told him that the water can just simmer, lol. Like... you have more important things to do at that moment (like birth a baby) than decide if the water should boil or simmer. :)

    I'm so impressed with how "clean" the birth was. It's truly amazing that there was so little bleeding, especially as this is your third birth.

    Congratulations, Freeze family! Inga is lovely... and I love her name!

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  10. Thank you for sharing! I was biting my nails during the resusitation even though I knew the outcome was good. Were you or Eric very nervous at that time? You looked so calm. Congratulations again!

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  11. Beautiful birth, Rixa! I just watched it with my two year old and he insisted on watching it several more times. Congrats again!

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  12. I watched the videos with Anna, who is about 6 weeks younger than Dio. When you pulled Inga up from the water Anna yelled out "uh-oh!" I don't know if it was because she didn't see where the baby came from, because she saw some blood on her head, or both. But it sure was cute!

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  13. Thank you, Rixa and Eric and Inga, for sharing this really special experience with us. It just made me cry happy tears for all of you. Congratulations to the whole family, and especially to you, Rixa!

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  14. Absolutely beautiful! Thank you for not only recording it, but for sharing! I love how calm and in control you were. It made me cry, because that is exactly what I want for my upcoming birth (an exactly what I *did not* get for my first birth!). Inga is gorgeous, congrats!

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  15. I'm jealous you got video! My babe came out blue and wasn't breathing for a while and I wish I had taped it to know how long that was (I was calm, DH was noticeably worried).

    But congrats! Yay for babies! I think Inga is a great name!

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  16. Wow, watching the video I freaked out when Inga turned purple. You are amazing for dealing with it so well, I almost lost it just watching the video: and I already knew it turned out okay! You are amazing!! Congratulations!!

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  17. beautiful videos. I was squirming in my seat watching her lose muscle tone, and I have kids who are breath holders and will pass out!

    Great job Rixa!

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  18. You are amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this, you're an inspiration! Congratulations to you and your family on beautiful Inga xxx

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  19. What an intense emotional experience that was for me to watch! The first time you and Eric did your "arm-wrestle" the tears started to flow as I witnessed such a sweet, united effort in bringing your child earthside. Then hearing your primal birth sounds brought back my own memories of those incredibly powerful sensations and vocalizations. (What an understatement!) The tears flowed fresh again as you raised Inga out of the water. Nothing in the world compares to the power and intensity of birthing a child. WOW. I'm also very impressed with how calmly you handled the resus. It looked like there was no doubt in your mind that she would be just fine. Thank you so much for sharing this incredible birth. You are such an inspiration.

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  20. wonderful. I'm so impressed at your calm! inspiring.Reminded me alot of my last birth. Welcome Inga.

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  21. Wow, Rixa, thank you so much for sharing your birth videos. What a beautiful act! It makes me want to have another baby. Can't wait to see Part 2.

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  22. Thank you for sharing such amazing video. You have such a beautiful family!

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  23. Thank you so much for sharing this! I watched the videos with my daughter, who will be just 3 when we have our second baby this May. It's so lovely to be able to watch good, positive birth imagery with her, to prepare her for some of what she may see come spring.

    I have such admiration for the calm you showed during the mouth-to-mouth. In my overly hormonal state I positively wept, even knowing that Inga is absolutely fine now.

    Congratulations, Freezes!

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  24. you are an amazing, AMAZING woman. thank you so much.

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  25. beautiful! thanks so much for sharing. enjoy the sweetness that follows.......

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  26. I feel like you're keeping some sort of...."secret"....from us! You didn't actually have twins, did you? ;)

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  27. no words right now.
    so beautiful.
    so, blessings. blessings, blessings, blessings. and welcome, inga!
    mama - you BLOW me away.
    xoxo

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  28. beautiful and empowering. i'm totally committed to having the 3rd baby at home (still talking my husband into it.)

    lovely!

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  29. Rixa, that was incredibly beautiful. I felt all the emotions of laboring come surging back as I heard and watched you go through that. It almost makes me wish I could go through it again. Thank you so, so, so much for sharing. I feel honored to have been able to watch it.

    Congratulations, Rixa and Eric and Inga and Zari and Dio! She's beautiful, and so are you!

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  30. Congratulations! Beautiful birth and perfectly wonderful calm MAma throughout. Amazing!

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  31. Wow, so amazing. I love that you stayed so calm and talked to her and did what you needed to do. Great job momma!

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  32. You rock, you are my hero! It was amazing to watch you and how calm you stayed when she turned blue! For my next pregnancy, I want you there .... ;-) Congratulations!!!!! Beautiful name, beautiful girl!
    Nadja

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  33. Thank you so much for sharing such an intense and personal journey with your readers. I wish moer than anything that I had video of my son's (very fast) homebirth. I labored very similarly to how you did, down to the 'arm wreslte' with my husband, and that brought back visceral joy. You are amazing, and these videos are a must-see for women who want to see how natural birth can play out.

    Congratulations to your whole family! You're a goddess, and your husband seems like such an amazing support!

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  34. Rixa,
    I feel so honoroed to share something so private and precious with you. You are really amazing. I wish I could convey how important and good this is this thing that you have done, so many people will show this to their children (I hope) and see that a woman can simply DO it--without panic, without fear. This is what I noticed most of all, the abscence of fearful crying, scared looks, and of course, panic at the "floppy" baby.
    Not everyone has come to birth so undamaged, unsaddled with past horrors or attacks. It is so **truly beautiful** to just see a confident Mama and her strong silent husband trusting the whole thing. Healing just to watch, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

    Your children are so sweet, and Eric talking French to them, telling them to Sois Gentil, just so adorable, truly. I love you guys. Youve really done something very generous in sharing this.

    Blessing to your whole crew, sweet Rixa, from all of us.

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  35. A-maz-ing. Thank you for being such a powerful birth advocate - birth as something that women can accomplish. The last little while when you were giving updates while waiting for your baby to arrive, I realized it's slightly ironic to me that you are willing to be *so* up close and personal. When I get close to giving birth, I don't want to talk to people about it, I don't want to be asked if I'm having contractions, I want it to be my own personal space, even mentally. So it's ironic to me, but especially important that you share your empowered sense of birth as normal, because that sense of privacy hits me well before labor starts. That's probably part of the reason that some folks choose unassisted birth, is the need for total privacy. But on the other hand, it's essential to have examples of birth-as-doable-and-empowering. So thank you.

    Congratulations!!

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  36. i used to read your blog every day in 2009 when i was pregnant with my daughter Aquila. When Aquila was born she was floppy and pale and we were not able to resuscitate her. we buried her 4 days later.i stopped reading your blog then. someone sent me a link to your birth video, which left me sobbing-as watching your daughters body flop reminded me of Aquila's...but your daughter lived. you are so very lucky. enjoy her.

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  37. Thank you for sharing your daughter's birth video! Such valuable footage for aspiring and apprentice midwives to see color and muscle tone changes. What an inspiration to see it handled calmly and correctly by an informed mother. Amazing, and great work!

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  38. Beautiful. I especially loved hearing you speak to your daughter as she was starting to take her first breaths. I also loved that you told the midwife that you needed peaced and quiet and how respectful she was of that. Congratulations again and welcome to little Inga!

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  39. Thank so much for sharing this with us. You are an inspiration.

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  40. Congratulations again! What a beautiful birth, and I feel honored watching. I admit it was hard to watch the post birth resuscitation, even knowing the outcome it was still hard for me, but I think it's important also to see these things handled in a calm, knowledgable manner.

    Congrats again, she is beautiful, as are you, have a wonderful babymoon!

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  41. I'm so glad your daughter is ok--but I see this as demonstrative of why I would choose to birth in a hospital. If the rescue breathing had not worked, you may have had a very different outcome--and a preventable one at that. And God help those who attempt this type of birth without any basic resucitation skills.

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  42. Congratulations, Rixa! You are a testament to the power and strength of birthing women everywhere. This would have been such a different scenario in the hospital. You have proven, yet again, that birth is SAFE AT HOME! BLessings to you and your wonderful family!

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  43. First, congratulations to you and your family. Second, thank you for sharing something so private and special with us. Third, seeing this video has given me a lot to think about as we try to conceive #2 and try to decide between a home birth and a birth center attached to a hospital. I am putting a list of questions together that I will ask the midwives I interview, be it home birth or birth center/hospital midwives. Seeing your video inspired some questions, so thanks again!

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  44. Rixa,

    Just checked in to see if baby 3 had arrived, what an amazing collection of still pictures, video, and text.

    A hearty congrats and welcome to the world Baby Girl Inga!

    Love, Jenny

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  45. Congratulations! What a great example of normal birth and how simple neonatal resus can be. Thanks for sharing.

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  46. Hello! Thank you for sharing and congratulations! Would you mind it if I share it (including the videos) with my Russian readers?

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  47. Thank you for sharing this very educational conglomerate of information on your homebirth. I love reading descriptions of the experience of birth. The word that comes to mind to describe you is truly AMAZING. When my second daughter was born at home I wasn't quite as calm as you were in your video and the noises that I made sort of freaked me out a bit. They just happen from an animal place.
    "I’m not exactly fond of feeling a baby come out of my vagina, you know? It doesn’t feel good." That really made me laugh. I still haven't written up my birth as I've been meaning to and now two years have passed! Wish I had the sense to save the contraction record, as you did. Congratulations to your family.

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  48. Congratulations and blessings Rixa and family! Thank you so much for sharing such intimate stuff with us.
    I'm curious about how you were FEELING as you birthed Inga - many commenters above have remarked how calm you were (although I too noticed your annoyance when Eric asked you about letting the water simmer, I had a little chuckle!).

    Much of what I have learned about birth describes some sort of other-worldly experience...women going "somewhere else" to get their babies, labourland, etc. I think Gloria Lemay calls it "going to Mars". So when women appear to be so present, calm, in control, it is sometimes confusing to me; are they not in the "altered state", or am I just not recognizing it? I think this idea held me up in my own birth experience, because I expected "labourland" to look a certain, recognizable way. What has been your experience as it relates to this?

    Thanks again, Rixa. I love your blog.

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  49. I think there's a bit too much prescription about how women in "laborland" should act. Like, you're supposed to be really zoned out and "in another world" and all of those associated behaviors...What we're forgetting is that we're talking about the basic interplay of hormones in a normal, spontaneous, undisturbed labor--specifically, beta-endorphins and oxytocin. Women can have high levels of these hormones coursing through their bodies and still act completely differently. Some "zone out." Some are really chatty and social. Some (like me) remain very much in their body and mind and act pretty much like they usually do. I know I was experiencing these high levels of hormones; I can literally feel them in my body. They manifest as a dizzy/floaty/spinny/buzzing kind of sensation.

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  50. Congratulations! You did absolutely amazing, and it's so great to see you stay so calm during the resus, I am just in awe!

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  51. For all of you in the comments who think Inga's resuscitation was so awesome and wonderful, please realize that Inga was very, very lucky. All she needed was a few breaths. However, many other babies are born and need much more intensive efforts. There is not time to get a baby who isn't breathing to the hospital and avoid brain damage. This is a textbook example of why homebirth is a huge risk, no matter how prepared and educated and healthy you may be during pregnancy.

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  52. i've watched the second video twice now. WOW! i love this as an example of how you can use intense vocalizations and still be completely, totally calm. And stay calm through an intense situation! Your blog is just amazing these days, thank you again!

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  53. I'm so glad you shared this. It was so informative to actually see you resuscitate her. Seeing someone do it is a much better teacher for me.

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  54. Wonderful how the Skeptical OB and her crowd have taken your birth as an example of why homebirth is dangerous. Personally, I saw something different. Every woman would benefit from being trained in neonatal CPR, in case she did not get to the hospital in time, or her midwife arrived too late - because you never know when you might need those skills.

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  55. I agree with Anonymous. Leading up to the birth, everything about Rixa's labor and pregnancy was normal. But in those few minutes when the baby couldn't breathe, neonatal CPR might not have been enough to save her. Inga was lucky, that's all. Normal can turn to abnormal in just a few brief moments (as we can see here).

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  56. Congratulations Rixa and family. Thank you for sharing your birth. Beautiful.

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  57. Wow that was AMAZING! You were so great. You're right, that's a great lesson in learning resuscitation. It could have been bad and scary but you handled it and she was fine - perfect. Amazing.

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  58. From the bottom of my heart, thank you SO MUCH for sharing these videos! I just sat on my birth ball and watched all of them, totally in awe of your strength, courage, and wisdom. You didn't seem scared for a single minute. You looked like you were completely in control - as in control enough to know how to let your body take over and do what it needed to do. I have to say that I LOVED LOVED LOVED hearing your noises too. They were so powerful. Honestly, at one point I turned to my husband and said "It just sounds like she's having a really intense orgasm!" I'm guessing that's now what it felt like, but it didn't LOOK painful. It looked relieving in a sense.

    I'm also so, SO grateful that you kept in the whole resuscitation part of it. You showed exactly what a baby who needs help can look like, and exactly how to handle it. That was so gripping. I knew the baby was going to be okay because you said so, but I was so nervous watching that, and so in awe of the way you seemed completely in control. That piece of footage right there can be so helpful to people who wonder WTF happens in a homebirth if a baby needs a little assistance. THAT is what happens! Thank you!

    For much of the video, I felt a lot of jealousy that A.) your birth is behind you and I still have to do mine (teardrop) and B.) I'm not sure that I can handle mine as well as you did yours. But I hope I can.

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  59. Thanks for sharing this! I do not see this as "proof" that home birth is a "huge risk", provided that you are educated. I'm not keen on the UC part of it---midwives bring an oxygen tank with them, don't they? Yes, things can change quickly, but there was nothing about your birth that would have been "better" in a hospital, or more "safe". Being prepared and educated is worth way more than fear and ignorance and a medical degree.
    I was curious about the lack of blood loss, and the following lochia (I haven't gotten to your newer posts yet though).

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  60. Brieanne Rice3/8/11, 2:16 PM

    Rixa what a beautiful story! I think it is so important to remember that you knew what to do, and were so sure about it, because you are Inga's mother and have such a strong connection with her. It is so interesting to me that your midwife said the fact that she was not present really helped the situation. I find it impossible to read Inga's beautiful birth story and say that a hospital birth would have been safer!!! Heavenly Father knew the best way to bring her here, and you were able to follow His plan exactly. I love her name too!

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  61. You are amazing, Rixa! I'm curious, why didn't you use more of the Hypnobabies program for your actual birth?

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  62. Thank you for sharing this. My husband and I watched it together, remembering our births.

    Thank you for putting yourself out there. Thank you for not editing out the moments when Inge kind of faded out.

    The way you responded reminded me of how I reacted when one of my home born babies didn't immediately breathe and pink up. I didn't get to having to give him breaths, but rubbed him and kind of tipped him one way and the other on my knees as I had heard this stimulated the lungs. Back then I wasn't a nurse and hadn't learned about infant recus. Anyway, it worked. We had disc pictures in quick succession and my doctor looked at them and said lots of hospital babies take longer than that to breathe, not to worry. But at the time, I had that kind of complete focused concentration on the baby that you had, in a kind of time stands still moment. I really identified.

    She was still connected to the placenta at that point so was still getting oxygen that way, right?

    I really think it shows a lack of some human quality to come on here and "anonymously"
    find fault with your beautiful birth. It is one thing to make these comments in a general discussion, another one to make them when discussing someone's own birth in the joyful hours right after it. You can block an IP address you know, not just a screen name!

    Susan Peterson

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  63. Aww, thanks so much for sharing the birth of your beautiful little Inga with us!

    When Abigail was born, she went all limp and quiet like that, too. Watching how floppy Inga was reminded me of that so, so strongly. Beautiful work, Mama.

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  64. As a midwife, and a mother of two, pregnant with number three, this was so touching for me to watch. I've taken NRP several times, and watching you do a gentle resus. on your baby gave me chills. It just made me think, if I were in the same position, I could do this. I am amazed at the maternal instinct, and feedback from baby. Thank you for sharing this.

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  65. That was so beautiful. I found myself talking to your daughter as though she could hear me. You did a wonderful job - and stayed so calm throughout it. Congratulations!!!

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  66. Thank you for sharing this beautiful birth!

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  67. je ne sais pas trop parler anglais... sorry...
    je suis enceinte de 6 mois et j'ai prevu un accouchement a domicile.
    merci pour le partage de cette magnifique video, un moment magique!!!
    mon petit garcon de 4ans et demi a voulut la regarder aussi il etait tres content, j'ai ainsi pu lui montrer ce qu'est un accouchement, il sera donc moins surpris lors de la naissance de son petit frere s'il desire etre a cote de moi.

    merci a vous et toutes mes felicitations et bienvenue a votre magnifique petit bebe!!!

    bravo pour ce que vous avez fait

    elodie

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  68. Elodie--merci d'avoir ecrit! Vous habitez en France?

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  69. Tout simplement MAGNIFIQUE!!!
    Bravo pour cette belle petite famille!

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  70. de rien!!

    oui en region parisienne

    elodie

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  71. Congratulations. What a beautiful birth. Thanks for sharing. It is nice to see a natural birth for once, not the "Baby Story" reality. This video is SO encouraging!!!!
    I was impressed by how calm you stayed when Inga took a little turn for the worse. You were so confident in what you were doing to help her. The best thing that could have happened in this situation - panic would not have helped her in any way. What a great maternal instinct (and outstanding knowledge) you have!!!! Enjoy her to the fullest!

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  72. I don't think I would ever do unassisted child birth because I feel really scared when I think of all that could go wrong. That being said watching this lady do it and then help her baby to breath was amazing and beautiful! When I heard the baby cry I cried. I <3 babies and this birth was PERFECT!

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  73. what happened to Inga and Rixa could happen to any mother, planned hospital birth or planned UC or anything in between. Babies come, when babies come and sometimes there isn't time to get to a hospital or time for a midwife to arrive. If I recall correctly videos aren't allowed in most hospital birth rooms anymore for fear of liability or we could probably dig up a video of where a baby would have been safer at a homebirth. (I am a hospital birther, BTW, who understands there are risks and consequences of ALL choices, as I am sure Rixa does too)
    Kudos to Rixa for knowing what to do and keeping her head about her and doing it.
    As a mom I have dealt with some pretty serious emergencies with my children and if videotaped I may seem without 'affect' too. It is normal for some people to just deal with an emergency in this way. It is like tunnel vision, you do what you need to do and you process it later.


    To Rixa, you and I sound an awful lot alike in birth although I think I am a bit louder. :D
    Thank you for sharing your beautiful birth and your scary/intense few minutes afterwards. Just watching it my hair on my arms went up and my face started tingling from anxiety and it felt like it was ages, not seconds. I am so grateful that you knew what to do and your little one is OK. Enjoy your three darlings!!

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  74. I have to echo many people's comments and say a huge thank you for sharing this. I'm in my 37th week with my first baby and I have no doubt home birth is for me. There are bunches of written stories and still shots of home births, but I've never seen such a long video. I appreciate being able to see the process before going into my own birthing experience. I know every woman births differently, but it was really helpful to see this.

    Also, I'm grateful you shared this because our societal perceptions of birth really need to widen. Even though I'm a home birther, it's hard to get the image out of my head of the screaming woman, the worried husband, and all the doctors in the background with beeping machines. I've also been on the receiving end of some major negativity and fear coming from my in-laws. These fears are so deeply ingrained in people's minds. Seeing a different reality is so needed for us to reclaim our power as women and men during the most special moments of our lives. Stories are the way our beliefs are passed down, so thank you again for sharing yours.

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  75. I'm planning a home/water birth and found a link to this on babycenter. I was unsure at first if I should watch it in order to protect my "bubble of peace". I am overwhelmingly grateful for having seen it. Thank you for posting and allowing yourself and your expenience to be used. It has been an inspiration and an encouragement to me. You are so calm and so very well educated for the situation. Congrats on your beautiful birth!

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  76. Congrats, Rixa, and welcome Inga!

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  77. I really admire how cool and collected you acted when the baby needed help breathing. I love watching birth videos, thanks so much for sharing!

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  78. Beautiful birth - so refreshing to see you instinctively work with the birth of your sweet baby girl. Thank you so much for sharing this.

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  79. I think I'm your twin. Not really, but I found it funny when I stumbled across your site that you have a daughter named Inga (we plan on naming our daughter Inga, I am 39 weeks) if this baby is a girl. I am married to a Canadian... a French Canadian. My hubby said Eric sounds like an anglophone? Anyway, what a lovely birth and congrats! Its nice to know our Inga won't be the ONLY one in the country!

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  80. Dana--Eric is an anglophone.

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  81. such an amazing birth..
    such a beautiful mama, so calmly and instinctively knowing just what she and her babe needs.
    totally in awe of you.
    beautiful

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  82. Thank you so much for sharing this. I was reading up on nuchal cord situations and was linked here. Beautiful birth, and encouraging in the way you kept going in stress. I'm getting ready for my 2nd baby, and wish I could have the strength you do to deliver at home. I also have a midwife, just in a hospital, and found my wishes kept for my 1st so hope for the same again. Still, every person/child/birth is different and you have taught me a lot in this post.
    Best of health to you and your family.

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  83. What an incredible story. I watched the part of the video where you resuscitated her and I am in tears. It was awesome and you were so calm. Every pregnant woman should read/see your story and learn the true strength of a laboring mother.

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  84. A lovely story, but I wish you had a little more respect for your body by blocking nudity in the pictures (I didn't watch the videos as they are no doubt very exposed), especially being LDS (I assume, from the comment about the blessing) and presumably understanding the sanctity of the body and modesty, especially in an act as sacred as bringing a child through the veil to Earth.

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  85. I thought you did great... and the whole everything is sacred true... but if you are filming the birth - film the birth... that's the point. there is nothing shameful about a mother giving birth to her child. it's not like she was selling her body to others for pleasure. she was having a baby. completely understandable... that's an LDS opinion....

    Honestly, I have no idea how you did it... I did the no-epidura delivery with my last baby - and my pain management was nowhere near what yours was. outstanding... you made me feel brave for the next baby :)

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  86. WOW. I had already read the story when I watched the film, so I knew that Inga would be fine, but I still cried tears of fear when she wasn't breathing and then sobbed in relief when she cried!

    Thank you for sharing this beautiful story and videos!

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