Taking flight!
by Chanti Holtl
Taking flight!
I awoke with a gentle kick to the small of my back. It was just my partner Jake as he tossed in the night. Now that I was up, I figured it must be time for another pee.
Little did I realize—this was the day!
Shortly after 6 a.m., I realized that I was not going to get back to sleep. I began to feel some rippling in my womb. Could this be the beginning? I pulled out my sketchbook and worked on some designs that were in progress.
At about 8 a.m., Jake called sleepily out of the bedroom, “What’s up, Momma?”
”Oh . . . I am timing contractions,” I answered.
He jumped out of bed!
We looked out at the overcast autumn day and saw the sun breaking through, dancing with the morning mist. At that point, we realized that there was no turning back—we figured that it was time to call in our midwives. We sat outside and enjoyed the sun kissing the dew on the many intricate webs as we welcomed this special day. I had intuited that the baby would show up after the tenth and before the full moon on the thirteenth—and here we were on the tenth—right on time. What a blessed bright day to birth this soul into the Light.
As our midwife Beverly had suggested, it became more difficult to focus as the contractions grew in intensity and closeness. This was our first child, so it was a fresh experience. There was no understanding of what was to come. Every minute was a new sensation.
I slipped into the bath and rolled and writhed with my rock-hard belly wondering, Who is the precious soul that we will meet today?
Shirley, an older woman friend, came by to help out. Both Jake’s family and mine lived half a country away, so we were grateful for her. She showed up in a flurry of motherly support, kind of similar to my mom.
The contractions heated up quickly from there. I spent much time on my hands and knees, or sitting on my knees praying for the mucus plug to pop out. I rolled my hips and danced and sang out and grunted. All the while, I tried to stay present as these intense contractions rippled through my body. “Open,” I sang and prayed, “open cervix, dilate, please may this be quick.”
I kissed Jake and tried to keep eye contact with him and Shirley. They supported and encouraged me—hugged and loved me too. I was beginning to wonder what next when suddenly my water and plug gushed out. It was around 11:45 a.m. As time passed, I began to question, How can I possibly do this? How did all of those mothers before me bear through these moments?
More fluids came and more towels were needed. I had only been in labor for a few hours and it had only just become really intense. I began to figure that if this was going to last hours longer then I might need drugs (which I had hoped to avoid). I wondered, Where are the midwives, anyway?
Suddenly, our midwives Beverly and Meghan rushed in. They had to drive an hour to our place and had assumed that I had time to go yet. They rolled me onto the bed to examine how ripe I was. The sunlight was streaming in on my body in that blessed moment. They announced, “My goodness, you are fully dilated and ready to go anytime!” Words more magical then I had ever heard.
I had a set of candles from when I was baptized as a baby that I asked them to light to honor this new soul.
At that point, I was immobilized on my back and sooooo ready that there was no moving into an easier position/place. I was beached like a whale. I rolled onto my side and pulled one knee up toward my chest as my midwives suggested. I pushed and grunted and sang out with all my heart—singing and pushing as this precious being and I worked together to fruition. There was a head, all pruney, crowning out of my yoni. It was soft and wrinkled. Another breath and a huge “push on through to the other side” and his head was out. Beverly slipped the loose cord off his neck. His arm was next, waving hello to everyone. I felt so full right then. Meghan coached, “Channel your voice out your other end toward your yoni . . . ” With a low, deep, rich tone and grunt, I push with all of my heart.
Jake caught the baby as he slipped out. It was 12:45 p.m. He passed him up to rest on my belly. He was purple and slippery, quickly turning pink. We waited for the cord to stop pulsing and then they clamped it and Jake snipped it. Shirley finally lost her grip on reality and got all wobbly on us.
Our baby boy cried loudly. He is beautiful!
The midwives did their thing, checking everything out. All was whole and healthy and he even had a beautiful dimple on his chin! We were blessed and grateful.
He wiggled up to my breast and snuggled into my love. Then Poppa Jake took a turn snuggling him, skin-to-skin too.
Intuition runs strong in my family— seven minutes after the birth, my momma called to see how things were unfolding.
Jashua moments after being born.
Our beloved one came back to my breast, latched right on, and made himself at home. A short while later, I passed the placenta. Beverly then carefully stitched up my torn perineum.
A deep breath, and the realization set in that a new journey had begun. As we snuggled into this new reality, I asked this precious one, Who are you? What name will you walk with in this lifetime? Hours passed in a blur of connecting, feeding, pooping, and sleeping.
The next morning, I awoke with a name I had never thought of before in my heart. Our wee one had let us know . . .
Home sweet-and-snowy-homestead home!
Welcome, and we love you, Jahshua Jean Gillespie! Tender Joy!
Chanti Holtl is now the mother of two boys and spends her days homesteading with her family in Horsefly, located in the Cariboo!