Sequoia's Birth Story

Friday night 10pm

I crawled into bed exhausted and aware that I was either 42 weeks or 41 weeks pregnant... As I was drifting off I realized I was experiencing cramping in my tummy that were coming & going in intervals.  I was too exhausted to think of timing them.  I told myself Sequoia was probably on her way and I better get some sleep.

Saturday morning 2am

I woke up to use the restroom and felt a little funny.  When I wiped there was the slightest hint of red on the napkin & then I knew she was coming.  By 215 I was having what I knew were real contractions.  I began vocalizing lower register sounds & by 230am I had woken up Bison.  He jumped out of bed and said he'd come out in the living room with me.

I was pacing around the living room while Bison was getting things ready.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw the largest centipede I had ever seen in our home come quickly crawling out from under the couch across the living room "Bison! Centipede!" towards the sliding glass door.  It was so real yet unreal - just like the contractions I was having that were beginning to get more intense and regular at intervals of 3-4 minutes apart.

Raven woke on her own & began giving me encouragement and kisses.  

By 3am the intensity was increasing & I knew it was time to call Medra and Tara.  By this time the contractions were "bringing me to my knees" as Medra said they would & I could not talk during a contraction.  All I could do was breathe.  Bison called Medra & Tara, then I spoke to both of them, I was in disbelief and chuckling between contractions but had to stop & focus when one came on.

"I can do anything for a minute.  I can do anything for a minute & a half.  I can do this."

Contractions were now coming every 2-3 minutes lasting about one minute and fifteen seconds.  

Medra & Tara arrived at about 415am & I was so grateful to see them.

I labored in the living room.  All thoughts of the birthing pool or rope were gone from my mind, I just wanted to be supported by Bison.

I hung off his neck for at least a good 20 contractions, I think...  All sense of time had vanished... I do remember somewhere around 445am I said screw tracking contractions anymore.  I remember trying to do the math "ok contractions every 2-3 minutes last about a minute long means I'll have how many contractions each hour?" But not being able to do the math, just a fleeting thought.

I didn't understand the expression "natural labor is intense" until I experienced it & I'd now also explain it to someone that same way.

Tara at one point let me know the sound I was making was "harnessing your power" and I understood.  Medra let me know "you'll wreck your throat if you keep using your throat like that" & that also helped me bring it down again.

Tara checked my cervix and said I was about 7-8cm & there was a lot of mucus coming out and that she could feel my water bag bulging and perhaps a thick lip on my cervix.  I do remember feeling liquid running down my legs and wondering if I should be concerned about what exactly it was but somehow I knew it didn't matter...

I moved from Bisons neck to leaning over the kitchen island.  It was around 5am and I could hear the birds waking up and their music was so beautiful.  Bison strummed the guitar.  Medra held the space.  Tara swayed with me and rubbed Deep Blue, Basil & Black Pepper essential oils on my lower back and squeezed my hips...

....I was somewhere else...I heard the birds so clearly in the quiet morning...I considered eating some watermelon....

I knew my grandma was in the room....around 6am I called out to her for help...in my mind I was asking her to help guide Sequoia out in the perfect position & to place her hands on my back....I knew she was there working with the spirit selves of all of us in the room.  Raven fell asleep.  Medra winked at Tara.

Around this same time I had two monumental contractions that had me raised up on my tippy toes & bearing down as the contraction subsided.  There was no way I could resist the urge to push and I pushed hard twice. I heard something hit the floor with a splat, looked down and saw a grapefruit size blood stain.  I believe my water bag broke at the same time.  I began shaking...first my left leg then right leg then upper body face and jaw...everything shook...

I looked at Medra and said "please tell me this means I'm close" and she said "yes, let's get you in the bedroom and see how dilated you are & check heart tones"

It was about 620am when we went down the hall to the bedroom.  I could feel so much pressure low between my legs but I had no idea how close I was to meeting my daughter.

I got on the bed & knew Medra wanted me on my back so she could check dilation but the thought of laying on my back was horrendous. Without knowing why I flipped over onto all fours.  Medra asked me to open my legs wider but I couldn't move, I felt Bison spreading my legs wider & then I heard Medra say something like "oh wow there's the head she's crowning!"

In that moment it was like all time stopped I could feel her head solidly at the opening of my body ... Bone on bone ... I yelled out "what do I do?" and Tara said "if you do nothing your baby will still be born" and I said "okay" and started panting... I relaxed my pelvis muscles and realized Sequoias head wasn't going in and out and that motivated me to push.

Bison prepared to catch the baby with Medras assistance... For me there was no ring of fire... Just force... Colossal energy... Life force... No pain...  Only desire...

Feeling her body come down the birth canal was unbelievable.... Feeling her crowning at 6:25am, her head was out at 626am and feeling her shoulders and body slide out...my precious angel was born at 6:27am into her fathers arms.

I rolled over onto my back and Bison placed her in my arms with her cord still attached and pulsing... I was blown away... In total awe that Sequoia was here... That we had done that together... That we were both alive and breathing...  Casius Kiva and Raven were in the room within seconds of their sisters birth...they looked on speechless and overjoyed and in love...

I did it.  I did that.  I birthed my child without fear without pain, in peace love harmony courage wisdom tranquility.

Bison cut the cord at 6:59am

8lbs 12oz, 20" long 

BLISS.....