Birth Bound

In a few days one of my Follow Through Journey women is due to give birth to her third child, though I'm feeling this baby isn't going to pay any attention to the date, and only come when there is space and time for the birth. It has been a busy time.

Sarah* (not her real name) has asked me to attend her homebirth. It is such an honour to be invited into such a personal part of her and her family's life. Every time I am asked to attend a birth it is overwhelming! There are no words to describe the feeling...

This will be the first homebirth I have experienced. It's an experience I've been longing for over the few years I've been completing my Bachelor of Midwifery. Homebirth is where my heart is at and where I desire to end up practicing. Unfortunatly our university can only provide us with hospital birth environments over our course of learning. Thankfully my last placement was with Casey Hospital a very low risk, holistic maternity unit so I feel that I have been able to remain partially sane amidst the technology driven birth society in Australia. In light of that it's been a joy these last few months to be following through a number of women who are planning homebirths, to hear their stories, plans, hopes, fears, and dreams, to see their journeys unfold.

I spent some time with Sarah* today. She showed me the henna art her women friends had drawn on her swollen belly to celebrate her upcoming labour and birth. Her youngest ran around with his lego man, chattering away. He slowed down to sit with us and watch a Russian waterbirth video showing women birthing in the warm tidal pools of the Black Sea. It's such a peaceful thing to see the whole family becoming part of the journey of pregnancy and birth.

S0.... I'll be waiting for a phone call from Andrea (Sarah's midwife and my mentor) in the next few weeks to tell me things have started. On call!