Mama Loves Homemade Food: Eden is One!

Today, one year ago Eden entered this world. In honor of her birthday, I would like to share the story of her birth. I am natural childbirth advocate and have educated myself extensively on the subject. My husband is a huge supporter, and I firmly believe that is a crucial component to any woman who wants to birth naturally. I could go on and on about this subject, but that's not the objective of today's post. Today, I want to take time to remember Eden, and her first year. I want to savor each little memory of her first year, because this year passed altogether too quickly. She is a gift of love from our Heavenly Father, and I do dote on her.

She's cute even when she is crying!

My Delivery of Eden

It was October 25, 2010 at 3:33 a.m. I was awakened by an intense contraction, which immediately required me to wake up and get with it mentally. I had trained myself for this moment, but it was a long time coming. Eden's "due date" was October 10, and I had been waiting 2 weeks for this day arrive! I had experieinced several bouts of Braxton Hicks contractions over the previous 2 weeks, but this contraction was markedly different. I knew it was labor. I lay in bed, on my left side, using my mental relaxation techniques to allow my body to work (for that is precisely what labor is, a work of love. And we all know real work is never easy, but the end result always feels so good). After about 20 minutes of laying down, I got up to use the bathroom. Upon returning to bed, my next 2 contractions were extremely intense. I was using all of my energy to focus on staying calm, breathing and working with the contractions, not against them. At this point, in between contractions, I woke my husband, Garrett. In retrospect, I think the crazy intense contractions were my transition. I tried to lay there a few minutes longer, but it felt uncomfortable to lay down. I got up and wanted to let gravity work. I went back to the bathroom again. I sat down and my water broke on the toilet (that was convenient!). It was go time. Garrett immediately called our midwife, Jessica. Garrett drew a warm bath and I climbed in. I tried to relax and keep my body from delivering a baby without a midwife present. I knew Eden was coming out too fast, so I was lying on my side to try to slow the process down. I was trying not to push, but at a certain point it just can't be helped. From the time Garrett called Jessica until she walked in our front door was 17 minutes. Eden was born 5 minutes later. It was a one hour and 28 minute labor, and we were both exhausted afterward.

Background: Eden was my second baby I delivered naturally. My husband and I took a 12 week training course in the Bradley Method before our son was born, and took the teacher's training course for the Bradley Method before Eden's birth. This knowledge & training was imperative for me to bring our babies into the world naturally. I experienced no complications in either pregnancy or delivery. Both times I delivered with a midwife; the first time in a hospital, the second time at home. I will never deliver in a hospital again. I understand that hospitals save lives, but more often than not they get in the way of letting the woman do what she was made to do - deliver her baby, naturally. I relish in the fact that I was able to deliver & begin recovery in the comfort of my own home.