What can I say? We're absolutely exhausted! Of all our kids, Owen was our first baby to be born in the middle of the night. But what a night it was, and what a gift that God has granted us yet again! Let's do a bit of a recap of events...
When I was getting ready to go to work yesterday morning, Moira said things had definitely changed, and that I should at least work from home in the morning "just in case." I never made it to work. And all morning, the contractions kept getting stronger and stronger, but unfortunately, they were very irregular. Poor thing, she had irregular contractions all day long! I don't think I could even comprehend what that must feel like!
The day wore on and it wasn't until about 10pm that things really started rolling. Around that time, Moira had fallen asleep, and I was reading a books to Didi, Triona, and Mary when suddenly, Moira woke up and said, "You better finish up reading real quick." Apparently, she had a huge contraction that was strong enough to rouse her from her slumber. We knew then that it was time.
Earlier in the day, I set up the birthing tub for her to soak in, so once I finished up with reading, I put the girlies to bed and warmed up the water in the tub. What was different with this birthing from our others was that Moira was practicing a birthing technique called "Hypnobirthing" which employs various breathing and relaxation techniques to help with focus and to release natural endorphins. Me as a partner, just gave her verbal cues to relax various parts of her body. I even serenaded her while she was floating in the tub! Anyway, the whole idea behind this process was for her to experience utter relaxation, and she really did! She remarked late in the process that it seemed the contractions didn't feel that strong, even though I was timing them at well over a minute, which meant that things were really moving along and the contractions were strong. Mind over matter, indeed!
Around 11pm, I called Yelena, our midwife, and told her that contractions were about 1:15 to 1:30 every four and a half to five and a half minutes. That was Yelena's cue to call her assistants and come over. I have to tell you: Birthing with a midwife is so much more peaceful than going to a hospital. The whole process is relaxed, and completely non-invasive. Anyway, as soon as Yelena arrived with her assistants, Pearl and Michelle. Once she got settled, she examined Moira and found that she was at 8 cm and completely effaced - we were close! Two hours later, Owen Daniel Delumpa was born into this world! He is just so beautiful!
Here are pictures from the birth! By the way, here are his stats:
Weight: 7lbs 12oz
Height: 20in.
Apgar Score: 10/10
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