Samara
The Birth of Daniel Brennan
Born on the 9.10.22
At 4.04 pm
Weight 3.43kg (7.56 pounds)
Length 52cm
Samara and Jack look forward to meeting their first baby in early October.
Samara has experienced a stress-free and very comfortable pregnancy with no complications.
Samara is a petite young woman with a perfectly neat little baby bump.
Jack and Samara are the sweetest couple, they both have a very calm and welcoming aura surrounding them. Their little boy is very blessed. He is going to be born into a loving home.
I have really enjoyed the time I have spent with this young couple. And the best is yet to come.
Samara has always had a genuine interest in and passion for birth. My birthing goddess has nearly as many books on birth as I have in my lending library. All this knowledge that Samara has immersed herself in over time has built a priceless foundation, enabling Samara to wholeheartedly believe in herself and her ability to birth her baby, however, the day unfolds. Jack has been such a wonderful support, sitting in and being part of all our catch-up sessions, this enables Jack to gather his knowledge on birth. Jack has a very calm presence; this will be his strength in supporting Samara through her labour and the birth of their little son.
Samara has chosen the MGP program as her care provider and is striving for labour and birth with minimal to no interventions.
Your baby's birth day is one of the most memorable days of your life. Birth is beautiful, mind-blowing, and intense. It's exciting and life-changing. Not only do our brains change after giving birth but science also says that we're just fundamentally different people after going through such an amazing experience.
Birthing is the most profound initiation to spirituality a woman can have." Samara is ready to embrace all that her birth will ask of her.
9th of October 2022 -40 weeks and 5 days
4.43 am- I receive a message from Samara saying that she is sorry to disturb me, her waters have broken at midnight, and she is having regular mild sensations. Jack and herself were on their way to the LGH to have her fluid loss checked. They will check back in with me soon. I am very sorry; Samara didn’t disturb me as I didn’t hear the beep to say I had a message until Jack phoned me at 8.53am.
Jack shared with me that they were heading home from the LGH, and everything was looking good. I could hear Samara labouring calmly in the background, Samara is sounding like she was well and truly in labour. Samara is having back pain. I suggest some comfort measures and acupressure points for back pain for them to try at home until they are ready for me to join them. What we do know is that baby Brennon has not moved from Samara’s right side no matter how many times she engages in the spinning babies exercises over the last months. This little boy is most likely a bit posterior, and his spine is pressing on Samara’s, causing her to experience back pain.
10.30 am - I message Jack for an update. Jack shares that Samara’s sensations are closer together now 4 min apart and she has vomited bile. I reassure Jack that as unfair as it is, vomiting in labour is a normal hormonal response. I ask if they would like me to come over. Jack will check with Samara after she gets out of the shower. Samara is finding some relief in the shower on all fours. Knowing Samara as I do, I am very confident that she is breathing through each one of her sensations as best she can, remembering that these sensations are not bigger than she is, they belong to her, and her body is working extremely hard.
Not long after I am asked to come and join them. I have been waiting patiently and am very excited I can join them.
11 am - My bags are packed and ready to go.
I arrive at Jack and Samara’s very warm and inviting cottage. Dim lights, soft music, and soft fairy lights adorn the walls. The perfect space to feel safe, especially when in labour. Samara is laying on the bed, resting on her side, I can see she has had a heat pack for her back, and we warm it back up. The back pain is still very painful and presents first in every sensation. Jack and Samara inform me the sensations have dropped off a bit. We refill her drink bottle with hydralyte to keep up Samara’s fluids and energy.
Jack and I emotionally and physically support Samara, helping her into different positions for comfort, with the hope we are creating opportunities for their baby to move, taking the pressure off her spine. Double hip squeezes during a sensation seem to provide some amount of relief.
12.10 pm - We have moved into the loungeroom, Samara is over the birth cub on all fours, breathing slowly through every sensation. I suggest, that if Samara is up to it, we make our way through the spinning babies three sisters of balance, then try some lifts and tucks to help create space, and move muscles and ligaments for the baby to hopefully turn and descend. I feel confident he is not in the best of positions. Hopefully, our little baby will take this opportunity to move down if we help him out. I perform some acupressure to also encourage the baby to move and labour to keep progressing. Samara is such a trooper; we take our time as we move through all the exercises. I can tell Samara is feeling the intensity and frequency of her surges move closer together. As women in labour, we can’t stop the waves, but we can learn quickly how to surf. Samara, you are doing wonderfully. Labour with the added sensation of back pain is tough. Samara is keeping in sight the joy that awaits on the other side. Samara has spoken to her midwife about some bleeding, and we will be checking in with her again in the hour to come.
“A strong intention, a relaxed body and an open mind are the main ingredients for an active birth”. And that is exactly the qualities my birthing goddess is doing her best to hold onto.
It is our role as her support people to remind her of her birth power in the moments she feels she can’t go on.
During our time at home, I also read a prayer that I had prepared to read to Samara and Jack. A beautiful blessing, to guide them and keep them all safe in the hours ahead
We start the Spinning Baby abdominal lift and tuck up against a wall. I could feel Samara’s baby’s head overlapping her pubic bone. I knew we had safely balanced Samara’s body and this was the next step to gently create a space for him to rotate and move deeper down into Samara’s pelvis. Gently for the baby doesn’t equal no discomfort for my birthing goddess.
Honestly, this is the time I had to reach deep inside myself and trust in my knowledge. I am asking Samara to trust me. The pain was next level for Samara. It was breaking my heart, I felt cruel. If we follow the script, we are supposed to perform 10 lifts and tucks.
2 pm- By the third lift in tuck, it was visually obvious Samara’s labour had shifted to another level. We had achieved our goal. Samara could feel intense pressure in her bottom as her baby is moving down. My intuition is currently saying to me that the pressure Samara is feeling is her body shifting her baby and helping him rotate into an optimal position, making way for him to descend deep into her pelvis. Though I am not a midwife, maybe this could be her body preparing to birth her baby, he may be going to make his debut sooner rather than later. Either way, we knew we were done with the lift and tucks. Samara’s birth wish was to labour at home for as long as possible to avoid unnecessary medical interventions. Samara can feel proud of all she has achieved. Jack calls to inform Samara’s midwife that we are on our way! I also mention that Samara may like to try some gas for the intensity of these surges are absolutely hitting some high peaks now.
I follow Jack and Samara to the LGH in my own car. Jack pulls over five min into our journey, my heart did start to quicken, are we having a baby in the car? That wasn’t Samara’s plan, and she thought she could hold on for a little longer.
Once inside the doors of the LGH, we were waiting for Jack to park his car. Samara is labouring strongly over a chair. It didn’t take long for us to be welcomed by a security guard and two or three midwives wishing to escort Samara in a wheelchair, the midwives preferred Samara didn’t birth her baby in the foyer. Samara was defiantly pushing.
We had requested a room with a bath. We are in luck, a room with a bath is available. I don't hang up the fairy lights as it was obvious Samara wasn’t in a state to enjoy the twinkling lights. Dim lights and instrumental covers playing softly in the background were all that was needed. Up on the bed, on all fours, our midwives felt the baby was coming and he would be born before the bath filled. The mystery of birth never reveals all its secrets. Every birth is different, and it will unfold in its own time and unique way.
3.27 pm - Samara changes position onto her side, we can see by observing Samara that her baby is very low and could make his debut at any time. Jack, her loving husband is so calm and adoring, showering Samara with cuddles and kisses, this truly must have helped Samara to keep as calm and focused as humanly possible while feeling all the strong sensations of her son moving down into her vagina. All the while baby Brennan was very happy. Samara had opted for the doppler, and it revealed a very happy baby. No exams were offered as it was very clear Samara was going to be birthing her baby soon.
Samara asked if the bath was ready.
3.32 pm - Samara was able to immerse herself slowly and gently into the welcoming depths of the bath. This change of environment helps Samara to reframe, take a breath and get back into her birthing brain, allowing her body to relax into these strong waves. This is hard work when the intensity is high, and she is feeling it in every part of her body.
Samara’s labour is a mix of love, strength, courage, and power. How does she know that she is strong enough? You just get there, facing your biggest fears, choosing the hardest thing and in the middle... right in the middle of the hardest moments ...You just... ARE, and you find that you've pushed through, and you are standing in the light. That inner strength and courage comes through. The incredible love she feels from Jack and the calm and encouraging words from myself and her incredibly beautiful midwives help Samara to rise and push through the intense pressure. We can see baby Brennon has dark hair as his head emerges into the warm water.
After her baby is born Samara shared with me that she knew that the last reading of her baby’s heart rate was low. She told herself in these next pushes “I want to birth my baby”.
And with that, she changed position from all fours and was going to reposition onto her side. Though she didn’t get that far. In a sitting position with her bottom kind of floating, gorgeous baby Brennan made his final debut up into the loving and waiting arms of his mummy. That first moment you hold your baby in your arms is the most wonderful feeling in the world. You never forget it. We are all so elated, there are smiles all around. To witness the birth of a child is our best opportunity to experience the meaning of the word miracle.
Samara and Jack have been blessed with a healthy little baby boy. Samara, in her own time, is helped off the bath and wrapped in warm towels, as she moves back to rest on her bed, cradling her new son. One of the midwives did ask if Samara had checked to confirm the gender. Samara replied, “that he was definitely a baby boy”. Once the cord had stopped pulsing, Jack was able to cut the cord. We did wait a little while for the placenta to make an appearance. Once Samara was given some space and was left alone to bond with her baby, her hormones were able to work as they are designed to do. The placenta is out.
There is now a little window for this new little family of three to enjoy some special time together. Surrounded in their bubble of love, before any more checks need to be done.
Welcome to the world, Daniel Brennan. You are bright-eyed and taking us all in. I am smiling from ear to ear. It’s been a wonderful day.
Thank you, Samara, and Jack, for inviting me along to be part of your special birth day. Witnessing a woman labour with no interference or medical interventions always makes my spirit soar just a little bit higher.
We are made to do this work and it is not easy…I would say that pain is part of the glory of the tremendous mystery of life. And that if anything, it’s a privilege to stand so close to such an incredible miracle.
The wisdom and compassion a woman can intuitively experience in childbirth can make her a source of healing and understanding for other women. I hope Samara’s birth story will inspire other women to believe in themselves. To know that there is something inside of them that is strong, and brave. Our physiology is designed for this experience.
This is your right of passage xxx