July 04
Reviews

From: Chloe Kimber
Category: Life
Date: 26 September 2004

Review

...Giving birth 27/07/04

After a relaxed pregnancy, my baby of an unspecified gender was one week late. I was sat on a beach in East Devon with my fella, his mum+her partner. We'd been there for a few minutes, sat in a cafe in the sun when the first contractions came.

I was not scared, just extremely uncomfortable and relieved it was about to happen, at last. 19 hours later, I slipped into the water, in the birth pool. It was 37 degrees and soothed the pain of the two waves of contractions, my man passed me the gas and air, and I listened to Nightmares on Wax and had blissful aural halucinations, while I floated in the warm water.

It was a tricky 4 hours, but finally the baby popped out, under water. She still had oxygen from the umbilical cord ppumping through to her, and I lifted her onto my belly, as her face reached the surface of the air, she cried. Dan and the midwives helped me out of the pool. I was exhausted, wet, naked and uncomfortable, maybe like my own birth. She clung to me, wondering who on earth I was and what was she doing here. I was to tired to fall in love instantly, I was relieved and pleased with myself that it all went fine. It took 24 hours to fall in love with my baby, to really understand what had happened and process it emotionally and viscerally. It all felt unreal until I left the hospital and went home. Then I realised what we had created. It feels one with wonder, awe and a certain satisfaction. It was the nearest I have ever felt to being like a god.