Kimberly's Birth Story

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[Originally written in 2012] Today, I share my daughter Sophia Jamila's birth story, as she turns 5 months/20 weeks! As with all my birth stories, I pray this experience inspires, encourages and informs; if just one mother-to-be... So, my mind marks this birth story with a somewhat peculiar beginning – with singer Bobby Womack. Yep. That’s because we were watching his episode of TVOne’s “Unsung” right before my labor started. Backtracking to earlier in the day, my midwife came by for a visit to help me prepare tinctures with Sarah’s placenta we froze from four years ago. Yes! The placenta is still effective to use! My midwife also checked my vitals, as she did for every visit. Later, while sharing small talk, I thought, “Let’s do a vaginal exam while she’s here.” And I’m glad we led with the intuition to check. From the exam, we discovered that I was already 3cm dilated, there was no mucus plug, and my midwife could feel the baby’s head with tons of hair. It was January 9th, almost one week after “Baby Love’s” original, estimated due date. And I truly learned why it’s called an “estimate due date.” Baby Love is the nickname coined by God Mommy Christy (who is now a Certified Holistic Doula of Cr8tive Birth Doula Services) after we chose not to know the sex of the baby during our pregnancy. So, after watching TV around 11:30 pm that Monday night, I began to notice regularity in the “sensations” I felt as I lay in bed. I started to recognize these feelings as full contractions around midnight. I moved from the bed to my exercise ball, and as I sat and rolled on the ball from left to right, front to back, it provided much relief. I believe these movements relaxed and opened my pelvic muscles and bone, preparing me for impending labor. As the contractions intensified, I decided to go to the bathroom; the area I envisioned my labor taking place.

Two weeks earlier, my midwife strongly suggested that I decide and envision exactly what I wanted my labor to look like; the where, when, how, etc. Pregnancy is truly a creative and divinely powerful time to set thoughts into existence. Sure enough, once I sat on “the throne” in the bathroom, and naturally relaxed my body, the contractions grew closer and closer together and were more powerful. I focused on the 2012 Psalms wall calendar in front of me that read, “Only for God does my soul wait in silence, for my hope comes from my Creator. Only God is my rock, my deliverance, my fortress. I shall not be shaken. “[Psalm 62:6-7] I began to repeat aloud, “I shall not be shaken…I shall not be shaken…” Kenyatta woke up and got out of the bed to join me in the bathroom. We joined hands as he stood in front of me and we chanted the words and phrases...“Open…Love is all around…God is all around…Baby Love, we’re ready for you.” I began to feel flushed and asked Kenyatta for the trash can. Because of my previous births, I know that throwing up, for me, is my signal of transition, and pushing will soon commence! I instructed that once I threw up, I wanted Yatta to call our midwife and Christy. And a minute or two later, those calls were made. I could feel Baby Love dropping lower and lower and beginning to crown. My initial moans turned into full on, primal howling, and it was time to move my body forward to push. Just then, I looked up and my midwife was present to lay down a sheet on the floor. I turned and got down on all fours, with Yatta in front of me, standing in the tub, and my midwife behind me. With one push, Baby Love’s head was out. I took a few breaths and pushed again to deliver the body. I looked down and discovered that I just gave birth to a bright-eyed, beautiful little girl! I remember saying, “Is this real? Is this real? Is she really here?!?”

Kenyatta and baby Sophia. Photo Credit: Kimberly — Kenyatta and baby Sophia. *Photo Credit: Kimberly*

Sophia Jamilah was born at 3:20am on Tuesday, January 10. Amazingly, we did not have to suction anything out of her ears, nose, or mouth. Sophia successfully began breastfeeding a few moments later, once I got back onto the bed. And a few hours later, big brother Solomon and big sister Sarah woke up to meet their baby sister before they got ready for school. Sophia was connected to her placenta for about five or six hours after her birth. Later in the day, before preparing the placenta to make another tincture, our midwife shared with us an extremely powerful placenta reading, very revealing of ancestral and family relationships. I also feel so grateful for the “afterbirth advice” I received from friends, who are also mothers of three+ children. The uterine contractions I experienced while breastfeeding the first few days were extremely intense [though necessary], but I was equipped with a homeopathic remedy called Arnica [1M] to ease the discomfort and it worked wonders! Overall, Sophia’s pregnancy was healthy and pleasant. My biggest lessons were in surrendering to God’s will, relinquishing control [with not knowing the baby’s gender] and patience [trusting that baby will arrive in divine time]. Through this experience, I know what I know what I know what I KNOW about birth; and I fully trust the divine, fantastic, and amazingly beautiful process. Give all thanks to God.

Side note: Our pregnancy's mantra was "Love is all around..." Earlier in my pregnancy, I was visiting my sister Christy and we were perusing YouTube for live musical performances. *Somehow* we came across the following performance by Rachelle Ferrell & Lalah Hathaway, featuring Ledisi & Rahsaan Patterson Music [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1W9SYkXgcU]. We were mesmerized by this amazing clip. When it was over, I *knew* this song and the title of the song had to be incorporated into my labor and birth. And it was. I listened to this song, or watched this clip, at least once a day and the phrase, "Love is all around..." became the most powerful affirmation I've ever allowed into my consciousness. If you're open to it, just say it aloud about five times or so, and you'll feel peace...try it. *smile*

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