When I found out I was pregnant with my second baby, I knew I wanted to have a different experience from the first one. My first birth was at a California birth center with a midwife who became increasingly anxious due to a regulation, 3-hour time limit of the 2nd stage. I birthed my baby with my midwife yelling at me to “PUSH!!! PUSH INTO THE BURN!!!” There are rare times when pushing hard is required of a woman giving birth, but that was not one of them.
Imagine then how happy I was to find HypnoBirthing®. This practice encourages women to deeply relax and breathe, releasing all fear, knowing our bodies are designed for birthing. I discovered a group of highly experienced midwives teaching HypnoBirthing right here in Southern Oregon.
The midwives at Three Sisters have years and years of experience, combined with a deep trust in the birthing process and a woman’s intuition. I fell in love with my three midwives, especially Rhione. Still, every time I mention to someone that Rhione was my midwife I hear “oooohhhhhhh, I lllloooooooovvveee Rhiooooone!”
So with the help of my excellent midwives, I had my perfect home birth! I stepped into the birthing tub and relaxed into the arms of my beloved husband, who had spent hours transporting hot water up the hill to our remote hut. The midwives then fluttered around us like gorgeous butterflies bringing the nectar from herbal remedies and whispering sweet nothings to help me relax further and trust my body.
The most challenging part, which became an amazing spiritual journey, was relaxing with the surges. The reward at the end was a beautiful, 10 pound baby girl we named Skye. I eased her out into the water and caught her with my own hands.
I asked that the moments after her birth Skye would only hear the sounds of her parent’s voices for a few minutes, to let her know she was in familiar arms. The midwives respected this and all my requests completely.
Another benefit to relaxing with surges was that I was not completely exhausted at the end of the birth. During the only time in my entire life that my oxytocin levels will be that high, I spent hours falling in deep, deep love with Skye. I think that made a big difference in my attitude for the following weeks of sleepless nights.
I would recommend Three Sisters Midwifery to anyone having a homebirth. This is the biggest event in your child’s life, and quite possibly in your own as well. Three Sisters Midwifery is an experienced support team that confidently puts your baby in good hands, your own!
