By Sarah Silver
Just over 12 months ago my husband and I were honoured to be able to purchase H2 Oh Baby, a nationally recognised Birth Pool Kit supply business that has been serving Kiwi mums for more than 13 years! What an honour and a privilege it has been to be a part of some of the most precious moments in a parent’s life, the planning, preparation, and finally the birth, of a new, treasured wee soul.
We are often asked what drove us to purchase this business. It’s simple – my best birth experience, of the four births I had, was in water. In fact, in an H2 Oh Baby pool, at home, in our bedroom, while our doting family supported from afar in the lounge.
I was awake at 4am, slept on the couch on and off, and knew that our moment was pending. This was my darling’s first child, my third blessing. He trotted off to work like an excitable energiser bunny at 5.30am, and said he would await my call in the next few hours…I went and coached/reffed my daughter’s netball, with all the mums there telling me I was in labour and really should go home. Nope, I wanted to keep moving.
Nana came and collected my two children, and I went home to prepare dinner, “rest” and most importantly waddle and clean. It was a lovely time, just positioning myself mentally, getting my surrounds how I wanted them, and taking some time just for me. After lunch I was feeling like things were picking up, and by afternoon tea time (I remember everything by its association to food!), I was starting to really rock and roll. It was nearly time to meet our baby.
It was a cold winter evening, but I was so warm, so calm, and so mentally prepared. I had spent time while pregnant studying the benefits of mindfulness in labour and birth. My sister arrived to keep an eye on me, the room was all prepared and smelling lovely, and the time came for my sister to text my hubby…”It’s time to come home, daddy.”
That 15 minute trip took the energiser bunny some 8 minutes to get home…
Scott took charge, filled the pool, checked temperatures and covered it ready for action. Within 20 minutes, I was able to enter the most lovely warm and comfortable pool. I lay in a million different positions between contractions, finding my favourite spots. I was amazed with the kindness of that water during my contractions. I lowered myself into the water and with the help of acupressure, my body responded with reduced pain. Every surge was one closer. Every breath was an invitation to my baby to take the journey to our arms. It was quiet and magical. Scott was in the pool with me…everything was as it should be.
I was amazed how little I doubted myself and my body’s ability to do this. My first birth was very fear-based, and I feel like I almost worked against the surges, not allowing them. My second birth, I knew what was coming but just could not relax into owning this journey.
This was different. I realised I had this…I owned it, and it was us – my baby, my hubby and I – together, making this moment the best it could be.
The moments between the surges were moments of peace and solace. I engaged at a very spiritual level with baby, sending messages of being loved and welcome and wanted. Telling baby that we have this, and that we have nothing to fear because we are doing this together…and then there he was…there was the face of an angel…daddy’s little boy…our miracle.
See next page for the rest of the birth story…
