Birth Story: Mostly About a Baby

New babies are always a change. It was true when my son was born and my daughter; and it just as true with the very recent birth of my newest daughter. This is the story of the birth, as I saw/see it. Some of what follows is event based and some of it is through the mystic eye of the Witch. Before you dig in, if might be fun to review my last post about babies, birth, and the spiritual sun.

The story of this birth started in March with the onset of spring; which incidentally is associated with the East, the Morning Star (rising Sun), new beginnings, and birth. It started in the spring with the decision to have a third child. Without delay my wife was pregnant; it was like this with both of the other youngens, I can only conclude that she is ultra-fertile. Seeing how we practice a religion that regards fertility very highly, we have no problem with this. As a side note, I underwent a very important initiatory experience in March.

It was only after it was determined that my wife was pregnant and calculated the due date did we realize the close synchronization to the Witches’ Wheel and the lore associated with our Holy Days. I can honestly say that it has given me a unique perspective on the role of our Lord alongside our Lady full in belly. The previous linked to blog post very briefly touches upon this.

~*You are now traveling in time to much more recent events.*~

At the last Esbat I did some work in regards to the impending birth and addition to the family; needless to say my wife has been doing some work as well, but if she chooses to get into any of that it will be her doing. I did two things during the rite, other than devotion work, the first of which left my voice harsh, and the second of which involved empowering a very large white pentagram candle, about 7 inches in diameter, and sealing into the candle the desire until at which time the candle is lit. The candle was dressed in the energies of protection, ease, health, and comfort to both my wife and the at-the-time unborn child. Such was the event the candle was clothed for.

The day before labor two important things occurred. Some very strict boundaries were reinforced for some family that needed to be reminded our house was not at this time an appropriate hotel and party spot. Sometimes such needs to be done. Secondly, I lit a 7-day candle and put it in the hearth. I blessed the candle in the names of our Lady and Lord, and sealed it in their oil. So why all the candle work when there are so many options? Simply put, they do not need any attention once lit, I am quite fond of setting lights, and I really liked the idea of having something burning in the literal hearth and symbolically. Plus, there was other work done, I just ain’t talking about it here; nine months of work is a lot to write out.

I went to bed early, as I had been doing for about a week. Both times that my wife had previous gone into labor it had been in the middle of the night… and was promptly awoken between midnight and zero one. By two any doubt about whether labor had arrived or not had been banished and phone calls were made to the midwife and two good friends that would be part of the team assembled.

Now that we were consciously recognizing labor and not just hoping for it to pick up and go, the wife did some quick labor has begun ritual stuff at the hearth and was replaced by me. I kindled my Esbat prepped candle. Look a picture (sadly the only one going on the blog):

The midwife was the first to arrive and started laying out what was to be needed and prepping all the various just in case items. The assistant was next, whom started setting up the tub in the next room. The sink attachment and I had a minor disagreement about whether or not it was going to function the way it was supposed to, and as I had already tested it for, in the end a bit of tape and determination came through and it complied. It is now in the trashcan in the queue for disposal. Next a good friend of ours that had been present at our eldest’s birth and a fine priestess arrived and took over all ritual duties slash lending a hand where ever it needed. I mean that both figuratively, heating towels or fetching something, as well as literally, she is one fine massage therapist and put her talents to work on the back of a laboring woman counter pressuring contractions. The furthest living away, my wife’s best friend and a friend of mine, arrived last. At this point labor was still at a point where we all could chat very briefly between periods of contractions… all while the midwife and assistant did whatever it was they needed off in the background.

Suddenly two things happened at once, the tub was ready and my wife’s contractions were done with any resting in between business. So we got in the tub. Yup, we. My wife climbed in and so did I. Cause leaning over the side just wasn’t an option. For the next couple of hours I sat in the tub doing my best to help my wife to relax, while her best friend sat outside the tub giving you-own-this support, with our Priestess friend blasting Reiki (I was too… I mean I am a Reiki master so why not?), saying prayers, and heating towels in the microwave*, and midwife assistant worked to keep the tub water at the correct level through strategic use of boiling water on the stove in my stock pot. Now the midwife… she took a nap.

Yes, you read that correctly; the midwife crashed for 40 winks. First off, we are not mad, are happy she got some rest, and would like for you to please banish any negative thoughts or feelings you have in that arena towards her. Here is why. On Friday sometime another woman started labor and delivered around 4 in the afternoon on Sunday. The midwife went home and had only got a couple of hours sleep by the time I was telling her that her services were no longer required in some future tense but now. So with everyone doing their part, and her part not quite having arrived yet, she with our blessings took a nap with but one small interruption.

A couple of hours before the push, while in the tub soaking in Great Mother energies, I placed my hand on my wife back, as I had many times, but this time while she was moving, and it caused her to holler “Don’t push” in a very upset pregnant woman in a contraction kinda way. I fully understood. It just so happens that the word push is the only one that journeyed unto the Dreaming Road of the midwife, who bounded to her feet ready for action, but we explained and she sat back down.

Sitting in the tub, my primary focus was upon serving the needs of my wife and life through her. The nature of the birth changed upon climbing into a very large vessel of birthing. I will just say that my wife placed the pain upon her head as a crown and opened the archetypal world through the visceral plane and did so in a place of still silence. It brought on some very interesting energy swarming in regards to the threshold between. It was almost at the moment when I recognized this familiar place that my wife said she ‘needed’ to get out of the tub.

This heralded the midwife, who experience must have told the time was upon us, and people set to laying out blanks galore as her and I helped my wife from the tub. A quick check of my wife by the midwife confirmed that the baby was ready to come across this world by the river of blood within a boat of flesh.

My wife was helped into a bent over squat position whereby she used me to support herself. Then there was a major contraction and a bearing down. Another major contraction and a long hard push… this was followed by a second at which point the midwife said “grab your baby.” The midwife you must understand was half on her back and half on her side, with one arm extended under my wife supporting the baby descending into this world. Plus, a lot of women like to catch their own babies.
My wife just wasn’t in a position to with my supporting all her weight. So I grabbed her. It was a very surreal moment of awesomeness tempered by ‘oh shit she sure is slippery.’

I did not drop the baby. My wife was helped into a better position as I placed our daughter into her arms. All just as the sun rose.

My wife was turned and sat against me as the midwife focused upon her craft. Once the placenta was out and the cord tying the two had ceased pumping the baby was blessed and anointed with water from the Well of Kildare with a bit of rose therein. Our Priestess-friend did this and severed the cord with a blessing slash prayer of welcoming, birth, and blessedness.

From then on the focus turned to checking the baby, cleaning my wife, cleaning the house, and rejoicing in one another. Interestingly it was at this point that I noticed that my white candle had burned all the way down, and someone else remarked that they noticed it had only slightly burned down at the point when my wife was getting out the tub. Yay for magick.Thus is the story of how my youngest daughter entered this wondrous world of ours.

Boidh Se!

-Spanish Moss

“Lost in a thicket bare-foot upon a thorned path.”

*My wife REALLY liked having hot towels draped over her shoulders. So it was ordained.