Roxy’s Birthday

ROXY’S BIRTHDAY - By Grandma Madeline

6am Daisy comes into living room of the unit an Old Hall where I am
sleeping, with 1st stage labour pains every 3 minutes.She has been awake
since 3.30am, and is cheerful and excited. We have a cup of tea, and I go
back to sleep. She goes for a walk with Jessie at 8am while I get up.

When she gets back we put on the Tens machine and she calls Sue Fisher
(the midwife).
Around 10am Sue arrives and examines Daisy, rather painful, only one
centimetre dilated. She says she will come back later.

Daisy, Jessie and I go for another walk down the cow path, take a few
photos. Pains are regular and manageable. Back in the unit Chris is doing
his tax returns, a nice fire going, very peaceful. I begin reading a
wonderful book, The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. Daisy goes into her bedroom
to rest and breathe. We have quiet time, while Daisy seems very focused and
calm. Candles are lit and oils burning. She takes off the machine saying
she can’t sense what is happening with it on.

Intensity build around 4pm. Daisy says she wants Khal to be there, but
suddenly the unit fills up with young women - Jessie, Joy, Natalie, who is
like a rock of strength and earthiness.

Sue Fisher returns, but Daisy doesn’t want to be examined again. We all
think she has a long way to go because she is coping so well, despite
frequent strong contractions of one and a half minutes duration. Sue says
she will go home to change and eat and will come back in 2 hours unless we
call her.

Lois comes in and does a Reiki session while Daisy sits in a chair, the
whole room feels wonderfully calm and almost holy, with the candles and
oils (Lavender, Jasmine, Clary Sage) burning, all of us peaceful and
supporting the process. I begin to trance out and meditate.

6.30pm Sue returns and strongly urges another examination to see how far
we have to go. A whoop from the bedroom, Daisy is 9 centimetres dilated! We
are all amazed, and quickly prepare the living room with sheets, old
quilts, plastic, towels etc. Sue phones Jean, the other midwife, who
arrives very soon. Sue tells Daisy to push if she wants to. She kneels on
the floor with her arms and head on the sofa ready to deliver, Sue tells
her to get her knickers off!

I leave them to it, Daisy looks at me and says she is scared. I say she
will be fine and go because she wants to be just with the midwives.

I have a drink with Chris and Richard, they talk about nothing and I am too
excited and tense to be with them, Juliet phones on my mobile so I give her
an update. I go to the kitchen to wait, first listening at the door to
hear Jean saying “push hard” to Daisy.

8.40pm Heather tells me she heard a baby’s cry, so I race up to the unit.
Daisy is sitting on the floor with a sheet around her, looking shocked. She
looks at me and says “It’s a little girl”. I am so relieved and happy, and
am handed the baby wrapped in a green towel, her hair all matted, so
peaceful and whole. Much fairer than I expected, and with a black bottom!
Big feet and ears, long fingers.

Sue and Jean are ecstatic about the birth, The baby is born with the bag,
the caul is over her face, the waters breaking as she comes out. I am so in
awe of my wonderful daughter, and my beautiful grand-daughter, so entirely
perfect. We witness the afterbirth coming out, huge like a big piece of
liver, into a kidney dish. Jean washes the baby and weighs her. 9lbs 4ozs!
We dress her in vest and nightie and she is wrapped in a blanket.
Daisy is exhausted and exalted.

This day has been an amazing experience for me, I am so proud of Daisy and
the way she has been today, so calm, powerful and centred. I am so grateful
to Debra for giving her such a good grounding and training, and to the
people in the community who have supported us all, with interest and
concern. I have felt the holding very strongly.

During the night we wake and have a cup of tea, we are both so excited,
the baby so new and wonderful.

Next day Khal comes and it is OK. He brings bags of tropical fruit. I go
with Natalie to bury the afterbirth under a tree in the sauna patch, a
large evergreen. We say prayers and call on the 4 directions to bring gifts
and joys and to protect the baby girl. She can always find herself and her
centre under this tree in the future.