


Insaaf
I found out I was expecting on the 25th of June 2021 and I immediately knew I wanted a home/water birth, so I was on a mission to find the perfect midwife. After 5 months of searching, I started getting anxious as my due date was approaching fast but no midwife or private facility could give me what I needed. I prayed and prayed something would pop up and out of no where, on one of the doula groups I’m apart of, someone posted about a new midwife in town. My prayers were finally answered above and beyond what I asked for, not only did I gain an amazing midwife but we became like family. Sr Crystal and Jeremy stole our hearts from the day we met. Our 1st antenatal visit (which usually takes about 1 hour) lasted 3 hours of pure laughter and conversations like we just met up with family and it’s been like that every time we were scheduled for an appointment, Sr Crystal and I would go to my room and she would work her magic so professionally and when we were done, we would go to my living room and chat over tea and snacks and it would always be impossible to say goodbye. My birth would not have been complete without uncle Jay and aunty Crystal, they were honestly Godsent.
Since the 9th of Feb 2022 (my estimated due date) Keiyuran (my partner) and I have been anxiously waiting for our baby, it was the longest 2 weeks of our lives. We tried almost everything to bring on labor but our baby decided on her own birthday.
Finally, on the 25.02.2022 on that beautiful Friday morning @8am I woke up with very mild pains, at that point I thought it was NOT the beginning of labour so I decided to have my usual morning coffee and go back to sleep, little did I know that was the last time I would have a full 9-hour sleep. Going back to sleep was not on the agenda for me, the pain started to get intense, Keiyuran kept calm and got the birth pool ready (to be honest the pool was blown up about 2 weeks prior 😂and the candles have been placed all around the living room for 2 weeks. All he needed to do was fill the pool with water – thats how prepared he was for our big day, he honestly was a rockstar!!!).
As the pains were intensifying, I decided to slap on some make-up and brush my hair as quickly as I could – ironically, I don’t remember finishing my make up or my hair😂.
Keiyuran was just silently filming every moment, every now and then I would get annoyed with him and his camera, but thank goodness for him pushing through, those memories we will keep forever.
I decided not to message Sr Crystal yet as we were scheduled anyway for an appointment later that day at @12pm. At this point 4 hours have passed and the pains were getting intense. I had to stop and breathe through each one and eventually it clicked, I WAS IN LABOUR and this was what they call CONTRACTIONS!! Sr Crystal came at @12pm to what they thought was going to be a normal antenatal visit but, to Sr Crystal’s surprise, she came to meet me on the toilet in full blown labour.
She looked at me and gently rubbed my face, didn’t say a word and just gave me a smile, immediately I knew today was the day that I meet my little one. We left to the room and I was already 7cm dilated! She went ahead and broke my waters, I’ve never seen so much fluid flow from a person before, it was amazing to see and experience. She then gently guided me to the birth pool, I’ve never appreciated warm water the way I did that day.
Shortly thereafter, my beautiful doula Corni arrived very silently she entered, then my mom arrived too, just silent in one corner of the room while I was in my birth zone. Every now and then either Keiyuran, my midwife, my mom or my doula would come and comfort me, at one point everyone just sat around the pool in utter silence while the gospel music was playing in the background, oh it was so supernatural.
I planned a water birth from the time I found out I was expecting, I laboured most of the time in the warm water but my body did not want me sitting or staying in one position for too long, so I listened to what my body and my baby wanted and I freely moved around my house and my birth team followed me so gently and quietly wherever I wandered. I remember being in the birth pool and I could see the toilet from where I was, and instinctively I knew that’s where I needed to be.
Eventually I wanted some alone time in the bathroom – my doula said I spent about 40 min in the bathroom alone and that’s when the magic between me and my baby started happening. Sr Crystal would quietly come into my space, just to check and guide me and then leave me to be alone again. My mom popped in too, silently worried about me trying not to show it.
About an hour later I was ready to breathe my baby out, struggling to find the perfect position to do so after using Keiyuran as a pillow (poor guy said he felt like he was in a wrestling match) I finally figured it out, one foot grounded and one foot on top of the toilet seat and just like that my baby’s head made an appearance, with encouragement all around the room (the toilet to be specific) to keep going, knowing that I’ll meet my baby very soon, I calmly waited for my baby to push herself out and within a few seconds my baby was placed on my chest at 16:46, Sr Crystal then announced ITS A GIRL!!!!and we all were over joyed. (Keiyuran and myself the most because we only had a name for a girl and prayed for a little girl from the time we found out I was expecting).
I immediately got into bed with my little one while Sr Crystal did what she had to do and my doula supporting me the best way she could, it was pure bliss being in the comfort of my own home, with my partner being able to experience it all with me hand in hand.
When everything settled, I was in bed with my little Khloé on my chest.
A month later and I’m still on a birth high ❤️❤️
My home birth was nothing short of perfect ❤️