Baby Sebastian

Priscilla’s second chance at Motherhood

Here we have Moise (Father), Gio (Brother) & Priscilla (Mother)

With such a crazy and uncertain year, the certainty and excitement of bringing baby Sebastian in together remains the same.  With all the chaos from the Corona Virus from many losing so much this family has gained a sweet baby boy.  Let’s dig a little deeper into the journey of this little one joining us here today, but before we do let’s take a look at some more images.

 

There is no greater love than the foundation of Family.

 

When I asked Priscilla what does Pregnancy and Motherhood mean to you? Here is what she had to say….

Pregnancy has its highs and lows. On one hand, you’re growing a human and at that moment is the most important thing in your life and you want nothing more than to stay healthy and protect your baby and on the other hand, you physically feel awful and life hits you with some uncertainties. I’m not a huge fan of pregnancy because of the way it made me feel physically. Sex during pregnancy is AMAZING! Motherhood is one of the toughest jobs. You only want what’s best for your child(ren) and you stop at nothing to make sure that happens which can be exhausting but is always worth it. I became a mother at 21 years old and I sort of grew up with my first son, so we have a special relationship and bond that I will always try to maintain. Motherhood has made me go to great lengths to change the cycle of the generations before me and I do unapologetically.

As Priscilla’s Doula all I wanted to do was to be there during one of the most magical times of her life. I realized the importance of being there for women during my time of my Uterine fibroid Diagnosis.  During that time despite having a wonderful support system emotionally, they couldn’t understand what I was experiencing internally especially with being told “You may have trouble with conceiving” it was an experience that reminded me how I never wanted women to feel alone during their time of preparing for Motherhood and the ugliness that sometimes comes with it, which made me interested in Birth Work.

 Moise messaged me at about 7:45 pm that Priscilla’s water broke.  At that moment I was anxious and nervous because I was unsure of what to expect.  Should I wait? Should I leave now? But it could take anywhere between 10 hours or even more before beginning active labor.  I made a call to another Doula to seek some direction she told me to rest because it may be a long night.  As hard as it was to sleep I was able to get a few hours in before I got a message from Hubby saying I think it is time.  That was around 1:30amish I was at her house by 2:37 am.

 

 

The midwife’s assistant and I stayed outside as we heard the baby coming and didn’t want to interrupt the baby’s transition. Baby Sebastian was born at 2:38 pm.   I quickly noticed upon arrival that Priscilla had more than enough help beginning with her Mother, Son, and Husband.  They were all so attentive to her needs and the echoes of her body.   I believe all of us underestimated how fast things would take place.  Still, I was grateful to be in her presence during this time.  The midwife described how rhythmic she was with her birthing process.

Thankfully she decided to go with a Water Birth I say this because selfishly I wanted to live through her.   I have come to realize Mothers who make the decision of having a water birth are calmer, relaxed, and even more Intune with their bodies and everything taking place.   Overall, it just seems like a more inviting experience for other Mothers to endure.

 

 

Once stepping foot into the birthing area, which was on the side of the kitchen area with the pool in the middle and a small bed for comfort on the side is where Priscilla was lying with her sweet baby boy.  At this point, she was in phase 3 getting ready for the afterbirth.  The midwife waited about 10-15 minutes after and slightly pressed on her abdominal area which looked discomforting as expected which still seemed to be a smooth process.

When the afterbirth came out it had what appeared to be another sac as if there was a twin.  It was very unusual yet fascinating to see as mentioned by the midwife.  The midwife decided that she would watch to see if there was any further action to take place, but it looked fine with no signs of infection especially with Priscilla doing a lotus birth.  A lotus birth is like caring for another child you have to be gentle with it and cleanse and do a herbal bath if you desire.  The assistant did this while the midwife and I assisted Priscilla with making sure she was hydrated and nourished with something to eat even if that meant small bites. Afterward, we took her upstairs to shower and I could feel the level of exhaustion she was carrying, and I couldn’t imagine her doing this without any support.  The midwife helped her shower and I helped her with the undergarments needed and etc.  Anything she needed I either was there or tried to stay out the way.  During this entire process I learned how modest Priscilla was throughout the entire process, but I mean it is a lot to have someone in such a sacred time of your life.  The most important part is that baby Sebastian seemed to be doing well his temperature was a little low, but we focused on warming him up which seemed to slowly but surely increase.  He latched pretty well within the first hour which was pretty impressive just reminds you how smart and intuitive babies are.  There was a little friction here and there, but both mommy and baby were adjusting.

Baby Sebastian was 6lbs and 1oz.

 

A beautiful healthy boy born into a healthy and loving family.

 

 

Working with Priscilla as her Doula I realized how unconventional yet traditional she is as a Mother.  She didn’t move how society expected she followed her heart and what she desired for her second birthing experience.  Some of her unusual ways included a Lotus birth (which is a hard No in hospitals), along with elimination communication w/ cloth diapering assisting with early potty training. This is usually when people give you a weird stare, but every journey is different.  You can take what you want from those who feel the need to share advice, but at the end of the day, it is your child.  Priscilla has a great understanding of this and it was an honor to witness her journey.