Congrats to parents, Carolyn and Ben Marcus, and to sister's Aeden and Naomi! Elijah was born in the comfort of his own home on Friday afternoon. He is a very sweet baby:)
Here is what Carolyn had to say:
Like every birth, Elijah’s birth was a true miracle. It was also a reminder that everyone is unique, as is their entrance into the world. Already being a mother of two and having had wonderful home births with them, I hadn’t given much forethought to how my labor and delivery with this third one would be. I just assumed it would be similar, but just faster. And while that was the case, there were definite differences. I’ve realized that it’s those differences that allow Elijah to have his own birth story.
Because this was my third child, I was pretty confident in my ability to birth a baby. However, as labor progressed into a very difficult stage, I was immediately brought back to that feeling that I had with both my first and second labors – that feeling of complete incapability. In the moment, that feeling was frustrating and even scary. Now, as I look back and reflect, I accept it as an incredibly humbling experience and a very real reminder that, ultimately, despite any physical and mental strength of my own, I am not the one in control.
I will be forever grateful for both of my midwives - Audra and Tara. I feel that being a midwife – and especially a home birth midwife – is a balancing act. It seems that a midwife must balance her belief that birth is a completely natural process with her responsibility of being the medical caregiver of a woman and her child. Both Audra and Tara balanced the roles perfectly. They let me labor in whatever position that my body was up for, and were incredibly encouraging throughout it. However, when it became apparent that little Eli would need some help to enter this world safely, they were quick to help make that happen, while at the same time respecting my body and reassuring my mind. This type of care continued immediately after the birth as they had to focus more on me and my body losing more blood than desired. Looking back, I am amazed at their ability to remain calm in moments that were certainly stressful.
Their amazing care throughout pregnancy, labor and delivery only continues during the post partum period. I have no doubt that they genuinely care for me, my son, and our whole family. It’s that personal care that makes them more than just the people who helped me deliver my child. They were the first people to ensure that Elijah’s first experience of the world was a positive one. And while he was only able to respond to the whole ordeal with some rather deafening screams, I’m pretty sure that one day those screams will become words of gratitude.
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