09/11/2025
Meet baby Olivia💜. Born 12 September. Marsha and Ruan 's second birth with Midwife by Nature. Olivia's brother, Elija, was the first baby born in this practice. How special is that!! Olivia was baby nr 156 ☺️
When clients return for a second time, I feel the pregnancy just flies by 😄. Probably because we know one another much better, we're comfortable with one another. Antenatal appointments are more like catch up sessions. I do the checks but we catch up on what's been happening in our lives and how the babies are doing.
Its also truly amazing how different each pregnancy and birth is.
“However much we know about birth in general, we know nothing about a particular birth. We must let it unfold with its own uniqueness.” ~ Elizabeth Noble
With Elija's birth, Marsha's water broke first. Her labour started off slowly and she birthed the next day. She actually hoped that it would happen in the same sequence, but things were very different.
This time Contractions started first. Labour started on the evening of 11 August at 7pm. It started with intense back pain. She timed it and the duration and frequently was still irregular so I advised her to get some rest and time again when it becomes ones more frequent. Just after 11pm the surges were much stronger, very intense, so they made their way to the birthing home.
On arrival at 23:55 she was 5cm dilated. Marsha got into a comfortable position on the bed. On her knees, kneeling against the birth ball. And she stayed in that position. Helen, their doula, arrived shortly after, and 45min after their arrival, Marsha felt the urge to push. While in that position she trusted her body to birth her baby. Hubby by her side, Helen capturing the birth and I knelt on the floor, next to the bed, awaiting their little girl's arrival.
An hour after they arrived, at 00:56, Olivia was born. Healthy baby weighing 4035g.
Every birth is a unique journey. Your birth might be very different to a previous birth. It won't be like your mother's, or your sister's or your best friends'. It will be unique to you and your baby💜
