Maria's Second Freebirth in Finland

 I met the souls of my children a few years before I first became pregnant, so I knew it was Laila and Tulsi who would come through me into this world.  Both of my pregnancies have been totally wild, intuitive, and primal experiences. 

My first freebirth made me a mother bear, awakening the hibernating wisdom within me about the sacredness of motherhood.

My second birth led me to fully embrace the path of becoming a birthkeeper and guardian of sacred birth.  That birth is the one I am going to share with you today:

My son Tulsi was conceived on the feast day of Mary Magdalene with so much joy and love surrounding us.  That put his “due date” exactly on Easter, and yet, intuitively, I knew he would be born before then.  I knew his peaceful soul from day one.  

Weeks before my due date, I began preparing the birthing space and my birth altar, surrendering into the dreamy state of mind that leads into birth.   I drank a lot of cacao, prayed, and made long forest walks.  On the Resurrection day, I woke up feeling that the birth portal was opening, as soft and gentle waves rolled through my body. 

Right on time, I thought.  What a powerful birth date he chose!  I snuggled close to my husband and told him that today might be the birthday!  

I felt like I was opening, but it was all so gentle and I welcomed every wave with gratitude and a smile on my face.  I was so excited to meet my baby soon, and at the same time, I couldn’t believe it was actually happening.  I called my friend who I had asked to be at my birth, to care of my daughter. She arrived in the afternoon; we talked and danced together until I felt I needed to be alone and went up to take a nap in my room. 

After half an hour, I woke up, and things really started to move along fast. Birth had taken over me--I crawled on the floor and prayed for the Great Mother to help me through this. It was so intense and strong.  I kept moving my body and making sounds through it. Suddenly, I felt my body was pushing and I threw myself onto the floor. My 2.5 year old daughter was so tuned into the whole birth, and it was she announced that the baby would be born soon, in the water. 

I got into the birth pool and felt I was between worlds. My son was crowning and the sensations kept me grounded while I journeyed to the other side. I felt like everything was happening so fast, and I kept saying aloud,  ”Come peacefully, Come slowly.”  My daughter spent the whole time by my side, stroking my hand and saying, ”The baby will be born soon,” holding space in such a beautiful way. After a few moments in the pool, I changed positions intuitively, and he was born into my hands. 

I untangled the cord around his neck and lifted him on my breasts. He was quiet--still asleep.  No breath, no cries. I stroked him, welcoming him into this world, kissing him, and waiting for his first breath, which finally happened a few minutes after he was born.

 We got up from the pool, and he latched on my breast like a champ. He was perfect, the atmosphere was magical, and I was so high on birth. Our placenta was born 1.5 hours later, as I squatted above a bowl. We experienced a sacred postpartum, just laying on our bed for the days and weeks following birth. He was lotus-born, and it was truly magical to witness the connection between baby and placenta, and how the energy shifts as the cord detaches on its own time. 

Our son was born and made our family complete--at least for now!

-Maria