Calliope's Birth Story

Most midwives require that for each child who is present for the birth, there should be a care-person for him/her, someone other than his/her parents. Because it was a priority to have Manny, Benici and Clara present, I thought carefully about who I wanted to be their support-people. I asked my two yoga teachers, one who was with me through Clara's pregnancy as well as Calliope's and one whom I have trusted with a lot of my pregnancy questions-- with both I would say, I have done a lot of "body work." What I mean is, I trust their care like a clinician and find that after practicing yoga with them through Cloe's pregnancy, I really had little or no reservations about moaning or hip-circling in their presence. (This is a very important thing for a birthing mama. If you don't feel comfortable with someone seeing you vulnerable, you aren't going to birth well in their presence.)

And also, I invited someone who I consider to be a great friend to my kids. She came up to me just after Clara was born and said, "I had a great conversation with Manny on the swing today. He's a bit low-energy but it seems like he's really transitioning well with his new sister." It is hard to tell if I like her more than Clara does because we have equally meaningful interactions with her. In other words, I love the way she enjoys my kids and I knew if they found themselves in her arms to witness their new baby's birth, they would be delighted.

All this to say that I have three amazing accounts of Calliope's birth, which these women have given me. I tried to excerpt them for my blog but I feel like some kind of editor, and I don't want to mess with them. So, what I'll do is email them in their totality to whomever asks.