My Second Birth: This Time at the Birth Center
My second birth story at the Frankfurt Birth Center.
Lias, born on March 1, 2018, at the Frankfurt Birth Center
A week before my due date, Aaron and I got sick. It was a severe flu with a fever, and we felt absolutely terrible. There I was, heavily pregnant, with a sick toddler by my side, just hoping my body would wait a little longer. To be honest, I was physically completely exhausted and in terrible shape. Aaron was already sleeping poorly anyway, and compared to my first pregnancy, I noticed a huge difference. With your first baby, you can rest and lie down whenever you need to, but with the second one, having a toddler at home, it is just incredibly difficult. I was at the end of my rope.
During this pregnancy, just like my others, I consciously chose to have fewer medical interventions and opted for prenatal care through the midwives at the birth center instead. In total, I only saw the OB-GYN two or three times, and I would always choose to do it that way again. The midwives really take their time. You sit in a cozy, living-room-like space where they genuinely care about you, ask how you’re doing, and offer plenty of great alternative tips. I had already gone to the birth center for my prenatal care during Aaron’s pregnancy, so I already knew most of the midwives.
One midwife, Lisa-Marie, was just being trained at the time. She came from a hospital background and was by my side for practically all of my check-ups. I really wished for her to be there for my birth as well.
The Night & The Commuter Traffic#
I woke up around 4:30 AM and noticed that my underwear was wet because my water had leaked a little. I lay back down, thinking I should rest and sleep. But I couldn’t really fall back asleep because the waves kept coming, one right after the other.
At 5:30 AM, I got up, went into the living room, and lit some candles. The waves were getting stronger and the intervals shorter. Shortly before 6:00 AM, I let Mirco know that Lias would be born today, and told him I would wake him when it was time to drive.
I called the birth center, and the midwife on the phone suggested I should come in around 9:00 AM. Then I called my mom and my mother-in-law, and both of them headed over. I got into the shower, but I could barely stand. I was groaning and breathing through it, but the shower didn’t really relax me. Then I woke Mirco up.
When the waves started coming every three minutes, a brief flash of panic hit me. How were we going to manage this? The midwives on the phone stayed completely calm and told us to pack Aaron up so the grandmas could just pick him up directly from us at the birth center. So off we went. Right at the exact moment we rushed out to the car, my mom pulled into the driveway, which was perfect timing.
The drive was incredibly intense. It was rush hour traffic on Friedberger Landstrasse, and everything was completely jammed. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much room for panic in my head. I wasn’t thinking much at all, just trying to somehow relax, let go, and breathe. I was completely in my hypnosis zone. When Mirco suddenly honked the horn out of nowhere, I immediately realized how much the noise and everything external was stressing me out. I snapped at him right then and there because that honking completely pulled me out of my hypnosis. I just needed absolute peace and quiet. I breathed, groaned, and held onto the dashboard and Mirco’s shirt with all my might, which, by the way, was completely stretched out and ruined afterward, lol.
At the Birth Center#
We arrived at 8:45 AM. The room was prepared, warm, and cozy. Lisa-Marie was on duty and guided Lias’s birth, and two more midwives joined later on. My friend Marie filmed the birth. This time, we had consciously asked her to be there with us.
I tried out several positions: kneeling, hanging from the rope, and finally the birth stool, holding onto the ropes and a cloth for support. Mirco was behind me, and I leaned on him. I tried to open up and focus on my affirmations, putting all my awareness directly into the pressure. I could feel how the sensation changed just through my focus. The more I resisted, the more painful it became. When I leaned into the feeling without fighting it, it became easier.
At 10:14 AM, Lias was born.
He immediately looked for the breast and latched on. That is classic Lias, as food is still incredibly important to him to this day. I was totally exhausted after those heavy weeks and the flu. Physically I felt completely empty, but at the same time, I was starving. Marie went to grab some food while Lias lay on my chest.
We left the birth center around 1:00 PM.
The First of March#
My brother was born on March 1, 1978. He passed away in a car accident in 1996.
The moment Lias was here, I just knew. He is connected to him. There are moments in life that you can’t really explain, and you don’t even have to. This was one of those moments.
If you are pregnant and want to prepare for a calm, conscious birth, I would love to support you in my 1:1 sessions for The Wisdom of Birthing, tailored entirely to you, your story and the birth experience you wish for.
And if you feel drawn to reconnect with the instinctive power of your body regardless of pregnancy, have a look at the Yoni Egg Initiation Course.