Childbirth Ecstasy

 

When most people hear the word "childbirth," images of pain and suffering instantly spring to mind. Yet there is another side of childbirth that is rarely talked about. For a growing number of women, childbirth is indeed a peak emotional, physical and spiritual experience. These women have gone beyond their fear and discovered the ecstasy of birth.

"There was little talk. Amanda said nothing and made little noise. She pushed her baby out on hands and knees and then kneeled over her. She was somewhere else. We were all commenting on the baby, but she was not looking at her infant. Her body was in a pose of ecstasy. When spoken to, she did not respond. For a moment I was frightened that she might not come back from wherever she was. Then she looked down at her infant and slowly came back into her body...."
-From Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, by Christiane Northrup

"Few experiences have come close to the elation I felt after giving birth to our two children. The strength I have always felt as a woman was suddenly redefined as Johnny gently placed his hands underneath Ella's arms and I put my hands on top of his. As we had done with Jett, we guided our new baby into the world. Our lives have been forever changed by these two beautiful children."
-Kelly Preston Travolta, in the book The Glow: A Journey to Motherhood by Danica Perez

"I found myself in a state neither of this world, nor quite out of it. I was aware of my physical presence. I could see it and yet not feel it....Her head came forth, and I stopped pushing. Totally consumed in a feeling that can only be described in human terms as 'awe' overtook. Time stood still as I stared at this miracle, watching my baby girl emerge from my body....Someone voiced 'push' and I 'came back' and expelled the rest of her tiny body."
-From Faith Babies, Padanaram Press

"I return to the bathtub and straddle it. I am not pushing. This baby is coming out on her own. I look down and see a face covered by a thin film. The baby is still in the water bag. It breaks as she slides into my hands. She looks into my eyes as her body emerges. I am elated. There is no one else in the world - only she and I. She is the most beautiful gift I have ever received. I hold her close and cry. I have climbed the mountain. I have reached the top and been rewarded beyond my wildest dreams! Suddenly I'm exhausted. I lay down on the couch and begin to hear strange, lovely sounds - ocean waves gently crashing on the shore, and wind chimes - but we are a thousand miles from the sea and there is no wind today. I am in ecstasy."
-From Joy's Birth Story by Laura Shanley

"We had set up the birthing pool in front of the fireplace and it was heavenly sliding into the warm, deep water in the dark, firelit room. I still shudder as I think of how I reached in myself and felt her head; no mirrors, no one else seeing, only absolute connection, only me; and how, as I floated, suspended in the birthing water, I pushed Eva out into the same dark water, like we were both being born. We watched her, still underwater, floating arms outstretched, looking up at us, her body glowing with an unearthly light. Peter was kneeling on the floor at the side of the pool, and I slowly brought our baby's face to the surface. It was the holiest moment of our lives. She breathed effortlessly and without a sound."
-From Finding Truth, by Corey Alicks

"I felt the soft wrinkled scalp of the baby up four or five inches inside of me. 'Jim, support the baby's head!' I repeated, unable to think beyond that and the ecstasy of imminent birth. 'Oh wow! Oh wow!' I heard my beloved say. I wish I could record the joy in his voice for all time. 'The head is out.....the baby's out!' he said breathlessly. 'Oh, thank God our baby's here,' I said. We were transported to what must surely be the limits of earthly happiness. 'This is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me in my life!' I heard Jim say. The precious baby cried loudly the moment she was born."
-From "Aurelia - Wet, Warm, and Incredibly Delicate," by Beth Hunt, New Nativity

"I remember so clearly looking through my legs to see my daughter suspended from my body, halfway in and out, already making Ruth noises. I reached down to lift Ruth to my breast. Oh, the joy! Words cannot express my feelings at that moment. I laughed and cried. Is this not a foretaste of heaven? The struggle of our lives here will be released into the ecstacy of love completely experienced, held close."
-From "Ruth Erin Johnson," by Anne Johnson, New Nativity

"Now, pregnant with my seventh, I dream of the birth that is coming - I dream of my Bill between my legs, kissing our emergent baby as she feels the cool breath of new life on her damp, sweet brow. He will hold her as my body pushes her out of me; love her as I become a fresh new mother again...I will lie back to rest, and he will put her on my belly, and I will cover her with my soft cries and tears of salt, tears of sea....our fluids of birth will be the baptism of life, the elixir of love...our birth will be the giving of beauty, the rebirth of bliss....I am born new as woman, he is born new as man... in our ecstasy we are born together as lovers, as parents, as children of time..."
-From "Fathers Born in Love, Born in Freedom," by Leilah McCracken

"Daylight was breaking. As the dim room began to fill with morning light, we both felt we could sense the child's coming presence....The universe had become the sensation of one big push. The child was inches away from joining us in this world. My heart was pounding. My husband looked electrified....

Without waiting for another contraction, I gave another push, and then whoosh! Our son was in his father's arms, swirling and shining, his rainbow body glowing pink and gray, purple and blue...My husband's priceless, passionate words, 'Oh God, it's a baby!' And mine, 'A boy!' I leaned back in ecstasy. He had made it to us! He was here! Alive, beautiful, perfect! We looked at each other, unbelieving. We were shaken by the miracle, we had been rocketed together into an ecstatic awareness of God's presence and proof was right here between us: this new being, our son....

I sank back into the pillows, holding his damp little body, feeling totally relaxed and relieved, yet still elated and amazed. I felt like I could have sat there forever....I stared into the fresh little eyes and felt a sudden, strong and deep-seated sense of wonder - for somehow I deeply felt an inexplicable recognition for the child. I felt like I could see an infinite chain of ancestors behind those eyes, and he was the newest link and was right in his place. I recognized him as being just the one I was waiting for, as if I had seen him before and had known him all along. 'Oh, of course....it's you!'"
-From "Brad's Birthday," by Sandy Griffin, in the book Birth and the Dialogue of Love, by Marilyn Moran

"With one push, the baby's head came through the cervix, with the second push, the bag of waters broke. With two more pushes, the baby gently floated into the warm water of the jacuzzi. I reached down, picked her up out of the water, and leaned back to hold her against my chest and savor the incredible experience. Within the space of a few seconds, I was holding my beautiful baby in my arms before my mom and husband had even realized she was born. What relief. What incredible tranquility and peace I felt at that moment. It was over, and yet it was just beginning. The love I felt for my mom and husband was as unmistakable as the wonder they felt from being part of the experience."
-From "Birth without Fear: A Private Home Water Birth," by Marnie Ko (Nurturing, Summer 1998)

"His shoulders delivered into my hands. At the same time that his upper torso was twisting and birthing, I went into Vision: I saw myself as a mother fox giving birth to several pups in a warm, foresty den. I saw the trees and then the vastness of the wilderness; the vastness of the universe. I became one with all - especially animals and humans, through the common experience of birthing. I finally experienced the blissful feeling of what I had heard described as 'oneness' - an explosion of pure love throughout my being. This only lasted a few seconds, but I experience that sacred feeling again every time I recall the vision."
-From Having a Baby 'On the Way!' by Laura Joy Francis

"There were just the two of us. I stoked the fire, then sat behind Sam so she could rest on me between contractions. I have never felt closer to a human being in my life....I busied myself keeping the fire going, which provided not only enough heat, but also reasonable light. I washed her, oiled her and got the necessary things together. I was able to give her a progress account as Birdie began to come into the world....

I was protecting his head from the heat of the fire, when he slipped into my hands. His fingers unfurled from his chest like young ferns....For about five minutes he remained half born, then with a whoosh, he arrived completely into the world. When we figured out how to get Birdie to Sam's arms, without too many gymnastics, we just hugged and cried together. I then tried to cover her with warm blankets as she was shaking with effort and feeling cold. She was also hungry. I went to get tea and oatmeal from the house....The full moon was still in the sky. I have never seen such a beautiful morning. I walked back to the house to tell the family the news as the sun rose, flooding the hills with rich amber light beneath the setting full moon. The world was glowing."
-From A Grandmother's Story, by Helen Tory

"Shortly before the baby's head came down, I was amazed to find my contractions stop completely. My whole body, from the tip of my head to my toes, was tingling like "pins and needles," numb as if I could feel nothing. I felt like I was soaring above, high...sailing in the wind for what seemed like a few minutes. For that short time, I felt like neither male nor female, not even pregnant. Actually it is indescribable to this day, but it was wonderful. Then I felt the baby's head come down with one push, and it was out with two more. I mean I never felt better in my whole life. I wanted to get up and run around the room."
-From Faith Babies, Padanaram Press

"How can I even begin to describe my home birth experience? Of course it was the comfort of husband and home, freedom from harmful medical intervention, joyful, painless labour and the sheer ecstasy of birthing my child into my own hands. But it was so much more than that. It was the most profound spiritual connection I have ever made. It was reaching into the deepest part of my being and finding my soul power, it was choosing faith over fear, it was truly listening to an inner voice that said, "Follow the light!" I followed and I found a miracle. I found my infinite, loving source and I found my precious Luca. She was the light that I followed. I believe that Luca chose this wonderful birth experience and guided me in my decision. Our babies are Divine and infinitely intelligent. I pray that we can help them maintain their Divine connection, and I thank Luca for helping me find mine."
-From "Journey to Divine Childbirth - The Birth Of Luca," by Samantha Woods

"In order to use our inborn knowledge of birth, or let it work, some special conditions are needed: intimacy, safety, closeness, feelings of being loved and admired, commitment, concentration and undivided attention, undisturbed peace and deep relaxation of mind and body. I personally could find those conditions only at home and with my husband. I've experienced five times that only with him - without any witnesses - and I was able to surrender and attune intuitively to my female energy - the same one that was uniting me with my husband during the conception of our children. Both processes had the same nature: opening, releasing, giving and forgiving...all we had to do was just simply relax and play, allowing Divine Action to take place in its own Order which is beyond our human comprehension. All attempts to control only complicate and disturb. So it wasn't by accident that five times the tears of ecstasy were rolling down my face when in the quietness of Spirit my baby had come out of me - out of us - out of love..."
-From "Out of Love," by Grace Grazyna Karubin, in the book Unassisted Childbirth, by Laura Kaplan Shanley

"As soon as I got to the bedroom, I pulled my perineum to the side and out slipped her head. She made the sweetest little noise and started to breathe. She was so perfect and beautiful. She looked like a little Dresden doll. And then the most amazing thing happened. Her whole body just turned inside me, as if a hand - an angel's hand -had reached inside me and turned her body into the perfect position to be born. Who is turning her? I thought, how is this happening? It was a miracle. And then as I was standing there, she delivered her own little arm and hand and the rest of her tiny body slipped into my hands. There she was!"
-From The Gentle Birth of Bethany, by Kristen Maaherra

"I woke up at about 1:15 a.m. and had a rush of tingling all over my body, then the shakes, followed by about 10 contractions and she slid out into my hands before I had a chance to even call anyone. It was fantastic! I had never turned on a single light in the house. She was born into perfect darkness and we didn't turn on a light until at least one hour after her birth. I did not look for her sex for that long either. I just rested with her in my arms saying, 'thank you, thank you, thank you,' and 'I love you baby.' She nursed beautifully in the darkness."
-From Peaceful Surrender, by Stacy

"Both with my hand and my body I felt my baby being born and knew Coff would catch her. I looked down and Coff really did have her and she was a she - my first words being, 'You really are a girl. I knew you would be.' She was perfect. There was not a drop of blood on her, the waters breaking as she was born. She was smiling, yes really smiling, she didn't cry, and was just rapt to be born. Coff and I glowed and so did our baby. We had given our baby the best birth possible and we shared the best birth we could have had. My love for Coff is limitless."
-From "Sharing the Best Birth," by Blat Goulder, in the book Pleasurable Husband/Wife Childbirth, by Marilyn Moran

"Pam was in transition and I began to feel very 'high.' It was more intense than anything I've ever imagined possible. It was as though I was now on a different plane of awareness. As soon as I caught him, it was as if we were one person. I thought that I was feeling what he was feeling. We were communicating on a telepathic and empathetic plane. All we had to do was look into each others' eyes and no words were necessary. He appeared to be able to understand me, and I knew he could. The strong telepathy lasted for several weeks, and is still somewhat present even now, and he is five years old. Jesse and I have always had a very special awareness. For many months he would sleep his best when he was tucked under my arm. He could even let me know he needed me when I was asleep. I never knew how close a parent and child could be. I never knew people could be so close. It's wonderful! I have an awareness, many awarenesses, now that I did not have before. I feel more empathetic responses; I feel much more spiritually whole."
-Richard Myers, in the book In the Newborn Year: Our Changing Awareness After Childbirth, by Elizabeth Brutto Hallett

"I was surprised and thrilled to see the baby's head crowning. I told Moonshadow that I saw the head and she said, 'This baby is ready to come out. It wants out,' and the next moment the baby's head was out. Not more than one minute later, Moonshadow helped with a little push and the rest of the baby came out into my hands. I will never be able to describe the feeling that I experienced as I moved the baby onto my wife's stomach. We were both laughing and crying at the same time. I was so excited that I had wrapped the baby up and had not even noted what sex it was. I peaked under the blanket and laughed and cried. 'We have another girl.' Our second. Nothing I had ever experienced before, or shall after, will match that feeling that night."
-From "The Best Way to Have a Baby," by Aragyn Lutz, in the book Unassisted Childbirth, by Laura Kaplan Shanley

"After four hours of labor, Lilana finally slid out to my waiting hands. She was delivered to her waist, and as she paused, she wrapped her little hand around one of my fingers and held on tight, forming at that moment a bond of mutual admiration and love that will endure 'til I die. Moments later she was all the way out and announced her arrival with a robust, housewarming cry. What a joy! We had partnered with God a beautiful child....For months afterward we were in a state of exultation and euphoria. This tremendous birthing experience developed a great momentum for bonding, nurturing and loving and was the high point of my life."
-From "A Bond of Admiration and Love," by Carl Norgauer, in the book Unassisted Childbirth, by Laura Kaplan Shanley

"There would be no war if every man received his son onto this planet in this way and had known his wife in this act of ecstasy."
-From Childbirth is Ecstasy, by Allen Cohen

 

 

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The photo of Lauren Stranahan (copyright Lee Stranahan) was taken from the video A Clear Road to Birth. Photo of Summer copyright Lisa Cape.