This last year has been very busy in the pregnancy department for many of my dear friends. First up today is Miss Pipers First Birthday!!! Happy First Birthday Missy Piper!!! Her mother, Leanne, and I were pregnant at the same time with our 2005 babies. Needless to say, with those babies only being 2.5, Miss Piper was a big surprise!!! I was Leanne's "Phone Doula" for most of her pregnancy, and the majority of her labor. Mom chose to have an unassisted birth (meaning, no midwife at her home) after careful research and consideration. She called me early in the evening to let me know she thought labor was beginning. I put my kids to bed, and then chatted with her on Yahoo IM for about an hour, then we moved to the phone. She was laboring very nicely, we were guessing she was around 3-4 maybe 5 cm most of the first 2 hours. Since her average labor is 4 hours long, we weren't expecting to go much longer. She let me go for a bit after washing her dishes. The contractions were abour 3 minutes apart, and she was having to pause at the peaks to breath a little. She called me back less than an hour later to announce the birth of Piper Serenity!! Born 16 minutes after midnight on April 22nd!! (I hopeI got that right!!!)
Another 2005 mama friend had a little boy, on St. Patrick's Day 2007, and another 4 hour labor! I believe, he was baby number 8 :D Welcomed into a very loving family!!
On July 17th, we welcomed a boy, the 2nd boy born to a friend in Guam! Another UC! Mom's labor was about 7-8 hours, and a beautiful boy name Kenneth John was born!
November 14th saw a new baby girl for my friend Carrie, a quick labor, and a good size baby! Mama's 2nd girl, daddy's first :D
November 25th or 26th a friend in Canada gave birth to her first son! Another UC, almost a water birth, but mom was so relaxed, she made herself get out so labor would keep going!!!
February 15th, my friend Amanda, announced that her water had broken with baby number 5! We waited on pins and needles to hear if she had a boy, or a girl!! And it was a girl! Born a few short hours later, at home in the water!!
On March 12th, another 5 time mama gave birth to her 5th. This time a boy! Another beautiful homebirth (waterbirth) for this mama.
March 22nd, my very very good friend Jill gave birth to another beautiful girl, after a 4 hour and 4 minute labor! And, yes you guessed, another home water birth!! She was about 2 lbs bigger than her sister! She was a long awaited arrival after over a year of trying, and many angels.
April 4th was the planned c/s for a good friend having her first baby girl! This beautiful little blessing is also her last baby. They're both extremely happy!
And now we get to the angels. There were too many. Several chemicals, blighted ovums, and miscarriages. Lovely women, with such tragic endings to much wanted pregnancies. Each mother deserving and loving the child growing with in her belly, only to have the hopes and dreams of new life taken from her, in such a painful way. Having been the victim of such loss, I know the heartache that comes with it. Every day I send my love to these friends. Most of whom, have gone on to give birth to healthy children. One of whom is still pregnant today, and officially in her 2nd trimester. The other. My dear friend, the reason for todays celebration of life, and wishes of love to the angels we have lost. She has just learned that her, very much wanted, slightly surprise, pregnancy and newest life, will not be ending the way she had hoped.
Today I remember, and celebrate those loved and lost. Today I hold friends even closer to my heart.
Know you are loved. Know you can always lean on me.
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