div id="article" February 1,2004, my beloved husband, Ray, takes my
children to church to allow me some much needed alone time. I curled up
in a lazboy type of rocking chair I inherited from my grandmother. The
nearby woodstove warmed my pregnant body as I contemplated the amazing
miracle of pregnancy and birth.

I began maternity leave 6 days previous, and the same day I injured my
back. I was concerned about the effects of a chiropractic adjustment on
my ready to birth body, so I opted to endure the back problem until I
was either not pregnant, or until it went away. My mother in law had a
chiropractic adjustment when she was far along in her first pregnancy,
and the baby went from head down to butt down and was born breech. So I
figured I better be safe



.

This pregnancy was incredible! The very first week I perceived
something happening to me. I was a bit concerned that either I was
experiencing problems with my reproductive system, or I was pregnant,
both were unpleasant thoughts to me and my husband, Ray. I took a
pregnancy test, which gave me a negative reading. OK, so if I am not
pregnant, What Is Happening?

The next week I took another test. Negative again. I decided I would
wait to see if my cycle would begin. If it did not, I would test again.

My expected day of menses came and went. I took another test and this time it was positive.

PHEW! At least I am not sick

Ray and I did not know how to handle the news at first. I took a
picture of the test and sent it to my friends to announce the reading.
They were an encouragement to me, and I will not forget their support
while I was so confused on becoming a mother of 7.

I usually do not chart my cycles, moods, or sex life, but in the month
of April and May I began doing that. Some of my girlfriends were
convinced that the planets, moon and signs of nature effect our moods,
especially PMS.

So I decided to test their theories. Of course, it did not last long,
but because I did happen to chart EVERYTHING, I knew exactly when I
conceived.

The night I conceived I did not sleep well and was up most of the night.

The next day we went out of town to help some friends work in their
community garden. Ray was going to their property to help them lay a
foundation for the earthship dwelling they are building, while I
planted potatoes and corn.

I was sick that day. Late in the day I actually had to sleep. AMAZING!

My body was changing rapidly to maintain and grow a baby, and all I understood at the time was that I didn’t feel real good.



Once it was determined that I was pregnant, I made the decision to be
nutritionally and herbally dependant for my health and my baby. I did
not wat to take prenatal vitamins that made me quite sick usually. So
herbal infusions were a staple daily for awhile as well as leafy
greens, carrots and celery.

Ray and I would go to some of our favorite restaraunts on our date
nights, and I would come back sick and could not hold down my food. It
was a lesson to me on how unhealthy those favorite foods are. Lots of
fats I discovered.I did not realize just how greasy some of our
favorite foods were until this pregnancy.

I have decided not to frequent those establishments. The only
restaurant that never effected me was Thai food. So that has become our
date night hang out most of the time.



Up to this point I had been working very long days managing soap orders
for the holidays. Sometimes 16 hours a day. My health has been strong,
energy levels good, the baby is strong. My blood pressure has always
been very good during this pregnancy and weight gain relatively low for
someone that gains 50 pounds usually. In total I gained 30 pounds.





This is my 7th birth, and the 4th one in my own home delivered by me. I
love to birth at home. It is more manageable for me and quite a sacred
event as well.



My confidence has been in the keen awareness of my body and the
traditional education I have in herbalism and midwifery. And also in
God and the ability women have to birth. It is a beautiful and powerful
gift to bring forth new life!



I began to rub my large, ripe belly and tried to connect with my baby
within. Fear and anxiety had been trying to bother me recently.

When I have birthed at home previously, I didn't tell anyone, however
this time, many people knew. I began to feel great pressure.

I also felt as though a challenge was ahead for me. Over and over I
would rehearse what I would do in certain common situations that come
up in childbirth I had a birth basket full of herbs to help with some
situations and instructions to use them for my husband.

I also spent the last couple weeks discussing things with Ray, such as cord prolapse or the cord being wrapped around the neck.

We had a plan well laid out in case our baby was born and would not
breathe. We were well aware that a 9 1 1 call would get help here
within 10 minutes, and if all went well they could be here in 3 minutes
since they are at the bottom of the hill we live off of..

I cried out this day for strength, and for God to comfort me and guide me.

While rubbing my ripe belly I began to sense a female presense within
my womb. Of course this is what we were hoping for and there was a 50
percent chance I was wrong. Also the name Olivia Grace continued to go
through my mind so I researched the name and discovered that Olivia
means peace or olive branch in Latin and old Roman it means LIFE. And
Grace kept speaking to me that the Grace of the Creator would bless me
with a daughter and that her life would be given by Gods Grace.

It was beautiful, but I really wanted to name my child after a healing
herb or a great mountain so I was trying to avoid the name, but it
continued to pop into my mind.

When my family arrived home, I shared my experience with my husband and
we were both really hoping that we indeed had a daughter, but would
love a son too if that was our gift.



My due date came and went. I did enjoy my herbal tea and drank 2 quarts
a day. I also put up several trays of pregnancy herbal tea ice cubes to
enjoy during labor. I took naps daily the past 2 weeks just in case my
labor did start. On February 10, 8 days after my due date, I could not
take any more being cooped up in the house. I asked Ray to take me for
the 1.8 mile walk around the lake here in Bella Vista. We usually could
walk it in 30-45 minutes depending on how many times we would stop to
look at the geese or stop to smooch. We ventured off slowly around this
lake. It hurt to walk, but I was determined to get around the lake no
matter how bad my back hurt. We were blessed with the sundown colors of
purple, pink and orange hues beyond the barren oak trees upon the Ozark
hills. There was a chill in the air and our noses were red, but we made
it around the lake in an hour and a half. My soul was nourished with
the fresh air and beauty of nature.

I went to bed that night very content.

5 a.m. the next morning I was awakened by the usual potty run. When
arriving back into bed next to my husbands comforting presence,
contractions began.