Hi dear Auður and yoga sisters!
Thank you for these past months and all the wonderful moments together.
When my husband and I found out we were expecting our second baby, I was straight away excited to go to Jógasetrið and come back to classes, because they helped me so incredibly much in my last pregnancy and birth. I also sent in my story after my daughter Ásthildur Bára was born, and in that birth it was mostly BREATHE RELAX TRUST that helped, and the mantra "I am an open channel for life".
In the autumn, when I started yoga, my dad had recently been diagnosed with incurable cancer, and it was above all the classes with Auður that helped me forget it for a little while and gave me a chance to relax and focus on myself and my son ❤️ It is priceless to look back and see how much the classes at Jógasetrið helped me, as hard times followed, going with dad to chemotherapy and facing a new reality ❤️ It matters so incredibly much to take good care of yourself in pregnancy, no matter what is happening in life.
Our son's due date was Saturday 17 February, my best friend's birthday. Our plan was to take our daughter to my parents for a sleepover, go to the birthday party and hopefully get the birth started! Reality was a bit different, as Ásthildur Bára caught a stomach bug, I ended up going to the party alone, and so much for the romantic idea! Still, it was really nice to get out of the house, see good friends and do something fun. The next day a big wave of nesting washed over me. I finished crocheting the blanket for little "Mosi" and washed it, packed my bag, my husband finished putting together the cradle for the little one, and much more. In my last pregnancy I went 11 days over, and this time I was determined not to get as anxious as then, because the waiting was so hard for me! So we really didn't expect him before next week at the earliest.
But on Sunday afternoon I started getting strong contractions, different from the past weeks. I told my husband it was strange, but maybe the little one was getting ready to arrive. By the evening the contractions had become uncomfortable, and I messaged my mom and sisters that I thought our boy would be coming soon. We went to bed, but it was as if our daughter sensed something was happening, because she woke up before midnight and my husband ended up sleeping on a mattress in her room so I could get some sleep. At 3 o'clock I woke up with strong pains, decided to go to the bathroom, take a painkiller and try to fall back asleep. I soon saw that wasn't going to work, so I got out the ball, my headphones and the yoga playlist, and began breathing through the waves, relaxing and turning inwards. At the same time I thought about how these powerful contractions were bringing me our little miracle, and I was so looking forward to holding him sooner than we had thought!
Around half past 3 I started timing the contractions and felt they were quite close together, and I also felt very hungry, as I'd had little appetite on Sunday. So I went to the kitchen and ate Cheerios between contractions, and that woke my husband. By then there were about 2-3 minutes between contractions, and my husband found the whole scene so comical, as we hadn't expected this so soon. Me eating Cheerios in the pauses, and when a contraction came, leaning forward and holding on to the kitchen island. When I'd finished eating I ran a bath and got in, but felt I couldn't relax well enough, and at the same time the waves seemed to be spacing out a bit too much, so I emptied the bath and took a shower. My husband left me completely in peace but kept a close eye on me and gave me my space, which was exactly what I needed. It was nearly 6 when I called my husband and told him I thought we needed to call Björkin and his parents, who were going to look after our daughter. At 6 we called, his parents arrived 20 minutes later, and the contractions grew stronger. Our daughter woke up and my husband explained to her that her little brother was finally coming into the world! I felt he was taking a bit too long explaining everything and kindly asked him to hurry out to the car with the bags, which he did!
On the way to Björkin a few waves came, and I felt them getting closer together and stronger with each one. It was so lovely to arrive at Björkin and see the candle lit outside, a sign that a birth is underway. The wonderful midwife Sunna welcomed us, listened to the little one's heartbeat, took my blood pressure, and then the next contraction came and I heard my sounds change and the urge to push arrive. Sunna was quick to call Elva, who came shortly after, and I got into the bath. In the bath I kept breathing, relaxing and trusting, and also held on to the mantra: I am a mountain, nothing can move me and nothing disturbs my peace ❤️ My husband encouraged me and reminded me to keep breathing so beautifully and to relax well in the pauses between waves. Wow, how good it was to rest, even if only briefly.
In my last birth I didn't feel the urge to push as strongly, so it was amazing to feel how my body took over and I just had to breathe, relax and trust it with the task. I felt the boy moving lower and the contractions growing stronger, and then Sunna reminded me of what we had talked about: this time I was going to feel his head with my hands and guide him slowly down, not let the little one jump out all at once like his sister did!
It was so amazing to feel his little head full of hair, and then the next wave came and he swam into the world in the bath, where his dad caught him and placed him on my chest. There he was, oh so beautiful and so like his sister, arriving in the world at 07:06 ❤️ 4 hours after I woke up with contractions and 30 minutes after we arrived at Björkin. The midwives at Björkin are so wonderful, and in our eyes they made this birth perfect!
Our family is floating on a pink cloud, so grateful and happy for little brother and big sister, who is head over heels in love ❤️
Thank you so much for everything, dear Auður. I look forward to coming back later for pregnancy yoga and mom & baby yoga.
Wishing you all the very best, dear mothers. You can do this with BREATHE RELAX TRUST to guide you, and whatever happens, you will have your yoga birth!
With love,
Sigga Erla and little Bjarkason
