If

 If

If you've felt the release of the shoulders
then the weight of your babe in your arms...


If you've caught a nine pound son,
or the tears in his father's eye...

If you've grasped the hand of a laboring mom,
then stroked the silky hair so long awaited...

If you've walked away soaked to the knees in birth,
filled to the brim with hope and light...

If you've waited hours and hours with those unknown to you,
then rejoiced alongside to meet the one newest to all...

If you've met the eye of the wise, scared, strong mama,
and seen the deep wisdom in her new babe's gaze...

... then you have had a delicious delivery.

This is one of my *favorite* birth images... I don't know if it has an actual name, but is attributed to Ina May Gaskin and (I believe) the book Spiritual Midwifery. (Which reminds me, I am soooo overdue to do some good, non-work-related reading...!) Someday, sadly enough for the Warm One, this will end up permanently inked somewhere on my skin. The question is, where...???

Winner, winner...

... Chicken dinner?!

Sorry to post late, but I promise I really did determine the lucky pendant winner on 2/28 as promised. And, according to the roll of the lucky pinkish-red die (it was a nice, small pool of commenters & "likers", so this worked out perfectly!), I'm looking forward to packaging up something pretty and sending it to ...

(( drumroll please ... ))


Reply #1 (it truly is the 1 spot on the die, despite the awful pic making it possible to see --- congrats Rixa!!

But wait!! Since everyone posted such lovely comments & I need an excuse to avoid laundry (shhhh --- don't tell the Warm One!) any of you all who posted a reply or commented/shared on FB about or since the initial "birthy beauty" post will receive a little something with my thanks!

To do so, though, I could use a bit of direction... So email me your mailing address at hebamme82@gmail.com within the next 7 days. I promise I won't stalk your home, spam your email, or otherwise abuse this info :)