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Neram’s Birth Story
After two completely different birth experiences in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) – the first, a birth center to hospital transfer; and, the second a home water birth – Neram planned as well to birth her third child in the comfort of her home accompanied by a traditional midwife in Bogotá (Colombia), where she had just moved with her family. According to the ultrasounds she had done during her pregnancy, her baby seemed to be measuring a bit behind, which had resulted in a recalculation of her due date for exactly two weeks later than originally indicated. So, when Neram started to feel contractions three weeks before her new due date (they didn’t feel like Braxton Hicks nor like real labour surges) , she just went ahead with arranging her home which still needed a lot of nesting after the recent move.
When contractions persisted but didn’t gain much more intensity, Neram called her midwife but didn’t feel the need yet for true assistance. Little did she know that her baby was just about to be born. After ending that phone call, Neram lived what can happen when birth is undisturbed and the body takes over with all its power and rawness, focusing on one single thing only: birthing the baby! Her waters broke, and followed by the Fetal Ejection Reflex, her body birthed her baby in such a short time that she, her husband, and their 4 year old son experienced their first unassisted birth.
When her midwife finally arrived, Neram was still where she had just birthed her baby, on the floor in the shower, on a complete birth high, holding her newborn son in her arms! When measuring her child, Neram kind of expected to hear a rather light weight – something which had been predicted by the last ultrasound just four days ago. However, when Neram learned that her baby had the weight and size of a full term baby (and same like his siblings when they were born), she understood once and for all that technology is not everything, that she could indeed trust her instincts and her body, and that her baby had been perfectly ready to be born into this world.
After the birth, Neram experienced the most amazing postpartum care provided by her team of Colombian midwives, which included 40 days resting time, emotional, physical, and nutritional support, and a full closing ceremony around rituals that truly honored her body and allowed her to close this pregnancy and birth cycle in a respectful and reflective way.
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Neram’s Bio
Neram is a mother of three little kiddos and a complete birth nerd who followed her heart and traded a career in Public Relations to enter the world of birthkeepers and become a doula. Originally from Germany with German-Chadish roots, she lived in France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Panama before moving to Bogotá where she gave birth to her third child and is now studying with traditional midwifes all things womb and beyond. On her page and blog, she shares her motherhood journey and all the wisdom she’s learning, hoping to inspire women around the world to claim their right and space to choose the pregnancy, birth, postpartum and overall women’s health experience they wish for! connect with her on Instagram at @thereal_littlebirdsmama or www.littlebirdsmama.com
Resources
https://indiebirth.org Podcast
Spiritual Midwifery by Ina – May Gaskin
HypnoBirthing – The Mongan Method by Marie Mongan
The First Forty Days by Heng Ou with Amely Green and Marisa Belger
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