The day I was borne, written by my old man.

The birds were singing and sometimes even a little rain was knocking gently on the

Window of the birthing center in Muttenz .

For me the day started when Elke woke me up at 8:30 AM saying that she has regular contractions since 5 o’clock in the morning. Wow! I needed a strong coffee first.

I called the midwife Sybille and she advised us to come slowly to Muttenz. Sybille is actually not our midwife. She does the backup support for Silva which is attending a course today but would come along in the evening.

I shave and grab some breaky while packing the last few things we need to take along. I leave a message on Dagmar’s answering machine since she would love to help with the birth. I went to ask our neighbor Turi if he could drive us and surely he was happy to do so. Elke has now strong contractions every 3–4 minutes lasting about 45 sec. It’s not easy for her to walk down the 75 steps of the staircase. It feels good to be in the car knowing that this is the final part of the journey. On the way we have to stop at every traffic light making me a bit nervous, still I know that it might take another many hours before we can welcome our child. Turi has to stop at the gate and we walk the last few meters to the Center. It starts to rain.

Sybille welcomes us and does a first check of the cervix. It has opened to 2 centimeters but is still deep insight. Over the next few hours it will open more and more and move with the pressure of the baby forwards. Sybille prepares a warm bath in the Jacuzzi. This is wonderful relaxing and soothing for Elke. In the meantime another pregnant woman comes for her checkup in the room next door. She has two young boys. I have a little talk to them while they are munching on some sandwiches and I think to myself how wonderful it would be to have a son. I do also read a few pages in a cradle design book but must admit I can’t really concentrate. Sybille is putting our baby clothes into a little oven to keep them warm. Somehow I start to realize that 3 of us will be leaving here soon.

By noon the opening is 4 centimeters. Elke breaths heavily into the contractions and tries to snooze in between. We are listening to Enja and Meditational music. Silva arrives since her course has finished early. She does an other check and finds everything normal. Elke lies on the big comfortable bed now. I try to comfort her sweating by wetting her forehead and face.

Dagmar calls and I tell her that she is welcome if she wants to come. She does.

At around 4 o’clock the cervix is wide open. Elke has strong pains now. Especially her legs are hurting. I’m telling her that this is just like going across the Albula pass by bicycle. The legs are hurting, you are breathing heavily, your brain is doubting your sanity for doing this, your swear you can’t go any further but with each turn of the road you get a bit closer to the top and finally you will have achieved it. After a while she wants to have another bath we are even thinking of a water birth. Dagmar and I are taking turns cooling her head and encouraging her. I’m very impressed with Elke’s strength and patience to endure the pain. While in the bath her contractions are getting weaker so Silva wants her to come out. She gives her some natural remedies. There are hundreds of little bottles of homeopathic pills and drops in a cabinet. Elke has a go at the Mayan chair which is a low three leg birthing chair the old Mayans invented. I sit in the back on a normal chair holding her. Silva now checks the baby’s heartbeat every couple of minutes. During each contraction the heartbeat goes down but would come up to normal level in between.

It is 5 o‘clock now and Elke is under real pain. She tries to breath into her belly to help pushing the baby along. She hasn’t got a strong press urge. She is now in a „4 leg position" on the bed. This seems to be best position for her. Silva keeps on giving advise on how best to breath and push. Otherwise she is very calm and professional. I have a good feeling about her.

The head of the baby can now be seen but I find it rather unpleasant so I only have a brief glance. Everything goes according to nature’s plan. The baby does the final turn. Elke is now on her limit. She doesn’t cry out loudly but we can all feel her energy and mind is stretched to the very last. Only one to go my love I keep on telling her. Look this one is gone and doesn’t come back. I myself want to have it over now. One more painful push and the baby is out. Silva sucks it’s airways clean and it does a first cry, then immediately puts it on Elke’s belly. The cord is still attached. It is full of blood and dirty. The eyes are closed but it is already trying to find the breast. The little fingers are moving wildly and the mouth automatically starts to suck as soon as a nipple comes near.

I can’t believe this and I also can’t stop my tears. The feeling is overwhelming. By now we want to know what gender the little human is. Elke reaches down and I have a close look. It is a boy. Welcome Samuel Lucas. I had a feeling that it will be a boy since we just couldn’t compromise on a girls name. There are too many beautiful girls name’s to choose from.

Elke got a bit torn and Silva can’t sew a wound like this one. She calls Dr. Blumer.

In the meantime I cut Samuel’s bellycord with sharp scissors. It is a very strong tissue to cut. Silva says that he had his bellycord slung around his neck when he came out but this is quite normal. Back on Elke’s breasts he slowly opens his eyes. One after the other and looks at me.

Boy is he beautiful. I start to count all his fingers and toes. No worries mate. Everything is in it’s place and in the right amount. His feet are enormous compared to the rest of the body. He has dark hair and the skin is a bit shriveled up especially the fingers and toes are all very wrinkled. Silva reckons he is a bit overdue. The counted date would have been the 22th. but who cares. Elke gets a few more contractions which deliver the placenta. Silva checks the size to make sure all has come out properly. She even asks if we want to take home but I gladly refuse. After half an hour adoring Samuel Silva encourages me to bath him while Dr Blumer takes care of Elke. He seems to enjoy a warm bath. He doesn’t cry at all but is very alert.

We dress him and he falls asleep. Dagmar goes home. We arrange for her to come back in 2 hours to take us home.

Now we can rest and slowly get to realize what has happened. We have a son. He is healthy and beautiful. He gets a few tropes of Vitamin K. Silva also fills out the birth certificate which together with our family book is send to the Registry Department.

At around 9 o’clock Dagmar and Regula are driving us home. What a day! I’m very happy to have chosen to go to the birth clinic instead of a hospital. This is the most natural way of having a baby. I can’t imagine to have to go home now without Elke or the baby.

At home we order pizza from the pizza delivery man and have a couple of beers.

We are very thankful for having Dagmar and Regula sharing this evening with us. The most amazing day comes to an end and I still can’t believe that this little bundle is my son.

The night goes by quietly with Samuel drinking every 5 hours. We have him with us in the bed. This way he feels our body warmth and Elke doesn’t need to get up during the night.

In the morning we call Elke’s father. He is of course thrilled with the news but also we learn about the passing away of Eric, Samuel’s great-grand father. This is very sad news and dampens our joy but Eric was 87 years old and just passed away quietly during sleep. No pain no long sickness. This is the cycle of life and we can only hope and pray that Samuel can have such a long and wonderful life.

The whole day people are calling on the phone or coming by. Everybody is sort of feeling that the baby has arrived by now. Silva comes to check on him. In the evening Dr Schneider does a short check an all body functions. He can’t find anything odd and assures us that he is perfectly healthy.

We are so happy and proud of him.

Thomas & Elke