The Birth Center Welcomes its First Baby!

As we awaited the first mama to give birth I sat and thought about waiting. As midwives, one of our best skills is watchful waiting. As a woman enters the last few weeks of pregnancy there is the anticipation that it could be any day and the nesting urge to prepare space for the new arrival. 

We nested while we waited. We stocked our shelves, checked our medications, swept the rooms, wiped down the tubs, reviewed our policies, cleared the space with sage, and set our intentions for the birth center. Then we sat and waited, wondering who it would be. The call came in early last Friday, our first mama was having early signs of labor and we were ready! 

The mama was a power house, the room was joyful, after a few hours of hard work- out came a wriggling, squirmy, pink little wonder. Delia Joy announced her arrival with a cry. 

A midwife student later pointed out that Delia is another name for Artemis,  goddess of the moon, fertility, birth, and protector of children. She was also a huntress, protective and fierce when challenged. How fitting that this strong female energy be the first to enter birth center which will be filled with women supporting women, doing their fiercest work. 

For her timeliness, Delia and her mom won the prize for the very first San Francisco Birth Center birth.  They won some of our favorite products and services from companies run by women in our community with values that we admire. In the spirit of Artemis, fierce women and birth, we celebrate the first of many! Here is Miss Delia Joy with her stash of goodness.