Zola's Birth Story by Fatima Wheeler

It was a beautiful warm winter’s morning & I woke up and decided to go for a walk. It was about 6.20am and as I put on my headphones and also a birth podcast a couple of minutes into it I started to get surges. They were coming every 4 min or so and after walking about 200m up the road my intuition told me to turn back and head home.

I got back home and told my hubby “I think I’m having surges.” I sat on the couch and sure enough they kept coming every 4 min or so. After about 15 minutes we decided to ring my mother in law and made the decision that she come and get my toddler. She arrived about 7.30am and I breastfed my son for the last time on the couch - whilst still continuing to have surges which I had to breathe through. I began to get really excited knowing I was in labour and going to have a baby that day. After that I got hold of my birth team and told them I was in labour. They said they would drop their kids to school & come over straight after that.

During this time I got hubby to clean the house , fill up the birth pool and start to get things organised for the birth. I was able to have a shower during this time and put my diffuser , incense and turn my music on.

My friend Sarah who was the birth videographer arrived first - just after 8.30am. I suggested we go for a walk down to the creek which is about 150m from my birthing studio. It was so peaceful down there and so sunny so I decided this would be a great place to stay and labour.

Not long after my friend Sheila dropped by to drop off a bassinet and have a chat. It was such a lovely moment having a couple of my friends there and their beautiful presence.

About 9.30 my doula Kate and birth photographer Kylie arrived. I stayed in the same spot labouring for another hour. The surges were tolerable- I was able to be in conversation but would just have to stop and breathe once my surges came. At around 10.30am my surges started to become more intense. My hubby Croyden had finished watering the garden, had eaten breakfast and filled up the pool so he came down to where we were at the creek.

It was the perfect timing as that is when I really needed his support. He was giving me light touch massage and really being my anchor.

At 10.45am my intuition told me if I don’t walk up to the birthing studio now I would have the baby in the creek so i told everyone I was ready to walk up the hill.

I had to stop a couple of times as my surges were now becoming a lot closer together.

Once I was inside I decided to change into my swimmers and eat a banana ‘for energy.’ All of a sudden I felt like I needed to do number two’s . We all know in birth that usually means the baby is coming but I didn’t even think about that at the time.

So hubby and I walked to the toilet block which was on the other side of our tiny home. As I went to sit down I knew it wasn’t a poo but so much pressure & knew the baby was coming.

I quickly said to hubby “We need to go back to the studio” so we quickly walked back & as soon as I entered I jumped into the pool as I could feel the baby coming. It was so intense that I began to stand up and with that my waters broke loudly with a big ‘pop’ and then out came her head quickly followed by her body. She cried straight away and I’m so grateful my doula was quick on her feet to catch the baby. I was in complete shock that I had just given birth and the baby pretty much just flew out without me doing anything at all.

I’m pretty sure I said “what the f*ck just happened ?” It was such a surreal moment & I was in complete ecstasy.

After a minute or so my doula passed the baby under my legs and I sat down in the birth pool with Croyden.

It was such a beautiful moment and one I’ll never forget. To have birthed my baby freely without any internal exams, poking or prodding and just had let me body and intuition do it’s thing was the absolute best. Croyden and I stayed in the pool for about 20min or so soaking up our beautiful daughter Zola. Our doula announced the time Zola was born 11:11 - how amazing to hear those numbers !

Zola started to try & do the beast crawl however her umbilical cord was so short so I slowly put her to my breast and she latched on and started drinking straight away.I began to get the after birth contractions again and knew I had to birth again but this time my placenta.

My doula gave me a few tinctures and I then hopped out of the pool and sat on the floor. After about 30min I lay down and my placenta came out which felt like jelly. It was such a weird feeling but I was so happy to have had a natural physiological third stage.

Once the placenta was fully out my doula went to wash it off and made me a delicious placenta smoothie packed with banana and berries, yum !

I 100% feel having a raw placenta smoothie helped with my recovery - I was radiating for a few weeks afterwards. I also felt good as I didn’t tear or even graze down there.

Once I had finished my smoothie it was time for the cord burning ceremony.

It was a beautiful moment sitting there with the cord burning box zephyr and Croyden had made together burning Zola’s umbilical cord. It took about 15 min for the cord to be fully burnt off.

I then wanted to have a shower so Croyden had skin to skin with Zola. When I came back it was time for Zola to be weighed - our doula Kate got a beautiful crochet bag and put her in it. She was 3kg. My birth photographer Kylie who also shoots newborns swaddled Zola in a Muslim wrap and put her in the basket my friend Sheila dropped off earlier.

She got a few photos of Zola then Zephyr arrived back home. It was such a beautiful moment introducing him to his baby sister. He was confused and was trying to figure out where my big belly had gone then realised the baby was now earthside in the basket. It was around 2pm when everyone decided to leave and head to go pick up their kids from school & sitters. My family then carried on with the day as usual, it was as if it was a normal afternoon chilling at home.

Everything was so in alignment that day - I am beyond grateful for how everything turned out. I trusted my ancestors watching over me , guides, my birth team , my husband and most of all myself. 

I’m pretty sure I have my family complete and now hope to guide and help other women to have empowering births. Since becoming a mama I have found my calling and purpose in life. That is one of the greatest gifts you the transition from maiden to mama has given me

You can find me :
@fatimawheeler or @birthinggoddess
Photo - @capturedbykylie