Incredible EarthBirth Story! 
 
March 4, 2001 Saanichton B.C.- - An incredible birth story occurred this week! As a soon to be new mother lay in the bathtub being shook with birth sensations, the earth below also shook with the 6.8 earthquake felt on Wednesday at 10:55am. Wendy Paleczny, while supported by her loving husband Jeffrey, entered the final stages of birth after the rocking contractions of the earth were felt.
 
" We were focusing on our breathing as Wendy lay in the bathtub having  sensations approximately 5 minutes apart and for 30 to 40 seconds at a time.

I was thinking this is it, I am about to become a father. At that moment, I thought that I was feeling waves and shakiness of faintness from this thought. Then I realized that other things were shaking in the bathroom.  Wendy, who was in between her birth toning and breathing while having a sensation, said earthquake!'"
 
The earthquake, centered near Seattle, was felt by many in the Victoria area. "For us we felt that it had a particular significance because the quake seemed to move or guide things along in the birth process" the new father said. "I immediately set up our birth pool in the family room because we had planned a home waterbirth with a birth attendant and a doula.  However, we thought that we had until at least that evening before the actual birth. I think that the baby had other ideas about his imminent arrival after that earthquake." Wendy's birth process began progressing very rapidly, and after being in the birth pool for just over an hour, a healthy baby boy was born into his father hands. Our birth attendant, Gloria Lemay, arrived minutes before the birth, calmly looped the cord around the baby's shoulder and picked up our video camera and our doula, Krista Armstrong, arrived just moments afterward. "I was overcome the moment my son was born as I realized what an incredible experience that it was and how my wives contractions mirrored the earths waves and shaking.  It was truly an EarthBirth" Jeff said.
 
Mother, Father and baby are now resting comfortably at home as they enjoy getting to know each other during their 'babymoon'.  They are all very happy and feel blessed to have a special child that shook the earth on his birthday. The new mother said, "I thought it was an incredible experience and was amazed to be sharing waves of contractions much like the waves and shaking of the earthquake. It definitely was momentous in that our son decided that the earthquake was his signal to be born, the world was calling him."

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