Once I was in the pool I didn't leave, nor did I open my eyes until Grace was born in the water, I wanted to be totally in my body, without distractions. I asked Russell to kiss me, which only happened once as it brought on a stronger expansion, and they followed pretty intensely with not much break in between. I had Russell at the front and M at the back putting pressure on my sacrum. The expansions were intense but I eventually (with loads of reassurance) found my groove. I used everthing I had in my bag of tricks to get me through the intensity. I visualised the mandala of my open cervix I had painted. I used my under the wave visualisation. I even remember for one expansion, in my head to myself, I was yelling "forks to you" to everyone who thought I couldn't do it! Well, yes that's the polite version!

Other times I opened my mouth, had my tongue out and panting (the throat corresponds to the cervix). I remember reaching up to the stars and Universe, where I usually contact the Infinite Oneness and drew down on the energy of the Universe.

I also recall receiving a visit from a deity which I will say was the Virgin Mary (as in mother of Jesus, who gave birth unassisted - I was experiencing an altered state of consciousness!) her advice was to "listen to my body" and that "you are doing it and you will do it"...... So I asked my body what it wanted to tell me...

Immediately my attention was drawn to the top of my uterus and diaphragm where even between expansions I was holding a mass amount of tension. I immediately relaxed the area and was surprised at how much tension I had been holding. With the next expansion, I told myself to relax over and over again and noticed how the expansion wasn't any where near as intense as before. I was in total allowance of it!

I held on to Russell's arms for the duration, with each expansion drawing on his male strength and energy. The rest periods in between were so peaceful, the contrast amazing. D arrived and it felt great to have the three of them there. The birds were singing and I knew the sun was coming and bringing with it my baby girl.

I asked continuously for reassurance from my support team because I kept expecting the pain to get worse. At one stage I heard "you're in transition Christy, it won't get any worse than this", I thought to myself "is that it?" because I kept expecting it to get worse (I had built up so much fear around the pain) but it didn't. One of my biggest fears of the impending labour was that I wouldn't cope...well I did!!

The pain was more than manageable. The water provided me with the support and privacy I needed and when the time came to push, I clearly remember thinking it felt sooooo good! Just before Grace crowned I was asking Russell to get Xanthe, I could feel Grace crowning and said "ohhhh that stings". The head came out and I said, "Please tell me that's the head". M rushed off to get Xanthe, they returned and with the next expansion, Grace Lilly Creighton was born at 6.35am. D said, "Grab your baby Christy" I replied, "Where is she?" D grabbed her by the hand so I could see her and I picked her up out of the water and held her to my chest. She let out a little squeak and I asked if she was ok, our Beautiful baby girl.