Photos by Caitlyn
I saw something amazing last night. Caitlyn and I were given the opportunity to witness something remarkable; we saw a woman give birth to a little boy. The event touched both of us deeply and we are grateful that C.A.S.A. and the parents of Jesus allowed us to experience something so personal and meaningful.
The night began just like the previous night did. We arrived at the C.A.S.A. hospital around 7:30 PM and made ourselves at home. It’s so easy to do in that place; the hospital has a real open, organic, and inviting feel to it. The people at C.A.S.A. seem to know how to make pregnancy and childbirth a fulfilling and comfortable experience. After reading some on the roof of the hospital (a roof with a most beautiful view of historic and classic San Miguel), we made our way back downstairs. We spoke with the midwives and nurses for a few minutes, then settled down into our room, consultation room number three. We logged a tape of interviews from earlier that day and then chatted for a little while before turning in.
At 11 PM, just as we were falling asleep, the emergency doorbell buzzed loudly outside our room. I peeked my head out to see that nothing major was going on, just a man asking one of the nurses a question. It was a false alarm. About thirty minutes later, the same loud buzz caught our attention. Again, I looked outside our door in anticipation. The bell had rang twice in a span of thirty minutes and Caitlyn and I were both on edge. We were hoping that our second stay in the hospital would afford us the opportunity to see something exciting. This ‘emergency’ was another false alarm. A family member of one of the nurses had come to drop something off. Caitlyn and I got back into our beds and fell asleep.
And then, it happened. That loud buzzing sound, which had become almost familiar, rang again. It was 4:30 AM and I was woken out of a deep sleep. Still a little out of it, I made my way to the door for a third time that night. As I looked outside of the cracked door, I saw that a pregnant woman was walking through, with the help of the midwife on duty. We looked through our window to see the woman pacing back and forth in the beautiful courtyard at the center of the hospital. This was the woman who would have her baby within the hour!
Caitlyn and I waited outside of our room for some sort of signal or message from the midwife or one of the nurses. We got nothing. The midwife was meeting with the mother and father of the soon-to-be newborn while his grandmother waited patiently in a chair outside the midwife’s office. After the short meeting, the woman was taken into a room just down the hall from ours. The midwife informed us that the family did not really want us to be in the room while she gave birth. At this point, I was wide-awake so I decided to continue my reading in the hall. Caitlyn tried to get back to sleep.
Within minutes, there was commotion in the hall. I whispered to Caitlyn to come out of the room – nurses and midwives were traveling from room to room. Something big was about to happen!
And just thirty minutes after that buzzing doorbell woke us up, the midwife came by and told us that the mother had given us permission to come into the room. Caitlyn and I were very excited. When we entered the room I could feel the tension. The mother, father, and grandmother were all on-edge. No one was smiling.
There must have been so much on everyone’s mind. After some soothing talking by the midwife, we heard the sound of a small baby being taken into the midwife’s arms. The midwife looked up at us and asked for the time. “ Cinco y veinte siete,” Caitlyn said. And that was it, Jesus had come into the world at 5:27 AM in one of the most natural and comforting turn of events I had ever seen.
Caitlyn and I were nothing but smiles from then on. It was so amazing to see life appear. I was touched by the birth not only because it was so beautiful and natural, but also because of the reaction of the family. The mother was happy to see her new son. And the grandmother, who had not cracked a smile the whole time we were with her looked at us, looked at her new grandson protected in her arms, and then looked back at us. She gave us the most genuine and memorable smile I’ve ever seen, as if to say “look at my grandson, isn’t he beautiful?” We smiled back, letting her know that we were proud of her daughter, just like she was, and that we were thankful that we could share in this profound experience.
I have to admit, I didn’t think I would get to witness something this exceptional on my trip to Mexico. I was extremely impressed by the level of compassion and personal attention given by the midwife. I truly think that this wise woman understands the beauty of giving birth. She succeeded in making certain that the birth of Jesus was as natural and comfortable as possible. The result is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
-Cameron
