Introducing Dortheea Sage Wright (plus her birth story!)

On April 12th, 2023 at 12:14am we welcomed our second daughter, Dortheea Sage Wright into our lives! Born at home here at the farm, she weighed 7lbs 9oz and was 20 inches long. Tillee loves having a little sister and we are happy to say we made it through the growing season after having a baby in spring!

Dortheea’s Birth Story:

The day we found out I was pregnant, we happened to have a film crew out at the farm for a shoot with one of our restaurants partners. I took a pregnancy test out in the blueberry patch since it was peak blueberry season and Travis was out picking. The film crew just happened to get drone footage of us as we were walking back from the orchard with a positive test! It was incredibly magical and I will never forget that day.

We had such a wonderful experience with our midwife, Veve, throughout my pregnancy, labor and postpartum with Tillee, that we had no doubts about who we wanted to support us through this pregnancy as well. Veve has a wealth of knowledge, experience and spiritual power that is unparalleled and there are very few words to describe what she means to me in her supporting me into conscious motherhood.

My pregnancy with Dortheea was more challenging than my pregnancy with Tillee. I was 4 years older and I became pregnant at the time of year in which I am the most physically depleted from farm work (in July). Whereas with Tillee, I became pregnant during my most replenished time of year (in January). In my pregnancy with Dortheea, I had more low back and pelvis pain, morning sickness lasted longer and I was just overall, much more exhausted and sick more often. But I also able to be more gentle on myself and worked my body less. I also had much more help around the farm (including Travis!) for this pregnancy which made a huge difference in my trusting that everything would still get done.

In third trimester, I could feel a great shifting happening within my body and my energy field. I no longer saw any clients, my tracking abilities were greatly reduced and I started having “mom brain” or this lovely state of being that I call “laborland” in which I begin to care less about and have less comprehension of the outside world. This was one of the bigger challenges during this time for me: my reduced capacity to be my “normal” self in the world. This was stressful in relation to the farm and needing to continue to be the leader and manager of our farm operation.

On April 11th, Tuesday morning I woke up very early in the morning with contractions that felt strong and were regular so I sat at my birth altar with a candle lit and moved through the surges. I called my midwife and my mom to tell them to start to make their way to our home and I went back to bed. By 6am, Veve, her assistant, Emma, and my mom all arrived but my contractions slowed down and when we checked, I was 1 cm dilated. We decided it was best if I just went about my day like it was any normal day so the midwives left and we got the rest of the kale planted. I definitely felt different than previous days of working around the farm as squatting down just felt too intense so I happily dropped plants while Travis, my mom and Tillee planted.

By 5pm on the 11th, contractions started up again with regularity and intensity so the midwives came back. I also invited my wonderful friend, Lauren, to come over to cook us a meal and bake us a birth-day cake! We had on my favorite song at the time that I listened to constantly during my pregnancy playing on repeat (Pachamama Invocation by my friend Amy Nicholson). Tillee was moving around and playing all over the place. It was definitely a birth party that I wanted… and it was time to get serious.

It was so warm that week that we decided to set up the birth tub on our beautiful porch! As Travis was filling that, I continued to witness my fears and move through the surges of contractions. The stars were shining and the water was warm: it felt so good! Although that slowed my contractions down quite a bit, I felt much more relaxed and at ease with the process.

At 9:30pm we decided to check my dilatation as I wanted to know if I should just try to go to sleep for the night or if I made enough progress to really lean into having this baby tonight. Veve checked and I was 2cm only so we went to bed.

The next hour and a half was the most intense opening of my body that I have ever experienced. I went from 2cm to 9cm in that short amount of time and I have very few words to describe how that felt! Travis put in my earbuds and turned on my birth meditations (Sovereign Birth by Nancy Lucina) so as I listened to those positive affirmations and queues to surrender into the surges. The baby was coming and fast- Travis went to get the midwives!

At 11pm, when Veve and Emma walked in, I remember pointing to my belly and saying “baby!” and when she checked my dilation I was 9cm! At this point, I was laying in bed and felt very pushy.

After about half an hour of pushing, my waters broke and baby Dortheea arrived shortly after at 12:14am on April 12th, 2023. Time completely stopped and I saw the reverence in which Emma received the baby and was the first to touch her. I saw the tears in everyone’s eyes; I felt so revered and sacred, and the moment was so profound it’s hard to try to put into words. Dortheea was on my chest and I saw her so clearly, was talking and encouraging her and fell in love with her immediately. Everyone was crying and I was smiling! I was hoping to smile. It took us a few seconds (?!) for her to cry and after a few minutes, I felt that she was a girl. We looked and were so surprised that we were blessed by another baby girl!! 

A girl! After everyone thought (including me) that I was carrying a boy and that he would be big and come early and come fast. We have a sweet little girl; a little heavier and a little shorter than Tillee was! Truly she is a such a blessing and I am so grateful for the whole journey from conscious pre-conception to holding her in my arms.

One thing I was concerned about during my pregnancy with Dortheea was my postpartum aligning with the busy spring season on the farm. An April due date was definitely better than May or June but still challenging! I knew my farm crew (Julie and Hannah) would be able to get most things done (and they did) with some help from Travis. But during pregnancy, I was worried that I wouldn’t know how to give myself the time to heal from birth so I developed a plan. Traditionally, in many cultures, first 40 days postpartum are the most important for healing. So those first two weeks postpartum, I committed to only walking to the greenhouse once per day (at the most); the second two weeks, I thought I could do some field walks; and the third two weeks, I would try to start working minimally if I felt good enough. For the most part I was able to stick with that plan. I also decided I was going to try not to leave the farm for those first 40 days! I felt that taking that time to not be out the in world was immensely helpful for me and I highly recommend limiting time outside the home to other mothers, if possible.

Overall, though, my postpartum time with Dortheea was immensely easeful; mostly because it’s not my first time and I surrendered into motherhood (again) more easily! My maiden aspect of myself didn’t put up as much of a fit about it. Dortheea’s labor and birth was also easier, faster and overall, my body remembered how to open and how to nurse and how to heal.

As I look back, with clearer eyes out of my child-bearing year, I am filled with immense gratitude. I could not have nor expected to have asked for a more healing and intentional process of our conscious conception, pregnancy and journey into motherhood again. I could not have asked for a more fulfilling and healing birth- it was exactly what I needed and prayed for. I could not have asked for a more supportive husband, family and friends. I also have deep gratitude for the billions of mothers who have come before me. Birth is truly a magical, divinely-led process!

Gratitude, gratitude and more gratitude.