Flyleaf’s new frontwomen Kristen May and her husband welcomed their first child into the world three days after Christmas and the singer has shared every detail of the experience with fans on social media.
Graham Little was born on Dec. 28, 2015, to May and Brian Little. May described the pregnancy as the most challenging, yet gratifying, day of her life.
“Birth is way more of a primal experience than I ever imagined,” May wrote in a social media post the evening she gave birth.
She opted out of having her baby boy in the hospital or taking any medication during labor. She had Graham at home with the assistance of a pair of midwives, her husband and mother.
Days after the birth May took to Facebook to detail her birthing process. Her message, in it’s entirety, can be read below.
One of the calmer moments in Graham’s birth story were the soothing moments in the birthing tub. I thought he may be born here but instead I ended up laboring and pushing all over the house. My body led me on a journey full of mountains and valleys, some bringing me to moments of hysteria. Graham had flipped ‘sunny side up’ with his head turned sideways, causing me more pain than I had imagined. I came to what I thought was the end of my strength a good handful of times.
In these moments I was encouraged to keep going. I was told I could do this unmedicated, naturally. I could give birth. My body knew what to do and there was plenty of room to bring this 7 lb 7 oz little adventurer into the world.
Labor continued for hours until I finally turned a corner and trusted my body. I remember a pivotal moment when contractions were so intense and close together, walking to the edge of the kitchen sink, slowly but finally very sure of what I was capable of, like it was just Graham and I and we were going to breakthrough this pain. I held onto the sink and squatted down with more concentration than I have ever had. I finally felt the urge to really push. I said to Graham, ‘come on, buddy, you can do it!’ And in that moment I heard a midwife say, ‘he’s crowning.’
The sweetest, most satisfying words I have ever heard. I held onto the sensation and when it was time, pushed again. ‘His head is out!’ they said. I could feel the energy of the room change. I could feel Brian behind me, fill with excitement and relief. And in the next few moments, our angel was born.
It’s true what they say, all the pain fades and the oxytocin high mixed with the greatest love you’ve ever felt, is present and palpable. I feel stronger than I’ve ever been, with a greater sense of purpose than I have ever known. I am in awe of birth and so very thankful for this experience. #homebirth #naturalbirth.”
Baby Graham has since taken over the singer’s Facebook feed. May posts pictures of her son’s every move, sleeping, stretching and being worn in a wrap.
May stepped in as lead vocalist of the multi-platinum Christian recording band Flyleaf in 2013. The album Between the Stars, was her first full-length project with the band and she has been pretty vocal about her transition time. She was working in a coffee shop when she received the call from the band to replace Lacey Sturm. May said some fans were supportive, some were not, but they gelled beautifully.
In addition to joining the band the new mom has released a solo album, Conversations, which she funded through a PledgeMusic campaign.
A fan on the Facebook page questioned why May was working on an album if she was with Flyleaf, to which the band responded, “Kristen is finding tons of inspiration now that she’s starting a new chapter as a mom to be and has been writing a lot of new material!”
Source : Christian Post