Carole Galand

I am from France but I live in Canada. I was in Bolivia when I got pregnant with my first baby. I decided to settle in the Sacred Valley near Cuzco, Peru because of the beauty of the site and also because of the proximity with Leonie. When with my husband we found our house in Ollantaytambo, I was almost three month pregnant. I was working at the time in the jungle, in Manu Park in a little native village. When I got six month pregnant, I got the Hepatitis A. Leonie gave me all kinds of natural remedies to cure me and advise me to start a strict vegetarian diet. I stayed in bed for a month and half. After that I started to walk again and regain strength. When my first contractions started, Leonie came to my place right away. She arrived Friday January 5th around 11.00 pm. When early morning the contractions got stronger, Leonie allowed me to take all the positions I wanted to use to go through the work. My labour was a dance. Between the shower, the herbal bath made by Leonie, hanging from a rope attached to the ceiling and walking outside in the mountains amongst the humming birds, I tried everything. It was an intense and amazing journey. I dance until the 7th at 3.00 am. Leonie supported me the whole time. But my baby couldn’t come out. So Leonie proposed to push another hour but in vain. At 4.00 am, Leonie brought a team together over the phone for me to go to the hospital. We had to rush to Cuzco. During the drive I had to hold my contractions for almost two hours not knowing what was going to happen, worried about the baby and completely despaired not to have delivered my baby myself. When I arrived at the hospital, Leonie reassured me and introduce me to the surgeon, Venny. She was really nice. I started to feel better and felt ready for the c-section. In the operation room Leonie stayed with me. At 7.40 am my baby came out. I heard her crying in the hallway. It was the most beautiful sound ever. Leonie brought me my baby very soon after. My hands were still tied up, but I was able to kiss her face and see her big blue eyes. It was a baby girl. Her name is Chaska.
A year and half later I was blessed with a second pregnancy. This time I was living in Canada. I really wanted to give birth naturally at home again and spend some time after birth in Nature. I couldn’t find this configuration around Toronto. The doctors and midwives wouldn’t allow me to have a natural birth after a c-section and at the age of 39 years old. So after a long vain research, I finally decided to go back to Peru and to give birth with Leonie. The flight company allowed me to travel at eight month old pregnant with a note from my doctor. Leonie welcomed me with open arms. I stayed at her place in a bungalow. It was perfect. I was there with Chaska. My husband joined us few days before the due date. I was planning to have a water birth. When I started my contractions around 4.00 pm Leonie told me that in the evening there will be a huge strike in the Valley. All the roads will be block and we wouldn’t be able to travel if there would be an emergency. So we decided to go to Cusco in another midwife’s house who was assisting Leonie. As soon as we arrive at the house I started my labour. Meanwhile the water bath was being prepared.
I entered the bath and everything went smooth and steady. I used naturally my yoga training to have a regular deep breath. And very soon, at 11.40 pm, my baby girl Luna came out in the water with the help of both hands of Leonie and her assistant. It was amazing to feel my baby coming out naturally and have her in my arms right away. It heals instantly the frustration of my previous c-section. It was also so good for Chaska and my husband to be there.
I’m so grateful to Leonie to have giving me this opportunity and to have helped me to bring to this world two amazing little girls.
After the birth, I spend a month at Leonie’s place. We did a nice ceremony with the placenta. We planted it near a nice young tree and blessed Luna on a full moon night. It was truly magical.
Leonie brings to the birth an ancestral, scientific, spiritual knowledge with a big human heart. I was really blessed to have her for the birth of my kids and my own rebirth…