Brooke and Ben welcomed their son, Braxton Asher, on February 4, 2021 at 12:32 pm. When they woke up the previous morning, I don’t think they expected to head to the hospital. After all, Brooke was only 35 weeks that day, and things had seemed to be going well. But Brooke had some blurry vision and after an NST and some tests, she was admitted for induction. Her blood pressure skyrocketed and it became clear that Brooke was safer not pregnant and Braxton was far enough along to have what he needed. We hadn’t yet had our prenatal visit but at least they had finished their refresher childbirth class. The plan was to update as there was news. But that was the kicker. There wasn’t much happening for a while. Brooke’s cervix was doing its job well. It wasn’t time to open for a baby just yet. Her past pregnancies had gone beyond her due date so this was a big shift, to say the least. Brooke took it in stride and accepted that it was the safest course.

They moved quickly after making the decision to induce. In no time Brooke was on magnesium and had a foley catheter in her cervix. She was counseled to get an epidural but she desired to avoid it. This would be the first birth without one and she really wanted to keep with her plans. This would also be her second VBAC for which everyone was thankful. At least that was less of a risk than had it been her first VBAC. Her scar had already withstood the contractions of labor and birth.

By 3:30 pm Pitocin had begun to flow. And it continued that way for many hours, getting bumped up incrementally as Brooke waited for contractions. The foley bulb was removed and contractions came at a steady 4-minute interval, although Brooke hardly felt them. The biggest challenge in those hours was not getting overly frustrated with the many cords attached to the outside and inside of her body. And when she moved the monitor would lose contact with her baby’s heart rate, sending her nurse in to push and adjust the belt and monitor until the baby’s heart rhythm was once again detected. The waiting hours of an induction are the longest. And with no food and little to distract her, by the middle of the night Brooke had hit a wall. She was over it—tired of being tethered, wanting to eat, impatient with her lack of contractions, and desperate for the sleep that never came. She was in a difficult place. 

With the sunrise came a new day and a new attitude. The day staff came on, bringing a new nurse and I arrived at bedside to ride it out alongside Brooke and Ben. The Pitocin was at 24 mu/min, which was quite high, but Brooke remained unchallenged by the contractions. She had been dilated 5-6 cm at her previous exam and laying on her left side with a peanut ball between her legs. She was trying to be restful even if she couldn’t sleep. But she was ready to be more active. 

I recommended Brooke move to her hands and knees over the head of the bed. She labored that way for about 45 minutes, using gravity to her advantage. Squatting seemed the next place to go as the Pitocin continued to get bumped up. Brooke’s nurse fetched a squatting bar for us and Brooke got busy. She grabbed the top of the bar and squatted through each contraction, sitting back upon the bed in between. She squatted quite low, hoping her open pelvis would encourage her little boy to find a lower space that might bring on some labor.

And then we saw it. After about an hour of squatting, Brooke changed. She vocalized more with each contraction and she was spending more time in recovery between. It had been many hours since her last cervical exam so the doctor came in to see where she was at. Brooke’s cervix had also turned a corner. It was dilated 7 cm, 90% effaced, and her baby was at -1 station. That effacement was the biggest news of all for it meant that her cervix would melt away with less effort than getting to 7 cm had taken. And sure enough, within minutes of the doctor stepping out, Brooke exclaimed, “There’s an incredible ring of pain!” 

The next doctor on shift came in right away and it was clear that a baby was coming. The room quickly filled with people, especially since Braxton was only 35 weeks, but the doctor did the most wonderful thing. She squatted at the base of the bed, right there at Brooke’s feet for she was also squatting. And she told her to keep doing what she was doing and that she would be right there. I saw her cradle the baby’s head as it emerged and in just a contraction or two Braxton Asher was born at 12:32 pm! And he weighed 5 lb. 8 oz. and measured 19 in. long. 

He was rubbed and suctioned in an effort to bring out a cry or two. And he was then passed into his mother’s waiting arms. She had waited much longer than she expected to considering he came earlier than she had planned. She kissed him and Ben had his hand on Brooke through it all as they took in their newest son. Once the cord had stopped pulsing and Ben cut it, Braxton was taken to the warmer for a little more attention. It was determined that he would need additional support in the NICU so Brooke and Ben waved their son off as he traveled in his fancy box.

Minutes later there was good news. Braxton had figured out breathing and would be in the observation nursery instead of the NICU with the plan to return to his parents in 24 hours. This was not the same as never being separated at all, but Brooke knew full well that a 24-hour separation was not nearly what it might have been. Thankful for improved health and blood pressures, and for the simpler recovery that comes with a birth without pain medications, Brooke felt really good immediately after delivery. We would touch base a day later and she maintained her position that natural birth was a completely different recovery and she was grateful for that. 

Birth comes in many shapes and forms. But in the end, the journey to meet our babies is less about how they came into the world and more about how we were treated during the process. Brooke’s birth journey was a triumphant one in which she found her voice and her options and a provider who was respectful and patient. Congratulations on your unique journey!

Katie and George got the best present just in time for Christmas when their son, Henry was born on December 23, 2020. But boy, did he make his mom work for it! (And if you ask her, I’m sure she would say it was worth it.) Katie’s due date was Dec. 17 so the topic of induction had been broached with her providers. Her cervix hadn’t really dilated much, but it was thinning in preparation. Thankfully, Katie sensed the contractions of labor before the anticipated induction. It was Sunday December 20. But the contractions were erratic and surprisingly strong from the start. She was up most of the night with them, breathing deeply, and moving through positions that helped her to cope. And by 5:30 the next morning, they were still 6 minutes apart, although longer and stronger. Katie was nauseous and shaky too. I suspected baby’s position was not optimal, which would explain her erratic contractions that weren’t moving closer. She spent some time doing the Miles Circuit at home. 

They spent the whole day together, navigating the confusing waters of early labor. George made sure Katie ate and was hydrated while Katie moved into a variety of positions that helped her to manage the discomfort of the contractions. She even did multiple rounds of the Miles Circuit, which helped to move her contractions longer and closer. By 9:30 that night they felt it was time to head to the hospital so we met up there.

Katie was dilated 2 cm. But she was not laboring as if she were 2 cm. She was nauseous and shaking and exhibiting signs of a woman much more advanced in labor. Surely her baby’s position would be the explanation for her erratic and confusing labor. Not to blame the baby, but kind of yes! We labored together all night long, cycling through every position I could think of to help her baby to make the necessary adjustments to move lower into the pelvis. And Katie did it ALL. (And so did George!) But by sunrise, Katie was exhausted. And her cervix was only modestly changed to 3 cm. It was time to do something to insure she get rest. It was time for an epidural. 

And while Katie was comfortable and resting, we continued to help her cycle through several positions. And her cervix responded gradually with some Pitocin. She went from 3 cm at 6:30 am to 5cm at 4:20 pm, and then 6 ½-7 cm by 10:00 pm. But her baby was not so sure about the Pitocin, responding with heart rate decelerations that were concerning enough to halt the Pitocin and restart after a long recovery break. And that’s how the second hospital night went (third night of contractions for Katie). Then it happened! Katie was fully dilated! It was time to start pushing and so she did. But with every single push, Henry’s heart rate dipped to a concerning level. And in spite of so much time and patience, and doing “all of the things”, Henry would need to enter the world in a different way. A dialogue with her doctor helped everyone to come to terms with the change in plans. Katie and George would meet their son in the OR via a c-section.  So much of what they imagined for the birth had been washed away by their baby’s needs. But Katie and George remained focused on what was best for their son, and what joy awaited them in a very short time!

Henry was born at 7:18 am on December 23, 2020, a healthy and strong baby boy! Katie held her son skin to skin in the OR and her heart was full. With George by her side, they took in the features of their son, a stranger, yet someone so familiar. In their 3-day long journey, Katie and George demonstrated the depths that parents sometimes must go to, the hard work that is necessary, and the immense overwhelming love that is felt even after such a complicated and winding road. My heart swells for them and the new chapter they have opened. Welcome to the adventure called parenting!

Lindsey and David welcomed their sweet baby girl, Delilah Moon, on December 18, 2020. Their birth was a great example of how unpredictable birth can be. It always keeps us humble. At a routine prenatal appointment and NST, it was noted that Lindsey’s amniotic fluid levels were low. Since she was already 10 days beyond her due date and had an induction just days away, they felt it best to err on the side of caution and begin induction that evening. Plus, Lindsey’s cervix was still closed so there was some groundwork to be laid.

She was admitted that evening for some cervical ripening overnight on December 16, 2020. A Cook Balloon was inserted along with some low dose Pitocin and Lindsey and David settled in for the night. But Delilah didn’t respond well to the combo as her heart rate fell low. The Pitocin was turned off and the balloon removed and the midwife was very pleased to learn that Lindsey was dilated 5 cm. The plan was for Lindsey to eat a breakfast, monitor the baby and resume Pitocin in an hour. Slow and gradual was the name of the game and the day consisted of increasing Pitocin and gauging baby’s response as to whether to raise it or turn it off. Just after 4:00 that afternoon, Lindsey was dilated 5-6 cm and the midwife broke her water. The hope was that her body would respond with contractions that moved to active labor. Their intensity escalated quickly, and with the Pitocin at 18.0 mu, Lindsey was coping with her strong contractions well. She labored beside the bed, slow danced with David, used a heat pack on her back, and continued to move.

Another bout of decels had the Pitocin turned off again, however. Lindsey was dilated 5 cm and 80% effaced but had not made a lot of cervical change since the morning. Her uterus would need more time, but it was anybody’s guess whether her baby would be able to tolerate labor for a long time. A fetal scalp electrode provide the reassurance of baby’s true heart rate in response to contractions and seemed a good compromise to keep the induction plan moving forward. Lindsey labored upright in the bed, hoping to get gravity to help. The Pitocin was still turned off based on her baby’s prior response to it. And the hope was that she might not even need it. She continued her labor dance drifting through child’s pose, slow dancing, dangling with the rebozo from the squat bar on the bed, and even lunges. And Lindsey’s hard work paid off because she went from 7 cm dilated at 8:20 pm to 8-9 cm dilated just past 10:00! In the throes of transition, Lindsey still found the confidence to say, “This shit is crazy!” followed by “I’m a badass bitch!” And indeed she was!

Hands and knees over the peanut ball provided some back relief and encouraged Delilah’s heart rate to recover from an earlier position that caused another drop. Valor essential oil gave an emotional boost as Lindsey edged toward pushing, and by 11:21 pm she was fully dilated. Her baby remained high at 0 station however, so there was still some work to be done. Lindsey reached out for Davey’s hand, something she did time and time again over the course of her labor. Their connection was a beautiful thing to witness. In the midst of a complicated induction, they were tethered to each other providing ballast through unchartered and choppy waters.

At 12:15 am on December 18, the Pitocin was resumed at a low dose in the hopes it would encourage Lindsey’s baby to move deeper into the pelvis for a vaginal birth. An hour later at 1:30 am and 4.0 mu of Pitocin, Lindsey made the difficult decision to get an epidural. She was exhausted after being up for two nights and laboring through contractions for the whole day, but also to salvage some rest before pushing. But soon afterward, the baby’s heart rate dipped lower and longer than it had before, bringing the OB on call to her room for a conversation. After palpating the baby’s location, he determined that an amnioinfusion might provide enough of a cushion to free up the cord and allow baby more room to fine tune her position for a vaginal. Birth. The plan was to rest, resume Pitocin (again), and then to push.

But then as if in answer to that plan, Delilah’s heart rate dipped again, this time even deeper and longer than the other ones. And the OB looked Lindsey in the face and said very gently that her baby was choosing a different road. There were concerns about the baby’s ability to handle hours of pushing, especially with decels happening that were already so significant. And Lindsey and David agreed that a c-section birth was the safest way to meet their baby. After laboring all day and dilating to 10 cm without pain medication, Lindsey opted for a complete change in plans for the safety of her baby. I have such admiration for moments like that, when a mother has to relinquish control and reframe her birth experience in such a vastly different way than what she had originally envisioned. 

And at 4:29 am on December 18, 2020, Lindsey and Davey met their sweet Delilah at long last. She weighed 6 lb. 12 oz. and measured 21 in. long and was every bit as perfect as they had imagined. And you would think this was where the birth story ends. However, Lindsey took a turn for the worse, and after receiving blood products her vitals weren’t improving. So she was rushed back to the OR for what they initially expected to be a quick fix. But it wasn’t. The doctor discovered some internal lacerations that required swift attention. Lindsey was put under general anesthesia and underwent emergency surgery that lasted several hours. Davey and Delilah had some quality daddy-daughter bonding time, while Lindsey spent the night in the ICU recovering.

At the time of this writing, Lindsey, Davey and Delilah are settled nicely at home getting to know each other and their new family dynamic. Lindsey is navigating early motherhood day by day, trusting her mommy instincts to do what feels right for her daughter. Davey is a constant support, helping and available just as he was during the birth process. Even in the midst of a downright birth odyssey and complicated postpartum, these new parents are thriving and moving forward confidently and full of love and patience for each other. They were adamant that their story be shared. Birth can look so very different from one person to the next. And even when you think you’ve made it through the most difficult part, there could still be a surprise lurking around the corner. And it is in this way that birth is the perfect training ground for parenting. You just never know what the journey will look like. You only know that it is a journey you must take. Flexibility, compassion, patience, and resilience, much like what Lindsey and Davey demonstrated, are incredible attributes for parents to have. They are definitely starting on the right foot.