Devin and Ben welcomed their third baby girl, Austin Elizabeth, on November 15. Davin’s births were all very different. Her first was a c-section, the second was a VBAC (and she arrived at the hospital ready to push!), and this was a second VBAC! However, it wasn’t without its challenges. This time around, Devin’s placenta had a velamentous cord insertion which can leave the vessels more vulnerable. There is not a lot that can be done except possibly induce a little early to protect baby from an incident, albeit a rare one.

But Devin’s baby was also measuring smaller, and her growth had dropped to an alarming threshold, which had her providers recommending induction. Her baby remained steady in growth and even had a little growth spurt, but between the VCI and her baby falling low on the growth chart, an induction was the decision agreed upon. It was scheduled for 39 weeks, so not terribly early.

Devin was dilated 2 cm at the start of the process. She was no stranger to unmedicated birth, but this would be her first time with pitocin, so it would still be a new experience. They got situated that morning and once she was admitted, the plan discussed, and everything began, it was later in the morning. There was not much of an update since nothing much was happening initially. It took awhile for Devin’s body to respond with contractions and when it did, she was dilated 3 cm, so she went into the shower.

In fact, Ben’s first update came at 2:47 pm saying “the contractions were more intense, and he was helping to squeeze hips for help on the contractions.” When I asked how far apart and how long they were, he responded that they weren’t long and two minutes apart. It soon became clear that it was time for me to head in.

Devin didn’t know if it was quite time, but she was breathing through the contractions. The pitocin was at 12 mu and by the last text, Ben confirmed the contractions were close to 60 seconds and 2 minutes apart. I was dressed and packed so left the house shortly. I arrived 20 minutes later at 3:37 pm. And Devin had emerged from the shower a short time before I arrived. She had dilated from 3 cm to 8 cm in a very short time!

When I walked in, it was evident that Devin had turned a corner quickly. Her midwife was present, and she was struggling to stay on top of her contractions. She had asked for an epidural, but the simple fact of the matter was that she didn’t have time. Plus, it was not what she initially wanted. Ben pressed on her hips during contractions, and I took my place beside them to offer encouragement to Devin.

We kept her focused on one contraction at a time and she breathed through her contractions courageously. Her cervix was changing rapidly. She was already dilated 8 cm and it was only a matter of time before her body would lurch her into a push. In the meantime, she was wavering and not sure how much more stamina she had. She agreed to have her midwife break her water in the hopes that the last bit of cervix would melt away as baby came down. But it didn’t go quite like that.

Devin had a rim of cervix that remained through several contractions. Her midwife offered to push the cervix aside during a contraction to help Devin with dilation to complete and she was game. This is not a pleasant thing to go through, but Devin faced it head on and like a champ. And she was fully dilated as a result. Devin labored upright in the bed, pulling on the rebozo tied to the squat bar, and she soon felt the familiar sensations of a baby coming.

Devin pushed on her hands and knees over the CUB. She pushed quietly and with great strength and it didn’t take long at all for us to see her baby’s head. Austin Elizabeth was born at 4:26 pm with a full set of eye lashes! The midwife passed her through Devin’s legs and up into her arms. Devin hugged her close and cried with joy to know her littlest girl was safely born.

The placenta was a sight to see, and we took many pictures of the rare velamentous cord insertion. Austin snuggled with her mommy and soon got skin to skin with her daddy. She was small, weighing just 6 lb. 2 oz. but it wouldn’t be long before she got chunky on her mom’s milk.

Devin’s labor was such a joy. She welcomed her baby with glee and had a wonderfully flexible approach to the birth. And when induction became the plan, she rolled with that too. Pitocin is no joke, but Devin rode those rocky waves with such courage. I’m very proud of her as should she! And now she is a member of the 2VBAC club!

Jordan and Mike are new parents for the second time! Jordan’s first birth was a very early induction for a medical reason that resulted in her baby in the NICU and some additional challenges with breastfeeding as a result. Jordan wanted a healing birth this time, and she wanted it to be a positive experience. She was not committed to avoiding pain medication but desired to feel strong and capable and like she had choices. Ultimately, she wanted to feel present and hoped for a less dramatic pregnancy and birth this time, and thankfully that’s just what she got!

Jordan was healthy for her entire pregnancy and relished her appointments with the midwives she was also fortunate to work alongside as a labor and delivery nurse. That trust relationship had been built long before the pregnancy and it was very reassuring. Jordan went all the way to her due date with no induction on the books yet. It did have her growing a bit impatient for when and how labor might unfold but she was able to keep herself in check with some reassurance.

And on her due date she sent out an update that she was contracting more painfully than she had been and wondered if things might be percolating. She had some bloody show and fluid which had her alert up as well. But she wasn’t timing anything and wasn’t leaking so she stayed even keel. We talked about how it likely wasn’t labor since it was her actual due date and babies don’t ever choose that day. And we left it at that. (I even went to the beach!)

By that evening the contractions had intensified further and had Jordan reaching out again. She was not timing yet, just trying to ignore them as she continued about her day. Her contractions had her stopping and breathing and focusing though, and she was no longer talking. It was a good time to check the intervals. They were closer than 5 minutes apart and within that hour they were consistently 2-3 minutes apart. They made arrangements for the care of their firstborn, and we were on their way to the hospital. I met them there.

We met up at the hospital around 7:30 pm. And Jordan had minimized and ignored her labor all the way to 5 cm, and nearly 6! She had done brilliantly with spontaneous labor after only experiencing pitocin contractions with her first.  She had a bulging bag and her baby was at -2 station, but once the waters broke we suspected her baby would move right on down.

Jordan got herself situated in a room and Mike and I got busy with labor support. Counter pressure during contractions and a heating pad between them helped. By 8:30 pm the contractions were steady at 2:30 apart and lasting a full minute. They were stronger than when she arrived too.

Just before 9:00 pm was a good time for Jordan to move into the shower. Citrus fresh oil blend on a washcloth in the shower made for a spa feel, along with the battery votives. Jordan labored in there about 30 minutes and when she emerged, she was ready to get an epidural.

She was dilated 8 cm, baby was at 0 station, and her cervix was effaced 90%! Thankfully, the CRNA was fast and effective, and Jordan was comfortable in a short amount of time. At 10:30 she was still dilated 8 cm so we helped her into side-lying positions with the peanut ball to dilate the last bit of cervix. Jordan hoped to get a nap in as well before pushing.

Just before midnight Jordan’s water broke which had us wondering if she’d get much rest. It wasn’t a huge amount of fluid, so she tried to rest after we helped her into the left runner’s position. But thirty minutes later Jordan felt her water break A LOT. So we called in her nurse to confirm and then helped her into the upright throne position at 12:48 am for the last bit of dilation.

Jordan felt the pressure of her contractions so much so that she was blowing through them. So, at 1:38 am we helped her into the flying cowgirl position on her left side. She still had a 9 cm lip of cervix in the front through, so we switched it up and had her go on her hands and knees over the CUB. The nurse on duty had some Spinning Babies knowledge so she got to work doing the jiggle while Jordan was in the hands and knees position. She was completely dilated 10 minutes later at 2:00 am and her baby was at +2 station!

Jordan tried pushing and as we expected it didn’t take long! Her baby was born after just 3 contractions at 2:10 am and Mike and Jordan announced the gender. It was a surprise! And they had another girl! “We have another baby!” Jordan exclaimed. And yes, they did! This baby was much bigger than her sister though! The immediate postpartum was so different and very healing! Jordan had her baby in her arms from the start and she didn’t leave for over an hour. And she latched in the first 20 minutes, another very different journey than her first. The name took some time, but they chose Chloe Mae. (I love the first name especially since my third baby is a Chloe!)

Mike had Jordan’s parents on Facetime for lots of oohs and aahs. This baby didn’t cry right away, just made enough sounds to assure everyone she was just fine. She was content to lay against her mom and gently adjust to being born.

A fun fact about this birth is Chloe was born on her parents’ anniversary! So she dodged her due date but found another significant day. Jordan also had no tears which was extra wonderful given that her first baby was so tiny. Chloe was an overachiever from birth, already trying to catch up to her big sister. She had latched well and nursed on both sides in her first 45 minutes of life.

Jordan had friends in the hospital that came to congratulate her and felt blessed to have been at work when she was in labor. The entire experience was a positive one and very healing for Jordan. She was all smiles, as was Mike, and it was such a joy to accompany them on such a different birth journey.

Tina and Brian welcomed their baby girl on September 9! I had such a great time getting to know this couple during our one-on-one class. I knew their goals for this birth…It was Brian’s second child but Tina’s first. They were a great team and had a wonderful back and forth banter which I knew would serve them well during the potentially stressful experience of labor.

Tina developed gestational diabetes which wasn’t ideal. She knew it might complicate things but continued with the intention of a little intervention in her birth as possible. But as Tina approached her due date, her blood pressure crept up. In time it became a safer notion to proceed with induction than wait it out and hope it didn’t continue to escalate. This was not what Tina and Brian would have wanted but they also knew that a healthy outcome was paramount. At Tina’s appointment they scheduled the induction. But then her blood pressure was high enough to send her straight to labor and delivery that very day to get induced. So as the plan of laboring long at home faded, they gathered their belongings to get admitted at the hospital for induction with even less time to let it sink in. They were troopers about it all and made their way to the hospital to settle in.

There was some cervical ripening necessary before any labor, so the plan was to administer Cytotec to ripen and then use a Cook balloon overnight. In total they administered 5 doses of Cytotec before going to the balloon around 6:30 the following morning.

And in those early hours as Tina waited for the balloon to do its thing, her water broke. It was 10:55 am when this happened and was an encouraging sign that her body was on board with the plan of getting the baby out. The balloon was removed, and Tina was dilated to 3 cm so they began pitocin immediately and raised it incrementally over the course of the day. By that evening with the pitocin at 20 mu and no cervical change or labor, they decided to turn it off and give Tina a break. Tina showered and ate dinner and then resumed pitocin at 7:50 pm.

It felt like the right time to proceed with an epidural, so they got the ball rolling with that. Tina had already been in that room over 24 hours and knew she had a long night ahead of her and the contractions would intensify. Plus, there was the caveat that the epidural could also help with her blood pressure management. The initial placement of the epidural went off without a hitch. It would just take time for the medication to work.

But then something crazy happened. When the doctor did an exam to prepare to insert internal monitors to assess contraction strength, she felt the umbilical cord! It was a cord prolapse and suddenly imperative that the baby be born right away! The doctor hopped on the hospital bed with Tina and as they rolled down the hallway, she asked Tina how she was doing to which Tina threw up her hands and exclaimed, “I’m okay!” This was totally in keeping with Tina’s attitude and sense of humor. The trusted her providers to keep her baby safe and her idea of how the birth would go had already veered in a drastically different direction, this was just par for the course.

Brian got dressed in the paper suit as they prepped Tina for the c-section, but they quickly determined that she would need to go under general anesthesia for the safest outcome for baby. Sadly, Brian was not permitted in the OR. Cora Violet was born quickly and safely, weighing 6 lb. 13 oz. and measuring 18.5 in. long and Brian joined her in the nursery soon after she was born. He spent that first hour with her and even got to cut the umbilical cord. Cora and Brian returned to the labor and delivery room where Tina was able to meet her baby for the first time.

As Tina snuggled her baby girl, she was the picture of peace. I admire her for having the courage to let go of so much of how she imagined her birth would unfold. She embraced the new direction of things and welcomed her baby girl with open arms, grateful she was born safely. Tina and Brian continue to be a solid team with a great sense of humor that will always come in handy when life throws them curve balls. However, Cora Violet may be the best curve ball they are ever thrown!

Emily and Mike welcomed their second baby, a girl, on August 21. Emily was hoping for a VBAC after having a c-section the first time. Her due date came and went and so an induction was scheduled at 41 weeks. But Emily’s body was showing signs that it was moving toward labor. In fact, by 6:30 pm the night before the scheduled induction, she was having contractions 10 minutes apart that were increasing in intensity. She and Mike waited through the night and went into the hospital around 6:00 am.

Emily was breathing through contractions but managing them well. And she was pleased to learn she was dilated 5 cm, 70% effaced, and baby was at 0 station. The nursing staff was confused however, since Emily was scheduled to come in that morning for an induction. It was a good surprise though!

Emily was not afraid to move around all over the place to encourage her baby’s descent. She did squats and lunges and walked. The midwife came in around lunch time to see about possibly breaking her water. Since Emily’s contractions were picking up in intensity and closer than 5 minutes, things were moving into active. And Emily was coping with the pain just fine.

The midwife came in around 12:45 pm and confirmed that Emily was dilated 5-6 cm and then broke her water. She was moaning lightly through her contractions and managing them well. She was ready for the next step and prepared herself for the strong possibility of her labor picking up in intensity after the water was broken. Emily walked around and paced, labored sitting on the bed, and even did some squats with the rebozo over the top of the door.

Her contractions moved to a steady.3 minutes apart and moving right along. Emily had some tender moments of the imminent reality of meeting her baby girl. “I can’t wait to meet her!” And we all were laughing at how much this little one wanted to keep her mom on her toes! It had been an emotional roller coaster to say the least between a possible repeat c-section, induction, or even a VBAC. It all remained to be seen, but Emily was grateful that her body went into labor on its own and her baby was choosing her birthday.

As the contractions intensified, Emily moved into some forward leaning positions. She labored on her hands and knees over the peanut in bed, and then leaned into the CUB standing beside the bed. Lavender on a cotton ball helped to calm her mind and relax her body.

At 2:30 pm, Emily moved into the shower to labor. The lavender essential oil followed her in there and she sighed through her growing contractions. Mike started some praise and worship music which really filled the space with encouragement and positivity. Emily maintained her sense of humor too, because at one point Mike asked her how she was doing and she said she was living her best life.

By 3:10 pm Emily exited the shower and returned to labor on her hands and knees on the bed. After holding that position through a good number of contractions, she decided to lay on her side for a bit of rest. She sat up in bed next and tried to wrap her head around moving forward. She had hit a wall and began to doubt whether she could keep going.

So back into the shower she went at 4:20, since it provided such great relief and focus the last time. Emily felt her baby moving lower and found peace in knowing her baby’s heart rate was steady and strong through the contractions. After 30 minutes she got out with contractions that were still steady at 3 minutes apart. But when her midwife came to see about her progress at 5:00 pm, Emily was still dilated 6 cm. This had her worried she wouldn’t dilate since she wasn’t able to dilate with pitocin in her first birth. We reminded her that this baby had her own journey to make, and then added a heating pad to her back for some relief. Pitocin was started around 5:40 pm, just low to start.

Emily labored over the peanut ball again and asked us to talk to her to distract. By 6:20 pm the pitocin was at 4 mu. Emily tried laboring on the toilet but the pressure was uncomfortable, so she returned to the shower again. The pitocin was raised gradually every 30 minutes and Emily’s body continued its work. Mike was so sweet in his encouraging words, telling Emily she was so beautiful, that he loved her, and that she is amazing and doing so well. He was the king of words of affirmation!

Emily got out of the shower around 8:00 pm and she was dilated 6-7 cm. She was growing very weary and requested an epidural. It didn’t take long, and she was comfortable about 30 minutes later. Her baby had some decels and the thinking was that it was related to rapid progress. So, the midwife did an exam and Emily was dilated 7 cm but her baby was at -2 station. We moved her into a variety of positions over the next couple of hours. Flying cowgirl, peanut ball between her ankles with knees together, right side, left side alternating positions. But at 11:44 pm she was still dilated 7 cm and the baby had not come down. They recommended putting internal monitors in to get a better idea of contraction strength so they could better monitor contraction strength and finetune the pitocin levels.

We continued to have Emily in a variety of positions and an hour later she was still dilated 7 cm and her baby was having decels after contractions, except on her right side. So, her doctor had the pitocin lowered by half to see how her baby would respond. Emily dilated to 8 cm by 3:00 am, but her baby was LOP which wasn’t helping things. We did some sidelying releases and had Emily lunging on one side and then the other (using the peanut ball), and the pitocin was raised incrementally again.

But by 6:00 am, with pitocin up to 12 mu, Emily’s cervix was the same. There was a reason her baby wasn’t descending, and Emily wasn’t sure she wanted to continue pushing things with her baby’s heart rate dipping. So, she made the confident decision of proceeding with a c-section. She expressed to us how different this birth had been from her first and it was already a healing experience for her, rewriting a c-section as a positive thing that she chose.

It wasn’t long before Emily and Mike were in the OR to meet their newest love. Zelie Mae was born at 6:51 am weighing the same weight as her brother: 8 lb. 10 oz. She was a big girl! And she was also the same weight as her brother: 20.5 in. Emily cried when she heard Zelie’s cry, knowing her baby was fine and had arrived safely. And she wasted no time sticking out her tongue and rooting to latch.

Emily and Mike returned to the room they began the journey in and soaked up the feeling of holding a newborn again. With a busy toddler at home, they knew the first day with just the three of them was precious. Although they were also eager to introduce Zelie to her brother.

Emily mentioned at our recent postpartum visit how healing and empowering this birth was. And I am thrilled that she had the opportunity to rewrite her c-section experience. Every step of the way was different, and Emily turned out to be a pretty strong laboring woman when it was all said and done. And she also had the courage to let go and follow where her baby needed her to go.

Kaitlyn and Brian welcomed their second baby, this time a girl, Eleanor Grace, on August 8. Kaitlyn’s first birth involved a 4thdegree tear and challenging recovery, and she was even told it might be a good plan to consider a c-section for any subsequent births since she had such a significant tear. But Kaitlyn had a strong desire for every chance at a natural birth, so she hired a doula and chose providers who were known for them, and Kaitlyn even had regular appointments with a chiropractor. She and Brian also armed themselves with knowledge and attended both my Spinning Babies Parent class and my refresher class. They had the information and the team. Now all they needed was the baby!

But Kaitlyn had a sneaking suspicion even in the Spinning Babies class as we did belly mapping that her baby was not head down. She thought she felt a head up in her ribs but wasn’t sure. There was still plenty of time for her baby to reposition herself so Kaitlyn did the daily activities and exercises as recommended in class and hoped that time would give her baby all she needed to turn.

Around a month before her due date, Kaitlyn’s midwife confirmed what Kaitlyn has suspected, that her baby was in the breech position. It wasn’t an easy determination since it took two midwives and even an ultrasound to verify. Kaitlyn felt some validation upon learning her baby was breech since she had suspected a head in her ribs rather than a bottom. But ultimately if her baby didn’t flip the plan would be to have a scheduled c-section. This was not what Kaitlyn expected but she also knew there was some time yet.

She did not feel at peace with doing an ECV but rather preferred to encourage baby to move by using her own body. And if her baby remained in the breech position, she would follow her lead and schedule the c-section. In the interim she knew she had tools from the Spinning Babies class as well as her chiropractic visits, but she was feeling tired and uncomfortable, and knew the importance of emotionally processing the likely change in her birth plan. And there was the other issue of tending to their son who was in the throes of potty training.

Another appointment the following weeks with an ultrasound confirmed baby was frank breech on her right side and Kaitlyn’s anterior placenta was taking up the left side. Her doctor wasn’t overly optimistic about the ECV, as Kaitlyn suspected after researching it, so they came to the safe conclusion that baby had made the choice for them. She would be born by c-section.

Kaitlyn maintained some hope that baby may still turn, but she also embraced the positives of the scheduled c-section. She could let go of any worries of who would watch big brother and her husband would be readily available and she wouldn’t have to find a way to get ahold of him on the ship as with spontaneous labor. I was so proud of her for letting go of the initial vision she had for her birth and instead embracing the new path that unfolded before her. There was still a decision made by both her and her baby. It was just not the one she thought she would choose, but it ultimately felt like the right one for this baby and this birth.

The spirit in the room of the c-section was upbeat. Everyone arrived one by one and introduced themselves as part of the surgical team. Kaitlyn had nervous excitement and Brian was so faithful in his love and support for her. There were many smiles and even laughs that morning and the idea of a baby in her arms in a very short time was still hard to fathom. As everyone was geared up and made final preparations, the confirmation of a pleasant surprise of allowing both Brian and me in the OR was just icing on the birthday cake, so to speak.

We both sat by Kaitlyn and Brian held her hand. Country music was playing the whole time. We told Kaitlyn what we saw, and as soon as her baby was out and assessed, Brian went right to her side while I remained with Kaitlyn. Daddy’s little girl, aka Eleanor, was adorable and with both legs straight up towards her head she was very obviously a breech baby. While her gender was a surprise, her big brother was sure from the beginning that she was a girl, insisting he was getting a “little sissy” from the first moment he knew she was in his mom’s belly. And the discovery at birth made it even more emotional for Kaitlyn and Brian since she was named after Kaitlyn’s grandma.

Eleanor squeezed her daddy’s finger HARD and made sure everyone in the room knew her feelings on the matter of being born. She was skin to skin with her mom at just over 5 minutes old, and she even very nearly latched in the OR. She was born at 8:16 am and weighed 8 lb. 6 oz. And was declared absolutely perfect by everyone present. And she had some seriously long, dark hair!

Breech legs!

When all was said and done, the family returned to the room together for recovery. It was family-centered, and Eleanor latched at 45 minutes old for a long while as her mom and dad looked on. Kaitlyn was feeling good in the immediate postpartum, and when I saw her at her postpartum visit weeks later, she told me she was actually healing better than she had been after her first birth.

Eleanor rested on her mom’s breast as she listened to the same heartbeat that lulled her to sleep in the womb. She was home. After traveling such a crazy and winding road, it’s nice to know that the destination is the same. I am so proud of this family and the way they handled the changes in their birth. Changes they handled with grace, dignity, courage, and clarity. It’s a wise and wonderful start to parenthood. And their big boy at home is totally smitten with his baby sister. He is quite simply glad she is HERE. And so are Kaitlyn and Brian.

Laura and Kurt welcomed their second child, a son, on August 2! Laura’s journey to meet this baby was a roller coaster for sure. Their first child had health complications that required a birth by scheduled c-section and a surgery soon after. Laura’s daughter’s birth and her immediate postpartum time was stressful and did not include the immediate skin to skin and breastfeeding, not to mention the bonding that is expected in most births. Instead, her daughter went right to the NICU and had surgery in her early days of life.

Fast forward to this second pregnancy and Laura had high hopes for a VBAC. She chose providers who were known for high VBAC rates (and low c-section rates) and she took the Spinning Babies class and did a lot of information gathering to prepare herself for the upcoming birth experience. After all, this would be her first labor. There would be so many firsts.

Going for a walk the evening before Logan was born. Laura was feeling mild contractions here.

However, as her due date drew near, Laura’s cervix was not showing any signs of moving toward labor. Ordinarily, this isn’t an issue, however, with a VBAC (or as the medical world likes to call it a TOLAC – trial of labor after cesarean), there were a very small number of ways to ripen the cervix before an induction and they would need the cervix to be somewhat moving in the right direction to consider them. Laura found herself in her 40th week with no dilation and not much effacement. Her doctor told her a repeat c-section was the safest route. This was not what Laura wanted but she knew that her baby’s safe passage was paramount. She spent the last days wrapping her head around the disappointing turn of events and tried to keep herself busy.

Kurt was such an engaged and supportive partner.

Then the day before her scheduled c-section, Laura thought she was having contractions. She reached out to me, and we tried to sort through them and came up with the plan of not paying attention to them and hydrating and resting. And if the contractions were changing her cervix, she could absolutely have an exam before any c-section in the morning. I wasn’t convinced it was labor, to be honest, since Laura had been out walking and that can cause the uterus to complain, so to speak. I wanted it for her so badly, but we were also trying to keep her head and heart from jumping too quickly to the conclusion of labor. But her neighbor happens to be an ob-gyn and he agreed with Laura that it was labor getting started. So we looked forward to what the night and morning might reveal.

Laura got through the night and managed some sleep. And she reported to the hospital for the scheduled c-section. She knew her cervix would get checked if she had been feeling contractions and maybe she would have a surprise and the opportunity to TOLAC. It was an amazing turn of events! She was dilated 4 cm and 60% effaced! She was in early labor, and her body had done a lot of good cervical change in the nick of time! She wasn’t having regular contractions and they weren’t very strong yet, but she would keep me posted as things progressed to the point of needing support. I was with another laboring client at the time so the need for backup was high.

Three hours passed and Laura’s cervix was the same. She wasn’t quite in active labor yet but the groundwork had been laid for a very good chance for a VBAC. Her midwife recommended seeing what happened over the next couple of hours and possibly breaking her water or starting Pitocin if her labor had not progressed. Her contractions were intensifying but were not getting closer so they decided to wait on the Pitocin and see if some more natural ways to intensify contractions might work. Her midwife did a membrane sweep and then Laura made use of the shower during this time to help her relax and stimulate stronger contractions.

Freshly born! Logan got some oxygen in the early minutes.

But an hour later, with still no change, it was time to make a change. Laura’s doctor said it was time for Pitocin. Luckily, Laura had a nurse who was all about moving her into a variety of positions as she waited for active labor to kick in with the Pitocin which was started around 1:00 pm.

Getting some respiratory supporting the nursery the first couple of hours with daddy by his side the whole time

As the Pitocin began to work, she labored on the birth ball and leaned over the peanut ball in bed. Laura felt her contractions change in the first 30 minutes so they were hopeful she wouldn’t need much Pitocin. After 1 ½ hours on Pitocin, Laura began to vocalize through each contraction. They were on the short side at 30-45 seconds, but they were getting stronger which was a good sign. Her nurse said her labor was picture perfect.

Reunited after Logan was cleared from the nursery team

Laura kept laboring in various positions and clenched combs in each hand to help her get through the contractions. Kurt was amazing support, and the nurse was very good at giving him ideas for how to support Laura. As her contractions moved closer to a minute in length, she had a cervical check. Kurt updated me at 3:30 pm that Laura was dilated 5-6 cm and her cervix was very thin, and her baby’s head was at 0 station. She was edging into active labor! (The exam was closer to 3:00 but the update came at 3:30.)

It was time to deploy some doula backup since things had turned a corner so my friend, Aimee Roberts was on it. Laura even cussed which is saying something! (See what I did there?) Backup was on her way soon after 4:00 as Laura and Kurt continued their labor dance through various positions with the support of their nurse. Then just 45 minutes after learning she was 5-6 cm dilated, Kurt sent a text that Laura was 9 cm and 0.5+ station just past 4:00 pm! She went really fast, dilating from 5-6 cm to 9 cm in the span of an hour! She was in a lot of discomfort and considering an epidural but since she was so close to pushing she stayed the course and did not receive pain medications. Instead, Laura clenched Kurt’s hand and breathed and focused through the contractions that finished her cervical dilation and brought her into second stage with the involuntary urge to bear down and push her baby out.

Aimee arrived right as Laura was starting to push and supported Laura’s leg so she could push side-lying. Kurt dabbed her face with a wet cloth and encouraged her through. And Laura was able to hold his hand on her side. Laura pushed on her right side as well and rotated to push in the middle too. She remembers it as being especially intense in that position. But when she followed her midwife’s advice to use her legs and curl around her baby, she made big progress in bringing her baby into view.

Laura pushed out Logan at 4:58 pm after pushing just 10 minutes according to Kurt! He weighed 8 lb. 6 oz. and was 22 in. long. In his first moments, they could tell that he was having some struggles with his breathing since he had some amniotic fluid in his lungs. The nursery nurse did end up taking him to the nursery for observation and possible support for his first couple of hours, but Kurt was with him the entire time. But the brief separation was nothing compared to the separation they endured with their firstborn. So, the reunion, albeit delayed, was a beautiful opportunity for skin to skin and breastfeeding. I was in the room for that moment and was so grateful for that. It was a precious moment of getting to know their baby and soaking in all the snuggles that had been waiting.

I love Laura’s story! Birth NEVER goes how you plan it. And holding loosely to expectations (or letting them go all together) can be the best plan. So much about this birth didn’t go as expected, including needing a backup doula! But then again, the surprise ending was more amazing than anything Laura had imagined! Turns out her cervix knows how to dilate rapidly! She labored on Pitocin without any pain medications, and Kurt was incredible support through it all. I am so proud of how they navigated Laura’s surprisingly short active labor!  Short is not easier, that’s for sure. And ultimately, Laura’s birth journey blew everyone’s expectations out of the water. Even hers.

Meeting big sister

Laura and Tyler have graduated to parent status with the arrival of their sweet Oliver Read on July 14! They were students in my 7-week series and the Spinning Babies parent class, so they were big on being as prepared as possible. But sometimes (oftentimes) babies have their own idea of how things will go, and Oliver was one of those babies.

Laura made it to her 39-week appointment wondering how much longer she had to go. Her baby was on the larger side, which in and of itself wasn’t a concern, but it meant an induction conversation might occur at her 40-week appointment. Laura wanted to try “all of the things” but I reminded her that labor was not something she could make happen and to spend her efforts more on pampering herself and enjoying time with Tyler before things changed in a big way.

And not 12 hours later, just past 8:00 am on July 13, I got a text from Laura saying, “today is the day!” I had just returned from being out of town 2 days before, so we were all very relieved for the timing. Plus, it meant that Laura managed to avoid an induction which was another bonus. Her contractions began around 2:00 am and had progressed to 3-4 minutes apart but were still short at 30-45 seconds. She ate breakfast and planned to labor at home as long as she could.

About 5 hours later an update from Laura had her contractions more frequent and intense but still short. She was hydrating, resting, and moving, and had the Spinning Babies know-how, but with 12 hours of little change in her contraction pattern it had her wondering if she might want to head in.

Laura spoke with her midwife just before 5:00 pm and she reminded her to eat and continue to hydrate and once the contractions were more consistent and intense to come in. At that point the contractions were 5 minutes apart and ranging from 50 seconds to 1:15 min. long.

And 3½ hours later she was ready to go to the hospital. She was confirmed dilated 3 cm just past 9:00 pm and they began the admissions process to stay and have a baby. Laura and Tyler labored several more hours through the early stuff, but by 3:00 am things had changed. Laura was dilated 5 cm and moving into active labor!

It was time to get moving so we had Laura lunge over the cub birthing chair while applying the heat pad to her back. Next, I did some belly sifting to help her baby move toward the left. And by 5:30 am Laura was doing the flying cowgirl. At 6:20 am she was dilated 5-6 cm, which wasn’t a big change. Her baby was lower though, and her cervix was 100% effaced, both good changes. She decided to have her water broken at that time in the hopes it would continue the forward momentum of her labor. She had already been at it for 28 hours, after all.

Tyler was so present to Laura. He kissed her between contractions and offered shoulder rubs and loving words of encouragement. He was an active partner as we helped Laura through various positions to further her labor and encourage their baby to navigate the pelvis. Around 7:00 am we sat the bed upright and tied the rebozo on the squat bar so Laura could use gravity and the rebozo during contractions but lay back upon the pillows between.

At 7:45 am Laura was ready for the shower. We set up some aromatherapy with valor and lavender on a washcloth, but it didn’t take but 25 minutes for Laura to realize the shower wasn’t helping. She got out and sat upon the birth ball facing Tyler. She was extremely tired and ready for relief. A cervical check helped bring clarity to her next steps: she was dilated 6 cm, although her baby was moving down. Laura was ready to get an epidural.

It worked well and soon she and Tyler had the chance to sleep. Her contractions spaced out, which can be a common result after an epidural, but pitocin was incorporated to bring them close again. And after just under an hour of a little bit of pitocin, Laura’s cervix dilated from 6 cm to 8.5-9cm! Her baby’s heart rate decelled which was the clue of rapid descent! Everyone was excited and we continued to use the peanut ball to change the angle of her pelvis to help the last bit of cervix slide away.

But her baby continued to have heart rate dips. They checked her cervix just before 12:00 and she was dilated 9 cm and her baby was at 0 station. They turned off the pitocin and gave her some fluids. And they proceeded with caution, knowing her baby didn’t love the big squeezes.

But three hours later, Laura still had a cervical lip. Her baby was a bit lower, so we tried a variety of positions to bring her to pushing. She did a right lunge over the peanut, then hands and knees. But when the doctor came in to do an exam, she was the same, and her baby’s heart rate kept dipping. He also confirmed that her baby’s head was asynclitic which can be a challenging position especially when coupled with a larger baby as well as being the first baby. He recommended a c-section but left open the possibility of a vaginal birth. He didn’t feel it was likely given the way Laura and Tyler’s baby was responding, so Laura and Tyler trusted the doctor’s recommendation and agreed to move forward with a c-section.

Laura and Tyler were at great peace with the decision and their excitement and relief over soon meeting their baby helped get them through the last few hoops required before going to the OR. The staff matched their excitement and were sure to keep the feeling of celebration in the space. It was a birth, after all!

Oliver Read was born at 4:26 pm wide-eyed and ready to take in the world! And he had amazing lashes, I might add! He weighed 8 lb. 1 oz., not quite as large as was expected. But his asynclitic presentation was definitely the culprit and made his and his mom’s journey much more involved. Oliver was in his mommy’s arms within minutes of coming out, and he had his daddy by his side through it all.

Laura did absolutely all she could to prepare for her birth, and at our postpartum visit she expressed to me how good she felt about the birth. Postpartum and breastfeeding were requiring her focus at the time, but she and Tyler were taking it day by day together, much as they took labor hour by hour together. It’s a beautiful thing to see new parents link arms and support each other through the early days. I’m so proud of them for that.

Katie and Stu welcomed their first child, a girl, on June 6! Katie knew an induction would be her likely road to motherhood since she herself had high blood pressure. But she had a strong desire to give birth without pain medications. Friends’ induction stories can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be a scary proposition. Katie and Stu attended both my Spinning Babies® Parent Class and 7-week Birth Essentials Class Series to prepare as thoroughly as possible. They also chose providers who had a reputation for supporting unmedicated births and had great statistics, and most importantly of all, had midwives on the obgyn team.

Katie’s body was gearing up in the final weeks with contractions that would come and go. She didn’t get in her head too much about her readiness, but instead continued with her days knowing she would meet her baby girl soon. She thought perhaps her water broke but went in to get checked and it hadn’t. But when some lab results were a bit concerning, her midwife recommended she be induced. It wasn’t what Katie wanted, but she also knew she wasn’t comfortable treading a fine line between potential risks to baby either. The timing of the induction was fortuitous though because her body dilated from nothing to 4 cm in the final days prior, putting her in a much more favorable position for the induction to work well.

Katie and Stu got comfortable at the hospital, settling into the room, and officially admitting Katie as a patient. Since her cervix was already so ready, the induction began with Pitocin overnight. Even though it was increased every 30 minutes, Katie managed to sleep quite well that night until around 7:00 am when hospital staff shift change heralds the new day for everyone.

Katie got set up with the wireless monitor right away because she knew she wanted freedom of movement and hydrotherapy. She did a lot of walking that day, becoming somewhat of a fixture on the unit making the rounds, so to speak. By 1:00 pm she was dilated 5-6 cm, 60% effaced, but her baby was still high at -3 station. And she was still very comfortable. Her contractions were not very strong.

We went for a walk at 1:45 pm and Katie maintained such a brisk pace it was hard to keep up with her. And she returned to the room to squat on the bed around 2:24 pm. The Pitocin was at the max level of 20 mu, but her body was still just slightly crampy. It was time to incorporate a big Spinning Babies® move, the flying cowgirl. Katie lay in that position on her left and then her right and soon felt more pressure low in the front of her abdomen. A heating pad helped relieve some hip pain she was feeling as well.

Katie maintained her composure as things began to change and alerted us when she noticed something, i.e. discharge. We went walking again from 3:20-3:40 pm and when we returned to the room it felt like the right time to labor in the shower. Some lavender on the washcloth really helped Katie to relax and tune in to her body. She was so tuned in that she forgot to take off her glasses before getting in the shower. And THIS was the first real sign that she was moving into active labor!

She changed into her contacts and continued to labor under the hot water, leaning against the wall of the shower to tune out the rest of the space. She requested Stu turn on music, and beautifully inspiring Christian songs filled the room with encouragement. It was just before 4:00 pm and Katie felt like her pain was growing. “It is Well with My Soul” played more than once and soon after “Your Labor is Not in Vain” came on, a perfect song for labor.

I updated Katie’s nurse of the subtle changes along the way. So, when Katie began to sigh under her breath through the peaks it was definitely notable. Stu was her constant companion, always right there to give a kiss between contractions, rub her back, apply counter pressure, offer a sip of water, and even play music. I just love watching how connected couples are in labor. It is a beautiful preview of how united they may be as parents.

Katie got out of the shower at 4:20 and felt a lot more discomfort in her lower back. She asked Stu to press on her back, but she felt like she needed something different. So we set up the CUB chair on the bed so she could labor on her hands and knees. Katie felt a lot of pressure in her back and hips, so Stu and I worked together pushing on each hip simultaneously.

Katie’s contractions were 3 minutes apart and much stronger than just a short time earlier. So, when the midwife stopped by to see how she was doing she was curious to know her progress. Katie was dilated 7 cm, 90% effaced, and her baby was low at 0 station! And during contractions Katie’s cervix opened to 8 cm. She had made BIG changes in a very short time! Her midwife looked her in the face and asked if she wanted to have her water broken and Katie said after pondering a few seconds, “Let’s do it.” That was her attitude the whole time, really! So, they did!

Katie returned to her hands and knees after her water was broken around 4:45 pm and by 5:00 she was making some pushy sounds at the peaks of her contractions. They grew as she continued to breathe through them and at some point, she moved off of her hands and knees back down upon the bed.

Her midwife remained as the room began to quietly fill with some additional people. By 5:17 the birth team was assembled, and everyone was waiting for one more person to arrive. “I can’t believe she isn’t out!” Katie exclaimed, to which we reassured her it would not be long at all. We supported her legs, so she didn’t have to hold them up, and her baby crowned gently. In fact, she was born just 13 minutes after Katie said she couldn’t believe she wasn’t out.

Amalia (pronounced Ama-lee-ya) was born at 5:30 pm to the joy of her parents. After an hour on her mom’s chest, we learned her stats. She weighed 7 lb. 14 oz. and measured 20.75 in. long. In the first moments she had her first poop and pee on mom, helping out her nursery nurse by checking those boxes right away.

In the afterglow of the birth, once the placenta was out and baby was on the breast, we realized the total sum of Katie’s active labor was just 2.5 hours, with 20 minutes of that spent pushing. Katie held her baby with confidence looking down at her and holding her as though this was not her first time. She and Stu were in love with their daughter from the start and I watched their connection as a couple grow into connected parents doting over all of their daughter’s perfect parts and mannerisms.

I was proud of the way Katie navigated this induction, keeping in mind that she had choices. It didn’t hurt that her nurses were excellently supportive, and her providers were on board with offering as many options (within the construct of a Pitocin induction) as they could. An induction can still be a journey of wonder and awe, and self-discovery. It can show your strength you’re your connection to your partner and your baby too. Every single birth provides this opportunity! It's one of the things I love most about what I do.

Erica and Charles became parents on April 28 when they welcomed their son, Curtis Vance, into the world. Erica made a very comfy home for her son because the weeks ticked by and her body showed no signs of imminent labor. Still, she had a strong feeling her dates were off and her baby had more growing to do, so she did not get discouraged as the time passed. But when an induction was scheduled at 42 weeks she was curious how that would go since her suspicions about her baby not quite being ready might have some merit.

The waiting continued because Erica did not get a call for a ready bed when originally expected. It wasn’t until the following morning that she was told to head in. Around 7:30 am an exam showed that Erica was dilated 1 cm and 50% effaced. The plan was Cytotec every 4 hours throughout the day to see if her cervix would respond. They also kept an eye on her baby’s heart rate which had some concerning patterns.

Then at 3:30 pm Erica’s water broke. It was a very good sign that her body was on board with the plan for labor. Erica moved her labor into the shower as the contractions began to require more of her focus. She struggled to relax between them while in the shower and wanted to labor back on the bed where she could sit upright and also recline. Erica also chose to get some i.v. Stadol to help her relax and settle in to labor. After all, she had every reason to expect it would be a long process and she wanted to keep her head in the right place. Charles squeezed Erica’s body in different places to distract her from the pain of the contractions. She breathed deeply and calmly as he did so, and managed to labor well like this for a while.

Erica considered her reasons for not wanting an epidural originally, and realized the reasons were no longer relevant. She desired movement but had chosen to get medicine to help her rest and relax so she was relegated to the bed. And her birth had already gone down a very different path with the induction, helping Erica to recognize the value of an epidural on her new journey. With contractions coming strong every 2 minutes, Erica was ready for relief.  Epidural in place, she was comfortable by 10:30 pm.

Shortly after 11:00 pm they began Pitocin since Erica’s contractions had spaced apart, a fairly common labor response after an epidural. It was at a low level (4.0 mu) but her baby’s heart rate started to dip again so it was bumped back down. We were sure to do all sorts of positions to give her baby every opportunity to descend and help to dilate Erica’s cervix. Erica lay on her right side with the peanut ball between her ankles. And just before midnight she was dilated 5-6 cm, 90% effaced, and baby’s head was at 0 station. Yay! She was in labor!

By 12:20 am we rolled Erica to her left side and kept the peanut between her ankles. She was able to get some sleep around 12:45 am, and with baby’s heart rate looking good her nurse bumped the Pitocin up a little to 6.0 mu. After 30 minutes or so it was pushed to 8.0 mu. Erica felt some pain or pressure in her left hip which had us wonder if something significant was happening in her labor. She pressed her pca button and we rolled her back to her right, this time with the peanut ball between her knees. There was some bloody show – a great sign of progress in dilation!

And by 3:15 am Erica was completely dilated and her baby was at +1/+2! She labored down a bit as her nurse set up the delivery table and notified the midwife. And at 4:45 Erica gave her first pushes. Her contractions had spaced to 5 minutes apart, so the pushes were spaced as well. Erica gave a good effort pushing on her hands and knees (yes, with an epidural), but it made more sense to labor down. She was not pain-free as the discomfort on her left side intensified. So we tried moving onto her right side to help manage the pain by using gravity to spread her epidural to the left, and we also put her right leg in a stirrup to have a bigger impact. Erica was breathing through these contractions at this point. The epidural was not providing full relief anymore. She pushed the pca button but that pain in her bottom was growing. So the best plan was to just have a baby! Erica resumed pushing with her midwife at 6:26 am. And it didn’t take long, thanks to gravity, laboring down, and strong pushes. Erica brought her son into the world at 6:50 am right before shift change, much to her nurse’s delight!

She was not pain-free as the discomfort on her left side intensified. So we tried moving onto her right side to help manage the pain by using gravity to spread her epidural to the left, and we also put her right leg in a stirrup to have a bigger impact. Erica was breathing through these contractions at this point. The epidural was not providing full relief anymore. She pushed the pca button but that pain in her bottom was growing. So the best plan was to just have a baby! Erica resumed pushing with her midwife at 6:26 am. And it didn’t take long, thanks to gravity, laboring down, and strong pushes. Erica brought her son into the world at 6:50 am right before shift change, much to her nurse’s delight!

Curtis was latched at barely an hour old and snuggled with his mom for a good long while before we learned his stats. He weighed 8 lb. 5 oz. The adoring looks exchanged between Erica and Charles were so sweet and heartwarming. And judging by the amount of vernix all over Curtis’ body, even the nursery staff suspected he might have been less than 42 weeks. His mom was right!

This birth meandered for sure, but at the center of it all Erica and Charles were united in their decisions. And as their midwife said, “Erica went from 1 cm to baby in 24 hours, and that’s pretty awesome!” We’ve since had our postpartum visit and I can report that Erica is going above and beyond to ensure Curtis continues to grow and thrive. I am so proud of Erica and Charles and the way they have grown into Curtis’ parents!

Katie and Matt welcomed their son on April 11 which also happened to be their dating anniversary. It’s as if their son knew that was an important day. Katie and Matt were students in my Birth Essentials 7-week series, investing many hours in preparing for birth. Katie is a researcher and a seeker of information, so she was always interested in options and best practices. But when her low-risk pregnancy ended up going for the long haul, the possibility of an induction became the reality. Katie had to let go of a lot of how she imagined her birth might go and was worried it might veer in a direction she feared. We had a chat the day before she went in so try to quell her fears and encourage her. Katie was nervous but she was also excited to know she would be meeting her son.

The original plan was to get admitted to the hospital on the evening of April 9, Easter Sunday. However, there were no available beds when they first called. The delay was short-lived though, and Katie was admitted by 7:30 that night. Her cervix was not showing imminent signs of labor so it would need a bit of coaxing (aka ripening). The doctor recommended Cytotec since Katie was dilated somewhere between 0-1 cm depending on who you ask. Katie wisely took some iv medication to aid with rest that night and got a solid 5 hours. Benadryl for the win!

Later the following morning, with modest dilation of 1 cm, the midwife on call thought a Cook Balloon was the best next step along with Pitocin.  A membrane sweep was also done in the hope of releasing some prostaglandins to aid in the process. The cramps from the balloon were very uncomfortable but Katie soldiered on all afternoon and evening. The balloon was out just before 11:00 pm and she was dilated 5-6 cm with a good amount of bloody show. Pitocin was going to start at 11:45 pm.

Katie’s contractions were erratic initially, some were mild, and some were very strong. She was feeling the emotional and physical exhaustion that comes with a long ripening and induction process and thought an epidural would be a good decision. Katie wanted to time it right so as to hopefully not slow down her momentum. Matt was her steady support through it all, right there backing up every decision she made. His loving care for her was so endearing.

Katie moved forward with an epidural and was feeling relief after 2:00 am. Her contractions continued ranging from 2-4 minutes apart, so they didn’t slow down much at all. Her body was overcome with labor shakes, so it was clear her body had succumbed to labor. And an hour later Katie was dilated 8 cm! It seemed that her timing for the epidural was perfect.

Katie was laboring in various positions using the peanut ball, on one side and then the other. Next she labored upright in the throne position so as to encourage her son to move further down in her pelvis. Katie and Matt’s attitudes were so wonderful, and they maintained their sense of humor through the rigorous process. They had grown so “close” to the hospital equipment that they had named some of them. The blood pressure cuff was Puff Daddy, the pulse oximeter was ET, and the IV tower was deemed Carsoganus.

Katie was fully dilated by 5:25 am! Her midwife broke her water and then we had her lay on her right side with her top leg draped on the rolling side table beside the bed. There was a lot of creative use of hospital equipment to help her baby out and it worked so well because Katie gave her first push at 6:18 am. She was a very good pusher because that first push made it clear that no further laboring down was necessary. The praise and worship playlist was started and Katie was pushing full force.

The doctor arrived at 6:45 am and after just over an hour of pushing, Gabriel was born at 7:39 am on April 11 to the joyful cries of his parents. Love bubbled over as Katie held her son outside for the first time.

Gabriel weighed 6 lb. 14 oz. and was 20.25 in long. He was perfect and clearly would have stayed in his mom even longer if he hadn’t been evicted. He was born healthy and strong, which was always the most important goal to his parents. When they were settled and had a chance to bring her baby to the breast, I gathered my things to let these new parents soak in their baby boy and hopefully get some food and rest too. Katie explained to me that her birth became a spiritual experience of surrender. She was reminded that she couldn’t control things and the best plan was to let go and let God. It was a beautiful culmination of preparation, trust, and anticipation and I am so grateful to have been able to watch it unfold.