Camron and Bryce welcomed their second child, Eleanor Blake, on November 18, a baby sister for big brother, Theo. The birth of Ellie also happened to be the 1,000th birth for me so this was an extra special birth journey for that reason and because they were repeat clients!

Camron’s first birth began when her water broke at her prenatal appointment and proceeded to take about 29 hours, requiring some interventions for labor’s progress as well as antibiotics since her water was broken for so long. This time around, she developed preeclampsia, so an induction was the topic of conversation over a month out. Camron was no stranger to an induction since that was the path her first birth had taken. And she trusted her doctors’ recommendations for the safest outcome for her and her baby. In fact, she had some concerning symptoms that had her going to get monitored at the hospital. Thankfully she made it to her scheduled induction at 37 weeks.

Camron went into the hospital for cervical ripening after having to wait a few extra hours due to no available beds. She received Cytotec orally as well as in the suppository form. The following morning, they inserted a Cook Balloon and began low dose pitocin. Camron tried to rest through that first night and stay chill during the day until contractions picked up. The biggest challenge during an induction is not letting the same four walls drive you crazy! Bryce was a wonderful partner, keeping things light and loving her through every step.

I arrived around 2:30 pm as things were starting to pick up. Camron was still chatty and pleasant, doing some catching up between contractions. I tied the rebozo to the squat bar on the bed to give her an alternative position that was upright. The contractions were growing more consistent but still just every 4:30 minutes apart and on the shorter side.

By 4:25pm her doctor came in to assess and recommended breaking her water to move things forward. Camron was dilated 5 cm, 50% effaced, and her baby was at -3 station. Due to some concerns with tracing baby’s heart rate, they used internal monitors to get a more accurate read on things. Camron soon felt more pain in her lower back, so we used the heating pad.

Just thirty minutes later, around 5:00 pm, Camron was vocalizing with her contractions. We stepped up the positions using the CUB so she could remain upright. An hour later, Camron felt a lot of pressure like she might need to push her baby out. This brought her back to her first birth however, when she felt pushy, but it was too soon. She tightened up in response to the contraction for fear history might be repeating itself. And when her doctor did an exam, Camron was dilated to 6 cm, 80% effaced, and her baby was at -2. While she had made some change in the right direction, it was not time to push.

Camron labored out of bed in the hopes she might bring her baby down upon her cervix and open it. But she couldn’t help but feel the anxiety creep in about pushing too soon. She clenched in response and told us she thought an epidural might be a wise decision if things weren’t progressing. It had been over an hour, and this WAS her second baby, so perhaps it was time to push. However, a check confirmed she was still 6 cm, so Camron knew what she wanted to do. She requested an epidural in the hopes it would keep her from pushing too soon and possibly swelling her cervix.

By 8:00 pm they were finishing up the epidural, made a little more complicated due to a rod Camron had placed in her back. But she was comfortable soon after. Her baby’s heart rate took a surprising tumble around 8:30 pm with each contraction. We suspected this could mean big changes and when Camron’s doctor did a check, she confirmed just that! Camron was dilated 10 cm, 100% effaced, and her baby was at 0 station!

They turned down the pitocin to give baby a break. And then had Camron give a push. She was a very good pusher! It didn’t take long. Her doctor got suited up and then Camron really pushed, and she pushed Ellie into the world at 9:02 pm, exactly an hour after the epidural test dose went in! Looking back, Camron felt confident that getting the epidural when she did helped keep things moving forward so nicely.

Camron and Bryce took in their baby girl from head to toe, comparing her to big brother while also seeing how she was her own unique person. With her baby in her arms, Camron looked up at her husband who leaned down to kiss her forehead. Ellie got skin to skin with mom and then with dad, getting so much love in her first hour. Ellie weighed 6 lb. 8 oz. and measured 19.5 in. long. She was a little gal, but perfectly healthy.

The love overflowed to the next level when big brother Theo met little sis, and mom and dad watched it all. That moment comes very close to the moment of birth as one of the best. These sweet parents are gentle and kind, and I have no doubt their two children will benefit from their nature as they guide them in this life.

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!

Romina and Charles are parents! I had the privilege of getting to know them over the course of my 7-week childbirth series. Romina desired as little intervention as possible and prepared by educating herself, finding a provider who would be supportive, and last but not least, hired a doula. We met early on so the relationship was established over many months until finally Romina’s due date was looming. She was always good about reaching out to me with questions or concerns and addressed her fears as well. This was an emotionally mature thing to do and I was proud of her for it.

Professional photos courtesy of JCPenney

Romina’s body had contractions off and on in the final days which just so happened to be the week of her due date. While Romina grew accustomed to the nightly ritual of contractions in the last days, they did nothing for her sleep. It was hard to imagine how she would have the energy for labor when it happened. Romina worried about an induction, in fact it was one of her biggest (if not THE biggest) fear. So not going far past her due date was a very good thing.

Romina saw some signs of change in her body and sent me updates about them. It was an exercise in trying not to pay too much attention to things that weren’t labor but also getting excited about meeting her baby soon. But by the third night, things seemed to be more laborish. I got a text just before 3:00 am with a pattern of contractions that Romina said were getting stronger. And she also thought her water might have broken around 1:00 am. She reached out to her midwives and eventually headed in to the hospital.

After getting checked and hooked up to the monitor to assess, it seemed that Romina wasn’t quite in labor, or perhaps was in very early labor. Her cervix was very thin at 90% and her baby was at -2 station, which was good. Her midwife recommended Romina stay and get fluids and have her baby. She had already had several difficult nights and the concern turned to whether Romina would have the energy needed. They hooked her up with a wireless monitor which would give more freedom of movement. Romina breathed through her contractions but found it hard to relax. The hours passed but by that evening she had only dilated from 1 to 2 cm. Her midwife said it was time to get some labor to happen, so they agreed to starting Pitocin. This was not what Romina ever thought she would want but she also realized that it was the best next step to have her baby. She was courageous as her birth journey took a different turn.

The Pitocin was increased gradually but it didn’t take long before Romina’s contractions were overwhelming. She decided to get an epidural in the hopes it would allow for some rest, and she might relax better as well. It had also been about 24 hours since her contractions began, and she still had a ways to go. Well, unfortunately, Romina’s epidural did not perform as expected. She continued to feel pain and so we tried our best to rub her thighs and apply a rice sock and her heating pad to mitigate the pain of her contractions. With the pain still much worse than expected post-epidural, they did the epidural again. And thankfully, it worked better the second time.

And second to the pain relief, Romina (and Charles) were getting rest for the first time in a long time. We moved Romina into various positions to encourage continued progress in dilation and her diffuser helped to keep the environment relaxing. The baby’s heart rate dipped in such a way as to get our attention. Her nurse added a pillow under Romina’s hip and some fluids to her iv which seemed to help the fetal heartrate. Romina’s nurse also started gathering delivery since sometimes the baby’s heart rate can alert to big changes in the cervix.

With contractions coming steady every 3 minutes, her midwife came in to see what was happening with Romina’s cervix. And lo and behold at 11:49 pm (a short time after the second epidural was working) Romina’s cervix was completely dilated! Her baby was at -1 station. Her midwife broke her water to encourage baby’s descent and we continued to move Romina into various positions to help baby navigate the pelvis.

Romina continued to sleep (eye covers helped) and by 1:00 am her baby was at +2 station. So pushing began! Everyone was very encouraged and excited that a baby would be born soon. And Romina got started. She pushed in many positions over the hours. She pushed on one side, then the other, she sat upright in the bed, and pushed on hands and knees. We did the jiggle from Spinning Babies to help baby move down and placed cold cloths on Romina to counteract the natural heating up of her body caused by the work of labor. After pushing for 2 ½ hours Romina was tired. So she tried to rest through several contractions and then pushed on her hands and knees over the peanut. Romina tried to push with the tug of war rebozo maneuver, but her baby wasn’t descending. “I’m done,” she said.

And she really meant it. So her midwife recommended having the doctor come in and consider some assistance via vacuum. Romina was open to this if the doctor felt it might work. He came in and assessed things and thought it was a good option. But in spite of hard and consistent pushing efforts and use of the vacuum, the baby didn’t descend, and the vacuum popped off the maximum of 3 times. Her doctor shook his head disappointed that he could no longer assist Romina in this way. It was up to her to push her baby out so she continued to try. We all cheered and encouraged her. We even gave her real talk to dig deep and get her baby out. But it just wasn’t happening.

After pushing on her own for 30 more minutes with no notable progress of her baby’s head (which we could see!), the doctor recommended a c-section as the safest option at that point. He even said himself, “I don’t know why the baby isn’t coming.” After all, Romina had been pushing for over 4 hours. By all accounts Romina was doing the hard work to get her baby out. And after all the work she did, Romina embraced the option of a c-section with such courage a grace. This is a woman who was so determined to have a spontaneous unmedicated vaginal birth and she relinquished control of that idea and walked the journey of a very different birth. She was ready to meet her baby. She and Charles regrouped and came to a place of peace with the new direction. This was not an emergency. There was time to gather the team and for Romina and Charles to wrap their heads around the new plan.

Thirty minutes later they were headed to the OR and their sweet baby girl was born 25 minutes later at 6:34 am. Less than 40 minutes later they were back in the room where it started. Romina got skin to skin and so did Charles. Their baby girl, Sofia Nichole, was born at 6:34 am on August 18. She weighed 7 lb. 9 oz. and was 20 in. long. She had a head full of dark hair and she looked a lot like her daddy to me. (Most babies do.) She was latched before I left and Romina and Charles were off to a great start as parents.

Fast forward to the postpartum visit, and I was so proud of them. They had family helping in the first week or two and had come into their own with the rhythm of pumping and feeding and navigating support for tongue ties. Romina had appointments set up and was taking her postpartum time day by day. They were confident, inquisitive, united, and above all loved their baby fiercely. It was an honor to be a trusted member of their birth team and to truly see them grow into parents.

Zoe and Michael welcomed their fourth and final baby on August 2! But just because this was their fourth time in birth didn’t’ mean it would go the way they expected. (or any of us, for that matter) They took my class to prepare for the birth of their second baby. And then hired me as their doula for their third baby, whose birth I made by minutes. Zoe’s active labor was just one hour! Knowing how fast Zoe’s third labor went had us wondering how this birth would unfold and whether I would have enough time to make it. I know it had Zoe a little on edge as well since she had three kiddos to arrange before leaving for the hospital.

The laboring pictures were actually taken July 25, the first time Zoe came to the hospital thinking it was labor.

Zoe’s body had regular bouts of rhythmic contractions that had her wondering if it was “it”. She reached out from time to time, but the contractions petered out. That is until July 25. Her contractions were 5 minutes apart since 6:30 am and moved to 4 minutes apart by 8:30. By 9:15 am she could no longer breathe through them and was thinking of leaving for the hospital soon. Her midwife agreed that she should head in and we met up around 10:20 am.

Zoe was dilated 3 cm and could easily stretch to 4 cm, but after walking around and breathing through strong contractions she was still 4 cm 2 hours later. She tried to use a breast pump to get her contractions to intensify and hopefully move her into active labor, but another exam that evening around 5:00 had her cervix the same. She was not in labor and much as she had hoped to welcome her baby that day, her midwife reminded her that going home would keep her from the possibility of needing pitocin if breaking her water didn’t work. Zoe agreed and returned home.

About a week later, at her prenatal appointment with a different midwife, the possibility of induction was brought up. Zoe was barely past 40 weeks, but the logistical details were stressful coupled with her propensity for rapid active labor. So she agreed to move forward with an induction the following day, August 2.

Zoe reported to the hospital that day and the induction process was very slow to start. It was a busy day at the hospital too, and Zoe was content to be patient knowing she was finally going to meet her baby and not go home. She was also aware that I was with another client in labor, but her midwife and I were hopeful she would birth midday. (Of course, we were wrong!)

Zoe tried a breast pump that morning around 7:00 to see if it might rustle up some serious contractions. But the contractions fizzled, and her midwife confirmed at 9:00 am that she was the same as she was: 4 cm/80%. Pitocin was the next step and began sometime after 10:00 am. It was raised little by little until at 2:00 it was at 10 mu. An exam had Zoe at the same dilation, but her baby had moved lower in the pelvis. Her midwife suspected with a little bit more pitocin she would be back in a few hours to break her water. Zoe was fine with that plan.

By 3:00 pm Zoe’s contractions were coming close, but she could talk through them. I asked her if she needed support, but she said she could wait. About 30 minutes later Zoe was dilated 6 cm. Her nurse felt it was a good time to break her water and was going to get the midwife to do so, but Zoe preferred to wait. At that point I told her to please keep me posted because it was looking like I would need to call a backup doula in for her. And Zoe said she would.

Zoe took a lap walking with the iv pole and pitocin pump and about 45 minutes later her contractions went erratic and it was time. She texted that they were going to break her water, so it was a good time to have the backup doula come. I sent out the text and Brandy Burd was on her way.

With the backup doula enroute and Zoe ready to have her water broken, it turns out her midwife and the OB were both busy and unable to break Zoe’s water just yet. But her contractions intensified all the same and she was soon feeling her body move through active labor and transition in a short amount of time.

Shortly after Brandy arrived, it was clear that birth was imminent. Zoe had moved headlong into her brief active labor and after less than an hour was feeling a lot of pressure. She was laboring on her hands and knees and feeling pushy, and her nurse looked down and saw a balloon (the bag of water) coming out. The midwife was called but it was looking like a nurse delivery! The water broke at 5:42 pm, then a head came, and the midwife arrived, quickly gloved up and caught the baby at 5:43 pm!

Lots of people came running in since the birth happened in a crazy way, but mom and baby were just fine and mostly relieved to finally meet each other! Michael was also relieved to know there was support and he wouldn’t have to catch the baby himself. Skyler May weighed 8 lb. 14 oz. and was 20.25 in. long. She is adorable and her chunks only add to the cuteness.

Zoe’s birth was unexpected in some ways, but predictable in others. I hope she learned how capable she is and how little control anyone has over birth. Even with an induction it took all day, something we didn’t expect! We had already been together for 8 hours the week prior expecting a birth and were so wrong!

Zoe’s birth also highlights the value of support. Zoe was invested in having me there to serve her but there came a point when it was not going to happen, and she needed the doula Skyler chose to be there! I don’t call backup often, but this day I had to call in 2 backup doulas for the first time ever! The babies were born in the very same hour too! I am grateful for the doulas I trust to serve my clients when I am not available. And I am grateful for the clients who choose to hire me even though they have a history of precipitous labors. As Zoe’s birth highlights, you just never know. Every birth is different. Even in the same woman.

Photo Credit: Sarah Fitz Photo

Photo credit: Sarah Fitz Photo

Photo Credit: Sarah Fitz Photo

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

Desiree and Jackson welcomed their baby boy after epic induction. I remember when I first met Desiree and how much she wanted options and preferred not to be induced. She and Jackson attended my 7-week childbirth class to learn all they could about the process and their options so they would have tools to help navigate labor in the hospital setting. In the final weeks before her due date she began to feel some pressure about induction for various reasons. Her blood pressure began to creep up, and while she advocated for more time, by the following appointment, the decision was made to move forward with an induction.

With two weeks before her actual estimated due date, Desiree’s cervix would need some coaxing before any labor. Desiree went to the hospital on a Thursday evening, and they began ripening her cervix with cervadil overnight. She felt mild and inconsistent contractions and was able to have some breakfast before the next steps.

Just past noon they inserted a foley balloon and Desiree ate some lunch. She was having irregular contractions that required some focus, but she was able to breathe calmly through them. The balloon can be quite uncomfortable, and it was a good opportunity for Desiree to stay focused on her breath through the discomfort.

Since Desiree had done her homework, she requested an enema in the hopes it might stir up some labor. She was not eager to have her water broken especially since she tested positive for GBS and was leery of any potential timeline. The balloon remained in her cervix and produced consistent contractions every 2 ½ minutes that lasted 30 seconds. She stood and sat upon the toilet to find the most comfort, but she was starting to feel fatigue set in and she was not yet in active labor. Finally, by 4:00 pm the balloon came out and that alone helped a bit with the pain.

Desiree asked to use a breast pump to stir up contractions and hopefully some labor. But between the pump and the enema she felt contractions for a limited time that eventually dissipated. It was around 1:00 am on Saturday by this time and Desiree had already been at the hospital well over 24 hours. The road for her labor was looming large and long and it hadn’t even begun yet. Thankfully, she was able to advocate for a night of rest, or as much rest as possible before trying to start things up in the morning.

Desiree got some sleep and a full plate of breakfast. Pitocin was next. They started at the lowest dose and raised it incrementally over the course of the day. Desiree wasn’t sure whether to rest or move around. It was wise to rest until her body required more of her but that’s easier said than done when you’ve been staring at the same four walls for over two days!

Just prior to 3:00 pm an exam confirmed that Desiree’s cervix had still not changed much from when the balloon came out. She was feeling regular contractions every 2.5-3 minutes that lasted 60 seconds, but she could still talk and breathe calmly through them. After some discussion, Desiree and Jackson agreed that the most reasonable next step was to break her water and hope labor ensued. They did the AROM (artificial rupture of membranes) just before 5:30 pm on Saturday and Desiree was dilated 4 cm, 60% effaced, and her baby was at -3 station. And breaking the water was a game changer! Desiree’s contractions intensified almost immediately.

This was around when I got to the hospital in the hopes, we could keep that momentum going. Desiree was vocalizing with her contractions and according to her nurse she was sounding more laborish. Jackson’s mantra to Desiree was, “You’re going to get huge!” (Look up Ina May Gaskin.) And Desiree’s nurse started to get goose bumps to see Desiree’s body respond. The contractions had jumped to 2-2.5 minutes apart and required all of Desiree’s focus.

Jackson wiped her face with a wet cloth and placed a heating pad on her lower abdomen. We put Desiree in the flying cowgirl position using the peanut ball in the hopes her baby would descend even further. This is not an easy position to maintain but Desiree was such a trooper.

After about 30 minutes it was time for the shower. Yes, Desiree was getting pitocin, but remember the pitocin pump was on the iv pole that has wheels. The wireless monitor gave Desiree the freedom of the shower, not to mention some distance from the monitor and bed. Desiree labored under the water flow with Jackson right there telling her she was strong and how much he loved her. “You’re a freaking badass,” also came out. Some citrus essential oil on a washcloth in the shower helped to give Desiree the feeling of more energy and clarity.

Just past 8:00 pm Desiree got out of the shower and draped herself over the cub birthing chair upon the bed. Jackson did double hip squeezes on her lower back and then a short while later Desiree did alternating lunges. Her hands and knees position also gave us easy access to her back, so we placed a heating pad there. Desiree’s nurse contorted herself to adjust the monitor while Desiree lunged. She was extremely supportive of facilitating Desiree’s labor process and for that we were all so appreciative.

Around 9:00 pm Desiree told us she felt constant pressure “down there.” We were hopeful for significant cervical change, but an exam had her dilated at 5 cm, 50% effaced and her baby at -2 station. It was not the big change she was hoping for. The pitocin was at 18 mu with not a lot more to go, and Desiree was wondering how much longer she could endure labor without relief. She had been at it off and on for over 48 hours.

In an effort to minimize intrusion to her process, internal monitors were proposed so Desiree could avoid so many hands on her belly to find baby and contractions. She was comfortable with that and once they were inserted, she labored on her side a bit. She was feeling very tired. She rolled to her hands and knees on the cub again, then sat upon the birth ball beside the bed and rested her head on a pillow between.

By 11:00 pm, with the pitocin at 22 mu and her contractions stronger than ever, Desiree mentioned for the first time that she needed relief. Jackson encouraged her to soldier on longer though, as she labored on, even trying Froggy Walchers to help her baby come down. This is another very uncomfortable position! She straddled the peanut ball on the bed while Jackson squeezed her hips, and even lay in the left runner’s position.

But as the clock neared 1:00 am, Desiree knew the best thing to do was rest. And the surest way for that to happen was to move forward with an epidural. Making the decision was the hardest part. But once decided it didn’t take long for it to be in place and for Desiree to have relief. It was in by 1:00 am and she was comfortable and eating jello soon after. And by 2:00 am everyone got some sleep.

But as the clock neared 1:00 am, Desiree knew the best thing to do was rest. And the surest way for that to happen was to move forward with an epidural. Making the decision was the hardest part. But once decided it didn’t take long for it to be in place and for Desiree to have relief. It was in by 1:00 am and she was comfortable and eating jello soon after. And by 2:00 am everyone got some sleep.

The sleep was interrupted by a cervical check around 2:45 am, only to reveal that Desiree’s cervix was still 5 cm. it was much thinner at 90% and her baby was at -1 station, two very important points of encouragement. Her baby’s heart rate was showing some variables, so they did an amnio-infusion to float the cord in case the decels were positional. And her baby’s heart rate stabilized over time.

Pitocin was bumped up again, this time to 28 mu. There wasn’t much more left to go! But it seemed to be the magic amount for Desiree’s uterus because at 6:54 am Desiree was fully dilated! Her baby was at 0 station, so technically a bit high, but still much lower than the days preceding. Desiree was so relieved she cried, and the rest of us might have teared up a bit too.

They decided to have Desiree give pushing a whirl. I think there was a strong suspicion she would be an excellent pusher due to her natural strength and because she could finally actually push! And that’s exactly what happened! With a mirror to watch her progress, and her original OB and nurse back on shift, Desiree gave birth to her baby at 7:22 am after less than 30 minutes of pushing!!

They did not know the gender, so Jackson made the announcement that it was a boy, Bridger Rowan. He was latched in the first hour and weighed 7 lb. 12 oz. and measured 20 in. long. He was a good size for 2 weeks early.

Desiree was dilated 5 cm for 36 hours! Remember, she was admitted on Thursday night and didn’t welcome her son until Sunday morning. While that may sound like something no one would want, it goes to show how patient her providers were and how well Desiree and Jackson advocated for their options. They were informed and prepared and knew what to ask for, thanks in part to their childbirth education and having a doula to help them navigate hospital options. But Desiree stayed positive and patient the whole way through and that at the core is what had the biggest impact on her experience. The steadfast support of Jackson was another important part of it.

I wish I could say that once Bridger was born, Desiree’s preeclampsia was cured, but I can’t. She was admitted again a few days postpartum. At the time of our postpartum visit, they were home and recovering well, fine-tuning their diapering skills and interpreting Bridger’s various cries. They are joyfully and sleepily taking it day by day and I couldn’t be prouder of them.

Christina and Sam welcomed their second daughter, Tatum Ellis, on June 11! After giving birth to her first daughter, Stevie, Christina had a good idea of her goals in this birth as well as postpartum. Having journeyed through a challenging first experience, Christina knew to remain open-minded and to use what worked last time. And I really think this freed her up to have a very positive birth experience.

Her body made some gradual changes as her due date approached. An exam around 38 weeks showed she was already 2 cm dilated. This was exciting news since she received the call that same day that the induction was scheduled for the weekend. But when Christina called at the appointed time, they told her there were no beds available. She waited through the night and finally the following morning she got the call to come in. Inductions can be a lot of hurry up and wait!

Around 11:30 am Sam sent an update that the foley bulb had been placed but just an hour later it came out  and Christina was 3 cm dilated. Christina wanted to delay (or even avoid) pitocin so she used a breast pump first for a bit. She also tried to rest as long as she could as she waited for labor. Eventually they began Pitocin at 3:00 pm and raised it slowly in the hopes her body would respond with labor contractions.

By 5:00 she was contracting every 3 minutes but still able to talk through them. But since this was her second baby it seemed a good time to head in. I arrived to find Christina  coping well and Sam a steadfast support to her. There was an exam soon after I arrived at 6:45 pm. Christina was about the same: 3 cm, 50% effaced, and her baby as at -3 station. It was time to use some techniques to help bring baby down. So I used the rebozo to “shake the apple tree” and did the jiggle from Spinning Babies to help get her baby situated.

Just past shift change at 7:15 pm we helped Christina into the flying cowgirl with the peanut ball. She took all of the maneuvers and positions in stride knowing they were all to help bring Tatum earthside. A cherry popsicle was a godsend and so was my jumbo heating pad as her hips ached from labor.

Christina lay on her right side for some contractions and then moved to her hands and knees at 8:30. After a bathroom trip she wanted to sit upright  in the bed to use gravity to brig her baby down. She preferred that position since it helped her feel like she could better cope with her contractions. It also gave Sam a good opportunity to rub her feet.

Christina was feeling her labor take a turn and was curious about her progress. But at 9:30 pm she was dilated 3-4 cm, and not farther like she had hoped. Her cervix was softer but it had a good deal of effacement left before big dilation could happen.  Christina decided to get  an epidural at that point since her labor was taking longer to get established than she expected and the night loomed long.

She was comfortable by 11:00 pm and did her best to sleep. Pitocin was still flowing at 8 mu and at 1:00 am an exam confirmed she was  dilated 4 cm, 70% effaced, and her baby was still high at -3. They broke her water at that point since Christina was on board with it. And we all hoped it would put her into active labor.

We used the peanut ball to keep her hips asymmetric and kept her body rotating from side to side as well. Sam got some sleep and Christina tried, but it can be hard to rest when you are meeting your baby soon. Plus busy hospitals aren’t very conducive to sleep. We sat Christina up in the bed in the throne position again and she was soon feeling nauseous and shaking. We were excited because this was an encouraging sign of progress! Even with an epidural, the body knows. They set up the delivery table taking this as a strong sign baby was coming soon!

Just before 5:00 am Christina had a lip on the right side but she was 100% effaced and her baby had moved down to 0 station! Christina labored down another 1 ½ hours so that lip could melt away and her baby could descend even further. She spent a lot of time on her right side along with a heating pad on her back and hip and peppermint close by for nausea.

And feeling lots of pressure at 6:25 am, the doctor checked to discover Christina’s baby was “right there”! She began pushing at 6:32 and her baby girl arrived at 6:36, after just one or two contractions! Tatum Ellis was welcomed with such love and joy! Christina scooped her up and in that moment the long induction journey was already the last thing on her mind. It was all worth it to have her second baby girl in her arms.

And even though her baby came in just a couple of pushes there were no stitches needed! Kudos to Christina for having control as she pushed and the benefit of warm compresses and oil from the doctor. Tatum weighed in at 7 lb. 3 oz.

Tatum was a very chill baby who hardly cried. But her nursery nurse was content with hearing breath sounds and seeing her pink up before her eyes. She snuggled with her mom right away and before long Christina was presented with a pancakes, sausage, and egg breakfast!

This couple was a joy to serve. They partnered beautifully and kept a sense of humor through the entire process. Christina knew an induction wouldn’t be an easier way, but she was prepared and knew her options every step of the journey. She had agency and was respected and supported. And that makes for a strong start to motherhood.

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.

Welcome to the world, Maxson David Delano, born in the final minutes of June 2! This is my second time to serve as Jerica’s doula, so I was familiar with her understated way of laboring. But this was her third baby, and they have a reputation of being unpredictable. And this birth was a scheduled induction for postdates which also adds an extra layer of uncertainty on top of the already unpredictable nature of spontaneous labor.

It was a very busy day for birth but the staff worked diligently to get Jerica settled into a room as soon as one was available. She was dilated 2 cm, 60% effaced, and baby was -2. Jerica’s veins were a tricky stick, so getting an iv established required more than one try by more than one nurse, but eventually it was successfully established by an anesthesiologist. Working as a team they made it happen.

And over 6 hours after arrival, Jerica received her first dose of Cytotec. And then she waited. Jerica requested the breast pump to use in the hopes it would get things going as she waited for the next dose of Cytotec. Four hours later came the second dose, just past 6:00 pm. Jerica had some mild contractions that were close and short, but she could talk through them and knew they weren’t to the level of significant cervical change yet.  She sent David home to help settle the kids for bed.

By 9:00 pm, Jerica’s contractions were super close but still not very strong. She felt some pain in her lower back as well and considered walking around. I gave her some suggestions to ease the back pain and wondered if baby’s position was the cause. But within 30 minutes Jerica felt a shift in intensity that had me feel I should head to the hospital. She was worried I was coming too soon and preferred I want until she got checked so I waited.

At 10:20 pm she was checked and confirmed dilated 4 cm, still 60% effaced, and baby was still at -2 station. But even though the numbers didn’t seem like significant change had occurred, Jerica continued to feel pain in her back and thought they were getting more intense. She suspected it would be time to come soon so we felt it best I just head in. I left at 10:45 pm and arrived around 11:15.

Jerica was moaning through contractions that were close together. Of course, they had been close for hours, but had very recently turned the corner to active. She was standing by the bed, braced against it as she breathed through contractions. Her labor had taken hold in the 30 minutes since our call. She breathed and focused through each contraction and found the breaks shorter than the actual contractions.

Jerica felt like she had to use the bathroom, so she took a pit stop with David by her side. (Yes, I know this could mean a baby is coming but not even Jerica thought that was the case.) So, I went about setting up votives around the room to enhance the ambiance and didn’t hear her when she told David she was pushing, and then dismissed herself with “that’s can’t be right.” Jerica made her way out of the bathroom and back to the bed to lay on her side awhile. She requested David play her Hypnobabies scripts on the speaker, so he set that up as well. Then as she lay there, she said she felt her baby was coming but she wasn’t ready. Her nurse was casually setting up the delivery cart unaware that Jerica felt her baby coming, so we alerted her that Jerica felt the baby.

The nurse called for the doctor who was not in the building, so they had the hospitalist OB come in for delivery. Jerica was startled that she was actually pushing already, and she felt very overwhelmed. “I’m not ready,” became her mantra. And I met it with, “But your baby is ready. It’s okay to be overwhelmed by what you are feeling. It went so quickly!” The doctor came rushing in and got the deets from Jerica’s nurse. She hurriedly dressed in her paper suit and pulled the delivery cart up to the bed.

She lay on her side, and we supported her upper leg. The doctor watched as Jerica’s amniotic sac was born. She offered to break it but Jerica preferred she didn’t. With the next contraction, the sac was laying upon the bed like a water balloon cinched at the base. And it gently released fluid on its own. “I can’t do it,” Jerica insisted, right as she WAS doing it. We could see Jerica’s baby crowning in that moment and the doctor had David come to the end of the bed to help do the delivery! Jerica continued to tell us she wasn’t ready, but she pushed as if she most definitely was! The doctor patiently waited as Jerica pushed instinctively, following her body’s urges as she was ready. And once her baby’s head and shoulder was born, the doctor gestured for David to move in closer. The final push brought their baby into David’s hands, who was then instructed to place the baby onto Jerica’s belly. He was a bit shocked himself, so he paused for a moment of wonder before passing their newborn baby to his wife.

Maxon weighed in at 8 lb. 13 oz., the heaviest of his brothers, and measured 21 in. long. As Jerica processed the birth in that first hour or so, she told us she was scared and not ready. And she didn’t think she would make it for a long labor. So, her baby ended up coming the way she needed him to! David confessed that he felt like he might pass out right before the bag of waters was born, but he managed to stay upright. And Jerica tried to piece together when she was in transition. It must have happened on that bed and probably just lasted a couple of minutes!

It just goes to show that cervical dilation has no bearing on labor duration ever, but especially after the first baby. And Jerica’s intuition was far more compelling than any exam she received that day. I am so proud of her for advocating for what she needed in the waiting hours, and in the 90 minutes of active labor. She birthed with composure and grace just as I remembered from the birth of her second. And like before, she didn’t even look like she had given birth. Needless to say, Jerica is quite remarkable in more ways than one!

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!