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.

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!

Alyson and Chris welcomed their second child, this time a son, in a very surprising birth on October 9. Since their daughter ended up coming about 2 weeks late by induction, baby’s arrival any time before the due date was not even on the radar. Alyson was very adept at ignoring the twinges and discomforts of late pregnancy that seem to come on stronger with subsequent pregnancies. She even requested a book from me to brush up on labor and I had been driving it around in the back of my car to bring to her a couple of weeks prior to the full-term 37-week mark. Worst case I could bring it to our prenatal that was scheduled around then.

The week Clifton was born, Alyson shared that she had been feeling weird all week. That Friday she thought her water had broken but a trip to the hospital and a spent nitrazine paper later, it was confirmed that it hadn’t. She was sent home. It was chocked up to typical last trimester discomforts and left at just that.

But baby Clifton had very different plans! We had scheduled our prenatal for Sunday, October 8 and as I was walking out of church Alyson called to tell me she was pretty sure her water broke, and we would not be having our prenatal visit scheduled an hour later. She was headed to the hospital instead since she was just 34w6. She didn’t expect a baby to come for another 6 weeks!

Turns out Alyson’s water did break. But she was only 1 cm dilated. She texted around noon to update that she would receive steroid injections to help baby’s lungs mature and if labor didn’t happen overnight, they would work on starting things the following afternoon. We covered some birth details via text, including Alyson’s desire to have an unmedicated birth. She labored on pitocin previously and while she hoped to avoid it, she was willing to give it a try again since she labored many hours before an epidural. Alyson would send updates in the meantime.

Sitting in a hospital room waiting for labor can be a daunting task. Alyson was permitted some meals which was a godsend, and Chris helped to keep the mood light. She had excellent staff taking care of her the whole time, easing her mind, and keeping things positive. Alyson tried to stay relaxed and “not freak out” (her words), and even thought she might watch some YouTube videos to reacquaint herself with birth. After all, she had expected to have another month or so to do all of the prepping.

As the date turned to night, Alyson requested some Benadryl to help her get much needed rest. The day had been emotionally eventful even if she wasn’t in labor yet. I went to bed, not expecting to hear about much labor that night based on the day’s lack of action. I didn’t get an update for a few hours, but in the meantime, Alyson sensed some contractions starting up at 3:30 am. She had been napping through the contractions prior to that but wasn’t able to get back to sleep after that.

Chris sent me a text around 5:15 am telling me Alyson was dilated 4 cm and 90% effaced. It was very exciting because Alyson’s body had begun the labor process on its own. We were all hopeful she could avoid pitocin. Alyson added that her contractions were 5 minutes apart and lasting a minute but there wasn’t a rush for me to come yet. Chris was doing counter pressure, and she was managing the pain fine. Her midwife mentioned reaching out so I was aware and would have some time. I asked her to reach out when she gets to the point of needing support and I would head over. Alyson anticipated in an hour would be a good time for me to come but would let me know if things changed before then. It was 5:30 am.

Just 45 minutes later, as I was waking up to head to the hospital, Alyson sent an update that she was in a lot of pain and feeling exhausted. She was thinking she would go ahead and get an epidural. At that point, I told her I should be there if she felt like she needed an epidural and she planned to hold off until I got there. Once I gathered my things and changed, I was on my way. I texted my eta to the hospital of 6:57 am.

The CRNA came into the room to administer the epidural, but Alyson asked her to leave. She was waiting and didn’t really want it. As her contractions continued to roll on through, Alyson moved into positions that would help ease the pain. She found herself on hands and knees on the bed and felt the surprising urge to push. And that’s exactly what was happening! Alyson had gone from 4 cm to pushing a baby out in 1 ½ hours!

Clifton James was born at 6:57 am, which happened to be the same time I texted my ETA. I walked on the unit to the news Alyson had given birth. I could hardly believe it! But sure enough, I walked into a scene of a baby born, but not yet the placenta. Alyson looked exhilarated and Chris was jazzed. They had done it! She clutched her little guy who was crying quite well (thanks to the miracle steroids!). She was given the gift of skin to skin with him right away. He was a strong little guy.

Alyson played over the details and the time frames, and it was mind boggling. Her midwife didn’t even receive a page until 5:00 am so everyone came together in a short time. Alyson was thrilled she gave birth without an epidural and said just knowing I was on my way helped her to hold off on getting it. I was thrilled I was able to help, even if virtually. We helped Alyson get settled and we marveled at her little guy, who weighed in at a surprisingly small 4 lb. 7 oz. He was 17.5 in. long.

Birth is never scripted, and we can’t know how it will unfold even if we think we know. Alyson’s birth was a perfect example of this. I am so proud of how she met the unique challenges thrown her way and kept herself grounded and centered during a very different journey. And ultimately, she did have her unmedicated birth even if for her higher risk labor that required continuous monitoring and elevated concerns for her baby. Alyson rode the tidal waves of her labor with finesse!

Meredith and Brett welcomed their second baby on October 3! It was an incredible confluence of perfect timing that allowed for Brett to be at the birth. He was deployed for the majority of the pregnancy and due to return a couple of weeks before Meredith’s due date. It was cutting it close, but it seemed a realistic expectation. I got a text from Meredith that was an update from her appointment. She was frustrated she tested positive for GBS, but she was excited that Brett was flying home that evening. They were in the clear!

Then three hours later I got a text from Meredith that her water broke. “What time does Brett’s plane land??” I asked first thing. It mattered. At least it would matter if her birth unfolded as it did the first time – with everything moving along at a breakneck pace once her water broke. He was due to land in a few hours, so we crossed our fingers and Meredith crossed her legs and hoped for the timing to work out.

Since Meredith had tested positive for GBS she was headed to the hospital soon after her water broke so she could receive antibiotics as soon as possible. We also thought her labor might capitulate and wanted her to have as much time to get treated as possible. She settled in at the hospital without much labor happening and Brett landed and went home to hug his firstborn and MIL and pack a quick go bag and turned around back for the hospital. Brett was severely jetlagged. And since Meredith was not in labor yet he tried to catch some sleep on the hospital couch. After all, he had been up for 48 hours at that point. He came off deployment and fell right back into life, whether he was ready to or not.

Since Meredith arrived at the hospital the first time completely dilated, we hedged out bets and I got to the hospital on the early side. Probably too early looking back. But you just never know how things will go with birth. Meredith bemoaned the fact that she was supposed to greet Brett at the airport looking pretty in a nice dress and here she was in a hospital gown wearing a diaper as she dripped. Brett’s sense of humor (and Meredith’s) shone throughout this labor. It was entertaining and a joy to witness.

Since Meredith’s labor was poky to start, we did the Three Balances to help it out. Meredith had already done the Miles Circuit. Next, she did three cycles with the breast pump and walking the halls, 10 minutes each, in an effort to start up some contractions. It wasn’t doing much for her labor yet, so she did hip swirls on the ball and even consented to an enema to rile things up, to no avail.

Meredith did some standing lunges and another round of pumping and walking. But it wasn’t doing all that much for her labor. She was tired so she rested during the next course of antibiotics, and when her midwife returned, she was ready to try something else. Suspecting Meredith might have a high leak in her amniotic sac which didn’t really push her into labor, the midwife recommended breaking her water completely. At 4:00 am Meredith’s water was broken all the way. And Meredith was on the move walking again.

Her body was still slow to come around to labor. She rested in bed with Brett and at 7:45 am (after a long night), she was dilated just 2 cm with no labor. We did the Three Balances again and she rested on her hands and knees over the CUB, but it was becoming clear that it would soon be time to start pitocin. Meredith had already relinquished her expectations about this birth being anything like her first. And that included accepting pitocin as a tool. They started it at the lowest level and raised it incrementally.

By 11:00 am the pitocin was at 10 mu. Meredith moved into the shower to labor. She emerged and with Brett’s help did some abdominal lifts and tucks to help her baby get positioned better. By 12:45 pm while on her hands and knees on the bed, Meredith felt more pressure in her butt which was an encouraging sign that her baby had moved. She lay on her side with the peanut ball between her legs and we watched the tremors of active labor take hold. The contractions were painful, and we used a heating pad to help ease the discomfort.

At 1:50 pm her baby was noticeably lower, and she was dilated 4-5cm/100% effaced. We turned on some birth affirmations which garnered some giggles at first, but the mood quickly turned more serious as Meredith descended into active labor. In fact, her body had taken hold so well, they turned down the pitocin a bit to spread out the contractions.

Meredith breathed through intensifying contractions and labored in a variety of positions. We applied counter pressure on her back and a wet cloth on her forehead. She sat upon the edge of the bed and then slow danced with Brett thorugh some contractions. And by 3:20 pm, just 1 ½ hours later she was dilated 8-9 cm!

Meredith returned to her hands and knees, a position she felt intuitively, and 15 minutes later she was pushing involuntarily. I tied the rebozo to the head of the bed so she could grab hold through contractions as she pushed. Then Meredith rolled to her back to try pushing that way. This baby was taking a lot more work to come out, so it became necessary to change positions. Meredith was so patient even though she was working way harder than anyone expected. And after pushing with her knees closed and then open again, her baby was crowning. And at 4:38 pm Kyla Christine was born!

It was soon obvious why it took so much work to bring Kyla down: her cord was wrapped twice around her neck! Kyla suffered no ill effects and her heart rate only dipped once or twice. And she came out and gave a big cry that pinked her up right away. It was an emotional moment, and a huge sigh of relief was heard all around. Kyla weighed 7 lb. 5 oz. and was 19.5 in. long. Big brother was able to meet little sister in the hospital and before discharge Kyla had actually gained weight! Suffice it to say, they were off to a fantastic start as a family of four.

Meredith’s journey to meet her second baby was not at all how she expected. She completely flipped the script with the timing. She arrived at the hospital fully dilated the first time and took nearly 24 hours in the hospital to welcome her second. But honestly, is it ever? She was grateful for small mercies though like the timing that allowed Brett to get home for the birth, and plenty of time to receive antibiotics to treat for GBS. She might have been okay with it not taking all night and into the following day, but she could also look back and see just how strong and patient she was. I am so proud of this couple and their positive attitude and love for each other through it all.

Shereen and Saxton are parents! They welcomed their son, Loren James, on October 1. They attended my childbirth class and had strong intentions of a birth without pain medications and minimal interventions. But as her due date came and went the thought of an induction did occur to her. The hope was to avoid it but she also knew there would be a deadline of 41w5d with her providers. Thankfully, her baby was on board with spontaneous labor because her body started having regular contractions towards the end of her 40th week.

Shereen’s labor began at 7:00 am on Friday, September 29. The contractions weren’t too strong or long, but they were definitely on her radar. They weren’t in touch with me just yet either. Then Saxton sent an update just before 2:00 am on September 30 that Shereen’s contractions were coming every 8-10 minutes. She continued to labor through the night and by just before 9:00 am the contractions were ranging from 4-8 minutes apart but rather inconsistent. She was not yet in active labor and so the prescription was to rest, hydrate, and eat as she was able to.

By 2:00 that afternoon the contractions were getting stronger but spaced farther apart. I gave some positional suggestions for Shereen to try in case her baby needed to tweak his position and after doing them they saw a marked change in the labor. After having regular long and closer contractions for a decent amount of time, it felt like the right point to head to the hospital. That text came at 6:00 pm. They were headed in! The contractions were regular at 5 minutes apart and Shereen had just projectile vomited – a good sign! She had been feeling contractions for nearly 36 hours at that point.

Good work had been accomplished though because Shereen was dilated 5 cm, 80% effaced, and her baby was at 0 station. She and Saxton credit the positions I suggested to them as what changed the tide of the labor. They got to the hospital at a really good time. Shereen clenched her comb through contractions and the Office played in the background on the TV in the room. Contractions were lasting 1 to 1 ½ minutes at that point and coming steadily at 3-4 minutes apart. With every contraction, Saxton pressed a Theragun against Shereen’s lower back. She couldn’t imagine laboring without that tool as things became more intense.

Shereen was feeling tired, so we used some peppermint to give her some more energy. She leaned over the CUB around 8:30 that night and we placed a cold cloth on her forehead to ward off nausea. The peppermint oil helped with that too. Her contractions soon moved to 2-3 minutes apart.

To change her position and bring her more upright, Shereen tried sitting on the birth ball at the end of the bed. She burped which was a sign of good labor. She also shared with us around 10:00 pm that she felt like the baby was in her vagina. She was feeling so much pressure, we figured her water was probably trying to break or she may have felt a bulging bag.

At 10:13 pm Shereen asked us if we were just waiting for the water to break. I told her sometimes it doesn’t break until the end, so she was waiting for her body to tell her it’s time to push. She looked up at me and said she thought it was getting close to that. And her nurse agreed as she placed the doppler way lower on her belly to get the baby’s heartrate. It wouldn’t be long.

At 10:45 pm Shereen thought her water might have broken. There was a mucus blob but a quick check confirmed it wasn’t yet her water. Her midwife stopped in about 5 minutes later to check on Shereen and to be present. And at 11:13 pm Shereen told us, “I want to push now.” She asked for an exam with the hope of good news, and she was dilated 9.5 cm with a bulging bag, as we suspected! It was 11:22 pm at the time of the exam and by 11:30 Shereen was giving little pushes as her body led her.

She returned to her hands and knees over the CUB, and we watched as she birthed the sac! Or at least the bulging bag before baby’s head. Saxton continued to apply the Theragun to Shereen’s lower back, her most valuable comfort measure for sure. She chose to stay out of the shower since she knew she wouldn’t have access to the Theragun in there!

She returned to her hands and knees over the CUB, and we watched as she birthed the sac! Or at least the bulging bag before baby’s head. Saxton continued to apply the Theragun to Shereen’s lower back, her most valuable comfort measure for sure. She chose to stay out of the shower since she knew she wouldn’t have access to the Theragun in there!

After pushing on hands and knees, Shereen rotated to push on her side. She rested between contractions and then gave it her all with strong pushes during them. And at 12:17 am she reached down to feel her baby’s head with her hand. It’s always such an exciting sight to watch a mother’s face light up at the first touch!

Soon her baby’s head was visible and that forebag continued to sit right outside her vagina. Shereen pushed consistently with each contraction and her baby’s head crowned gradually. It is difficult sensation to feel the ring of fire grow and last through many contractions, but Shereen was strong. It almost looked like she might need some help, but her body stretched, and her baby was born at 12:49 pm! The cord was around the neck but did not cause any concern in her labor.

Loren James cried right away and had so much dark hair! He even had dark eyebrows and lashes. He didn’t take too long to latch but he was equally interested in his fingers. After all, that’s what he had to suck on in utero. He weighed 8 lb. 7 oz. and was 22 in. long. Saxton enveloped his family with love, looking into the eyes of her newborn son with wonder. Loren was wide-eyed taking in the faces of his mother and father, transfixed on his parents.

Shereen rested in those first moments, holding Loren against her chest, taking in what she had just accomplished. It was long and arduous, but she minimized her early labor and arrived at the hospital at the perfect time. All told, she was only there 6 hours before her baby was born.

Labor is always a mystery, but that mystery looms greater with the first baby. Shereen and Saxton filled in the gaps of the unknowns with a strong partnership, and balance between rest and work. The (Theragun didn’t hurt either.) I’m so proud of them and will be forever grateful to have been part of their team.

Jessica and Nathan welcomed their son, Waylon, on September 25. He is their first son after three daughters! I had the honor of serving as their doula for a previous birth, so it was especially exciting when Jessica reached out to work with me again. Jessica was hopeful for a different experience since her third child was born right at the beginning of COVID when hospitals were trying to figure out safest practices during a pandemic. We were all looking forward to a more “normal” birth experience.

Jessica developed some mild polyhydramnios late in pregnancy and her son was measuring large. While she wasn’t eager for an induction, she was worried about pushing out an 11-pound baby, as she says. She was also wanting to give birth without pain medication as she had when we worked together before, and she knew the longer she waited the larger her fear would grow. And she didn’t want that fear present in her birth.

She reported to her hospital in the evening for cervical ripening in her 39th week. She also had low dose pitocin through the night to help nudge her cervix along. After 12 hours she was dilated 6 cm which was exciting, however, her contractions were still far apart and not too painful yet.

Several hours passed with no update so I checked in. Jessica was still 6 cm dilated, and while her cervix was thin at 80%, her baby was still high at -3 station. Her midwife was able to break her water though and the hope was that her labor would pick up. After an hour had passed, Jessica reported that her contractions were varying between 3-5 minutes apart, but they were more intense, but no longer than 20 seconds or so. Since Jessica was a multip, I felt it was a good time to head in just to be on the safe side.

When I walked in the room at 3:15 pm I could see that Jessica was still comfortable. She breathed through her contractions, but they didn’t require a lot of focus from her. The feel in the room was light with the anticipation of a baby at some point. But the birth did not appear to be imminent. Knowing her water had been broken and the pitocin had been running since the night, it was time for some labor. It was time for some Spinning Babies. We got started 30 minutes after I arrived.

Jessica was game for it all! I explained that we would do the Three Balances in case Waylon’s position was the reason her labor had not yet become active. That was my strong hunch, anyway. And I told her they would each occur during contractions to maximize their effectiveness, and it would be uncomfortable. And she was ready to do it. Nathan handed Jessica her comfort blanket for support. We started with the jiggle through 3 contractions to help loosen her pelvic floor and maybe jiggle enough to make space for her baby to chance his position. The second step was 2 forward leaning inversions which Jessica did like a champ. The third movement was the side-lying release done twice on each side through two contractions. Nathan rubbed Jessica through it to help her relax and feel encouraged (and loved!).

I could hear Jessica moan through contractions during the three maneuvers and was hopeful they would impact her labor. We finished the Three Balances around 4:00 pm or so and Jessica labored through a few contractions on her hands and knees over the CUB in bed. Nathan was a constant presence, stroking her face and her arm, reassuring her and loving her.

The contractions were instantly longer and stronger. I recommended Jessica do lunges over the cub to make more lateral space for baby. She did them without complaint and we could hear in her breath that her labor kicked up another notch. She labored standing beside the bed through a few and the plan became to move her labor to the shower.

I prepared the bathroom with votives and started the water running to let it heat up. Jessica felt like she had to go to the bathroom so the made her way to the toilet, pulling the iv pole beside her. But when she sat down, she felt the urge to push her baby out. It quickly became obvious the shower would not be the next stop. In fact, Jessica needed to make her way back to the bed and the simple act of walking in that moment felt impossible to her. But we walked beside her and one step and a time she got there.

Jessica climbed back up into the bed and rested on her hands and knees. Her nurse checked her and she was “complete and plus two!” It was time to have a baby! The midwife was called, and the nursery nurse was in the room momentarily. We put a cold wet cloth on her back, and she had her comfort blanket nearby.

No sooner did the midwife put on her paper garb and pull the delivery cart to the bed, did Jessica push her baby’s head into view. He moved but the midwife could tell he was a bigger baby than her others. She had Jessica stand in the fire hydrant position (aka a side lunge) and push that way, and her son came barreling out! He coughed and sputtered out fluids and cried out just fine. Waylon was born at 5:06 pm!

He was passed into Jessica’s waiting arms, and I think she was in shock to already have him! Although she had been there nearly 24 hours before meeting him, her active labor was just about an hour long! She clutched her son and tried to let it all sink in as we helped reposition her to sitting in the bed and her midwife waited for the placenta. Nathan cut the cord and was reeling with how fast everything went too.

Jessica’s sister-in-law happened to have left to pick up the girls from school, right as Jessica’s labor began to pick up. And it went so quickly, when she returned with the girls around 5:25, Waylon had already been in the world 20 minutes. The timing was perfect for their pickup and arrival to meet baby brother, although not so perfect for being present at the birth. They were gushing over his cuteness, and I just knew there would be some helpers in those big sisters.

Waylon was indeed Jessica’s heaviest baby weighing 9 lb. 2 oz. He was 21.5 in. long. But Jessica did not let fear affect her labor and pushed out her heaviest baby was all the confidence of her smaller ones. I was so proud of her and how she labored. It was quick and intense, but it was by no means easy. It just goes to show how much baby’s position can impact the way labor unfolds. And I’m very glad what we did worked! (And so is Jessica!)

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.