The Birth of Amara Forrest 1/12/21

In the midst of a pandemic, when things are just so crazy, and extra restrictive protocols exist, it’s inspiring to see a woman transcend the baggage of the present moment, or even the past, and meet her baby in her chosen way. Introducing sweet Amara Forrest and her strong mom, Hannah. We met many months prior and Hannah made her goals clear to me about wanting as natural a birth as possible. She also explained that her birth partner would not be the father of her baby, but rather her best friend. We got to know each other over the 8-week childbirth education series I taught, and we suddenly found ourselves on Hannah’s due date.

Now ordinarily that doesn’t mean much. But I should have known. At 5:12 the morning of her due date, January 12, Hannah texted to tell me she was having waves on a regular time cycle. They were getting longer and closer and felt quite different than the Braxton Hicks she was accustomed to. Rest and hydration was the plan and she would update with news. Turns out Hannah had a challenging morning. She was vomiting often and having a hard time even keeping fluids down. Her friend, Rosey had made red raspberry leaf ice chips but that was the only thing Hannah could take in. Her contractions were coming 3 minutes apart and lasting more than a minute. So with an hour-long drive they thought it best to head to the hospital around 11:00 that morning.

Just past noon they arrived. And after going through the initial questioning, Hannah was checked and confirmed to be dilated 3 cm. But she definitely wasn’t acting like it! Her midwife suspected she was dehydrated so she recommended a bag of fluids to see if it helped her contractions to be more effective. Hannah and Rosey labored in triage for three hours. Apparently it was a very popular day for babies to be born. But some wonderful things happened over those hours. Hannah labored in positions that felt most intuitive to her, and as her contractions escalataed she met them with vocalizations. Then when she suspected a gush that might be her water breaking they summoned the nurse. Hannah was 7 cm dilated and would finally be admitted to a room! The bag of fluids definitely did the trick.

Once in her room, Hannah headed right for the shower, knowing the water would bring some relief and help her to stay loose and open through the intensity of her contractions. She continued to vocalize in the shower as Rosey and I encouraged her and spoke strength to her. Hannah was working hard and though she never wavered, she was definitely in unchartered territory. She blew through the pressure she was feeling so as not to push. Then she felt some stinging and reached down to feel what she thought was her baby’s head. It wasn’t, it was her bag of water. But her baby was not far behind.

Hannah made her way out of the shower and back onto the bed to see if it might be time to have a baby. She felt a whole lot of pressure, after all. And sure enough, Hannah was fully dilated and her water broke during the exam as if to punctuate the discovery. She rolled over to her hands and knees and pushed in a kneel before leaning over the birth ball to push the couple of contractions that remained. Hannah pushed her baby out so quickly, even her midwife didn’t expect it. She had stepped out briefly and in that short time (one contraction!) Hannah brought her baby’s head down to her perineum. The nurse came in to cup her hand in protection, and another push brough the head and the baby’s body right as the midwife returned. Amara Forrest entered the world calmly and quietly, giving her nurse her first catch! Hannah pushed through only a couple of contractions before welcoming her baby at 3:39 pm on January 12, 2021.

Hannah was in awe and wonder as she looked upon her daughter, and then the emotions flowed with the tears. “She’s so beautiful!” fell from Hannah and Rosey’s mouths. Hannah lay down upon the bed and cradled her Amara with such joy and tenderness. Her instincts kicked in and she longed to bring her baby to her breast as soon as possible. Her placenta came in time, shaped like a heart, but there were some complications that would require some assistance postpartum.

But in the meantime, Amara nursed for 25 minutes straight and her mom fell deeply in love with her and became a doting mother in an instant. She and Rosey were a beautiful partnership in labor and to see them was reminiscent of the days when women always birthed with women by their side. Amara weighed a chunky 8 lb. 4 oz. and was 21 ¼ in. long. She had such a thick neck roll I would have guessed she weighed 9 lb. for sure!

Leaving this birth had me feeling hopeful in some ways, as I saw my client rise above the medical constraints that are endemic to the hospital setting during a pandemic. I also saw her triumph through a challenging separation from her birth team in triage, finding her way one contraction at a time with virtual doula support in the interim. It was not ideal, to be completely honest, but in these crazy times, we were all grateful to have been connected and ultimately reunited for the most trying part of the birth. I am so thankful for being invited into a sacred space and for being reminded of the autonomy and strength that resides in every birthing woman if she is given the opportunity to express it. And thank you for my first ever doula baby to share my first name!