Elizabeth and Eric became parents when they welcomed their son, Arthur Louis on September 19, 2021. This was Elizabeth’s first child, but she labored with a trust of someone who had labored before. The pandemic did nothing for anxiety, and Elizabeth was no exception. She worried whether her baby would be okay and knew the only way to be absolutely sure was to have him in her arms.

Elizabeth watched her due date approach and then pass. She continued her time of waiting, struggling with patience, but also knowing in her heart that time was an important part of her baby’s development and birth. Then one day, coincidentally (or serendipitously?) it was the day before her labor would begin, Elizabeth sent me a quote she had encountered: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” She took this as a sign since it was on a card for the month of September, and felt some peace settle on her anxious heart.

The following night, Elizabeth texted to say she experienced a leak around 4:30 am. She and eric She felt some cramps and wondered if it might be labor and whether she should stay home and wait. She chose to wait and she and Eric went about their day, riding around in Eric’s bumpy old truck to and from the beach. And Elizabeth took a long walk on the beach that day, a habit she had developed every weekend the month before. They went and a little over an hour later she texted with regular contractions below her belly button every few minutes. She wasn’t even 100% sure she was feeling contractions at that point, but there was nausea as well.

Four hours passed with no updates from the last update that described Elizabeth’s contractions as every 4-5 minutes. Since the drive to the hospital was a substantial one (1 hour!), they thought it best to get on the road. When they started the drive, the contractions were steady every 3-4 minutes, lasting a minute, with a lot of bloody show. These were all good things!

At 3:20 am, Elizabeth was laboring in the foyer of the hospital with a puddle leaking onto the floor. She walked as far as she could before a contraction forced her to stop. She leaned and breathed through each contraction with calm confidence. Once upstairs on the unit, the midwife did a quick exam and discovered Elizabeth’s cervix was dilated 9 cm! It was 3:41 am. She had minimized and ignored not just early labor, but nearly the whole entire thing! She was the talk of the unit, walking so calmly so late in her labor.

Between contractions, Elizabeth managed a smile and a few words, and would be caught up in another contraction moments later. She breathed deeply and moaned through the peaks, and I dimmed the lights to help minimize distractions. Feeling a lot of pressure in her bottom, she rolled off her back onto her hands and knees and labored that way for a bit. The midwives waited quietly in the room. There wasn’t much to be done but hold space for Elizabeth so she could birth her baby.

At 3:55 am Elizabeth’s water broke completely, and she would be feeling the urge to push very soon. In a moment of panic, Elizabeth told us she didn’t know how to push. We assured her that her body would lead her just as it had so far. And in a couple of contractions, her moans turned to grunts and she followed the cues of her body as she curled over her belly to bear down.

Elizabeth’s nausea worsened at the peaks of her contractions, so we brought in a cold washcloth for her face and neck, and emesis bag just in case. The baby’s heart rate dipped which can happen during second stage, but some oxygen mask helped give reserves to both the baby as well as Elizabeth. She appreciated the guidance her nurse provided for pushing, and then incorporated various positions to help meet her baby.

Elizabeth pushed on her side, and we soon saw her baby’s hair. She pushed on her hands and knees around 4:45 am, naturally incorporating a hip sway between contractions. Some hydration helped level out her baby’s heartrate, so the oxygen mask was able to get set aside. Elizabeth grabbed Eric’s hand once it was free of the mask.

At 5:05 Elizabeth reached down and felt her baby’s head! I love the look of awe and wonder on moms’ faces when they do this! Her eyes flew open wide, and she smiled a beautiful smile. She breathed deeply through her contractions and between them, and 10 minutes later her midwife put on gloves. Daddy caught a glimpse of his baby’s head at 5:23 and was amazed! And making use of all her options, Elizabeth even pushed standing beside the bed to make the best use of gravity.

Her final pushing position was semi-reclined in the bed, allowing her some rest between contractions as well as Eric’s proximity through a held hand and a tender touch of her forehead. And then at the magic time of 5:55, Arthur Louis was born! Elizabeth smiled and then cried joyful tears. Finally, she had her baby safe and sound, perfectly healthy in her arms.

Arthur was born a little wet in the lungs but nothing a little suctioning couldn’t take care of. He was born wildly alert! And he even raised his head, showing off for Mom and Dad. And as this new family of three got acquainted, the sun rose outside to mark a new day.

Arthur weighed 9 lb. 1 oz., showing that a small woman can most definitely birth a big baby! Elizabeth is a strong woman, but she is also quiet and unassuming. She revealed to me at our prenatal visit that she was not afraid of the pain. She was more afraid that her baby wouldn’t be born healthy. So having Arthur crying in her arms gave her immense relief and allowed her to let go of that fear. I am so proud of Elizabeth for naming it and working through it. What a beautiful way to do it!

The Birth of Arthur Louis 9/19/21