Candace and Jacob ushered in their third baby girl, Gabrielle Samantha, on October 23 in a birth that defied their expectations, as third births often do. This was my third time to serve them in birth and I knew that Candace tended to dilate rapidly once her labor got going. But because of this, she was especially worried about timing the drive to the hospital so she A) didn’t give birth at home or on the way, and B) so she would have some time to adjust to the hospital setting and experience her labor there, not to mention make sure her doula got there in time. ;)

Candace made her way to her due date and beyond, and as expected, the induction talk was posed. Trusting her body would go into labor on its own if given enough time, Candace advocated for the latest possible date, 41w6d and hoped she wouldn’t need it. She was also pleased when her midwife said they would not jump right to Pitocin given her history and current cervical dilation. Instead, they would consider alternatives like a membrane sweep, breaking water, and use Pitocin only as a last resort. In the meantime, her cervix began to dilate and ready itself for labor. And while there was no guarantee of when labor would start, but the good news that she had already dilated some of the way.

At 11:50 pm the same day Candace texted the induction date was confirmed, she was having contractions. She was concerned about staying home too long and wasn’t sure whether she would know when to head to the hospital. Thinking to her previous birth in which she hardly made it in time, she wanted to be sure she didn’t do a repeat of that just in the nick of time birth. Candace went into the hospital because she wanted to know what was happening. Her contractions were regular at 3-4 minutes apart and her cervix changed between two checks. She arrived 2 cm dilated and was 4 cm dilated at the next check. Her baby was also moving down slowly between checks. She was debating between options like breast pump and breaking water, as recommended by her midwife.

Around 10:45 am, Candace’s midwife suggested she call for me to head in. I arrived shortly after 11:00 to find Candace sitting comfortably. She was 3-4 cm dilated at that point, after walking some and using the pump. Breaking her water was an option but it had Candace puzzling over whether it was the best decision. She thought back to her previous births to try to predict how this one might go, but her midwife gently reminded her that each birth journey is different. After giving it enough thought, Candance decided to have her water broken. The fluid ran clear, and she dilated from 3-4 to 4-5 cm immediately. The time was 11:27 am. Surely, she would have this baby by dinner, right?

Candace’s body shivered, a sign that labor was taking hold. She positioned herself on her hands and knees but commented to us that her baby was on the lazy river and apparently in no hurry to be born. She also walked the halls for an hour to intensify her contractions, but at 1:40 pm her cervix was still dilated to 5 cm. She tried using the breast pump again, but it was too painful to be worth it. Instead, she moved her labor into the shower. I set the mood with aromatherapy and votives and after an hour Candace was dilated 6 cm, although her cervix was still tilted posterior.

She returned to the shower and positioned herself so the water might provide nipple stimulation and stronger contractions, and alternated so her back would get the relief of the warm water. Next, she swirled her hips on the birth ball, and then did some pelvic tucks with the rebozo. At this point I heard her breath sound more labored and noted that her contractions were steady at 4 minutes apart. After the pelvic tucks, Candace was game to do the flying cowgirl position. We suspected for some reason, her baby was having troubling descending enough to significantly dilate her cervix so we chose positions to open the inlet of her pelvis. The heating pad helped with the back pain she felt.

At 5:30 pm when her midwife returned for an exam, Candace was dilated 6 cm. She had made modest change but was not quite yet in active labor. Her midwife recommended Pitocin or iv fluids at the very least, but Candace preferred some time to wait and see. They decided to powwow again after an hour.

Candace returned to the shower since she found the heat helped. She closed the curtain and closed herself off from everything—the room, the check, the machines, the expectations—everything. She wasn’t in there long, maybe 20 minutes but Candace did her best work in that short time. She cried out in frustration, and as she let those feelings wash over her, labor took hold.

Candace was out of the shower at 6:05 pm and draped herself over the peanut on the bed. She was breathing harder, and her contractions were closer. I pressed on her lower back since she no longer wanted the heating pad. Candace began to vocalize with her contractions, and I just knew her baby would be born soon. I called her nurse who joined us quickly and then summoned the midwife. I called the nurse at 6:18 and the midwife was in the room by 6:27.

Candace was dilated 8 cm at 6:27 but she wouldn’t be for long. She told us she felt like the head was there and she was drawn into a push almost immediately. Her midwife was poised and ready at the bottom end and Candace moved her baby with powerful pushing contractions. And Gabrielle Samantha was born at 6:35 pm on October 23, 2022! The midwife passed her baby through Candace’s legs into her arms, and we helped her lay back upon the bed. She was given the magic hour of skin to skin first, but after that was surprised to learn this was her biggest baby yet weighing 8 lb. 13 oz.

Candace snuggled her baby and let the events of the night and the day settle onto her heart. This was her longest labor and arguably her most challenging one too. She hit a wall and persevered, knowing deep within that she COULD and WOULD see it through. And she did just that. Three baby girls born, all three without epidurals. Candace is amazing.

The Birth of Gabrielle Samantha 10/23/22