The Birth of James Michael 5/28/21
Morgan and Park welcomed their second son on May 28 in a surprising and dramatic way. Even though this was not her first pregnancy and birth, that doesn’t mean Morgan didn’t walk through the same pitfalls of post due date blues, and wondering how everything would unfold. Sometimes it seems that feeling like it will never happen makes it happen because the next day Morgan texted me at 1:00 am that she was having contractions. She had felt some regular bouts of contractions off and on that had her wondering if it was labor. But this time it felt different to her. They began around midnight and hadn’t relented even after drinking tons of water. She hoped to avoid spending early labor at the hospital, an experience she’d like not repeat from her first birth. So she was a bit gun shy about going to the hospital too soon.
The contractions escalated over several hours and had Morgan convinced the timing was right to head in. They were short, but they were strong and close at just 2 minutes apart. Once Park had the car loaded up they were on the road. But after the car ride, getting to labor and delivery, then the required initial NST, Morgan sensed that her contractions had spaced out and were less intense. She tried to relax and catch some rest but it was disconcerting for sure. She was checked and 3 cm, which wasn’t as much as she had hoped. So it was recommended she go walking for a bit. We began our walk but soon realized it was not optimal to be at the hospital trying to walk into active labor. Morgan wanted so much to be in active labor and not arrive too soon, yet that was the situation she found herself in. When we talked through it, Park and Morgan knew that going home was the best plan. Home was where she could labor freely once things really got going, and she could rest in the meantime. After all, they had both been up all night.
Morgan rested some of the morning and got in the warm bath, and her contractions continued and grew stronger. In fact, they came back with an intensity that left her certain this time that she needed to go to the hospital. It was just before 1:00 pm and they were back on the road and arrived by 1:30 pm. Morgan wasn’t in triage for more than 5 minutes before heading directly to a labor and delivery room. She was definitely staying because she was dilated 8-9 cm! Morgan quickly found her way to the shower to labor. She vocalized through her contractions with strong and deep moans that opened and thinned her cervix nicely. She braced her body with the arm rails in the shower and also had Park right beside her for support.
Morgan felt the pressure grow as her baby descended, building up pressure for her water to break. She blew raspberries to hold off on pushing and continued to labor down. She got out of the shower and made her way toward the bed, pausing for a contraction on the way. And soon after she got onto the bed as the urge to push grew. Park kept Morgan’s hand in his as the room filled with people. She was bearing down with the next contraction “I can do this, I can do this,” was her mantra, reminding herself she was made to birth this baby. Park spoke into Morgan’s ear, “You are strong,” and “You’ve got this,.” His presence and words were just the support Morgan needed. And then her water broke with a splash!
Morgan didn’t push long, but in that short time, the midwife arrived and chimed right in with the encouraging words. Morgan was not asked to move onto her back. Her pushes were not counted out. She bore down with her body’s cues as the midwife applied a warm compress. And Morgan’s baby was crowning in just a few minutes and she gently progressed his head with measured pushes and breaks. And after nearly 10 minutes of crowning, Morgan pushed her baby out into the world at 2:54 pm! They did not know the gender beforehand, but Park triumphantly announced another son! James Michael, named for Park’s dad, took a little bit of time, oxygen, and stimulation to cry out. But when he cried it was robust and strong, and he was breathing well.
Morgan reached her arms out to receive her son and held him close. The cord was technically cut, but Jamie would be tied to his mom forever. He was a big boy and jaws dropped when the scale verified his size. He weighed 9 lb. 12 oz.! Morgan couldn’t believe it and as you might expect, Jamie latched and nursed well. Most big babies do. He also got skin to skin with his daddy and a Facetime introduction to his big brother.
Morgan spent those quiet moments soaking in her son but also processing what had just happened. Her birth turned out just as she had hoped in the end because she wanted to avoid being at the hospital too early for too long. And while she arrived on the early side, she went home with confidence and labored there far into active labor before returning to the hospital. She and Park developed a beautiful labor dance and welcomed their son in the midst of it. I was humbled in this birth, much how I am humbled at every birth. And Morgan showed that listening to her inner voice was the most important voice the entire time. And I love that.
