Emily and Adam became parents on December 14, 2021, when their son Oscar Mitchell was born. Their labor journey was a stunning display of a beautiful partnership that I have been blessed to witness in the early weeks of parenthood as well. Emily’s contractions began on her due date, December 12, as mild cramps. They grew more significant around 1:15 am and had developed into enough of a pattern to warrant a call to me around 6:00 am. Emily’s contractions were already 5 minutes apart at that point, so I mobilized and was to their house by 7:30 am.

Emily had already attempted to eat and thrown it up, taken four showers, and drifted into a predictable labor pattern that cued Adam in on applying counter pressure with each contraction. They had spent the night developing their rhythm, so when I arrived, I provided an opportunity for Adam to eat something as well as offer some fresh ideas. Emily had the shakes, and although she was still chatty and able to smile between, her labor was requiring a lot from her.

Emily’s contractions spaced out a bit, but they grew longer lasting 1:45 each. That didn’t amount to much more of a break between. She sucked down some fruit pouches and rested between contractions in so much as she draped herself over whatever was near—the birth ball, the cub chair, and even Adam. Especially Adam. By 11:30 am, she labored out in the backyard for a change of scenery and the energy the sun provided.

But when she returned indoors, laboring in the shower helped her labor take a more active turn, with contractions that moved from 4 ½ minutes apart to the landmark 3 ½ minutes apart. She was feeling tired and a bit worried for what was to come. She had a particularly strong contraction that reminded her there was more work to come. In her vulnerability, Adam pulled her in close and spoke words of love and encouragement. “I can’t wait until we meet our son,” he said. “Me neither,” was Emily’s reply. A call to the midwife, and we were off to the hospital soon after that.

In her triage room, Emily had her first cervical exam and was dilated 4.5 cm and 70% effaced, and her baby was at -2 station. There was still a bit of work to do, but Emily had dilated about halfway and we reminded her that the second half of labor tends to be shorter. Once done with the NST and settled into her room, Emily was ready to be on the move. She put on her pants and walked the unit. During contractions she gripped the handrail and did anterior pelvic tilts to bring her baby deeper into her pelvis. It didn’t take long for her to want the privacy of the room, so she returned there and did some hip swirls on the birth ball instead.

She gave the hospital shower a try and I left she and Adam alone for that time, hoping oxytocin would be bolstered by their closeness. Emily emerged from the shower tired, so some lemon essential oil helped to perk her up. She labored upright in the bed shaped into a throne awhile, laying her head back onto a pillow with her feet below, to encourage her baby’s continued downward movement. At 9:37 pm Emily was dilated 5 ½ cm. This was unexpected since she had been laboring at the hospital about 6 hours and only dilated ½ to 1 cm more. She didn’t let it discourage her and her midwife was patient and encouraging.

Emily resolved to do some dangle squats with the rebozo and then returned to the shower. She and Adam worked together in the shower alone, providing a good opportunity for Emily to voice her frustration to him, “I just want to be done.” Adam spoke such strength into her, sharing how amazing she was doing and how much he believed in her. She returned to the bed to labor as the nausea returned. Peppermint assuaged it as it did previously, and a bit of Zofran didn’t hurt either. Emily threw off her blanket as her body heated up. Surely, she was making changes now.

There was even some bloody discharge that hinted of a more open cervix. Her nurse had to place the monitor lower on her belly, another good sign of baby’s descent. Emily did more dangle squats with the rebozo, and then sat upon the cub birthing chair, as burps and hiccups bubbled up, another positive sign of progress.

During a bathroom trip, Emily felt a new degree of pressure that had her express that she thought her baby was moving as if to find the best way out. (He was!) And at 2:00 am she was dilated 7 cm and her baby’s head was at -1 station. She had finally turned that corner. She and Adam returned to the bathroom for a heart-to-heart pep talk, and then a return to the shower. Emily moved down to her hands and knees as the water beat upon her back and the contractions grew even stronger. And soon she felt like she might need to push.

She got out of the shower and was ready to have her water broken if the conditions were right. Her midwife broke it and simply said, “Do you want to have your baby?” “Yes,” was Emily’s reply and she rolled over to her hands and knees and began pushing at 3:25 am. And Emily moved her baby down so rapidly, that her midwife pulled the delivery cart over just 10 minutes later. She sat at the foot of the bed as Emily did the hard work of birthing, perfectly poised at her feet in service to the source of such birthing power.

The midwife supported the perineum with oil and nonchalantly signaled the nurse to call for nursery. And with words of affirmation with each push, and Adam’s growing excitement as he caught more and more of a glimpse of his son, Emily brought him into the world at 3:50 am on December 14, 2021! He was born juicy, and since there was thick meconium, he got a little more help at the warmer clearing it all out. He was back in mama’s arms a few minutes later and always had Dad standing by. Oscar weighed 7 lb. 15 oz. and was declared perfectly healthy, punctuating that by having his first pee and poop on the warmer.

We recounted the details of the birth and were grateful for patient providers that left Emily and Adam to welcome their son the way they felt best. Emily was patient and wise and was strong in her vulnerability. She left open the possibility that things might unfold differently than the books say but knew they would unfold in the way their baby needed them to. Emily stayed focused on one contraction, one breath, and one step at a time, and I think that was the key, well that and the unfailing support of her husband. It was a beautiful journey and an important reminder that every birth is different and doesn’t necessarily follow Friedman’s Curve.

The Birth of Oscar Mitchell 12/14/21