This little boy was so eager to see the results of the presidential election, he came over a month early! Of course, we all know the outcome had not been resolved that night but he was here nonetheless! And here is how it all happened. Stacy and Matt were repeat clients of mine, but this pregnancy was definitely not a repeat of the first. Not a bit of it was the same! This baby and the pregnancy all occurred over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic so that affected things. And this time around, Stacy had some alarming preterm contractions on October 24. She was only 34w3d along so buying more time for her baby boy to cook was ideal. Thankfully, iv fluids helped to settle things down enough to go home, and a steroid shot for good measure would help ensure his lungs were ready when he was. And Stacy was already dilated 3 cm so there was also that! Needless to say, the remaining weeks of the pregnancy brought an elevated level of vigilance and worry.

So when Stacy noticed some bleeding 10 days later she did not hesitate to call her midwife. They were instructed to go to the hospital and get checked out, and soon after she arrived Stacy felt the familiar roll of contractions. They were mild, but they were there. Stacy was 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced and her midwife told her that she would not be going home. She might be monitored until delivery unless she was in labor and would birth that night. Believe it or not, that still remained to be seen. Stacy wasn’t even sure herself, whether she was in labor. But within a couple of hours that changed. Just before 1:00 am, Matt sent me a text that they were pretty sure the baby was coming later that day. Stacy also happened to be 6 cm and 100% effaced so it was definitely labor! I arrived 20 minutes later. Thank goodness I live close.

Stacy felt a lot of worry and anxiety in this labor. Her preterm labor contractions and bleeding, and now facing the reality of a late preterm birth had her struggling to feel calm and safe. She felt a nap and the opportunity to regroup would be instrumental in her mental and emotional readiness to welcome her son. She requested an epidural and the wheels were rapidly set in motion to make it happen. Stacy’s epidural was in place by 1:25am. Naptime! Or so she thought. Her son’s heart rate dipped from the strong contractions and his rapid descent, so everyone watched him closely, while also readying the delivery cart. We knew Stacy would be meeting her son very soon, even if she didn’t realize it. And 40 minutes after the epidural was placed and before the pump was set up, Stacy was fully dilated and feeling a lot or pressure! It was time!

Stacy felt a lot of worry and anxiety in this labor. Her preterm labor contractions and bleeding, and now facing the reality of a late preterm birth had her struggling to feel calm and safe. She felt a nap and the opportunity to regroup would be instrumental in her mental and emotional readiness to welcome her son. She requested an epidural and the wheels were rapidly set in motion to make it happen. Stacy’s epidural was in place by 1:25am. Naptime! Or so she thought. Her son’s heart rate dipped from the strong contractions and his rapid descent, so everyone watched him closely, while also readying the delivery cart. We knew Stacy would be meeting her son very soon, even if she didn’t realize it. And 40 minutes after the epidural was placed and before the pump was set up, Stacy was fully dilated and feeling a lot or pressure! It was time!

The relief that washed over Stacy and Matt was intense as they took in their perfect and healthy son who had them worried sick just a couple of weeks before. He latched in his perfect time at 3:00 am, and finally Stacy was the image of peace and serenity that she had evaded her. This baby’s birth was a master class on the importance of letting go and greeting your birth journey with open hands and an open mind and heart. She was patient, trusting, courageous, discerning, and accepting of the path her baby chose for himself. Their sweet loving relief was clear to me as I saw Matt’s lovestruck grin looking into his son’s squinty eyes, and in the way Stacy cradled her son confidently when just a couple of hours earlier she cradled her belly in anxiousness and fear. Paxton was born in his perfect time and it was beautiful.

The Birth of Paxton Lynn 11/4/20