The Birth of Silas Asher 1/8/21

Nicole and Barry welcomed their third child, Silas Asher, on January 8, 2021. Nicole had experienced epidurals with her first two births but wanted to try for a different experience this time. She desired to feel her body’s cues, particularly during second stage so as to facilitate the pushing progress by listening more to her body and less to other people’s voices. Her body did some early ripening in preparation for birth, dilating 2 cm and 50% effacement by 37-weeks. Then a week later she was a “loose 3 cm”, so taking baby steps towards birth, no pun intended. And to make things a bit more exciting and confusing, she was up in the night with contractions off and on that eventually dissipated. Her uterus was busy doing things, just not yet going into labor.

Then nearly a week later Nicole was having regular contractions that were steady at 5 minutes apart. It was a sensible time to head to the hospital so Nicole could labor without the children underfoot. She knew she would be more able to tune into her body knowing her kids were taken care of. Nicole and Barry were in the car by 6:00 am and contractions had moved closer to 3-4 minutes apart. Nicole was dilated 5-6 cm and admitted. It happened to be shift change but Barry’s stern advocacy for his wife helped speed the process of moving to a room by 7:15.

Nicole labored about the room in positions that felt right to her. She was very calm and instinctive as she labored, and Barry was her constant companion through it all. I remember telling her she was strong and controlled, and she would look up and smile. Between her contractions she was peaceful, not anxious or scared. And this is not often the case when a woman has experienced multiple labors with epidurals. She found a trust and the desire within herself that she could labor through the contractions without pain medications. And she did not let the surges overwhelm her.

Nicole’s water broke on its own at 7:27 am as she sat on the edge of the bed. She told us it had happened, there was no need for anyone to declare it. The puddle gave it away! She felt her contractions intensify soon after and found that leaning over the birth ball upon the bed gave her a sense of power and also happened to be a great position to encourage her baby’s descent to birth. Barry and Nicole locked eyes and their connection was a beautiful part of Nicole’s labor. We placed cold cloths on her forehead and back and she heated them up quickly with her body. But she stayed focused and soon her body signaled that it was time to push.

Nicole labored her baby down and then pushed intentionally with the contractions she felt. Her baby’s heart rate dipped at times, which is not uncommon during the second stage of labor. But he always recovered with variability between. She followed her body and stayed focused. Again, her trust and commitment to her natural birth was astounding, and made even more so by the serenity of her countenance during this birth. Her midwife and OB encouraged her, and Nicole was able to hone in on what her body and baby needed her to do, especially at the end when her baby’s heart rate dipped even more. 

Silas Asher was born at 8:51 am on January 8 and placed in his mother’s waiting arms. Barry was beside himself with pride and joy, and Nicole’s beautiful smile was all we needed to see to know of her bliss. Those postpartum hormones are real and they do mighty work to encourage loving bonding. There was so much love overflowing in that space, such gratitude from everyone just for the privilege of being there, and gratitude from Barry and Nicole to all of us as well. It was a veritable love fest. The nurses and midwife were in awe of how Nicole handled herself in labor. Her confidence and trust in the process and her body were truly remarkable. She was the epitome of serenity. Honest.

Silas weighed 7 lb. 7 oz. and measured 20.5 in. long. But those stats weren’t determined until after the magic hour with his mommy and daddy for snuggling, breastfeeding, and getting to know each other. This birth was another reminder that every birth is new and different, and always presents the opportunity to see beauty in its uniqueness. From start to finish, Nicole was in labor for just 5 hours. With the craziness of a pandemic pervading so much of what we do, I am extremely grateful and hopeful that the simplest yet profound miracle of birth remains a constant. Thank goodness for that mainstay of optimism. New life, new hope, new possibilities, new love.