Trea Bradley was born on November 7, making Danielle and Clemmie parents and changing their lives forever. Danielle’s first sign of labor manifested as erratic contractions and significant back pain. This was on Friday afternoon, November 6. The pain was so consistent that she had trouble deciphering when she was having contractions. She was intentional with her positions in the hopes her baby would get himself squared away. She spent time in the shower to help her cope with the contractions, and even got sick from the pain. They called the midwife and decided to head to the hospital, arriving at 10:00 that night. Danielle was dilated 3 cm at her previous appointment, so when her midwife checked and measured her cervix at 4 cm, it wasn’t the good news she was hoping for. She kept her attitude positive as she dressed in her labor gown and completed the admissions process. Danielle felt a lot of pain in her left hip with her contractions so we incorporated positions that would move her baby off of the left side. Warm compresses and additional shower time were a temporary relief, but ultimately couldn’t touch the hip pain. Danielle was feeling exhausted and overwhelmed and decided an epidural would be a good tool to help the process. She would get rest and her pelvis would get complete relaxation too.

By 1:00 that night, Danielle was dilated 5 cm. Progress was being made and her spirits were high. Then about 30 minutes later her water broke spontaneously. Another positive! There was some meconium so a pediatrician would attend the birth, but all in all things were looking good. Her midwife verified that Trae was looking at his mom’s right hip, thus causing the left hip pain with the back of his head. So we cycled Danielle through various positions to encourage her baby’s rotation and descent. We used a peanut ball, some pillows, the stirrups, and even intentional leg positioning. And by 6:15 am, Danielle was dilated 8 cm! her midwives changed shifts and she looked forward to welcoming her baby that morning. At least that was the assumption.

But after four hours, with no cervical change, and contractions that had spread apart, her midwife and doctor felt it was time to incorporate some Pitocin. A little more power to her contractions might be the key to opening her cervix and maneuvering her son into a more optimal birth position. And it seemed to work because an hour later she was 9 cm and her baby was at 0 station. It took another 2 ½ hours after that, but Danielle got the excellent news that she was fully dilated and her baby’s head was at +2 station! This was a huge landmark and a goal she had been working toward for over 24 hours! But then it was time to push. And that would prove to be a whole new challenging adventure. Danielle gave her first push at 2:20 pm. And she pushed in every position imaginable and even used the rebozo to tug of war push. Her baby was moving but very gradually, and Danielle was exhausted. After nearly 3 hours of pushing and a heartfelt conversation with her doctor, they decided some help with the vacuum would facilitate a vaginal birth. Danielle began to feel the pain of her contractions but she mustered her courage and listened to her doctor, and she drew from a deep well of strength to push her baby out!

Trea Bradley was born at 5:21 pm and was a little stunned at first. He needed to be reminded how to breath but transitioned well with some nursery time. Thankfully Danielle and Clemmie were able to savor a few minutes holding and touching their newborn son. That separation is always so difficult, but once again, Danielle summoned her courage to do the hard thing. Trea weighed 7 lb. 5 oz. and was 21 ½ in. long. He was the perfect size, which helped give the best chance for a vaginal birth! It’s worth noting that Danielle had an amazing labor soundtrack. We heard songs by Queen cycle through the hours she pushed and when she welcomed her son we could hear, “We Are the Champions” playing in the background, the perfect song. Danielle was a champion through her labor. She persevered through a lot. She missed several meals (a clear tray of food doesn’t count). She had to change her plan and be open to what her baby needed both during her birth and the immediate postpartum. She put her own wants aside and made sure her son at the best start and all the support necessary. That is a true mom skill. And Clemmie was such a steadfast partner! He never left Danielle’s side. We had to nag him to go get food and he hardly slept. He wanted so badly to be present for Danielle. And while I don’t recommend foregoing food and sleep for the woman you love, if that was a barometer, his love for his wife and son are off the charts. You make such an amazing team. Thank you for allowing me to be a little part of it.

The Birth of Trea Bradley 11/7/20