Mallory and Dustin welcomed their second baby, a sister for Ryleigh on April 17. That sweet baby is Elouise Joy and no doubt brings lots of joy to her parents and big sister. I was blessed to have accompanied Mallory and Dustin for their first birth so it was an honor to be invited back again. They also attended my 2-week refresher class specifically for veteran parents, so they could brush up on the finer points of labor and go over the differences they might expect for a second labor. Mallory rounded out her third trimester in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic so plans changed and things became very different. My support would be virtual. But at the core, what was true was the same—that Mallory would welcome her baby surrounded in loving support with providers she trusted. For they were the same providers who took care of her in her first pregnancy. Mallory’s due date came and went, and just over a week later she was scheduled for an induction. 

Mallory and Dustin arrived at a very early hour and as inductions often go, it was slow. And on top of that their baby was suspected to be OP, which would bring its own potential challenges and delays. Mallory moved through the Miles Circuit to try to encourage her baby to rotate, all while the Pitocin crept up incrementally. That evening just before 6:00 pm things were looking more like labor. Mallory was dilated 4 cm a short while before and her midwife broke her water. Praise and worship music played as she breathed and focused through each contraction. The next stop was the shower where Mallory labored in lunges. The pressure grew within her pelvis so much so that it made her throw up. Even so, after leaving the shower, her midwife checked and while the baby was lower, Mallory’s cervix was still dilated 4 cm. But Mallory did not let this discourage her. I reminded her that the number did not matter and was no indication of how much longer labor would last. We dimmed the lights and she returned to the shower and just 30 minutes later she felt so much pressure that her midwife did another exam revealing she was dilated 7 cm! Mallory rolled over to her hands and knees and labored since it felt best for her. And just 15 minutes later we heard the unmistakable sound of pushing! Mallory was fully dilated at 8:23 pm and her midwife dressed in the paper suit (and mask, of course), and pulled up the delivery cart bedside. Mallory followed the cues of her body and in maybe two contractions she pushed her baby right on out! Elouise was born at 8:28 pm!

Mallory lay down upon the bed and held her baby close. She had done it! In the midst of a pandemic with an OP baby and a virtual doula, she had done it. Dustin called home right away so grandma and big sister could get the happy news before bedtime. We heard Ryleigh’s happy squeals at the official promotion to big sister and it made us all smile. In the end, Elouise was born in the OA position, rotated right at the end, probably because her mom was so active in labor. She was also born without her hands by her face, another unfortunate positional challenge that was rectified. Even more amazing is the fact that Elouise weighed 9 lb. 2 oz., was 21 oz. long, and Mallory did not tear. And she was latched to her mom’s breast by 8:42 pm. Mallory flew from 4 cm to birth in just ONE HOUR! Indeed, every birth is different. And we can often count of second babies coming quickly once they are ready. Thank you for allowing me to serve your family again. You were amazing and remained positive and saw your birth through in spite of the many challenges you faced. Way to go!! 

Erin and David welcomed their second child, a son this time, on April 5! Erin like many of my clients, has the distinction of giving birth during the Pandemic, with hospital restrictions that relegated my support to virtual. Funny thing, I was her in-person doula with the birth of her first, so we were curious how this virtual-doula thing would pan out. We had our prenatal visit and remained in steady communication prior to labor. Erin’s body made gradual changes that had her midwives telling her weekly, “Today could be the day.” But still, she had bouts of contractions that had her thinking it might be labor, only to fizzle out with a bath. They had a rather hefty commute to contend with in addition to securing care for their toddler, so the logistics of when to leave were complicated.

Then late on Sunday, April 5, I got a text from Erin that was different. It was nearly 10:00 pm (that was different!), and she was really having to breathe through her contractions that were felt down low. They were far apart at 10 minutes, but they had Erin stopping in her tracks and that was something. Well, just 30 minutes later, Erin’s contractions had moved to 5 minutes and then closer, and much stronger and longer. David was talking Erin through each one, reminding her to drop her shoulders and take deep breaths. I could hear him on the other end of the phone. Needless to say, they were packing up and heading out. They arrived at the room at 11:00 that night, and began the admissions process. The midwife came in to assess a short time later and determined that Erin was dilated 6-7 cm with a bulging bag. She felt so much pressure, almost like she was pushing. I reminded her that the bulging bag would make her feel that way and to blow through it as her body finished dilation. A cold cloth on her neck offered a little bit of relief, but her labor was racing on full speed. Erin’s water broke at 11:32 pm and she was fully dilated that instant. Her contractions immediately moved to pushing contractions as she roared her baby to crowning in moments. David was such wonderful support to Erin, looking into her face and supporting her neck through the past part of the birth. When labor moves that rapidly it can be difficult to get a handle on it, but David was definitely Erin’s touchstone. Their baby’s head was crowning by 11:40 and at 11:46 pm Scott Bearach was born!

“Sweet boy,” said Erin, as Scott struggled to open his eyes for the first time in a bright room. His cry was strong and we could tell he was on the chunky side. Erin did an incredible job in the midst of a tornadic labor! She was in active labor less than 2 hours! After things settled down and they had their magic hour with their son, the moment of truth came to learn exactly how big Scott was. He weighed in at 8 lb. 12.8 oz. and measured 20.5 in. long. He was definitely a sturdy baby! Congratulations again, on giving birth with such courage and strength during such an uncertain and crazy time. It was an honor to be present, and to have David be such an excellent hands-on partner. You both rocked it and I am so proud of you!

Caitlin and Jordan welcomed their first child, a boy, on April 4! Oliver Eric came barreling into the world in a very surprising fashion! Caitlin went to her routine prenatal appointment just a couple of days past her due date. She had an ultrasound that revealed low fetal movement, and an NST that was not excellent. So they agreed with her provider that induction was the safest option for baby’s well-being. Caitlin went straight to L&D to begin the induction process, but not until her sweet nurse handed her a sandwich and snacks, because, you know, inductions are usually LONG. And Caitlin was dilated 1 cm with her first baby. This was going to be a long and involved process. Right?

Wrong!

This is where Oliver decided to throw everyone for a loop. It’s a perfect example of where making assumptions gets us…nothing. They began the induction with pitocin around 7:00 pm. Caitlin knew to rest and not get drawn into her contractions too soon. But her uterus responded very well with the pitocin and before long she was thrown into full-blown active labor. She was feeling overwhelmed and panicked as her body moved at warp speed. After just 2 hours of pitocin, at 9:00 pm she was dilated to 4 cm. Caitlin was in great discomfort and her baby was having decelerations that were concerning. She preferred not to have her water broken to speed things up, so after laboring for awhile, she opted for an epidural to help with the pain and aid in relaxation. Caitlin’s contractions were extremely intense, making it hard for her to relax and breathe deeply. Plus her blood pressure was very high and the epidural would help with that too. And after all, it could still be hours, right? But that’s where everyone was wrong! Shortly after the epidural was placed, Caitlin was dilated 9.5 cm! (No wonder she was in great discomfort!) There wasn’t even time for a nap. Oliver was born at 12:41 am on April 4 after just 3 pushing contractions! And lo and behold, he had a true knot in his cord, which might have accounted for the decels during labor. He is a lucky boy indeed.

Oliver’s parents were overwhelmed and in love all at the same time. From start to finish, Caitlin had her son in her arms less than 6 hours after they hung the pitocin. That’s an unbelievable timeline and just goes to show that you just never know. I am so proud of this couple for rolling with the punches and making the decisions that felt the best for them and for their baby. A few months have passed since, but they continue to learn and grow together as they parents their sweet Oliver. Congratulations on becoming parents and thank you for allowing me to accompany you on your journey and to share that amazing journey here.