Gabriela and Michael welcomed their daughter Aurelia Autumn on September 17. Gabriela had a medical reason for induction which had her at the hospital at 39 weeks. But she was open-minded and trusted her providers and she trusted her body. It would know what to do. After all, her body had been making some progress behind the scenes. It was dilated 3 cm at the start of the induction process. After talking through options with her midwife, the decision was made to begin with Pitocin and go from there. It was a gradual start with the dose slowly increasing until labor took hold. And several hours later, even though Gabriela was shaky and queasy, her cervix remained 3 cm dilated. She was 80% effaced though and we were hopeful things would kick into gear soon. 

About 90 minutes later, at 2:30 pm, Gabriela was contracting every 2 – 2 ½ minutes and having to breathe and focus. Her midwife stopped in to do an exam and confirmed that Gabriela was dilated 4-5 cm. They decided to break her water to keep the momentum moving forward and that is what really pushed her over the threshold into truly active labor. We first heard some sighs as Gabriela exhaled and she grew less patient with things. “I’m over these,” might have been uttered from her mouth between contractions. Things appeared to be moving quickly and Gabriela surely felt that way. But at 6:10 that evening she was dilated 5-6 cm and 90% effaced. She moved to her hands and knees to labor with more painful contractions, but it was a challenge to keep her baby monitored. So Gabriela turned over and reclined in the bed. She continued to exhale her sighs and dig deep as her contractions mounted higher. “I need something,” she told us. And then on the heels of that she growled, “This baby’s coming!” A quick check confirmed she was dilated 8 cm and her baby was at 0 station. It wouldn’t be long now! Gabriela grew nauseous and threw up as the midwife opened up the delivery table. And five minutes later she was fully dilated with her baby at +1 station.

Gabriela pushed in a variety of positions and even incorporated the rebozo. Clearly, her baby’s position was less than optimal, making her work much harder in second stage than expected. It would explain how incrementally she had dilated as well. After pushing nearly an hour and a half, the OB came in to evaluate and explore options. Mention was made of a possible vacuum assisted delivery, but just the mention of it seemed to be all Gabriela needed to actually NOT need it. The doctor’s face brightened as Gabriela pushed her baby into view with impressive commitment and vigor. And she brought her baby into the world a few contractions later at 9:31 pm. Aurelia was born with a head full of black hair and had rotated into the OA position. She was perfect, and she weighed in at 7 lb. 11 oz. and measured 20.5 in. long. 

Gabriela saw her natural birth through. And Even though she had to be induced. Even though she endured Pitocin. Even though her baby was a bit off kilter inside. Even though there was talk of a possible vacuum (and even a c-section)!  Even though she was surrounded in masked faces while a pandemic raged around the world. Even in spite of all of those things. Gabriela did it! And Michael stood strong by her side every breathe, every contraction, every stage. What a great team!

Aurelia Autumn now

Phoebe Lamar arrived in a way unlike any of her mother’s previous births. So many things were different—she was born during a pandemic, she was born at home, and she was a SHE! Although this was my third time to accompany Elizabeth and Tyler in birth, it by no means was a repeat of the other births. Every single birth journey is unique as every single baby is unique. Elizabeth was pregnant before COVID-19 took hold of the world. She had considered a homebirth previously, but once the pandemic had made its mark on the labor and delivery units of local hospitals, Elizabeth knew it was time to take her birth home. She knew who she wanted to have present and she knew they unfortunately, would not all be permitted if she gave birth in the hospital. She chose her homebirth midwife and was all set.

However, her pregnancy did not go without hiccups. She failed her glucose tolerance test and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Her midwife was not overly concerned and in time the erroneous readings were traced to a faulty glucometer. From that point on, Elizabeth’s sugars were great, as was her diet. She continued on with her pregnancy, going past her due date by over a week, which did not surprise us in the least since this had been her experience previously.

With the days closing in on an impending hospital transfer and induction, Elizabeth tried some natural methods to tip her uterus into labor. And the regimen recommended by her midwife did the trick because by 9:30 that night, Elizabeth and Tyler had retreated to their bedroom upstairs, out of sight and earshot of their other children who were in grandma’s care. Things ramped up rather quickly, and just before midnight the entire birth team was assembled in their home in the country. (Elizabeth was very thankful there was no active labor car ride necessary this time around.) They had drifted into a comfortable rhythm with each contraction. Elizabeth would cease her chatter and Tyler would step in closer to apply counter pressure to her back. Elizabeth was as expressive as usual between her contractions, but we were not fooled. She was being drawn in deeper before our eyes.

An hour later, with contractions coming every 2 ½ minutes, Elizabeth let the reality set in that “It’s going to be hard and I’m not excited about it.” Recognizing even the most subtle of signs, the midwives began to fill the tub. Sweat beaded on Elizabeth’s forehead and we applied a wet cold cloth. Her exhales morphed into “ohs” and her words between came slower and fewer. It became more difficult to remain even keeled and Elizabeth knew she wanted in the tub. Even though it wasn’t quite full, her midwives support her desire to get in, knowing that her intuition was the best guide. Elizabeth entered the tub at 3:35 am. Elizabeth leaned back against the tub wall, then she leaned forward and rocked on her hands and knees. We maintained our steady support as she drifted deeper. Her water broke at 4:07 am, we knew because Elizabeth told us so. And she was almost immediately overcome with a pushing contraction. I pushed against Elizabeth’s back as she felt the most intense pressure of all as her baby came through. And she soon gasped, “She’s coming! I can feel her,” as if to let us know so we could take our places, even though we were already there. And the head moved slowly out into the midwife’s hand, and another push brought Phoebe into the world at 4:18 am on September 8.

Elizabeth received her baby girl from under her leg and into her arms in true waterbirth style. “We have a girl!” she exclaimed looking up at Tyler, as if saying it made it real and true. This was the first girl after all boys, after all. So seeing (and feeling) is believing! The placenta was born just past 4:30 and there was no hurry to separate Phoebe from it, not from her mother. She rested in her arms and had her first meal of colostrum before any thought of anything else. Eventually Phoebe was weighed and examined. She came in at 8 lb. 4.8 oz. and measured 21 in. long, right as the sun was started to rise outside. Her brothers would be up soon along with the chickens and turkeys. We soon cleaned up and took our leave so the family could settle in with their newest addition, right as grandma was waking up. It was a beautiful birth and except for the masks on our faces, didn’t let on to the craziness of a pandemic that had overtaken our world. We felt the beauty that night. And the normalcy. And the love. Thank you for that. 

**All images courtesy of Amanda with Kimberlin Gray Photography: kimberlingrayphotography.com

Ember Mary-Ann changed the world forever when she arrived on August 6. Hailey had been a client of mine before so I knew the depth of her strength. The had given birth during a deployment and was an independent and capable woman. So when the restrictions came down during the pandemic, she was not concerned. She knew the support she would need and was also aware of what her children at home required. She had also taken up nursing school so that was an important part of her life in addition to her children. But over a month before her due date, Hailey was admitted for observation and a lab draw for suspected preeclampsia. The numbers weren’t good and after receiving a shot of steroids to speed up her baby’s lung development, she went home with plans to return the following day to reassess, midwife’s orders. Unfortunately, Hailey’s blood pressure numbers were even worse the following day so the decision was made to admit her for induction. She went home to coordinate care for her children, gathered up her things, ate, and returned to the hospital. Hailey embraced this change in plan and I was so proud of her for letting go and letting it happen.

A foley bulb was the first step in the induction process, in the hopes it would dilate and efface the cervix. But it didn’t go in since Hailey wasn’t dilated yet. So Cytotec was the plan to ripen her cervix. And only two doses would be needed, at that. Hailey’s blood pressure was so high that she was put on magnesium, with a foley catheter and compression devices on her legs to prevent clots. This was a far cry from her previous birth less than two years earlier—unencumbered, unmedicated, and without restrictions. But to her credit, Hailey walked this journey with her head held high and knowing in her heart that it was the best decision for the health of herself and her baby. I admired that in her. Around 2:00 am her water broke (at least in part) and with it came very strong contractions. So when Hailey’s midwife recommended an epidural to further assist in regulating her blood pressure, she was not opposed. Hailey was looking forward to getting some much-needed rest. 

However, rest was not to be. The epidural was placed by 2:40 am and Pitocin was added at 3:00 am to bring the contractions closer together. And very soon the contractions were coming every 3 minutes. And by the time Hailey was settled and we positioned her with a peanut ball between her legs to keep her pelvis open, she felt a lot of pressure and looked up at me to say, “I think she’s coming soon.” She felt a lot of pressure in her butt and vagina, and when her nurse came in to do an exam, she was shocked to find Hailey was dilated 8 ½ to 9 cm! It was only 3:54 am! Hailey had flown from 2 cm to nearly fully dilated in less than 2 hours! The midwife was called and they hurriedly set up the delivery table as Hailey breathed through growing pressure. She panted and blew but the urge to push grew stronger. The midwife arrived and put on her gloves right as Hailey said, “She’s there. I’m not pushing and she’s there.” She didn’t yell she just told us. And her midwife leaned in and in just 2-3 pushes with one contraction her little girl was born at 4:09 am. The sac broke right as Ember’s head emerged, a sight that is amazing every time. Hailey cradled her baby with awe saying, “Hey, Mama!” Ember was born at 35 weeks and 2 days weighing just 5 lbs. 1 oz. and measuring 19 in. long. Hailey marveled at her petite princess, “Her head fits in my hand,” she exclaimed. 

Ember needed some respiratory support at the warmer, but she was not apart from her mom for long. And once in her arms she was there to stay. Ember was latched at 4:40 am as Hailey lay back peacefully reflecting on her birth journey. It was so very different! The world was so very different. Her life circumstances were so very different. But at the core it was the same. Hailey trusted her body. She trusted her caregivers. She trusted her instincts. And she trusted her baby. And that walk of trust brought peace to a birth that might have been scary and stressful. It was beautiful to watch the unfolding of this birth and to see in the midst of so much uncertainty that Hailey still found peace in the journey. 

Ember today

Jennifer and Steven welcomed their third child, Grayson Anthony, on August 3! This was also my third time as their doula, and it is no secret how I love the richness of the relationships cultivated with my clients over subsequent pregnancies and births. Jennifer’s cervix gradually opened in the weeks before her due date, its familiar rhythm playing out. After all, Jennifer had always birthed her babies early. We were in touch a few days before, as she was feeling some cramps and sensations she wanted to talk through. Having babies previously doesn’t necessarily mean you know what to expect for each individual baby. But she trusted she would know when it was truly labor. And it turned out that she would have a definitive sign.

Then I got a text at 11:09 pm on August 2, just a couple days later. Jennifer’s water had broken! That settled it. Her baby would be coming soon. She went in shortly after since there were required antibiotics. But the silver lining was that they would save her from laboring actively in the car. She would just be a bit wet. Jennifer and Steven arrived within the hour and got settled in their hospital room. She was dilated 4 cm and 80% effaced, a very good starting place. Needless to say, with regular contractions already, albeit short ones, I left for the hospital. Third babies can be somewhat unpredictable. Who am I kidding? Really, all babies can keep us guessing.

I entered the room a short time later to find Jennifer’s contractions pounding out steadily every 3 minutes. She was sitting on the bed like a small buddha, inhaling and exhaling deeply with each contraction, then opening her eyes to rejoin the room in between. Her hair was tied back in a mom bun, for she knew the hard work that lay ahead. Her midwife was in the room with no plans to leave or stray very far. Jennifer rolled forward to labor over the birth ball as I found some piano music to play in the background. And by 3:00 am Jennifer was requesting earnestly that Steven stay close. Her contractions were washing over her and it took more effort for her to come up for air. She desired our hands nearby to hold or at least to touch her so she felt grounded and connected. Her quiet exhales had moved to sighs and at 3:26 am she was dilated to 6 cm.

 Jennifer followed her body as it pulled her deeper into labor. Her sounds shifted along with her demeanor and she progressed quickly before our eyes: 8 cm at 3:39 and then fully dilated by 3:44 am! The midwife edged closer pulling the delivery cart within arm’s reach. Pushing out her baby took more effort than expected as Jennifer clung to Steven’s hands over the ball. And when Grayson emerged it was clear why! He was born with his hand by his head! But because Jennifer was so controlled as she followed her body’s instinct to push there were no tears. Grayson arrived at 4:01 am to the awe and wonder of his adoring parents. Jennifer cried happy and relieved tears as she looked down upon her sweet baby, catching her breath as we all waited for her the pronouncement of gender. Jennifer found her way back down upon the bed cradling Grayson all the while. “You did a great job,” was all her midwife said as she stood by. The rest was left in our minds and hearts as we marveled at the beautiful birth we had just witnessed. And as if to seal the end up like a bow, Grayson was latched to his mother’s breast by 4:22! Oh, and he was born on his mom’s birthday. (At least labor was over before the sunrise on her special day!)

This sweet family is so special to me and every birth journey with them unique. Once again Jennifer showed the perfect balance of control and letting go as the waves grew higher and stronger around her and within her. But she never allowed them to carry her off to sea. They simply returned her to shore, babe in arms. Congratulations again!

Grayson today

Welcome to the world, Cohen Reed, born to his adoring parents, Cierra and Tyler from my virtual summer BirthWorks 8-week series. Cohen was born on July 21, 5 days past his guess date, and after a very long labor. Cierra was an incredible rock star through it all, and Tyler was her unfailing support. Cierra’s cervix was making some headway (no pun intended) prenatally. She was dilated 2-3 cm at her 40-week appointment. She had nonstress tests and even an induction scheduled, although she hoped not to need it. A text just before 1:00 am on July 20 confirmed that Cierra wouldn’t make her induction date. And that was just fine with her! She felt contractions that intensified through the night, moving closer over the hours. As luck would have it, she had a prenatal appointment scheduled for that morning and after speaking with her midwife decided to move forward with that and do a nonstress test while they were at it. For good measure, Cierra did the Miles Circuit at home before proceeding to the hospital in the hopes to encourage her baby to get his position sorted out.

Cierra moved to 6 cm in an hour and then did another round of the Miles Circuit since her baby’s position was almost certainly causing some delay in her progress. Remember, this all began at 1:00 am so she was already at the 15-hour mark and just starting active labor. Her contractions were picking up so she gave the shower a try. Cierra emerged shortly after and tried a myriad of positions to encourage her baby’s descent. She sat upright, she lunged, she swayed, she stayed so very active. But three hours later she had moved just ½ a centimeter. She returned to the shower and remained in there for nearly an hour, but after laboring on the birth ball for an additional 45 minutes she was 7 cm. And she was exhausted. After conferring with her midwife the decision was made to break her water. It was 9:15 pm. She labored in a variety of positions and then moved her labor back to the shower an hour later. By 11:30 that night she was dilated 8-9 cm, making her way, slowly but surely. Cierra tried the peanut ball and exhibited the signs of transition. She began instinctively pushing but after an hour her cervix was still not gone completely. Cierra weighed her options and to preserve her energy and a bit of her sanity, she opted for an epidural. She found relief and some rest, and we continued to rotate her fully from one side to the other, incorporating the peanut ball to keep her pelvis open. Cierra resumed pushing at 4:35 am. And just like with her first stage, she pushed in all sorts of positions. The rebozo tug of war became her most effective method, bringing her baby’s head into view. 

Cohen was born at 7:46 am after over three hours of pushing! His cord was around his neck and over his shoulder, and caused him a bit more of an adjustment period. But he improved quickly with an apgar of 9 and was received gratefully by his mother. As hard as she worked to bring her son into the world, all was forgotten in that meeting. Cohen weighed 8 lb. 1 oz. and nestled in nicely with his parents. Cierra and Tyler were a united pair and did not let the uncertainties of COVID-19 and a protracted labor dim their spirits. Every single step of the way they weighed their options and followed their hearts. I admire them so much for it and will forever be grateful they chose to include me on such a momentous experience for their family.

Cohen today

Congratulations to Ashley and Chris on the arrival of their third son, Bennett Alastor, born July 6. This couple were repeat clients of mine and reached out early. They also decided to welcome this baby at home in light of the advent of COVID-19 and the subsequent restrictions imposed by hospitals on birth support. Ashley had always been surrounded by family and this birth would be no different. So she decided to welcome her baby at home. Ashley did not reach out to me very often, that tends to be her way. Even when she waited beyond her due date. For that, much to her frustration, also tends to be her way. But when the text came through at 7:00 that Sunday evening, I knew it was labor. She had already done “all of the things” (hydrating well and getting in the shower, and even the Miles Circuit) and still her contractions persisted. Updates would come as needed, which again, was Ashley’s way. 

 The next text was from Chris and came at 10:44 pm. The fact that he sent it and not Ashley was a strong indication that she was a bit too engrossed in her contractions to be troubled to type a text. And sure enough, Ashley’s contractions were steady at every 3 minutes and lasting a minute each. It was time and I was on their front doorstep within the hour. Ashley’s mother opened the door for me holding the family pooch. She was waiting by the door for me as I approached. It was a precious moment for me, and one that is only possible with a homebirth. 

The room in which Ashley lay was decorated with a lovely string of lights and she had her mom and sister, and husband, of course, all right there. Things were escalating for sure, and she paid less attention to the Harry Potter movie on the television. (Yes, they named their son after a Harry Potter character. They are big fans!) Family chatted excitedly about the coming baby, but also were available to check on big brothers who were sleeping right next door. Chris applied counter pressure and Ashley’s midwife and assistant attended to her medical needs, allowing space and time for contractions to come and go as they worked.

Chris’ hands flew up in victory as he exclaimed, “You did it!”

Ashley’s breathing grew short at the peaks of her contractions and her back gave her great pain. The warm rice sock and counter pressure helped, but she found herself doubting whether she was progressing. Of course, the very doubt was a sign to the rest of us that she was progressing quite well. But she requested an exam just to be sure. Her midwife assured her it wasn’t necessary for they were checking with their eyes as long as everything was going well, and it appeared to be. Plus we also added that numbers lie and the centimeters of one contraction had no bearing on the next or on how much time remained before her baby was in her arms. Ashley’s breathing changed and sounded more like she was transitioning into second stage. She entered the tub right then—it was 12:30 am—but she was unsettled about the urge to push and how she would know it was time if she didn’t feel it. (She hadn’t felt a strong urge in her previous two births, or at least was pushing before the sensation to bear down was overwhelming.) This was different. There was no reason to do anything different unless Ashley was ready. But Ashley really wanted to know her dilation so her midwife obliged and confirmed she was most definitely close at 8-9 cm. It was 12:35 am. “But that’s the worst part,” exclaimed Ashley. To which I responded, “Yes, but it is also the shortest part.” Two more contractions and her water broke, and we could see Bennett. Ashley pushed through her discomfort and when her baby’s head was out she reached down to feel. And then with the next pushing contraction she birthed her son into her own hands. Bennett Alastor was born at 12:43 am, to tears and celebration in his parents’ bedroom. And all while his big brothers slept on the other side of the wall. 

He was snuggled in his mother’s arms a long while with Dad cutting the cord and even his first assessments done in that time. Bennett weighed 6 lb. 11.8 oz. and measured 19 in. long, the same weight and length of his own mother, as noted by the woman who birthed her. And that was just the icing on the cake really. The simplicity and comfort of a homebirth is something special and Ashley and Chris settled into their own bed as the rest of us gathered our things and left them to rest. I appreciated being reminded that birth works and doesn’t usually need anything more than the woman birthing. Especially considering the state of the world currently, with fear and confusion about the pandemic at every turn. Welcome to the world, Bennett Alastor. In your sweet home you were sheltered from so much, and we were all put in touch with what normal birth looks like, from behind masks, of course. 

Bennett Alastor now

Ada Roan changed her parents’ world forever when she arrived on July 1. You see, they didn’t know whether she was a girl or a boy, so when she came barreling into the world, promoting her brother to BIG brother, her parents were thrilled. But let’s backtrack a bit to the beginning. Elisa and Trae were repeat clients of mine so they reached out very early in the pregnancy. They also secured a place in my refresher class to brush up on labor and birth and to dedicate some special time in preparation for this little one. There was a long drive this time, just like the first time, but Elisa was comfortable with laboring at home until she was certain things had kicked it up a notch. She sent me a text around 8:00 am on June 30 to tell me she thought something was happening. It was early, if it was even labor, and she was trying to rest. She continued to have contractions through most of the day without progression, and finally managed to take a nap and wake to virtually no contractions. But that evening they had returned, although still mild. I counseled her to minimize and not update unless she had to stop what she was doing to cope and so Elisa tried that. 

 Then at 1:33 am, Elisa reached out to tell me although she had some outliers, her contractions had become quite strong and she was calling her midwives. They were still just 5-10 minutes apart, so not terribly close. However, with an hour’s drive ahead of them, a call to them midwife confirmed it was go time. And over the course of that drive the contractions intensified to 3 minutes apart and very strong. Trae had called in a favor to the bridge tunnel and had an escort insure their safe and very swift passage. It was a record-breaking trip across the tunnel for Trae, that’s for sure. Elisa was greeted by her midwife and confirmed 7 cm dilated soon after setting foot in her room. She was admitted, baby was monitored, and she labored on through the required initial 20-30 minutes.

But a funny thing happened as Elisa labored on her side. Holding Trae’s hand and breathing through very strong contractions, she began to involuntarily push! Trae recognized the sounds and knew what was coming. Later the midwife would commend him on his keen ear for labor. Elisa’s water broke with a splash 10 minutes later at 3:48, and she was pushing unrestrained with the next contraction. Elisa rode the powerful waves of her contractions in that bed with such strength and control. She didn’t push long, and in her endearingly comical way, she managed to shriek, “Holy ring of fire,” right as her baby was coming out. At 4:03 am her sweet baby was born and Trae announced, “It’s a girl!” And their sweet Ada was born in the OP position, looking right up at the ceiling, which in hindsight explained a lot about the on and off contractions. But it was also an unintended protection against giving birth at home or on the way! Elisa snuggled her sweet girl and had her latched easily and recounted the crazy ride of her birth (and the crazy ride to her birth!). Ada weighed 7 lb. 4 oz. and measured 20 in. long, weighing over a pound less than her big brother. Elisa was grateful for that small mercy. And I, for one, am grateful to have been there to serve you and to witness your strength once again as you crossed the threshold to motherhood after a very surprising (one again) labor. And I am once again grateful to the providers and staff of Sentara Leigh Hospital for recognizing doulas as an essential part of the birth team and no longer restricting their access to in person birth attendance.

Ada today

Jacqueline and Tony welcomed their third child, Cooper Jay, on June 12. After giving it some thought, and listening to what her heart had been saying for many years, Jacqueline decided to welcome Cooper at home. After all, she herself had been born at home and she had always felt drawn to it. This was also my third time to serve as their doula so we rejoiced together with the previous births and looked forward to welcoming Cooper with just as much love. Jaqueline was in her first trimester during a time of much upeaval. The Midwifery Center at DePaul had just closed its doors, and her beloved midwives who had cared so well for her twice before, would be attending births at a different facility that did not have the same amenities, aka a birth tub. Then the world was overtaken by the COVID-19 pandemic, further affecting her birth options, most namely, that she could have her doula and children present. Finally, she had good reasons to just listen to the desires of her heart without reservation. She did her research and found her midwife. 

Towards the end of her pregnancy, Jacqueline lost sleep over bouts of contractions that left her confused and frustrated, and very exhausted. After one particularly tough night, she reached out to me. And as it turned out, those contractions would never relent and I was at her house shortly after lunch. Jacqueline was lovingly doted on by her daughter who was a veritable doula in training! Tony drifted in and out to take care of the children’s needs as well as giving Jacqueline the in person emotional support she needed. Things were slow to intensify, but several hours later, once her midwifes had arrived, Jacqueline drifted into more active labor. Her contractions were strong and she felt pressure like she might need to push but she could sense that her baby wasn’t descending. Her midwife did an exam and confirmed that Jacqueline was dilated 7 cm and 90% effaced. Her baby was likely malpositioned so the recommendation was to do some stair walking. Jacqueline had already been laboring in a variety of positions but her baby needed a bit more. So she walked up and down the stairs, legs spread as far as she could manage, all while having contractions, for about 45 minutes. The stairs flipped a switch and Jacqueline was working. I recommended the shower and she returned to where she had already felt such comfort hours before. Jacqueline felt such pressure from her contractions that she knew her baby would be born shortly. Then we heard a loud splash (over the sound of the shower!) as her water broke. And with a growl her baby was quickly on the verge of birth. Jacqueline only pushed a couple of times before her son entered the world at 9:41 pm! She grabbed him to her chest and took in all of the emotions. 

Jacqueline was surrounded by her husband and children, feeling all of the love…and admiration, as we heard, “I didn’t know my mom had superpowers!” She settled into her own bed in her own room as she completed delivery of the placenta and began her recovery. Her children peeked in on their baby brother and welcomed him with snuggles and sweet words. Tony and Jacqueline exchanged a kiss and after admiring Cooper, Tony went downstairs to prepare a snack plate for Jacqueline and the kids. After some extended skin to skin time and nursing, Cooper was weighed and measured. His numbers came to 7 lb. 7 oz. and 20 in. long. He had a head full of brown hair which prompted Jacqueline to share with us that she had dreamed years ago she would welcome a brown-haired son. Clearly his time had come. I love that Jacqueline listened to her heart instead of her head so much. She is a thinker. She followed her desire to welcome her baby at home, and she even followed her yearning for a third child, who turned out to be the one she had been dreaming of all this time. Congratulations again to this family who is so dear to me. I appreciate you and am grateful to have journeyed in birth with you three times.

Cooper now at 3 months old

Keely and David became parents on May 11, right in the midst of the COVID pandemic. They were students in my 8-week BirthWorks class, which finished up right as the world was thrown into a tailspin. Hospitals restricted support persons to one, and there were masks and social distancing all over the place. Keely and David rolled with it, and kept a positive outlook knowing that a new baby would give a wonderful perspective and bright light to focus on in the midst of such uncertainty and worry. Keely managed to see her due date come and go and waited over a week beyond before her labor began. With an induction scheduled for less than a week away, the clock was ticking.  Keely felt bouts of contractions the night leading up to the induction, but she managed to stay pregnant. She and David reported to the hospital and powwowed with the midwife to put together a game plan. Keely was 2-3 cm dilated at the start so the plan was to use a balloon with low dose Pitocin overnight. However, soon after the balloon was in place, contractions picked up. There would be no need for Pitocin after all.

Keely got some medication to aid in relaxation and sleep and they allowed for some sleep off and on for an hour. Then her water broke! Within an hour of her water breaking, she was dilated 6-7 cm. It was just 12:47 am! Keely was hoping to get some more sleep but her baby had other plans. (Don’t they always?) She labored on her hands and knees quite a lot for it seemed to make her contractions the most tolerable. But it was likely also the reason her labor sped along so quickly! There was talk of laboring in the shower, and she even had the wireless monitor ready to go, but things moved too quickly for that. Keely remained in that position on the bed and focused on breathing deeply in her nose and out her mouth, with David beside her every step of the way. 

Baby’s heart rate dipped, most likely due to the rapid progress of her labor, but Keely continued to breathe with her contractions until her body was led to push. And she pushed well! Connected by Facetime, Keely’s birth team, doula included, encouraged her and cheered her on. Keely was dilated 9 cm by 3:51 am and was pushing full force shortly after that. A forebag was broken by the midwife and in Keely’s words, “then Clara flew out!” Keely welcomed her daughter, Clara Brown, into the world at 4:16 am. “We’re tough! We did it! We can watch the sunrise together.” Such sweet words spoken to this baby girl in her first moments. Clara’s birth was a beautiful reminder of the power of a woman, the love of a mother, and that even in the midst of a pandemic, life goes on. Babies are born. And thank goodness for that. Clara was welcomed with such love and her parents exhaled their relief and expressed their thankfulness at the tremendous gift of her birth. I loved getting to know this couple as we journeyed together, and even though hospital restrictions left us connected virtually at the time of the birth, my heart was with them as sure as if I had been in that same room. Congratulations on the arrival of your precious gift, a profound reminder that the world will go on.

Christina and Sam welcomed their son, Sean Elliot, on April 19! They were students in my 8-week BirthWorks class as well. Christina’s labor was a lesson in the unpredictable nature of birth. It was confusing from start to finish. I got a text from Christina around 6:20 pm on April 18 telling me there was a good chance her water broke. With leaking here and there, after many hours had passed, she went in to the hospital as advised by her midwife, just to confirm that her water had indeed broken. And yes, it had, although she was not yet having contractions. Her cervix was 3 cm dilated, 75% effaced and her baby was at -2 station. She returned home to try and rest with the plan to call at 6:30 am with an update.

At 4:45 am, they had an update. Christina was contracting and they seemed closer than 5 minutes when Sam tried to time them. She had labored in the shower for an hour and was feeling significant back pain with contractions. Sam did counter pressure and encouraged Christina to labor in forward leaning positions. Her labor was intensifying and Sam recognized the change in Christina’s demeanor as her labor required more of her focus. She returned to the shower to labor and when she emerged it was time for me to come. 

When I joined Christina she appeared to be laboring very actively. She was feeling discomfort in one hip, which had me wonder if her baby was still a bit malpositioned. Christina labored on her hands and knees over a pile of pillows, side-lying, standing by the bed, all as her contractions grew stronger and stronger. She cried out at the peaks which had us suspecting it was nearing time to head back to the hospital. One more trip to the shower to labor, and then it was time to make the trek. 

When Christina arrived at the hospital around 8:00 that morning and was triaged, she was dilated a surprising 3 cm. She had not opened significantly from her previous check nearly 10 hours earlier. She was effaced to 90% though and her baby had moved down to -1 or 0 station. The unremarkable change in dilation was a shock to all of us. However, a tidbit was confirmed with the exam that shed some light on her lack of progress: her baby was in the OP position. There was still some work to be done. But Christina had been up most of the night with contractions that were closer than 5 minutes apart for much of that and she was tired. She opted for some iv pain medication in the hopes it would help her to relax and maybe get some rest. 

Things changed incredibly quickly after that because by 11:15 am Christina was dilated 9 cm! (Remember, she was only 3 cm dilated 3 hours earlier!) Things progressed so quickly once she relaxed! And when she rolled over to her hands and knees, her baby made his final rotation and was born OA! And you know when he was born?? Sean came barreling into the world at 11:34 am after hardly any pushing! He weighed 7 lb. 4 oz. and measured 20 in. long. He changed his parents’ lives in that moment, and proved that every bit of it was worth it. Christina was a warrior through an especially unpredictable labor. She followed the cues of her body and trusted that her decisions were always the best ones. You truly rolled with it and you did so during a pandemic. Congratulations to you both! You should be so proud.

Sean Elliot today!