Kelly and Dan welcomed their son, Daniel (6th generation!), on September 5, 2022. Birth is always full of surprises and the same was true for these first-time parents. Kelly’s water broke in the beginning, which is the statistically unlikely start. She knew not to get too excited and instead, gave her midwife (and doula) a heads up and spent the day relaxing as well as she could. There were no perceivable contractions, and she felt her baby moving just fine. The plan was to wait 12 hours to see if anything changed or if contractions started, at which point they would go into the hospital and get assessed and determine next steps.

The day was uneventful regarding labor, but it provided a nice chance for Kelly and Dan to spend their last day pre-baby together spending quality time. Kelly did start feeling some mild cramps (contractions?) every 8 minutes around 2:30 that afternoon but were comfortable enough at home to wait until the 5:00 plan. Once at the hospital, Kelly’s midwife confirmed that her water had indeed broken, and she was dilated 2-3 cm. The contractions were coming every 10 minutes, but she wasn’t quite in labor. The suggestion by the midwife was to use the breast pump to bring stronger and closer contractions and if it didn’t work after 4 hours, they would consider using Cytotec.

Well, Kelly’s body responded nicely to the breast pump because by 8:00 that night, Kelly’s contractions had jumped to 4 minutes apart, lasting nearly a minute. She labored in various positions but found hands and knees to be helpful. Over the course of that hour, things took a turn and Kelly threw up a few times and her contractions were consistent at every 3 minutes. The shower was the next plan!

An hour later, at 9:45 pm, Kelly’s cervix was checked, and she was dilated 4.5 cm and 90% effaced. Her body had made some nice changes and seemed to be moving into active labor. I was finishing up at another client’s birth and would be on the road to the hospital within the hour. The drive was 45 minutes, but Dan and Kelly were comfortable waiting rather than calling in a backup doula. After all, first babies take their time, right?

In the meantime, when she emerged from the shower, Kelly wasn’t so sure she wanted to continue laboring without an epidural. It had been her plan to go natural, but active labor was taking over, and her mind was thinking differently. Her nurse and midwife were resolute support for her and encouraged her to continue laboring as she had. I was driving to the hospital with an eta of 11:30 pm. The plan was to continue as she had been, laboring using the comfort measures at her disposal.

I arrived at 11:30 pm to find Kelly laboring on the bed with Dan by her side. She was breathing well through her contractions, but I could hear in her voice that she was working hard. Things had clearly taken off. Kelly felt a lot of pressure sitting upright on the bed so I suggested she move to hands and knees over the cub to see how that might change things. Dan applied counter pressure on her lower back and held a cold cloth up to her forehead. Because she was feeling so much pressure, she got checked at 11:50 pm and to everyone’s surprise Kelly was fully dilated! It was also looking like she may be the first on the unit to have a Labor Day baby and this had extra special significance since the first news story Kelly had done 10 years earlier in New York as a news anchor was about the first Labor Day baby born!

She blew raspberries as the pressure grew at the peaks, and she allowed her body to labor her baby down to the point of really needing to push. Kelly gave her first pushes leaning over the cub, then we set up the squat bar and rebozo. She pushed on her knees with the squat bar. Kelly squatted and kneeled as she pushed her baby lower. She pushed with commitment and strength, and it didn’t take long! Her baby boy was born at 12:35 am after just about 30 minutes of pushing.

Daniel was passed through Kelly’s legs into her waiting arms, and she and Dan looked down at their son in awe. What had just happened? And so fast! We helped Kelly lay back down upon the bed so she could rest with her baby in her arms and wait as the placenta came. Dan had the biggest smile on his face as he looked into his son’s eyes. What an amazing thing to witness!

The placenta came just over 10 minutes later, and it was at that point that Dan cut it. Kelly brought her son all the way up for a kiss and a snuggle as she let the crazy last two hours sink in. Daniel latched well and as his mother looked on. As new as she was at mothering, to look at her you wouldn’t know it. She held her son with confidence, and she was so calm. Her labor had taken off like a shot, but she stood her ground in that storm with Dan by her side. And together they brought him into the world. The rest of us were there to support and guide but they totally rocked it!

Christina and Clint are parents! But their journey to meet their baby could better be described as an odyssey, I think. They were students in my childbirth class so they were very prepared for the many ways birth can unfold. Still, you never know how YOUR birth unfolds until it does.

Christina’s blood pressure began creeping up in the final month of her pregnancy, putting her on modified bedrest and the plan for induction earlier rather than later.  In fact, it was set for 37 weeks. Christina and Clint had a very open approach to the birth and knew the importance of being flexible for the best outcome for their baby, but also for Christine, whose blood pressure continued to trend high.

After a hiccup with no rooms available, she got the call back that there was a room available. So, Christina and Clint made their way to the hospital on Thursday night, September 1. The plan was to ripen her cervix first, since it was not yet effaced or dilated, and baby was high. Cytotec was the mode for ripening the first night. Christina slept and hoped for a change in the morning’s exam. But there wasn’t.

Day two, Friday, they continued the Cytotec through most of the day without much change. Christina rejoiced in the opportunity for breakfast and coffee the morning of the second day and developed a taste for the broth that appeared each meal from the hospital cafeteria staff. And her doctor encouraged her to get some dinner before the Pitocin began that night and Christina was thrilled for that!

They attempted the Cook balloon to ripen the cervix second night. Christina’s uterus was contracting regularly every two minutes, mildly, and low dose Pitocin was the overnight plan for ripening. The bed did her back no favors, so she sat on the kaya birthing stool with her head resting on the bed to attempt sleep.

Christina had the best attitude through the induction. She told me time and time again how she knew her body wasn’t ready for labor so she expected the induction to be a process that could span days. Realistic expectations are important in birth, but especially with an induction. You just never know how it will unfold! Christina was also pleased to know her baby was active, seemingly unphased by the whole ripening process. She could be patient for him. Christina did have some discomfort, but it was more due to the bed than any contractions, unfortunately. She went to bed that second night and hoped for the best.

Saturday morning, day three, the balloon was removed but Christina was only dilated 1-2 cm. This was a difficult moment for her and despite her sunny attitude thus far, she shed some tears and allowed herself to mourn how long and drawn out this birth had become. Her baby was also still very high. Her contractions the previous day were worse than the contractions this day, which allowed her a few hours of rest overnight at least. The Pitocin was high, at 16 mu by 9:30 that morning.

Saturday evening there still wasn’t much happening. Christina was dilated 2-3 cm and was given the gift of a break. She was unhooked from everything and even took a shower! Then she and Clint went for a walk outside in the healing garden and enjoyed dinner of a salad before returning to the room to continue the ripening process. The plan for the third night was to return to the Cytotec and see if Christina’s body responded differently than the first night they tried. Christina hoped to get some rest that night at the very least, and maybe some additional dilation.

The third morning, the verdict was discouraging. Christina’s cervix had not changed. Her doctor laid out two options for next steps: break her water and get an epidural and see if that combination with likely Pitocin might bring on some labor; or proceed with a c-section. Christina didn’t have to think very long about it, for she felt the answer was clear. After three days of ripening a cervix that still wasn’t ripe, she felt most comfortable with the c-section rather than trying another day and running the risk of an emergent c-section later.

This is a brave and courageous woman. This is a patient woman. This is a woman who is not willing to risk potential stress to her baby with another day of ripening and induction. This is a woman who is ready to meet her baby. Christina had a choice, and she made the best one for herself and her baby, with full support from her birth team.

Asher Cole (Hebrew for happy and blessed), was born at 6:45 am on September 4, 2022. He weighed 7 lb. 13 oz. and was 20 in. long. He was a decent size for 37 weeks! And as if the c-section wasn’t already the best decision for Christina, when they got into the OR to get situated, they couldn’t find Asher’s heartbeat. The doctor said, “It’s time. Let’s get him out.” And they did just that.

Asher was latched by 7:55 pm, hardly an hour after he was born, and his mother was beaming with him in her arms, knowing her had come earthside safe and sound. Clint was a faithful and loving partner through it all too. Inductions are grueling for everyone, and the waiting game and living in one room for three days can wear anyone down. His attitude was just as upbeat as Christina’s and that alone was testament to their willingness to do the hard things for their baby. Birth looks so many ways, but at the core it is the same: making the best decisions for mom and baby with love at the center of it all.

Sasa and Tyler welcomed their second son on September 2, 2022, in a beautifully healing birth. Sasa did not emerge from her first birth feeling confident and like she was listened to. She hoped to have more agency and a voice this time, and Tyler and I were intent on helping that happen. We were by her side the first time, so we had an understanding of what that journey entailed.

Sasa’s body had bouts of warm-up contractions for weeks. She was an expert at minimizing and ignoring them, not ever reaching out to me once. In fact, the first heads up I got from Sasa was a quick text on the way to the hospital! It was 8:30 pm on Thursday, September 1, and a phone call right after the text help solidify that these contractions were different, and I should just make my way to the hospital.

Later I would learn that her contractions were different that evening around 5:00 pm, leading her to think it was the real deal. She didn’t want to trouble anyone unnecessarily by raising the alarms too soon or for nonlabor, so she waited. It was a wise decision to leave because Sasa was dilated 7 cm when she got to the hospital. Those second baby labors can really fly!

She breathed through the triage questions and the hep-loc setup which took a bit of doing and maintained her labor groove. Once she was shown to her room the call was soon made to have the tub setup for labor. Sasa felt back pain with her contractions, so I applied counter pressure and a heating pad. Tyler was always right by Sasa, encouraging her and believing in her.

By 10:15 that night the tub was blown up and filled with water, however it was a bit too hot, so some ice was dumped to tweak it to the optimal temperature. THEN Sasa was able to get in. She was feeling tired from her labor, so we gave her some coconut water and added encouragement. Labor always makes women tired but not letting it get in their head is the challenge. Sasa got out of the tub at 11:30 for something different, then labored over a chair through some contractions until she eventually found herself laying on her side in the bed.

Sasa exhaled “ooh” with her contractions as the pressure mounted at the peaks. “I don’t think I can do this,” she confessed at 11:00, but I reminded her that her baby was very close. Her voice continued to climb with the intensity and her growls were stronger. Shortly before midnight, changes in Sasa’s demeanor and voice hinted that she was pushing. Her midwife asked if she felt different, and Sasa confirmed that she was pushing. “Nothing helps anymore,” she said, and then rolled over onto her hands and knees before the next contraction hit.

Sasa’s midwife gave some verbal encouragement about how this birth was different than her first and she was doing amazing. It was important that she had a safe space in which to labor as she wished, and we all understood that. Sasa lay back down on her side and then rolled to the other, and then got up to stand at the foot of the bed. This birth seemed harder to her than her first and it might have been. It also might have been that she was in the hard spot between transition and pushing and many women give pause in that space as they wrap their heads around what is to come.

Sasa moved her hips back and forth and made the sounds she needed to make as she brought her baby down. We placed cold cloths on her neck while continuing to place the warm pack on her back. The midwife pulled the delivery cart near as Sasa pushed unmistakably just before 1:00. The midwife got dressed in the paper clothes and moments later Sasa’s water broke all over the floor. It was 1:19 and her baby was coming!

Nursery was notified as Sasa roared her baby to her perineum. She breathed and paused and was patient at the right time, and then brought her baby’s head out. The shoulders were next, but they took a little effort. But Sasa mustered all her strength and brought her baby out with the next push at 1:37 am!

Baby Lukas was passed through Sasa’s legs into her arms for her to get a look at him and take a moment to realize what she had done. Tyler was just as astounded and overjoyed as Sasa was, taking in everything as Lukas cried out. Once we helped Sasa upon the bed, Tyler cut his baby’s cord. This was not something he did the first time, so it was extra special.

Lukas weighed 8 lb. 8 oz., just 3 oz. shy of his brother’s birth weight. These boys were big for Sasa, but she did it! Lukas latched well and Sasa basked in the oxytocin that follows a particularly amazing birth. She felt different. I could tell she even looked different. Her midwife leaned in before leaving and told her what an amazing job she did. Sasa smiled to hear it and settled into to getting to know her son.

Sasa’s birth was a beautiful example of how every birth is different. Her birth journey was a healing one that allowed her to feel strong and heard, and one in which she had choices and respect, and the freedom to labor as she saw fit. She shined in that environment and under the supportive team that surrounded her that night.

Katherine and Kyle became parents on August 30, 2022, when they brought their baby boy into the world. (He was a surprise gender but the title of this announcement gives it away!) They attended my childbirth class and gained as much knowledge about the process and how they could partner through every stage to bring their baby earth side. Her due date came and went, but Katherine stayed patient. Then the morning of her 41-week appointment she woke with contractions and bloody mucus. She went to her appointment and NST and got the encouraging news that she was 4 cm dilated, 70% effaced, and baby was at -2 station.

Since Katherine’s intention was to labor without pain medications, she and Kyle decided to return home to labor longer before returning to the hospital. They labored at home another five hours before heading back. Katherine’s contractions were getting stronger, and they were close at 3 minutes, but they weren’t extremely long, lasting about 40 seconds. Still, it felt like the right time. And then, as if to confirm the timing was perfect, Katherine’s water broke right as they parked the car at the hospital.

Once upstairs in labor and delivery, Katherine was dilated 5 cm, 90% effaced, and her baby was at -1 station. She had made some important changes and was moving in the right direction. They set up a hep-loc and I set up some twinkly lights for ambiance. Katherine had her mom present alongside Kyle and she kept the family abreast of updates. Kyle put soothing music on their speaker and after advocating for less monitoring, Katherine set out to walk the halls. It was 9:30 pm.

After her walk, Katherine sought rest in bed. She lay there a bit as well as rested over the CUB. Then she moved to hands and knees on the floor, only to return to the bed where she lunged on hands and knees. During a bathroom trip a contraction caught her on the toilet. It was strong and difficult to breathe through, and Katherine said, “I don’t think I can do this.” So, I recommended the shower next, hoping it would allow her to relax and move into the next stage.

Katherine labored in the shower for a full hour with Kyle by her side. There were tea lights and valor essential oil blend on a washcloth pervading the small space. The shower served Katherine well as a place to reset and move forward. She took another bathroom break and then did some standing dangles holding the rebozo. It was 1:00 am by this time. We pressed a warm heating pad on her lower back to help with the pain she felt there. “I’m done,” Katherine protested. But after we gave her a pep talk, she resumed the work of labor, doing lunges on a chair by the bed.

About 15 minutes later, her midwife came in and asked if she would like an exam.  Katherine was curious but she was worried about being disappointed she wasn’t very dilated. We were confident in her lack of confidence, and her midwife came back with a resounding, “You’re dilated 9.5 cm and baby is at 0 station!” Katherine had done so much, and she knew she could see it through.

She labored down on her hands and knees over the CUB in bed, and her body gradually took over by grabbing her breath and forcing a lurch around the baby. Within 30 minutes we were pretty sure Katherine was pushing. There was no insistence on a check. Her body knew what to do. We placed cool cloths on her neck and some peppermint oil nearby for her nausea, but mostly just encouraged Katherine with our belief that she could do it and the affirmations that she WAS doing it. She pushed with her knees in to open her pelvic outlet too, making changes to help her baby come through.

About an hour into pushing, her baby’s head was “right there”, and the delivery cart was uncovered so it was ready to go. Katherine pulled the rebozo tied to the squat bar to push, and she even pushed in the semi-reclined position. She caught a glimpse of her baby’s head in the mirror which was a shock and an encouragement at the same time.

Katherine felt like she wanted to push on her hands and knees so she returned to that position at 5:15 for the last pushes before she would meet her baby. Katherine pushed with her mom and her husband on either side, touching her gently, speaking love and life into her, and loving her. The midwife got dressed in paper clothes 10 minutes later and Katherine continued to push another 20 minutes, and then she did it! Her baby was born at 5:50 am and after glancing between the legs, Kyle announced it was a baby boy. It was Owen Matthew!

Katherine received her son into her arms and she and Kyle looked down in awe. There were tears and such overwhelming love. Katherine couldn’t believe she did it, although everyone else in the room could. After those first couple of moments, we helped Katherine back onto her back in bed where she snuggled her boy through the placenta delivery and a repair. Eventually they would learn that he weighed 7 lb. 13 oz. and measured 21 in. long.

Owen was patient, but when the time came for his first latch, he was ready. It was sweet to watch these new parents help their son to the breast and then quietly watch blissfully as he had his first taste of colostrum. Babies are so smart when given the space and time to follow their instincts. Same as their moms! Katherine and Kyle were such a joy to serve. Their sweet and gentle nature did nothing to diminish the innate power of Katherine’s body and will to give birth. She was stronger than she thought she was. And that feeling will come in handy in parenting a newborn.

Morgan and Andrew welcomed their son, Clark Sydney, on August 28, 2022. Morgan made the decision to switch her care providers to one that was a better fit for the birth she envisioned for herself, not to mention the care and options she would have available. Her first labor text to me came just before 1:00 pm on August 28. She had noticed the contractions since the previous night but didn’t want to raise alarms too soon. Her contractions were still far apart at 10 minutes and not much more than 30 seconds, so I reminded her to hydrate, rest, and minimize.

Four hours passed and I got a call that Morgan’s water broke, and her contractions changed quickly after that. They were very consistent and strong and since she was supposed to receive antibiotics, they called the midwife and headed to the hospital. They had a sizable drive to the hospital, with a tunnel between them, but Andrew managed to get them through it only to get stuck behind the drawbridge opening for 10-15 minutes. They were only 4-5 cars from the front of the line too. But they made it to the hospital with a few hours to spare, although we didn’t know this at the time.

Morgan was dilated 5 cm and 90% effaced, a very fine place to be for a first-time mom. She was at the tipping point when labor would change. And she was finding her labor rhythm.

We all came together just past 8:00 that night and with her eye on the clock, Morgan asked us if we thought she would give birth before midnight. While we weren’t quite sure about that, we were willing to wager she’d have her baby before the sunrise. She asked about an epidural, more to fish for information, asking if it would mean she couldn’t get out of bed. And when we told her that it did, she didn’t mention it again.

Morgan sighed calmly through her surges, using her voice to keep her grounded as she moaned lightly through the peaks. Andrew applied counter pressure to her lower back. We cooled her with a fan and wet washcloths, but Morgan did a great job of staying focused on her breath through each contraction.

Morgan’s contractions moved to 3 minutes apart, and we hunkered down for active labor. I set up votives in the shower and gathered towels for her. I even started a pot of coffee thinking we might need some caffeine. But I would be wrong! (And so glad to be!)

Morgan went to the bathroom and seemed to bring her baby down nicely there. The plan was to move her labor into the shower next, but she wouldn’t make it there. It wasn’t in there long before we heard her making pushing sounds, and her nurse asked if she was pushing to which Morgan replied, “maybe?” So, her nurse checked and there was a baby’s head! She asked Morgan to return to the bed and then called the midwife.

Morgan was fully dilated, and her baby was quite low at +1/+2 and it was time to push! She had progressed from 5 to 10 cm in just a couple of hours! She blew raspberries as the pressure to bear down grew. And when she couldn’t stop it anymore, she pushed.

Morgan pushed in upright positions—hands and knees, kneeling upright using the squat bar, as well as lunging. Her baby needed her to push in all sorts of positions. She dilated quickly upon arrival to the hospital, but she still had about 2 hours of pushing to do. She was very patient and controlled as her baby made his way out at the very end, breathing through the ring of fire. And then Clark Sydney was born at 11:20 pm! He was born before midnight just like Morgan had asked! Her nurse and I would have lost that bet had we placed money on it!

Morgan nestled her son against her and took him in. The warm wet feel of your newborn has a way of pulling you back into the present moment. She had done it and done it in surprising fashion! And kudos to Andrew for getting her there in time. The driving job can be the most stressful part of labor! Clark weighed 6 lb. 9 oz. and was 19.75 in. long.

Morgan looked at me and told me she was so glad I was there. I smile and wonder in my mind what I did really. But holding her space and believing in her was at the heart of it. But she believed in herself and worked with her body, never letting the sensations of labor overwhelm her to the point of changing her plan. It was a lovely reminder of how unpredictable birth can be. And in a good way.

Trigger warning: This birth involves a uterine rupture, however mom and baby are fine.

Gabby and Jeff welcomed their third child, Campbell Robert in a very surprising sort of birth on August 28, 2022. This birth journey would be much different than her others for various reasons, but most notably because Jeff would be deployed and not present. Gabby accepted this reality and made sure she had a team of support who could be there in his stead. She also had a strong desire for a VBA2C and chose providers whom she felt could help her get there. But her birth would be vastly different in some other ways that remained to be seen.

As her pregnancy neared the due date, Gabby’s doctors who had originally been very supportive of her VBA2C intentions, changed their stance. Since her baby was measuring large on ultrasound, they no longer recommended nor would support her decision to do a VBA2C. Gabby left that appointment feeling letdown and frustrated, and quite frankly, backed into a corner. But she also wanted to do what was best for her son and took her providers advice to move forward with the repeat c-section. She got the call that afternoon and the date for the c-section was set for August 2 at which point she would be 40w4d. She hoped to have some time to let the change in plans settle in her mind and heart as the date of the c-section drew near. She also found out that day that her husband would make it home two days later in plenty of time for the scheduled c-section. So that was a huge relief.

Contrary to her expectations, Gabby would not have as much time as she thought before meeting her son because the very same day of her appointment she felt contractions. They began that morning and were persistent, but mild and far apart. She didn’t think anything of them, chocking them up to late pregnancy discomforts. But that evening at home the contractions changed. They became more intense, growing longer and closer too. She texted me a shockingly close contraction pattern around 10:40 that night. I told her the pattern looked like it was time to head to the hospital, even though they had only been that close for an hour. It was confusing but within the hour Gabby decided she just needed to go to the hospital. If the c-section was the plan, then so be it. She didn’t feel she was coping well and knew she would feel safer once she got there and had options, whether it be an epidural and/or the c-section.

Gabby walked into the hospital with her aunt who had driven her. She refused a wheelchair and preferred to walk, her body already sweaty from the work of labor. When they placed the monitors around Gabby’s belly, it was immediately apparent that her baby’s heart rate was dangerously low. When the midwife went to do a cervical exam, she noticed a lot of bleeding. There was no bleeding at home, but had come on suddenly right then. The mood in the room instantly changed and people swirled around Gabby quickly mobilizing toward the OR. Her baby had to be born asap by emergency c-section for any chance at life, not to mention Gabby’s risk from the potential blood loss if she was rupturing. Campbell Robert was born at 12:38 am and his mom didn’t even know it yet. Gabby was put under general anesthesia because there was simply no time for any other way. Waiting for an epidural or spinal to be placed could have had a catastrophic effect on Campbell’s already tenuous outcome.

Gabby woke up afterward to learn that her uterus had ruptured, and her baby had been pushed by her uterus through the incision into her abdomen near her diaphragm. Campbell was alive, which was miraculous considering he had apgars of 0/4/4, but he would need to be on advanced support in the care of the staff of CHKD, the local children’s hospital, and his prognosis was guarded. As Gabby lay in bed coming to terms with all that had happened in so short a time, her baby was wheeled into the room for a beside visit before flying to CHKD. He wasn’t there long, maybe a couple of minutes before he was gone. Jeff was on his way home the next day as planned and would be there by Gabby’s side through the challenging weeks ahead. Campbell was also a very big baby weighing in at 10 lb. 1 oz. and measuring 22 in. long. Those details only added to the wonder of what happened and how he moved through the scar the way he did. Gabby was also stable, and thankfully her blood loss was kept at a very safe level.

Campbell would spend about 5 weeks in the NICU at CHKD getting stable, growing stronger, and most importantly, learning how to eat. Gabby was patient and persistent in her dedication to her family, her new baby, and the positive outlook for his health and recovery. I am happy to say at the time of this writing, Campbell is home enjoying time with his parents and adoring big brother, Walker, and big sister, Mayven.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Gabby’s birth may be scary to some, for it illustrates that a uterine rupture can be a devastating risk factor. Remember that it is also a very rare one. (Gabby was the first client of mine to EVER have a uterine rupture after nearly 900 births over 20 years.) But her birth journey is a striking reminder of the importance of having hospitals, surgeons, fetal monitoring, in addition to options like VBAC, representing the balance struck every single day in obstetrics between options but also having life-saving alternatives when the situation warrants it, and mom and baby’s safety depends on it. Thanks to Gabby’s intuition and the rapid response by the providers at Mary Immaculate Hospital that night, she and Campbell have a bright future ahead. And she is grateful for their support and honesty of her providers along the way, even if it might have been a difficult thing to hear at that last appointment.

Alex and Josh’s first journey to parenthood ended in preterm loss that was difficult, but also only intensified their desire for a child. Her second pregnancy progressed well, but in consideration of her previous loss, if she didn’t go into labor on her own at a certain point, her providers felt it best to induce labor and keep a close eye on the baby. Alex advocated to move the induction a week later and her providers obliged. Her hope was that labor would happen on its own. And that’s what happened!

On August 18, Alex noticed her body gearing up with contractions. They came and went for a couple of days until the middle of the night on Sunday, August 21. They were every 4-5 minutes and lasting a minute, some coming closer than that. Alex and Josh remained at home laboring another six hours before heading to the hospital. Their timing was so wise because once they arrived, Alex was dilated 4-5 cm, 80% effaced, and her baby was nice and low at 0 station. 

When I entered the room, Alex was still smiling and had the NOVII monitor on her belly. It glowed kind of like ET, except blue. It was the tool that allowed for freedom of movement and hydrotherapy even though her baby was monitored for the duration. Alex breathed calmly through her contractions that had quickly moved to 2-3 minutes apart, some drifted to 5 minutes. “Ooooh,” she exhaled confidently with each surge.

Alex moved through many positions. She labored on hands and knees, then sat upright on the bed like a throne, using gravity to her advantage. She stood beside the bed and leaned forward as relaxing and inspiring music played in the background. Her contractions spaced apart during this time, which had us wondering if there might be a positional issue with baby. Just before 2:00 pm her doctor did an exam and confirmed she was dilated to 6 cm, however baby felt higher. Alex was not discouraged and continued her active laboring.  

She stepped it up and did lunges and dangled with the rebozo, squatting back onto Josh, her loving and steadfast partner through it all. She did hip swirls on the birth ball and posterior pelvic tilts. She labored on her hands and knees over the CUB again, this time incorporating lunges. The nurses changed shifts into the evening and a popsicle was a gift from Heaven for Alex at just the right time. She indulged in a second one.

Alex continued her labor cycle with hands and knees on the bed and even labored laying on her side for some rest. She stood and swayed beside the bed and just past 8:00 pm had another exam and agreed to have her water broken. Alex was dilated 8 cm (at 8pm!), but baby still felt high at -3 station. There was also light meconium. Alex returned to the rebozo tied over the door and dangled through contractions to encourage her baby to move deeper into her pelvis. We also did a side-lying release to see if that might create more space.

Next Alex labored in the shower and stood strategically to allow the water to bring on stronger contractions via nipple stimulation. I placed votives in the shower and some essential oil on a washcloth to create a calming environment where she could really tune into her body and tune out everything else. The baby had a dip in heart rate during the shower and since they had trouble getting a steady connection with the fetal heart rate, Alex exited the shower and labored on land.

At 10:00 that night she was dilated 8 cm, or perhaps only 6-7 cm. Baby was a little lower at -1 station. We shook the apple tree with the rebozo (to loosen and relax her pelvis and perineum), and she returned to lunges. After the rebozo work, Alex’s contractions were closer again. But she was getting tired, so she lay back down on the bed with the peanut ball between her legs for some rest. It wasn’t easy but it did allow for some “rest.” The contractions spaced again but felt stronger. So just before midnight since her cervix was the same and the contractions had drifted apart to 9 minutes, Alex agreed to some Pitocin. They began at the lowest dose. Alex labored in the flying cowgirl position, and then felt some new pain in her right hip. We wondered if her baby might be trying to figure himself out in there. A heating pad helped relieve the pain in her right hip.

It didn’t take long for the contractions to jump back to the 3 – 3 ½ minutes range and some even closer. So, Alex got back up and did some lunges and then walked her hip out. We then used the bed to mimic a throne so Alex could use gravity again and she felt a difference in the pain—it was more in the front and back rather than on her right side. This was encouraging. The Pitocin was increased again, and we dabbed Alex’s face and neck with a cold cloth.

Then she had the feeling like she had to poop, which told us perhaps things had changed! It was just before 3:00 am and it prompted an exam. And Alex was 8-9 cm and her baby had moved down to -1/0 station. She continued to breathe calmly through each contraction and resumed her circuit of movement. Josh was an emotional and spiritual support to Alex, telling her to “breathe in Jesus and breathe out Josiah.” He also prayed over her. I found Josh on more than one occasion reading Scripture or praying throughout labor.

An ultrasound was used to try to figure out baby’s position since labor had been so gradual, and he was looking somewhat transverse to Alex’s right. So we did some belly sifting. The baby’s heart rate started to show some dips that were concerning so the Pitocin was also turned down by half. Since labor had been so gradual and Alex was getting very tired, she took the recommendation to get an epidural. The hope was that she would get solid sleep and perhaps something would relax in her pelvis and allow her baby to make the adjustments needed.

There was a delay in getting the epidural since the anesthesiologist was in the OR for a c-section. But eventually, after 2 hours and 2 different people trying, Alex got the epidural and hoped for some relief next. But that isn’t exactly what happened. Not too long after, her baby’s heart rate dipped. They shifted her position to improve his heart rate and it helped, but it dipped again. A constellation of concerns all came together that brought the medical team in to speak with Alex and Josh about next steps. She had been dilated 8 cm for close to 10 hours without progression, and her baby’s heart rate was displaying some signs that perhaps he didn’t have the stamina to withstand labor much longer. The recommendation was made for Alex to have a c-section.

This is never an easy decision. Alex asked the questions and sorted through the answers. There was no doubt she worked with her body and did all the things to coax her baby out. The flow of staff constantly complimented her on her control and how calm she was through her entire labor, but for some reason her baby wasn’t descending. Alex decided to move forward with the c-section with Josh’s full support. She cried, not tears of disappointment, but grateful tears knowing she had assembled a team that did everything to help her baby to be born vaginally. It didn’t take long before she and Josh were in the OR meeting their baby.

Josiah was born August 22, 2022 (8/22/22!) at 9:45 am, weighing 6 lb. 11 oz. and measuring 20 ¼ in. long. He was perfect and worth every bit of the journey. He is a gift from God, their sweet rainbow baby. Alex’s postpartum wasn’t without its complications, but at the time of our postpartum visit she was doing well and sorting through the early newborn issues of reflux and colic with Josh. Once again, they have assembled themselves a team of support to find the answers they need. It takes a village, that’s for sure.  

All photos credited to Erika Casanova, except the mirror photo taken by myself.

Ashley and Darius welcomed their third baby, in a homebirth, on August 5. This was our second birth journey together. And after welcoming her son in a hospital birth center with midwives, Ashley desired to welcome their third baby at home. They also made the decision not to find out the gender ahead of time, something completely different for them.

This third baby stayed true to the wide-held understanding that third babies are the wild cards. Ashley had contractions that came on strong and regular and had her wondering if it was labor. But then it wasn’t. She grew used to this pattern, but it became exhausting and frustrating. On Thursday, August 4 at 4:23 am, she texted that she was pretty sure it was the real deal. Her sweet baby would not be born until the following day, but at that time she was working through strong contractions at a steady pattern of 4-5 minutes apart. Her midwife recommended she rest and hydrate and see what came of the contractions, and I said the same.

The contractions continued into the morning, but they had spaced out to 6-9 minutes. I recommended she do the Miles Circuit to help baby get into a better position, if necessary, which she did. Ashley tried to rest but she also went curb walking. She was a woman on a mission to get her baby out. Later that night around 11:15 pm, she texted that the contractions had gotten closer and stronger at 5-6 minutes. She felt a lot of pain in her back and mentioned that her midwife suspected her baby was OP (occiput posterior/sunnyside up). She would have her work cut out for her on this one.

Just past 4:00 am on Friday, Ashley checked in again. Her midwife sent a backup to look in on Ashley and assess things. The contractions were still at the 5-6 minutes apart pattern and not letting up. After the midwife left with the determination that Ashley was in early labor but things would pick up once baby’s position was better, Ashley reached out to let me know. I gathered my things to head over since the midwife had recommended so.

When I arrived, I could tell that Ashley was tired. She was sitting backwards over a chair and trying to rest between contractions. Her midwife arrived an hour or so later and got settled in. An exam was done, and Ashley was dilated 5 cm, 75% effaced, and her baby was at -2 station. So we got busy working on baby’s position. I did sifting with the rebozo. I shook the apple tree to loosen her pelvis and perineum, and then I did some belly sifting to encourage baby to make the necessary adjustments. And when the time came to listen to baby’s heart rate, the midwife’s assistant’s eyes grew large when she noticed the baby was midline instead of to the side. Something had shifted!

Ashley continued to do the work. She walked wide legged up the stairs and then did some rebozo dangle-squats. Her contractions moved to the 3-minute range, and I recommended she labor in the shower for a bit. Peace and Calming oil blend on a washcloth helped to fill the space and help her settle her mind and spend some alone time. She had loving family in the home with her in full support—her mom, two sisters, her daughter, and her husband of course. But sometimes quiet and solitude are critical for labor’s progress.

After the shower, Ashley lay down. It was 1:30 pm. And she rested for about 45 minutes in this way, breathing through her contractions. A bathroom trip got her up and she spent some time in the bathroom on the toilet listening to birth tracks she had been practicing with. Her labor sounded like it was pickup up, and her midwives made the move to ready the tub. Ashley felt like things were progressing but going slowly. She asked her midwife to break her water because she remembered how it sped things up in her previous birth. Her midwife checked and would do it if the conditions were favorable. Ashley was dilated 7-8 cm! Her baby was still at -2 station. Her water was broken at 4:50 pm, and after a pep talk from her midwife, Ashley returned to labor on the toilet. She did standing lunges with the rebozo overhead next, and then returned to the shower around 6:00 pm. It was a short shower, and she found her way back downstairs to the tub. Ashley thought she was beginning to feel pushy in the tub, but the sensation never grew to overwhelming. She stood with Darius and then I recommended she return to the bathroom to labor on the toilet in the hopes she would feel the urge to push naturally there.

It wasn’t much longer before she felt like she needed to push. Ashley wouldn’t make it into the tub as she envisioned. Her baby was ready and that walk looked so far. At 8:55 pm and her midwife confirmed she was dilated 9.5 cm. She offered to push the lip aside and Ashley was all for it if it would help. It was a concerted effort but after a few contractions it worked. She dug deep for strength she had in reserve, and she pushed her baby out while pulling tug of war with my rebozo. Ashley had to work! But after 30 minutes of hard pushing, and days of contractions, Ashley brought her baby into the world at 9:32 pm on August 5! And perhaps the best moment of all was when she looked down to see it was another girl! And her oldest daughter cried happy tears to know she had a baby sister. The look of surprise and elation was beautiful and erased away any trace of worry and exhaustion that had graced it prior.

Zen Valentina settled in beside her mother and latched like a pro. Her placenta was shy in coming but finally made its debut to much relief, very much like Zen had. Ashley was surrounded by family who welcomed their newest love. It was a beautiful scene—all of the tears, smiles, and adoration of this newest little life. Zen had a head full of dark hair and was simply beautiful. She weighed in at 7 lb. 8.5 oz. and measured 20 in. long. And as I watched her snuggled skin to skin with her mom I got to thinking. There is just something about a brand-new life taking in their surroundings with awe at just 12 inches’ distance, to remind us of what’s truly important. Love and life. Support and encouragement. Trust and yielding. Community. Power and strength. Patience. Thank you, little one, for these lessons for us all.

Christy and Daniel’s journey to meet their first baby unfolded so smoothly, you’d think they might have traveled it before. But every birth is different and there is never a guarantee that birth will fall within the assumed parameters of labor…until it does, kind of. But Christy’s pregnancy journey wasn’t without a hiccup. Her baby was a bit too comfortable inside, happily growing and growing. So, when Christy passed her due date and then some, an induction was scheduled. And sometimes that’s all it takes because she went into labor the day before the induction.

 Christy’s contractions began about 10 minutes apart but rapidly progressed to the 5-1-1 pattern of 5 minutes apart, lasting a minute each, for an hour. But they didn’t stop there and instead zoomed to 3 minutes apart. This was a bit startling and faster than they expected based on what we went over in childbirth class. So, they put a call in to the midwife who supported their desire to go to the hospital.

Since the induction was scheduled for the next day, Christy had already taken the COVID test in preparation so that was on less thing! She was monitored for a baseline and her midwife did an exam. Christy chose not to know her dilation, preferring to keep it a secret so the number wouldn’t get into her head. It was a wonderful strategy, and her midwife was pleased with the exam and told her to keep up the good work. Her contractions were coming at a steady clip of 3-4 minutes apart and lasting a minute or more.

 Christy draped herself over the CUB birthing chair as we fanned her and placed cold cloths on her neck. She belched loud and long, a funny sing of labor’s progression. It elicited giggles that were hard to keep inside, but Christy didn’t seem bothered as she was already deep in labor. Daniel applied counter pressure to relieve her lower back and cycled the washcloths and made sure Christy was hydrated.

Her COVID test was negative, but her GBS test was not, so antibiotics were run around 10:30 pm. She was feeling her contractions in her back, so I placed a warm pack there to help her relax her pelvic muscles. Her moans moved louder into growls, and it became clear it was time to call for the tub. Daniel made the call and I set up the shower with some aromatherapy and lighting for Christy. Meanwhile, some furniture was moved out of the room to make space for the tub.

 Christy was in the shower just past 11:00 that night and she labored in a variety of positions. She leaned over the cub and also stood and braced herself against the arm rail in the shower. Lavender permeated the space, a tool to aid in her relaxation through the increased strength of her contractions. The pressure was growing, and we were excited she would meet her baby well before sunrise on the “induction day.”

When it was time to setup the tub, Christy vacated the shower and labored in the room. (The shower would be the means for filling the tub.) She labored back on the bed on her hands and knees over the peanut ball. Her back ached during and between contractions, so we continued to give added support to her with counter pressure and the heat pack.

 Daniel started up the music to keep Christy’s mind in the right place and within a short while the tub was full enough to use. Christy was in the water by 1:00 am and appreciated the change in sensations it brought. She requested rain sounds on the speakers and we pointed a fan toward her to keep her cool as her labor moved into transition.

And just 15 minutes after entering the water Christy began to feel pushy at the peaks of her contractions. It wasn’t time to push yet, but she was laboring down beautifully to the point where she could no longer resist pushing. Her contractions were 2-2.5 minutes apart and lasting 60-90 seconds. Ten minutes later we heard a little grunt at the peaks, and Christy asked, “You sure she’s not coming out of my butt hole?” Believe it or not, this is a question that has been asked more than once. (We assured her she wasn’t but that she was close to birth.)

 And twenty minutes later, her midwife asked if she might be ready to get back on the bed and push out her baby. It was 1:55 and Christy was definitely ready. She found her way back to the bed and leaned over the peanut ball on hands and knees to give her first intentional push. And it was only a couple of pushes before we saw her baby’s head. Daniel caught a glimpse and conveyed his excitement to Christy. It wouldn’t be long now.

And at 2:05 am, on 8/2/22, Christy brought her chunky baby girl into the world, while holding Daniel’s hand! She only pushed for 10 minutes on that bed, by the way! Her midwife passed her baby through her legs into her arms where she cradled her and got her first look at what she had done. Her baby girl cried out as the midwife and nurse commented on how big she was. The placenta was taking it’s time but was eventually out without help.

 Christy and Daniel fell in love with their sweet girl, Amara Lee, and marveled at her chunks. In time we all discovered that she came by her chunks honestly because she weighed a whopping 10 lb. 2 oz. and was 22 in. long! Christy pushed out her big girl as if she had given birth before, and never even knew her dilation until she was pushing. And even then, maybe not. Funny how labor progresses just fine when we hold the space and follow the cues of the woman’s body. When conditions are right with mom and baby, it can go this way. I see babies born in all sorts of ways, in a variety of settings, but when babies just come on out without any assistance, it’s a regular reminder to me that less is more when it comes to an uncomplicated, healthy birth.

This announcement was written using the notes and birth pictures taken by Liz Griffin, CD(DONA), who attended the birth.

Emily’s due date happened to coincide closely with my vacation plans so she made sure she had realistic expectations about the likelihood she would have a backup doula attend her birth. She remained pregnant to her due date and beyond and an induction was on the books. However, Emily advocated to have the date moved later putting it on the day after I returned from a weeklong vacation. We were excited at the chance for me to attend her birth after all!

But babies have a way of changing plans, and no sooner had I returned to town, another client went into labor and labored for well over a day, requiring my backup doula to attend Emily’s birth after all. Since Emily had already done the mental and emotional preparation for a different doula, the change was not an issue and one she embraced with open arms. She also did the same with her birth, by the way. And it helped immensely with how it all played out.

Since Emily’s journey to get pregnant involved IVF, there was an elevated concern for risk factors which had the induction scheduled. Emily went to the hospital on the evening of July 17 for cervical ripening with the hope her labor would begin sometime the following day. A balloon was placed in her cervix (dilated 1 cm) along with low dose Pitocin. Her midwife with check on her 12 hours later to see how her cervix had changed to determine next steps. But Emily didn’t need the full 12 hours! Around 2:40 am she was already having contractions 5 minutes apart that were lasting 30-45 seconds. She was also vomiting, an encouraging sign of progression, albeit very unpleasant to endure. Emily received some medicine to help her get more rest and it helped her some.

At 5:00 am, Emily was dilated 5 cm! Her water had also broken on its own, a great sign that her body was on board with the plan to have a baby. Emily had a wonderful nurse who encouraged her and also advised her about when to call in her doula. I was still at the other birth, so my backup was dispatched to Emily’s side and served her so well.

She was by Emily’s side by 7:25 am and found her place in the rhythm of contractions immediately. Emily was in bed vomiting from her contractions but also shared how much better she felt after she threw up. And it also happens to be that when a woman vomits in labor, that downward surge in her body also moves her baby down! Emily was beginning to feel the immensity of labor and considered an epidural, but she hoped to take advantage of doula support first. Emily was remaining strong and courageous with each surge, breathing through the contractions and leaning against Raphael for support.

The plan was to be strategic and change positions every 15 minutes to try and move the baby down as quickly as possible. Wisely, her doula alternated between active and passive positions to allow for balance between hard work and rest, or at least as much rest as can be done with regular contractions.

Almost immediately after implementing their plan, the contractions came back-to-back! Emily began to moan through them and focused even more through each one. They were stronger and required a lot more work to get through. Emily returned to the bed on her hands and knees and labored while Raphael did counter pressure and breathed with her.

Around 8:45 am, while Emily was sideling with the peanut between her legs, she threw up and started shaking, as she moaned through every contraction. Her baby’s heart rate was showing some early decels which can hint to nearly full dilation or at the very least rapid cervical change. Imagine a baby is coming down quickly upon a disappearing cervix and thinking, “what the heck?” The contractions were only three minutes apart, which didn’t allow for much of a recovery for Emily. By 9:00 am she was feeling so much pressure she asked for an exam to know where she was in dilation. At that time, Emily was dilated 7 cm and 80% effaced and her baby was at 0 station! These were big changes! Emily was ready for an epidural because she was wanted some relief. Her midwife recommended turning off the Pitocin and seeing how laboring in the shower might help. Emily was willing to give it a try.

She labored for 30 minutes under the warm water, and while it helped a little, she still wanted an epidural. The doula asked if an exam might change her mind, but since Emily said it wouldn’t they went ahead and mobilized to the bed to get the epidural started. The epidural was placed just past 10:00 am. She got great relief from it, but her team made sure she continued to change positions every 30 minutes to continue the progress of her labor.

At 1:10 pm the midwife returned to find that Emily was feeling great pressure in her pelvis. This is a great sign that it’s time to push out a baby! So the midwife asked her to give a push to see what happened and she could already see the baby’s head! Raphael looked and his eyes got SO big when he saw the top of his son’s head. The midwife got dressed in her paper baby catching clothes and the delivery cart was wheeled up to the foot of the bed. And Raphael stood nearby, ready to help catch his son as he and Emily had hoped.

Emily was such an amazing pusher! Her baby crowned almost immediately, and at 1:28 pm on Monday, July 18, 2022, Ambrose Raphael came tumbling into the world, caught skillfully and lovingly by his midwife and father. Once the head was out, Raphael guided the rest of his son’s body into the world and into Emily’s hands. The emotions were high and the tears were flowing all around! Emily kissed her son and said, “Oh, we prayed for you.” And there she rested with her son on her chest for a long time. Once Raphael cut the cord, Emily brought her son even closer.

Ambrose weighed 6 lb. 15 oz. and was so adorable. He had a surprising amount of rolls for his supposed small size, he had everyone shocked at how small he was. At the time of this writing he has added inches and girth to his size and is breastfeeding like a champ. I was so glad to have finally met him at our postpartum visit and to know his mom was in such loving and capable doula hands. It was by all accounts a beautiful and inspiring birth and worth it every step of the way.