Kaitlyn and Brian welcomed their second baby, this time a girl, Eleanor Grace, on August 8. Kaitlyn’s first birth involved a 4thdegree tear and challenging recovery, and she was even told it might be a good plan to consider a c-section for any subsequent births since she had such a significant tear. But Kaitlyn had a strong desire for every chance at a natural birth, so she hired a doula and chose providers who were known for them, and Kaitlyn even had regular appointments with a chiropractor. She and Brian also armed themselves with knowledge and attended both my Spinning Babies Parent class and my refresher class. They had the information and the team. Now all they needed was the baby!

But Kaitlyn had a sneaking suspicion even in the Spinning Babies class as we did belly mapping that her baby was not head down. She thought she felt a head up in her ribs but wasn’t sure. There was still plenty of time for her baby to reposition herself so Kaitlyn did the daily activities and exercises as recommended in class and hoped that time would give her baby all she needed to turn.

Around a month before her due date, Kaitlyn’s midwife confirmed what Kaitlyn has suspected, that her baby was in the breech position. It wasn’t an easy determination since it took two midwives and even an ultrasound to verify. Kaitlyn felt some validation upon learning her baby was breech since she had suspected a head in her ribs rather than a bottom. But ultimately if her baby didn’t flip the plan would be to have a scheduled c-section. This was not what Kaitlyn expected but she also knew there was some time yet.

She did not feel at peace with doing an ECV but rather preferred to encourage baby to move by using her own body. And if her baby remained in the breech position, she would follow her lead and schedule the c-section. In the interim she knew she had tools from the Spinning Babies class as well as her chiropractic visits, but she was feeling tired and uncomfortable, and knew the importance of emotionally processing the likely change in her birth plan. And there was the other issue of tending to their son who was in the throes of potty training.

Another appointment the following weeks with an ultrasound confirmed baby was frank breech on her right side and Kaitlyn’s anterior placenta was taking up the left side. Her doctor wasn’t overly optimistic about the ECV, as Kaitlyn suspected after researching it, so they came to the safe conclusion that baby had made the choice for them. She would be born by c-section.

Kaitlyn maintained some hope that baby may still turn, but she also embraced the positives of the scheduled c-section. She could let go of any worries of who would watch big brother and her husband would be readily available and she wouldn’t have to find a way to get ahold of him on the ship as with spontaneous labor. I was so proud of her for letting go of the initial vision she had for her birth and instead embracing the new path that unfolded before her. There was still a decision made by both her and her baby. It was just not the one she thought she would choose, but it ultimately felt like the right one for this baby and this birth.

The spirit in the room of the c-section was upbeat. Everyone arrived one by one and introduced themselves as part of the surgical team. Kaitlyn had nervous excitement and Brian was so faithful in his love and support for her. There were many smiles and even laughs that morning and the idea of a baby in her arms in a very short time was still hard to fathom. As everyone was geared up and made final preparations, the confirmation of a pleasant surprise of allowing both Brian and me in the OR was just icing on the birthday cake, so to speak.

We both sat by Kaitlyn and Brian held her hand. Country music was playing the whole time. We told Kaitlyn what we saw, and as soon as her baby was out and assessed, Brian went right to her side while I remained with Kaitlyn. Daddy’s little girl, aka Eleanor, was adorable and with both legs straight up towards her head she was very obviously a breech baby. While her gender was a surprise, her big brother was sure from the beginning that she was a girl, insisting he was getting a “little sissy” from the first moment he knew she was in his mom’s belly. And the discovery at birth made it even more emotional for Kaitlyn and Brian since she was named after Kaitlyn’s grandma.

Eleanor squeezed her daddy’s finger HARD and made sure everyone in the room knew her feelings on the matter of being born. She was skin to skin with her mom at just over 5 minutes old, and she even very nearly latched in the OR. She was born at 8:16 am and weighed 8 lb. 6 oz. And was declared absolutely perfect by everyone present. And she had some seriously long, dark hair!

Breech legs!

When all was said and done, the family returned to the room together for recovery. It was family-centered, and Eleanor latched at 45 minutes old for a long while as her mom and dad looked on. Kaitlyn was feeling good in the immediate postpartum, and when I saw her at her postpartum visit weeks later, she told me she was actually healing better than she had been after her first birth.

Eleanor rested on her mom’s breast as she listened to the same heartbeat that lulled her to sleep in the womb. She was home. After traveling such a crazy and winding road, it’s nice to know that the destination is the same. I am so proud of this family and the way they handled the changes in their birth. Changes they handled with grace, dignity, courage, and clarity. It’s a wise and wonderful start to parenthood. And their big boy at home is totally smitten with his baby sister. He is quite simply glad she is HERE. And so are Kaitlyn and Brian.

Chelsea and Chris welcomed baby #3 on August 6. I had been hired by them twice before, so they felt as much like friends as clients to me. Chelsea was forthcoming at our prenatal visit about aspects of her second birth that she would prefer not to repeat. Granted it was during COVID which brought added challenges. Her first two babies also had meconium so that altered some of her postpartum experience with them and involved some separation from one as he received extra attention in the nursery.

While there’s no way to control whether there would be meconium, we were hopeful that this birth would be different since every birth truly is. Chelsea and Chris expected to welcome this baby around Chelsea’s due date since that was the pattern she had established with her first two. With that assumption, plus the hectic homelife raising two young children late in pregnancy, they didn’t do a whole lot of packing ahead of time. And the joke was on them! Because I got a call from Chelsea around 11:00 pm on August 5 telling me her water just broke. And her due date was still two weeks away! There was no meconium though which was a very good start!

Chelsea spoke with the doctor on call, and they decided it was best to mobilize and head to the hospital sooner rather than later. After all, her second labor was just two hours long after her water broke. They were on their way just before midnight with no notable contractions yet. Chris also noticed they only had 18 miles left on the gas tank! Oops! And just 15 minutes later Chelsea texted she had felt 3 contractions that were 6 minutes apart and getting stronger with each one. I gathered my things and was on my way soon after.

I joined them in their triage room and Chelsea was 3 cm dilated. Her 6 minutes apart contractions spaced out after sitting on the triage bed for the NST. I had a suspicion she would need to get put in her proper room before she could let go and labor. It took a while, but by 1:45 am she was shown to her LDR room.

We walked the hallways for 20 minutes and returned to the room where Chelsea did hip swirls on the ball. She expressed that she felt a lot of discomfort in her butt to which Chris said that meant this kid would be a pain in the ass! It got a chuckle. We talked through how fortuitous it was that Chris’ parents happened to be in town for a visit so they could leave the children in their care to go to the hospital.

By 2:35 am the contractions were steady at 4 minutes apart, lasting a minute or longer. Chelsea’s body was moving into active labor and requiring her focus. With Chelsea the signs are subtle. A furrowed brow, closed eyes were signs she was working harder. The contractions were more in the front which was a good sign baby’s position was fine.

And just 20 minutes later, by 2:55 we could hear Chelsea’s breathing as she stepped up her work. She leaned into Chris for support as he rubbed her back and gave a kiss after the contraction. She stood beside the bed and leaned into the CUB through some contractions and then labored on her hands and knees over it by 3:05. Chelsea did lunges and felt her baby moving down a short time later. We heard her breath quiver some as she exhaled at the peaks of the contractions, another subtle sign to us that Chelsea was progressing. Nausea hit her so she moved out of the bed to labor standing.

Judging from her efforts, it felt like a good time to recommend laboring in the shower. Chelsea considered renting a tub but since her second labor was so quick, she thought she’d skip it. This was right around when she told us she wished she had the tub. I reminded her that the shower was another good option for hydrotherapy. So she gave it a try. With votives and citrus fresh and lemon essential oil blends on a washcloth, the shower became a labor sanctuary that woke up her senses and maybe even helped her feel a little less tired.

The contractions were 2 minutes apart now, and Chelsea felt her baby ‘right in her butt,’ point with her hand to show us where. Her nurse began setting up the delivery table and Chelsea made her way out of the shower. We switched out cold cloths on her neck and Chris and I rubbed her back lightly. Chris kissed Chelsea on her shoulders as she labored their baby earthside.

At 4:18 am her doctor appeared and recommended a cervical exam. Chelsea was game for it and we learned she was dilated a surprising 6 cm, 80% effaced, with baby at -1. To be honest, we thought she would have been farther along. But the trajectory of labor cannot be contained in Friedman’s Curve, although so many try. Chelsea wandered to the bathroom and returned sounding different. It was 4:26 am and she dropped the f-bomb. She moaned with her contractions and requested no more counter pressure.

She lay upon her side in the bed at 4:40 am and told us she was feeling pushy with each contraction. Her doctor wanted to confirm whether it was “time” to push about 10 minutes later, but since Chelsea’s cervix was 7 cm, it was best to wait. Her baby was at 0 station, and she was effaced to 905, but Chelsea continued to feel a lot of pressure. She lingered on her side for another contraction or two and then returned to her hands and knees at 4:56. “I feel my energy coming back,” and so she resumed an upright position to get it done. Chris later said he knew his wife meant business once she said that. And he was not wrong.

I mentioned that doing lunges might help her baby’s head melt her cervix away and make the urge to push grow even more. She did not hesitate and did a lunge right then and there. It was 5:01 and she felt pushier. She did a lunge on the right with the next contraction and felt an even stronger pushing urge.

Her doctor had been lingering in the room since the previous exam, knowing Chelsea was progressing rapidly. The pushing sounds had her pulling the cart to the end of the bed and then dressing into her paper suit. Then the craziest thing happened, as Chelsea followed her body’s lead she pushed, and we heard a small gurgle. The sheet was covering Chelsea’s back side, so I lifted it up and saw her baby’s face! It was the only full-on pushing contraction and with the next push her baby was out! Their baby arrived at 5:08 am and Chelsea made the announcement that it was another boy! Chris was crying and expressing such love through his tears. Chelsea had gone from 7 cm to baby in 15 minutes.

We helped her get back down to her back upon the bed and the placenta was out in a few minutes, all while Chelsea had William Joseph in her arms from the beginning and for the entirety of that first hour. The placenta was born, and her doctor said those words that make every newly postpartum mom sing: no tears!

Chelsea drank some coconut water and ate some peanut butter for her first postpartum snack but there would soon be much better options in store. After that first hour, William had his first exam. He weighed 6 lb. 14 oz. and was 20 in. long. But he was back in his mother’s arms in no time.

Chelsea and Chris admit that this was the least prepared they had ever been for a birth. But it just goes to show they really didn’t need much. The birth was beautiful, and their children embraced their new brother without reservation. Eleanor is now a big sister twice over as a kindergartener, and Daniel quickly grew out of baby status at 21 months, to welcome his baby brother, in his words, “Baby Wheel.”

It was a joy to accompany this family in their surprisingly early birth. It tied so much together for them and for me as well. It doesn’t matter the dilation, and babies are going to come when they are ready. And this particular baby had something to say from the start!

Zoe and Michael welcomed their fourth and final baby on August 2! But just because this was their fourth time in birth didn’t’ mean it would go the way they expected. (or any of us, for that matter) They took my class to prepare for the birth of their second baby. And then hired me as their doula for their third baby, whose birth I made by minutes. Zoe’s active labor was just one hour! Knowing how fast Zoe’s third labor went had us wondering how this birth would unfold and whether I would have enough time to make it. I know it had Zoe a little on edge as well since she had three kiddos to arrange before leaving for the hospital.

The laboring pictures were actually taken July 25, the first time Zoe came to the hospital thinking it was labor.

Zoe’s body had regular bouts of rhythmic contractions that had her wondering if it was “it”. She reached out from time to time, but the contractions petered out. That is until July 25. Her contractions were 5 minutes apart since 6:30 am and moved to 4 minutes apart by 8:30. By 9:15 am she could no longer breathe through them and was thinking of leaving for the hospital soon. Her midwife agreed that she should head in and we met up around 10:20 am.

Zoe was dilated 3 cm and could easily stretch to 4 cm, but after walking around and breathing through strong contractions she was still 4 cm 2 hours later. She tried to use a breast pump to get her contractions to intensify and hopefully move her into active labor, but another exam that evening around 5:00 had her cervix the same. She was not in labor and much as she had hoped to welcome her baby that day, her midwife reminded her that going home would keep her from the possibility of needing pitocin if breaking her water didn’t work. Zoe agreed and returned home.

About a week later, at her prenatal appointment with a different midwife, the possibility of induction was brought up. Zoe was barely past 40 weeks, but the logistical details were stressful coupled with her propensity for rapid active labor. So she agreed to move forward with an induction the following day, August 2.

Zoe reported to the hospital that day and the induction process was very slow to start. It was a busy day at the hospital too, and Zoe was content to be patient knowing she was finally going to meet her baby and not go home. She was also aware that I was with another client in labor, but her midwife and I were hopeful she would birth midday. (Of course, we were wrong!)

Zoe tried a breast pump that morning around 7:00 to see if it might rustle up some serious contractions. But the contractions fizzled, and her midwife confirmed at 9:00 am that she was the same as she was: 4 cm/80%. Pitocin was the next step and began sometime after 10:00 am. It was raised little by little until at 2:00 it was at 10 mu. An exam had Zoe at the same dilation, but her baby had moved lower in the pelvis. Her midwife suspected with a little bit more pitocin she would be back in a few hours to break her water. Zoe was fine with that plan.

By 3:00 pm Zoe’s contractions were coming close, but she could talk through them. I asked her if she needed support, but she said she could wait. About 30 minutes later Zoe was dilated 6 cm. Her nurse felt it was a good time to break her water and was going to get the midwife to do so, but Zoe preferred to wait. At that point I told her to please keep me posted because it was looking like I would need to call a backup doula in for her. And Zoe said she would.

Zoe took a lap walking with the iv pole and pitocin pump and about 45 minutes later her contractions went erratic and it was time. She texted that they were going to break her water, so it was a good time to have the backup doula come. I sent out the text and Brandy Burd was on her way.

With the backup doula enroute and Zoe ready to have her water broken, it turns out her midwife and the OB were both busy and unable to break Zoe’s water just yet. But her contractions intensified all the same and she was soon feeling her body move through active labor and transition in a short amount of time.

Shortly after Brandy arrived, it was clear that birth was imminent. Zoe had moved headlong into her brief active labor and after less than an hour was feeling a lot of pressure. She was laboring on her hands and knees and feeling pushy, and her nurse looked down and saw a balloon (the bag of water) coming out. The midwife was called but it was looking like a nurse delivery! The water broke at 5:42 pm, then a head came, and the midwife arrived, quickly gloved up and caught the baby at 5:43 pm!

Lots of people came running in since the birth happened in a crazy way, but mom and baby were just fine and mostly relieved to finally meet each other! Michael was also relieved to know there was support and he wouldn’t have to catch the baby himself. Skyler May weighed 8 lb. 14 oz. and was 20.25 in. long. She is adorable and her chunks only add to the cuteness.

Zoe’s birth was unexpected in some ways, but predictable in others. I hope she learned how capable she is and how little control anyone has over birth. Even with an induction it took all day, something we didn’t expect! We had already been together for 8 hours the week prior expecting a birth and were so wrong!

Zoe’s birth also highlights the value of support. Zoe was invested in having me there to serve her but there came a point when it was not going to happen, and she needed the doula Skyler chose to be there! I don’t call backup often, but this day I had to call in 2 backup doulas for the first time ever! The babies were born in the very same hour too! I am grateful for the doulas I trust to serve my clients when I am not available. And I am grateful for the clients who choose to hire me even though they have a history of precipitous labors. As Zoe’s birth highlights, you just never know. Every birth is different. Even in the same woman.

Photo Credit: Sarah Fitz Photo

Photo credit: Sarah Fitz Photo

Photo Credit: Sarah Fitz Photo

Christine and Mark welcomed their first child together on August 1. They had previously become parents with other partners, but found each other, fell in love, got married, and decided to further connect their families with a child. This would be the first son between them since Mark had two daughters and Christine had one. This birth was a new beginning on several levels. And this time would be different for both. They took a 1-day refresher childbirth class and my Spinning Babies® parent class, investing time in preparing for the birth they envisioned. This was also the first time they had a doula.

Christine had a strong desire for an unmedicated birth, something she had not yet experienced. And Mark was all in to support her in her goal. I could see right away they had a strong foundation of open communication and mutual respect. I looked forward to seeing that play out in the birth space and had a strong suspicion it would be beautiful.

Christine experienced an induction for her first birth and was very driven to experience spontaneous labor this time. She was optimistic since her body was gearing up for labor ahead of time. She was dilated 1.5-2 cm at 38 weeks. She experienced some digestive upsets that sent her to the ER that night, but things petered off once she was able to relieve her digestive tract. And Christine continued to have bouts of contractions that week. It makes it confusing to know when to pay attention, but after experiencing several of these episodes Christine knew to not pay too much attention to them unless or until they grew longer, stronger, and closer. She was able to manage them fine with hydration and rest, otherwise.

On July 31 Christine texted about low back ache and shooting pain. She had already been dealing with it for 24 hours, but it had intensified since 1:00 am. She took baths, hydrated, and did the Miles Circuit to help baby improve his position if that was the culprit. She felt baby move in big ways that day and felt contractions all the while. Then around 6:45 pm she wondered if her water might have broken. She had her 40-week appointment in the morning and knew there might be some answers then. However, her body helped fill in the blanks as her contractions were consist at 7 minutes apart by 11:30 that night.

By 3:00 am, Christine’s contractions were intense enough to the point of needing support. She called her midwife and was told to come in. Her contractions were erratic, ranging from 5-9 minutes apart but they were strong. An exam at 4:00 am confirmed she was 5 cm dilated. It was exciting to know she was progressing. She had been laboring at home since 10:30 pm, conserving her energy and staying hydrated. It was time to assemble her birth team, so her arrival was well timed. I arrived by 4:45 am.

Christine was having a lot of back pain with her contractions. She asked if she could still labor in the tub with an epidural, but she was told it wasn’t an option but that the tub was the “midwife’s epidural.” Christine knew she was committed to an unmedicated birth at that point because she wanted to be in the tub so badly!  We used a warm rice sock to help, and I offered peppermint for her nausea which was also part of her experience. Her nurse was asking her the admissions questions someone was busy setting up the labor tub for her. And as soon as it was ready, Christine got in.

We made the space conducive, with votives, dim lights, twinkle lights, and instrumental Christian music.

Christine felt more and more pressure as her labor intensified. The nurse tried to get a vein but struggled so they had to find someone else to help. All in all, it took three nurses to finally get a vein at 6:15 that morning. I figured if Christine could labor through all of that she would be just fine.

Mark was a steady, loving companion to Christine. He never left her side or took a break. He was offering gentle reassurance and touch between contractions and did counter pressure. We took turns pressing on Christine’s back, knowing that was where she felt her contractions most intensely. She got out of the tub about an hour later just before 7:00 am. Christine took Mark’s hand and leaned into him for strength as she made her way to the bed. She continued to hold his hand there.

Christine was asking what was next. She looked ahead at what was to come and didn’t feel sure. She got an exam at that time and was 7cm dilated. This was good progress! She then felt her water break somewhat, another good sign of things moving forward for her labor. Her baby was on the right side of her belly, so we did some side-lying release to create more balance in her pelvis.

She felt more pressure after that and told us she felt like she might need to poop. We love to hear those comments! The doctor came in at 7:33 am to follow up on those sensations with an exam. Christine wanted to know where she was and was encouraged to know she was dilated 8 cm, 90% effaced, and baby was at 0 station. There was a fore bag there, so she was comfortable with the doctor breaking her water completely. The hope was it would help her baby to come down upon the cervix and melt it away.

Less than 10 minutes later, we could hear Christine make pushy sounds. It was around 7:40. The doctor lingered in the room just in case, since those sounds can signal baby’s arrival was imminent. But she stepped out just before 8:00 and stayed nearby. It was nice to not have her watching and waiting, freeing up Christine to labor with her core birth team.

She went through waves of hot and cold, as transition can do. We alternated a cold cloth and a heating pad to relieve those temperature fluctuations, knowing they were strong indications that baby was coming soon! Her doctor returned to find Christine’s pushing urges were growing. She was on the bed at this point, moving in ways that felt right. She was on her hands and knees for a lot of it though. As expected, Mark was always the closest to her physically, holding her hands, looking into her eyes, and generally loving her through labor.

The doctor wanted Christine to wait to push since she wasn’t fully dilated at the time of the check, but her nurse and I reassured her to listen to her body and she would know. And Christine’s body took over almost immediately and the time to push was upon her. Christine didn’t have to push long, her body had a memory from her first birth, even though it had been 12 years. We all spoke encouragement to her, but she didn’t need guidance, just support. She was on her side and pushed mightily with contractions and rested between. It only took 10 minutes which by then was only 2-3 contractions. And at 8:38 am her sweet baby boy, Zachariah Julian (Chi) was born!

“I can’t believe I did that! We did it!” was what I heard Christine say in those first moments. Mark’s words were equally wonderful. He exclaimed, “Holy cow! Oh wow!” upon witnessing Christine bring their son into the world. Then the tears! If his eyes didn’t give him away, then his hand wiping the tears did. “The panda can eat bamboo,” Christine said. And when I asked what that even meant she explained that it was the code to announce to her daughter that baby brother had arrived.

There was so much love and joy in that space. Birth is always a celebration but this one seemed particularly sweet to me. It might have been Christine and Mark’s second chance at love in finding each other and bringing a child into the world. It might have been the sense of accomplishment and empowerment that can come when a woman has an unmedicated birth she had hoped for. And their little boy was about the cutest thing I had seen in a long while. I do remember something else Christine said. “He looks just like Mark! That’s what I wanted.” And she looked up at her husband with adoring eyes. It was precious. And he looks like his daddy. I loved being in that space and was honored to assist Christine and Mark in welcoming their first child together.

Laura and Kurt welcomed their second child, a son, on August 2! Laura’s journey to meet this baby was a roller coaster for sure. Their first child had health complications that required a birth by scheduled c-section and a surgery soon after. Laura’s daughter’s birth and her immediate postpartum time was stressful and did not include the immediate skin to skin and breastfeeding, not to mention the bonding that is expected in most births. Instead, her daughter went right to the NICU and had surgery in her early days of life.

Fast forward to this second pregnancy and Laura had high hopes for a VBAC. She chose providers who were known for high VBAC rates (and low c-section rates) and she took the Spinning Babies class and did a lot of information gathering to prepare herself for the upcoming birth experience. After all, this would be her first labor. There would be so many firsts.

Going for a walk the evening before Logan was born. Laura was feeling mild contractions here.

However, as her due date drew near, Laura’s cervix was not showing any signs of moving toward labor. Ordinarily, this isn’t an issue, however, with a VBAC (or as the medical world likes to call it a TOLAC – trial of labor after cesarean), there were a very small number of ways to ripen the cervix before an induction and they would need the cervix to be somewhat moving in the right direction to consider them. Laura found herself in her 40th week with no dilation and not much effacement. Her doctor told her a repeat c-section was the safest route. This was not what Laura wanted but she knew that her baby’s safe passage was paramount. She spent the last days wrapping her head around the disappointing turn of events and tried to keep herself busy.

Kurt was such an engaged and supportive partner.

Then the day before her scheduled c-section, Laura thought she was having contractions. She reached out to me, and we tried to sort through them and came up with the plan of not paying attention to them and hydrating and resting. And if the contractions were changing her cervix, she could absolutely have an exam before any c-section in the morning. I wasn’t convinced it was labor, to be honest, since Laura had been out walking and that can cause the uterus to complain, so to speak. I wanted it for her so badly, but we were also trying to keep her head and heart from jumping too quickly to the conclusion of labor. But her neighbor happens to be an ob-gyn and he agreed with Laura that it was labor getting started. So we looked forward to what the night and morning might reveal.

Laura got through the night and managed some sleep. And she reported to the hospital for the scheduled c-section. She knew her cervix would get checked if she had been feeling contractions and maybe she would have a surprise and the opportunity to TOLAC. It was an amazing turn of events! She was dilated 4 cm and 60% effaced! She was in early labor, and her body had done a lot of good cervical change in the nick of time! She wasn’t having regular contractions and they weren’t very strong yet, but she would keep me posted as things progressed to the point of needing support. I was with another laboring client at the time so the need for backup was high.

Three hours passed and Laura’s cervix was the same. She wasn’t quite in active labor yet but the groundwork had been laid for a very good chance for a VBAC. Her midwife recommended seeing what happened over the next couple of hours and possibly breaking her water or starting Pitocin if her labor had not progressed. Her contractions were intensifying but were not getting closer so they decided to wait on the Pitocin and see if some more natural ways to intensify contractions might work. Her midwife did a membrane sweep and then Laura made use of the shower during this time to help her relax and stimulate stronger contractions.

Freshly born! Logan got some oxygen in the early minutes.

But an hour later, with still no change, it was time to make a change. Laura’s doctor said it was time for Pitocin. Luckily, Laura had a nurse who was all about moving her into a variety of positions as she waited for active labor to kick in with the Pitocin which was started around 1:00 pm.

Getting some respiratory supporting the nursery the first couple of hours with daddy by his side the whole time

As the Pitocin began to work, she labored on the birth ball and leaned over the peanut ball in bed. Laura felt her contractions change in the first 30 minutes so they were hopeful she wouldn’t need much Pitocin. After 1 ½ hours on Pitocin, Laura began to vocalize through each contraction. They were on the short side at 30-45 seconds, but they were getting stronger which was a good sign. Her nurse said her labor was picture perfect.

Reunited after Logan was cleared from the nursery team

Laura kept laboring in various positions and clenched combs in each hand to help her get through the contractions. Kurt was amazing support, and the nurse was very good at giving him ideas for how to support Laura. As her contractions moved closer to a minute in length, she had a cervical check. Kurt updated me at 3:30 pm that Laura was dilated 5-6 cm and her cervix was very thin, and her baby’s head was at 0 station. She was edging into active labor! (The exam was closer to 3:00 but the update came at 3:30.)

It was time to deploy some doula backup since things had turned a corner so my friend, Aimee Roberts was on it. Laura even cussed which is saying something! (See what I did there?) Backup was on her way soon after 4:00 as Laura and Kurt continued their labor dance through various positions with the support of their nurse. Then just 45 minutes after learning she was 5-6 cm dilated, Kurt sent a text that Laura was 9 cm and 0.5+ station just past 4:00 pm! She went really fast, dilating from 5-6 cm to 9 cm in the span of an hour! She was in a lot of discomfort and considering an epidural but since she was so close to pushing she stayed the course and did not receive pain medications. Instead, Laura clenched Kurt’s hand and breathed and focused through the contractions that finished her cervical dilation and brought her into second stage with the involuntary urge to bear down and push her baby out.

Aimee arrived right as Laura was starting to push and supported Laura’s leg so she could push side-lying. Kurt dabbed her face with a wet cloth and encouraged her through. And Laura was able to hold his hand on her side. Laura pushed on her right side as well and rotated to push in the middle too. She remembers it as being especially intense in that position. But when she followed her midwife’s advice to use her legs and curl around her baby, she made big progress in bringing her baby into view.

Laura pushed out Logan at 4:58 pm after pushing just 10 minutes according to Kurt! He weighed 8 lb. 6 oz. and was 22 in. long. In his first moments, they could tell that he was having some struggles with his breathing since he had some amniotic fluid in his lungs. The nursery nurse did end up taking him to the nursery for observation and possible support for his first couple of hours, but Kurt was with him the entire time. But the brief separation was nothing compared to the separation they endured with their firstborn. So, the reunion, albeit delayed, was a beautiful opportunity for skin to skin and breastfeeding. I was in the room for that moment and was so grateful for that. It was a precious moment of getting to know their baby and soaking in all the snuggles that had been waiting.

I love Laura’s story! Birth NEVER goes how you plan it. And holding loosely to expectations (or letting them go all together) can be the best plan. So much about this birth didn’t go as expected, including needing a backup doula! But then again, the surprise ending was more amazing than anything Laura had imagined! Turns out her cervix knows how to dilate rapidly! She labored on Pitocin without any pain medications, and Kurt was incredible support through it all. I am so proud of how they navigated Laura’s surprisingly short active labor!  Short is not easier, that’s for sure. And ultimately, Laura’s birth journey blew everyone’s expectations out of the water. Even hers.

Meeting big sister

Laura and Tyler have graduated to parent status with the arrival of their sweet Oliver Read on July 14! They were students in my 7-week series and the Spinning Babies parent class, so they were big on being as prepared as possible. But sometimes (oftentimes) babies have their own idea of how things will go, and Oliver was one of those babies.

Laura made it to her 39-week appointment wondering how much longer she had to go. Her baby was on the larger side, which in and of itself wasn’t a concern, but it meant an induction conversation might occur at her 40-week appointment. Laura wanted to try “all of the things” but I reminded her that labor was not something she could make happen and to spend her efforts more on pampering herself and enjoying time with Tyler before things changed in a big way.

And not 12 hours later, just past 8:00 am on July 13, I got a text from Laura saying, “today is the day!” I had just returned from being out of town 2 days before, so we were all very relieved for the timing. Plus, it meant that Laura managed to avoid an induction which was another bonus. Her contractions began around 2:00 am and had progressed to 3-4 minutes apart but were still short at 30-45 seconds. She ate breakfast and planned to labor at home as long as she could.

About 5 hours later an update from Laura had her contractions more frequent and intense but still short. She was hydrating, resting, and moving, and had the Spinning Babies know-how, but with 12 hours of little change in her contraction pattern it had her wondering if she might want to head in.

Laura spoke with her midwife just before 5:00 pm and she reminded her to eat and continue to hydrate and once the contractions were more consistent and intense to come in. At that point the contractions were 5 minutes apart and ranging from 50 seconds to 1:15 min. long.

And 3½ hours later she was ready to go to the hospital. She was confirmed dilated 3 cm just past 9:00 pm and they began the admissions process to stay and have a baby. Laura and Tyler labored several more hours through the early stuff, but by 3:00 am things had changed. Laura was dilated 5 cm and moving into active labor!

It was time to get moving so we had Laura lunge over the cub birthing chair while applying the heat pad to her back. Next, I did some belly sifting to help her baby move toward the left. And by 5:30 am Laura was doing the flying cowgirl. At 6:20 am she was dilated 5-6 cm, which wasn’t a big change. Her baby was lower though, and her cervix was 100% effaced, both good changes. She decided to have her water broken at that time in the hopes it would continue the forward momentum of her labor. She had already been at it for 28 hours, after all.

Tyler was so present to Laura. He kissed her between contractions and offered shoulder rubs and loving words of encouragement. He was an active partner as we helped Laura through various positions to further her labor and encourage their baby to navigate the pelvis. Around 7:00 am we sat the bed upright and tied the rebozo on the squat bar so Laura could use gravity and the rebozo during contractions but lay back upon the pillows between.

At 7:45 am Laura was ready for the shower. We set up some aromatherapy with valor and lavender on a washcloth, but it didn’t take but 25 minutes for Laura to realize the shower wasn’t helping. She got out and sat upon the birth ball facing Tyler. She was extremely tired and ready for relief. A cervical check helped bring clarity to her next steps: she was dilated 6 cm, although her baby was moving down. Laura was ready to get an epidural.

It worked well and soon she and Tyler had the chance to sleep. Her contractions spaced out, which can be a common result after an epidural, but pitocin was incorporated to bring them close again. And after just under an hour of a little bit of pitocin, Laura’s cervix dilated from 6 cm to 8.5-9cm! Her baby’s heart rate decelled which was the clue of rapid descent! Everyone was excited and we continued to use the peanut ball to change the angle of her pelvis to help the last bit of cervix slide away.

But her baby continued to have heart rate dips. They checked her cervix just before 12:00 and she was dilated 9 cm and her baby was at 0 station. They turned off the pitocin and gave her some fluids. And they proceeded with caution, knowing her baby didn’t love the big squeezes.

But three hours later, Laura still had a cervical lip. Her baby was a bit lower, so we tried a variety of positions to bring her to pushing. She did a right lunge over the peanut, then hands and knees. But when the doctor came in to do an exam, she was the same, and her baby’s heart rate kept dipping. He also confirmed that her baby’s head was asynclitic which can be a challenging position especially when coupled with a larger baby as well as being the first baby. He recommended a c-section but left open the possibility of a vaginal birth. He didn’t feel it was likely given the way Laura and Tyler’s baby was responding, so Laura and Tyler trusted the doctor’s recommendation and agreed to move forward with a c-section.

Laura and Tyler were at great peace with the decision and their excitement and relief over soon meeting their baby helped get them through the last few hoops required before going to the OR. The staff matched their excitement and were sure to keep the feeling of celebration in the space. It was a birth, after all!

Oliver Read was born at 4:26 pm wide-eyed and ready to take in the world! And he had amazing lashes, I might add! He weighed 8 lb. 1 oz., not quite as large as was expected. But his asynclitic presentation was definitely the culprit and made his and his mom’s journey much more involved. Oliver was in his mommy’s arms within minutes of coming out, and he had his daddy by his side through it all.

Laura did absolutely all she could to prepare for her birth, and at our postpartum visit she expressed to me how good she felt about the birth. Postpartum and breastfeeding were requiring her focus at the time, but she and Tyler were taking it day by day together, much as they took labor hour by hour together. It’s a beautiful thing to see new parents link arms and support each other through the early days. I’m so proud of them for that.

Christina and Stephanie are parents! And they are parents to a baby boy! I got to know them over the course of my 7-week childbirth class and Spinning Babies® parent class, investing a lot of time in preparing for their upcoming birth. Conversations with her providers prenatally had Christina and Steph aware that the likelihood of an induction was high. So, when the decision was made to be induced in the 40th week, they were comfortable with it.

Sometimes putting a date on the calendar helps kick the body into gear! This is not a proven fact but if you are a suspicious birth worker, it can ring true more than you’d think. Christina felt regular cramping four days prior to her induction date. She rested a lot that day and woke up the next morning with cramping that wasn’t constant or consistent, so she continued with her day once again, only to wake up the next morning with far more consistent cramps. With regular contractions 4.5 minutes apart, she and Steph decided to head to the hospital to get checked and see what was happening.

Walking about the triage room Christina thought her water might have broken. The preadmittance paperwork was started since it seemed she would be staying to have a baby. She was dilated 2 cm at 6:30 am but by 8:00 am she was dilated 3 cm, 90% effaced, and her baby was at -1 station.

Christina’s early labor was manageable, and she giggled and chatted through a lot of it. By the time 12:00 rolled around, we incorporated positions to help Christina manage the pain and maintain progress. She labored over the CUB on her hands and knees, she slow danced with Steph, and sat upright in the bed pulling the rebozo through contractions.

She thought she might want a Lemon Head and quickly spat it out into Steph’s hand. Now, that’s love! ;) They had a wonderful playlist for labor that kept the feeling in the room loving and encouraging. One of their preferred doctors was on call which helped immensely. They didn’t have to defend their choices or explain their reasons. They were involved in conversations with their team the entire way. And the feeling of trust went a long way.

The hospital midwife kept stopping in to visit. We had a feeling she really wanted to be part of the birth and maybe even catch. After all, she had met them when they first arrived and if you know Christina and Steph you probably love them. They are just that way. During one of the visits from the midwife, Christina felt a pop and a drop and exclaimed, “My water!” It broke right then and there. It was just before 1:30 pm.

The next stop was the shower, but Christina didn’t like it as much as she thought. She was in and out in just 15 minutes. She returned to hands and knees over the CUB but the nausea overcame her. “I don’t want to be a pain, but can we put the bed back up in a seat?” Christina asked. She was not being a pain, by the way. And we quickly returned the bed to the throne position so she could feel more in control.

Wet cloths and sips of water and cranberry juice and sprite helped her as her body heated up with active labor. The first F-bomb was dropped at 2:30 and we watched as Christina tugged and twisted the rebozo through the peaks of her contractions. She had crossed a threshold for sure and wanted an exam before making the decision for an epidural.

At 3:00 pm, Christina was dilated 5 cm, and 90% effaced with baby still at -1 station. She thought it best to move forward with an epidural and was happy to have made it to 5 cm before getting it, knowing it would be less likely to slow down her labor.

She was comfortable soon after and we continued to change her position to continue her baby’s descent and her dilation. There came a point where we noticed her baby’s heart rate drop, so we rolled her to her left side. But as the variables persisted, we rolled her to her right, and then back to her left. They got the delivery meds and delivery cart set up suspecting that her baby was close to being born and the dips in the heart rate were more an indication of labor’s rapid progress.

And at 5:30 pm, just 2.5 hours after she was 5 cm, Christina was dilated to 9 cm, 90% effaced, and her baby was at 0 station! We had her labor down in the closed knees position, then with the peanut ball between her ankles for more of the same. Right before 7:00 pm Christina labored down until she felt the steady pressure in her bottom like she had to poop. And at 7:00 she was pushing.

Once again, the closed knees position was effective as Christina made big changes after pushing twice like that. There were big changes that had her baby’s head in view and a few more people heading to the room for delivery. At 7:50 pm Christina felt her baby’s head with her hand and just two contractions later she had her baby in her arms!

Steph made the gender announcement since they had waited to find out, and it was a thrill to discover they had a boy! Elliott Oliver was born at 7:56 pm and looked a lot like Christina from the start. Steph noted that he even looked like her when her furrowed his brow. He was met with such love and joy. The look of glee on his mothers’ faces upon meeting him was so moving.

There might have been a couple of extra people who came to welcome the baby since Christina and Steph quickly became patient favorites. It was a true celebration of love and life in that space, and I couldn’t be happier for this loving couple and their new addition. They were partners in the truest sense, and it warmed my heart to witness their coming together in birth.

Desiree and Jackson welcomed their baby boy after epic induction. I remember when I first met Desiree and how much she wanted options and preferred not to be induced. She and Jackson attended my 7-week childbirth class to learn all they could about the process and their options so they would have tools to help navigate labor in the hospital setting. In the final weeks before her due date she began to feel some pressure about induction for various reasons. Her blood pressure began to creep up, and while she advocated for more time, by the following appointment, the decision was made to move forward with an induction.

With two weeks before her actual estimated due date, Desiree’s cervix would need some coaxing before any labor. Desiree went to the hospital on a Thursday evening, and they began ripening her cervix with cervadil overnight. She felt mild and inconsistent contractions and was able to have some breakfast before the next steps.

Just past noon they inserted a foley balloon and Desiree ate some lunch. She was having irregular contractions that required some focus, but she was able to breathe calmly through them. The balloon can be quite uncomfortable, and it was a good opportunity for Desiree to stay focused on her breath through the discomfort.

Since Desiree had done her homework, she requested an enema in the hopes it might stir up some labor. She was not eager to have her water broken especially since she tested positive for GBS and was leery of any potential timeline. The balloon remained in her cervix and produced consistent contractions every 2 ½ minutes that lasted 30 seconds. She stood and sat upon the toilet to find the most comfort, but she was starting to feel fatigue set in and she was not yet in active labor. Finally, by 4:00 pm the balloon came out and that alone helped a bit with the pain.

Desiree asked to use a breast pump to stir up contractions and hopefully some labor. But between the pump and the enema she felt contractions for a limited time that eventually dissipated. It was around 1:00 am on Saturday by this time and Desiree had already been at the hospital well over 24 hours. The road for her labor was looming large and long and it hadn’t even begun yet. Thankfully, she was able to advocate for a night of rest, or as much rest as possible before trying to start things up in the morning.

Desiree got some sleep and a full plate of breakfast. Pitocin was next. They started at the lowest dose and raised it incrementally over the course of the day. Desiree wasn’t sure whether to rest or move around. It was wise to rest until her body required more of her but that’s easier said than done when you’ve been staring at the same four walls for over two days!

Just prior to 3:00 pm an exam confirmed that Desiree’s cervix had still not changed much from when the balloon came out. She was feeling regular contractions every 2.5-3 minutes that lasted 60 seconds, but she could still talk and breathe calmly through them. After some discussion, Desiree and Jackson agreed that the most reasonable next step was to break her water and hope labor ensued. They did the AROM (artificial rupture of membranes) just before 5:30 pm on Saturday and Desiree was dilated 4 cm, 60% effaced, and her baby was at -3 station. And breaking the water was a game changer! Desiree’s contractions intensified almost immediately.

This was around when I got to the hospital in the hopes, we could keep that momentum going. Desiree was vocalizing with her contractions and according to her nurse she was sounding more laborish. Jackson’s mantra to Desiree was, “You’re going to get huge!” (Look up Ina May Gaskin.) And Desiree’s nurse started to get goose bumps to see Desiree’s body respond. The contractions had jumped to 2-2.5 minutes apart and required all of Desiree’s focus.

Jackson wiped her face with a wet cloth and placed a heating pad on her lower abdomen. We put Desiree in the flying cowgirl position using the peanut ball in the hopes her baby would descend even further. This is not an easy position to maintain but Desiree was such a trooper.

After about 30 minutes it was time for the shower. Yes, Desiree was getting pitocin, but remember the pitocin pump was on the iv pole that has wheels. The wireless monitor gave Desiree the freedom of the shower, not to mention some distance from the monitor and bed. Desiree labored under the water flow with Jackson right there telling her she was strong and how much he loved her. “You’re a freaking badass,” also came out. Some citrus essential oil on a washcloth in the shower helped to give Desiree the feeling of more energy and clarity.

Just past 8:00 pm Desiree got out of the shower and draped herself over the cub birthing chair upon the bed. Jackson did double hip squeezes on her lower back and then a short while later Desiree did alternating lunges. Her hands and knees position also gave us easy access to her back, so we placed a heating pad there. Desiree’s nurse contorted herself to adjust the monitor while Desiree lunged. She was extremely supportive of facilitating Desiree’s labor process and for that we were all so appreciative.

Around 9:00 pm Desiree told us she felt constant pressure “down there.” We were hopeful for significant cervical change, but an exam had her dilated at 5 cm, 50% effaced and her baby at -2 station. It was not the big change she was hoping for. The pitocin was at 18 mu with not a lot more to go, and Desiree was wondering how much longer she could endure labor without relief. She had been at it off and on for over 48 hours.

In an effort to minimize intrusion to her process, internal monitors were proposed so Desiree could avoid so many hands on her belly to find baby and contractions. She was comfortable with that and once they were inserted, she labored on her side a bit. She was feeling very tired. She rolled to her hands and knees on the cub again, then sat upon the birth ball beside the bed and rested her head on a pillow between.

By 11:00 pm, with the pitocin at 22 mu and her contractions stronger than ever, Desiree mentioned for the first time that she needed relief. Jackson encouraged her to soldier on longer though, as she labored on, even trying Froggy Walchers to help her baby come down. This is another very uncomfortable position! She straddled the peanut ball on the bed while Jackson squeezed her hips, and even lay in the left runner’s position.

But as the clock neared 1:00 am, Desiree knew the best thing to do was rest. And the surest way for that to happen was to move forward with an epidural. Making the decision was the hardest part. But once decided it didn’t take long for it to be in place and for Desiree to have relief. It was in by 1:00 am and she was comfortable and eating jello soon after. And by 2:00 am everyone got some sleep.

But as the clock neared 1:00 am, Desiree knew the best thing to do was rest. And the surest way for that to happen was to move forward with an epidural. Making the decision was the hardest part. But once decided it didn’t take long for it to be in place and for Desiree to have relief. It was in by 1:00 am and she was comfortable and eating jello soon after. And by 2:00 am everyone got some sleep.

The sleep was interrupted by a cervical check around 2:45 am, only to reveal that Desiree’s cervix was still 5 cm. it was much thinner at 90% and her baby was at -1 station, two very important points of encouragement. Her baby’s heart rate was showing some variables, so they did an amnio-infusion to float the cord in case the decels were positional. And her baby’s heart rate stabilized over time.

Pitocin was bumped up again, this time to 28 mu. There wasn’t much more left to go! But it seemed to be the magic amount for Desiree’s uterus because at 6:54 am Desiree was fully dilated! Her baby was at 0 station, so technically a bit high, but still much lower than the days preceding. Desiree was so relieved she cried, and the rest of us might have teared up a bit too.

They decided to have Desiree give pushing a whirl. I think there was a strong suspicion she would be an excellent pusher due to her natural strength and because she could finally actually push! And that’s exactly what happened! With a mirror to watch her progress, and her original OB and nurse back on shift, Desiree gave birth to her baby at 7:22 am after less than 30 minutes of pushing!!

They did not know the gender, so Jackson made the announcement that it was a boy, Bridger Rowan. He was latched in the first hour and weighed 7 lb. 12 oz. and measured 20 in. long. He was a good size for 2 weeks early.

Desiree was dilated 5 cm for 36 hours! Remember, she was admitted on Thursday night and didn’t welcome her son until Sunday morning. While that may sound like something no one would want, it goes to show how patient her providers were and how well Desiree and Jackson advocated for their options. They were informed and prepared and knew what to ask for, thanks in part to their childbirth education and having a doula to help them navigate hospital options. But Desiree stayed positive and patient the whole way through and that at the core is what had the biggest impact on her experience. The steadfast support of Jackson was another important part of it.

I wish I could say that once Bridger was born, Desiree’s preeclampsia was cured, but I can’t. She was admitted again a few days postpartum. At the time of our postpartum visit, they were home and recovering well, fine-tuning their diapering skills and interpreting Bridger’s various cries. They are joyfully and sleepily taking it day by day and I couldn’t be prouder of them.

Rachel and Lucas welcomed their third child, this time a BOY, on June 23! Rachel was familiar with the road of induction since she had been induced for her first two births due to high blood pressure. She hoped to avoid it but knew that it was a possibility again. She also had experienced a postpartum hemorrhage and hoped to avoid that this time. But Rachel trusted her providers and knew with good support and some strategies in place she would have every opportunity to welcome a third baby in an unmedicated birth.

Like third babies do, Rachel’s uterus was very busy preparing in the final weeks, producing bouts of contractions and general discomfort. She’s also a busy mom so it’s not easy to sit much and rest like one might do with a first pregnancy! Her body set the stage for labor in the last weeks though, and she was dilated 3-4 cm at her last prenatal appointment.

With an induction on the calendar, Rachel tried to do “all of the things” to jump start labor beforehand, but none of it worked, although it might have helped lay some groundwork. The day of the induction there were no beds at the first call—a hurry up and wait experience that is typical of inductions--but a few hours later there was a call that a bed was ready, so Rachel and Lucas made their way in.

Rachel was dilated 4-5 cm with regular (but far apart) contractions at 9 minutes. Her midwife did a membrane sweep in the hopes it might move her into active labor along with the breast pump. The contractions got stronger and closer but remained irregular. A few hours later around noon Rachel was dilated 5 cm, but her labor wasn’t really coordinated yet. The plan was to break her water closer to 1:00 and hope that worked. Pitocin at a low dose was another option but Rachel hoped to avoid pitocin and go the most natural way with induction.

Rachel stayed quite active as she waited, even doing full low squats. She continued to chat pleasantly with us, hardly acting as though she was in labor. And when her midwife returned at 1:00 she broke her water. Rachel was still 5 cm, same as an hour before, but we expected her body would take off with active labor and big changes soon.

Rachel squatted and leaned over the Cub birthing chair and kept moving around to see if her body would get going with active labor. She even did lunges over the Cub on the bed in case her baby’s head might interface more directly with the cervix to dilate it and bring on stronger contractions. She was willing to do anything suggested and even some things she thought of on her own. She listened to her body and was not afraid to move it.

Rachel shared with us that her contractions were definitely stronger soon after her water was broken, but by all accounts, she was managing them well. It seemed a good time to have her try the shower so we dimmed the lights, added votives so she could focus on her body’s signals. Rachel stood on the shower, sat on the bench seat, and even lunged with her foot upon it. Her chatting lessened as she was drawn more inside herself for the last bit of labor. She might not have known it at the time, but the 20 minutes Rachel spent in the shower when she thought it felt “so good”, was when she went through transition!

In fact, Rachel had the wherewithal to tell Lucas and I towards the end of the 20 minutes, “It’s not long now. We’ll want to notify the midwife soon.” That’s when we let the nurse know and helped her out of the shower and back toward the bed after a quick potty stop. Her midwife arrived a few minutes later at 2:42 pm and confirmed at 2:47 that “baby is right here.” In fact, as Rachel recalls, her midwife said, “You’re a 10!” And Rachel responded with, “That means I can push?” She felt him descending as she breathed through two contractions. And then her midwife gently suggested Rachel push.

“Babe, I need chapstick,” was Rachel’s response before her first push. Lucas had it there in a flash. Rachel pushed through one contraction. Then Lucas applied chapstick to her lips, and with the next contraction Rachel reached her hand down to help ease her baby out as she growled her push. Rachel received her baby from her midwife’s hands, meeting Eli Melech Charles at 2:55 pm.

Eli tried to cry when he was halfway out! And once his body was born, he cried out in a high-pitched squeal. Rachel got a good look at her boy and noticed in a short time that he had the same toes as his sister. I love how parents see family resemblances in their newborn babies.

Rachel did not tear and as a result her midwife was finished soon after the placenta was out. There was plenty of time for a big hug! It was such a beautiful birth and a very gentle induction. And when I saw Rachel recently for our postpartum visit, she was still riding the high of the birth. She said it was perfect and everything she would have wanted. And as her doula, I can say the same about her as a client!

Christina and Sam welcomed their second daughter, Tatum Ellis, on June 11! After giving birth to her first daughter, Stevie, Christina had a good idea of her goals in this birth as well as postpartum. Having journeyed through a challenging first experience, Christina knew to remain open-minded and to use what worked last time. And I really think this freed her up to have a very positive birth experience.

Her body made some gradual changes as her due date approached. An exam around 38 weeks showed she was already 2 cm dilated. This was exciting news since she received the call that same day that the induction was scheduled for the weekend. But when Christina called at the appointed time, they told her there were no beds available. She waited through the night and finally the following morning she got the call to come in. Inductions can be a lot of hurry up and wait!

Around 11:30 am Sam sent an update that the foley bulb had been placed but just an hour later it came out  and Christina was 3 cm dilated. Christina wanted to delay (or even avoid) pitocin so she used a breast pump first for a bit. She also tried to rest as long as she could as she waited for labor. Eventually they began Pitocin at 3:00 pm and raised it slowly in the hopes her body would respond with labor contractions.

By 5:00 she was contracting every 3 minutes but still able to talk through them. But since this was her second baby it seemed a good time to head in. I arrived to find Christina  coping well and Sam a steadfast support to her. There was an exam soon after I arrived at 6:45 pm. Christina was about the same: 3 cm, 50% effaced, and her baby as at -3 station. It was time to use some techniques to help bring baby down. So I used the rebozo to “shake the apple tree” and did the jiggle from Spinning Babies to help get her baby situated.

Just past shift change at 7:15 pm we helped Christina into the flying cowgirl with the peanut ball. She took all of the maneuvers and positions in stride knowing they were all to help bring Tatum earthside. A cherry popsicle was a godsend and so was my jumbo heating pad as her hips ached from labor.

Christina lay on her right side for some contractions and then moved to her hands and knees at 8:30. After a bathroom trip she wanted to sit upright  in the bed to use gravity to brig her baby down. She preferred that position since it helped her feel like she could better cope with her contractions. It also gave Sam a good opportunity to rub her feet.

Christina was feeling her labor take a turn and was curious about her progress. But at 9:30 pm she was dilated 3-4 cm, and not farther like she had hoped. Her cervix was softer but it had a good deal of effacement left before big dilation could happen.  Christina decided to get  an epidural at that point since her labor was taking longer to get established than she expected and the night loomed long.

She was comfortable by 11:00 pm and did her best to sleep. Pitocin was still flowing at 8 mu and at 1:00 am an exam confirmed she was  dilated 4 cm, 70% effaced, and her baby was still high at -3. They broke her water at that point since Christina was on board with it. And we all hoped it would put her into active labor.

We used the peanut ball to keep her hips asymmetric and kept her body rotating from side to side as well. Sam got some sleep and Christina tried, but it can be hard to rest when you are meeting your baby soon. Plus busy hospitals aren’t very conducive to sleep. We sat Christina up in the bed in the throne position again and she was soon feeling nauseous and shaking. We were excited because this was an encouraging sign of progress! Even with an epidural, the body knows. They set up the delivery table taking this as a strong sign baby was coming soon!

Just before 5:00 am Christina had a lip on the right side but she was 100% effaced and her baby had moved down to 0 station! Christina labored down another 1 ½ hours so that lip could melt away and her baby could descend even further. She spent a lot of time on her right side along with a heating pad on her back and hip and peppermint close by for nausea.

And feeling lots of pressure at 6:25 am, the doctor checked to discover Christina’s baby was “right there”! She began pushing at 6:32 and her baby girl arrived at 6:36, after just one or two contractions! Tatum Ellis was welcomed with such love and joy! Christina scooped her up and in that moment the long induction journey was already the last thing on her mind. It was all worth it to have her second baby girl in her arms.

And even though her baby came in just a couple of pushes there were no stitches needed! Kudos to Christina for having control as she pushed and the benefit of warm compresses and oil from the doctor. Tatum weighed in at 7 lb. 3 oz.

Tatum was a very chill baby who hardly cried. But her nursery nurse was content with hearing breath sounds and seeing her pink up before her eyes. She snuggled with her mom right away and before long Christina was presented with a pancakes, sausage, and egg breakfast!

This couple was a joy to serve. They partnered beautifully and kept a sense of humor through the entire process. Christina knew an induction wouldn’t be an easier way, but she was prepared and knew her options every step of the journey. She had agency and was respected and supported. And that makes for a strong start to motherhood.