Mary was put on bed rest at 32 weeks for preterm labor.  Being a very active photographer and real estate mogul, this was tough for her.  But when she hit 36 weeks, her doctor allowed her up and out of bed.  One might think that surely gravity would kick in and this baby would fall out at any minute.  One might think that.  But as 40 weeks came and passed, Mary was still waiting for her sweet baby.  Now she had a completely different concern.  No longer tasked with keeping her baby in, now she had to think about ways to get her out.

She and Scott (her husband) got the list of “natural induction techniques” on our website and got to work.  Walking, pumping, sexy time, eating so much eggplant she couldn’t stand it, acupuncture, you name it.  On Monday, it was induction day.  Mary actually would have liked to wait longer than 41weeks2days, but a glitch in the scheduling had her induction appointment booked for Monday morning, so Monday it was.

Mary and Scott worked on laboring together at the hospital, and called me around noon to come support them as the contractions were picking up strength with the pitocin.  I joined them and at a cervical check Mary was about a 3-4cm.  Still early labor technically, so we decided to do some position changes to encourage her cervix to cooperate with the induction plan.  Hands and knees, sitting on the ball, sitting on the toilet, walking, lunging, you name it, Mary was game.  She was also starving!  She snuck snacks throughout the afternoon.  Labor was consistent, but not really picking up in intensity.  A cervical exam near 5pm showed that Mary was still around 3-4 cm.  At this point Dr. Grogono was ready to offer other intervention options – namely breaking Mary’s bag of water.

Mary didn’t really want to put herself on a “time clock” but rupturing her membranes, so proposed another plan.  Go home.  Mostly she was starving, and wanted to eat something, and the only way she could eat was to check herself out of the hospital.  If labor were to pick up after dinner, she would come back in.  But if not, sleeping in her own bed sounded awesome.  Dr. Grogono was on board with the discharge plan.  She wanted Mary to come in for a Biophysical profile two days later, and since that checkup went well, allowed Mary the full 42 week time to cook that baby.

Flash forward to Saturday, 42 weeks on the nose, and Mary headed back into the hospital.  This time her plan was to be more aggressive.  At this point this baby had to come out one way or another, so she no longer had the reservations of rupturing her membranes.  She started the morning this way, and with a low dose of pitocin, and the contractions immediately became intense, different from the Monday before.  I joined her around 10am to see a visibly uncomfortable Mary.  I suggested she hop into a hands and knees position so I could put some counter pressure on her hips and lower back.  She shared that already she felt much better, and that 5 minutes before I got there was ready for an epidural.  But now that I was there, we had a little more time to do some position work to make her more comfortable.

After a good solid hour of strong contractions, Mary was ready for the epidural at 11am.  The nurse checked her after the epidural, and Mary was 8-9cm!  Awesome!  She had made it to transition, and got the epidural right when the most intense part of labor was hitting her.  Nurse Shannon also had been turning the pitocin down as Mary progressed, and by the time she was at the epidural it was on the very minimum, and later off completely.  By 1pm she was feeling the urge to push.  Since she had the epidural on board, she was able to just labor down, let her body continue doing the work while baby moved lower and lower.  By 2:30 Mary could no longer just breathe, even with the epidural, the pressure was so intense she had to push.  So she did!  Scott doted between pushes with cold compresses, ice chips, and lots of encouragement.  And Mary moved that baby!  Little Lucy Lynne was born 40 minutes later at 3:08.

Mary might tell you that her labor took forever.  But I guess it depends where you start counting.  At the Collective, we start counting at 4cm.  Mary went from 4-10cm in about 2 hours, and pushed for about 40 minutes.  That’s record speed for a first time mama (11.5 hours and 2 hours being average).  I admire Mary for being patient, in so many ways.  It paid off for her in the end, with a smooth and short induction, the best you could ask for.  Mary listened to her body.  When her body wasn’t ready, Mary knew that, and didn’t push herself down the road of a potential c-section, rather, she gave herself time, something often forgotten on today’s maternity floors.  Much love to Mary, Scott and precious Lucy and joy on the new journey.  AS.

Natalia called the doula line at 5:30am, January 1st. Her contractions had been consistently strong for the last two hours, and she was ready to head on in to the hospital and get the New Year’s party started. I met her there at 7am after she had been triaged. She was somewhat disappointed to discover that she was only 2cm dilated, but 90% effaced. With her cervix almost completely thinned out, the doctor decided Natalia could stick around for two hours or so, and if she did not progress within that time limit, they would send her home so she could do her early laboring in the comfort of her home.

We decided to do a labor encouragement circuit. Successful early labor to me is changing what you’re doing every 30 minutes or so, to use gravity, position change, and distraction to encourage progress. Natalia was on board for the position change plan. We walked the maternity ward at Seton, and worked in double hip squeezes during contractions. Natalia sat on the ball and did pelvic rocks. She did standing lunges while leaning on the bed. Natalia and Jason did some slow dancing. Our two hours were up, and it was time for the big reveal. Fail. Still 2cm, but 100% effaced, and Natalia was showing very clear visible signs of discomfort, uncharacteristic for 2cm. So her doctor was still unsure about sending her home, and ordered two more hours of observation.

To kick off the next two hours, I recommended Natalia hop in the shower, the warm water might help her body relax. Jason was on hot water spraying duty and moral support. While she was in the shower, I got on the smartphone to the doula team and told them to send me their best suggestions to treat malpresentation. I had a hunch that Natalia’s baby was in a funky position, probably OP, because her labor was way too intense to be just at 2cm dilation. Sometimes when labor is excruciating this early, it’s because the hard part of the baby’s head is pushing on a sensitive area (like the lower back). And double whammy, when the baby is in a sub-optimal position, it isn’t putting enough pressure on the cervix to cause change. The doula team quickly responded sending a checklist of malposition options for us to try. There might be only one doula in the delivery room, but 9 others have your back when you work with our team.

When Natalia got out of the shower I told her we needed to get serious about turning this baby around. We needed a game-changer position change. So first off, we did a sidelying pelvic floor release, to reset the pelvis and create some more room for baby to rotate. After this Natalia got into child’s pose, having her butt up in the air would allow her baby to disengage from the pelvis (in the hopes it would re-engage in a better lie). Then it was hands and knees positioning as long as Natalia could bear it (hands and knees can be tiring on your knees, back and neck). Hands and Knees allows the heaviest part of the baby (head) to rotate down, the most optimal position for labor and delivery. While she labored on her hands and knees, I got behind her to do some double hip squeezes during contractions (which also helps to open the pelvic outlet). Between contractions Natalia appreciated long massage strokes on her back to help her dissociation/meditation techniques (her mind was in an outdoor rainforest shower in Belize, her happy place). Going back and forth between child’s pose and various hands and knees positions, suddenly something changed, and the stabbing shooting back pains had vanished. Yes! A good sign that changing positions was working.

At the next cervical exam around 12:30pm, Natalia was a solid 4cm, and 100% effaced, and a zero station! Baby had dropped, cervix was stretchy, back pains were gone, full steam ahead! Natalia exclaimed “I think we actually turned her!” During the earlier back labor Natalia was dreaming of an epidural (but knew it was too early to request it). Now, at 4cm, her nurse A-OK’d whatever she wanted. But, the game had changed, now that this baby was in a better position, the labor became tolerable again. Natalia was glad to hear the option was available, but wasn’t quite ready to request it. Shortly after this discussion Dr. Yium was doing her rounds, and Natalia picked her brain about getting the epidural. She wanted to rest, and was worried about increasing intensity or returning to back labor land. She was also worried about waiting too long and missing the epidural window. At the same time she didn’t want the epidural to slow her new found progress. Dr. Yium decided she would check Natalia herself, and depending on how her cervix felt, would be able to better advise her. Her check within 30 minutes from the last exam revealed a cervix 5-6cm, Dr. Yium was confident that labor was moving at a good clip and an epidural wouldn’t interfere. Natalia wasn’t totally ready for an epidural, but was happy to hear that if she made this decision her labor would continue moving forward. She decided to do everything she needed to do to be ready for the epidural in the case she decided to opt for it, which included getting a hep lock and a full bag of IV, and getting her blood work done. These things take about 45 minutes to accomplish, so she kept powering through the increasingly intense contractions on her hands and knees, and rested in between in a seated position leaning back on the birth ball on the bed.

By around 1:30 (an hour after “active labor” officially started), Natalia was feeling the urge to push, and pressure in her bottom. The nurse checked her and was surprised within 30 minutes Natalia had gone from a 5ish to a 9ish. She would probably be complete, except that her bag of waters was still intact and bulging. Holy Transition! Dr. Yium suggested breaking the water, this might be the last push to bring that baby down and cervix completely dilated. Natalia agreed to this plan, and after the AROM, Dr. Yium said there was a tiny cervical lip, that Natalia would have to wait it out before she could push in earnest.

9.5 cm kicks butt. But it’s also the most intense part of labor, the very end of transition. Natalia had made it so far! I was so proud of her, as was everybody in the room. I knew she could do this thing unmedicated, no sweat. But Natalia was still waiting for her epidural. I encouraged her to go without it, and said, if it’s your goal to go natural you’re almost there. Then she reminded me, that wasn’t her goal. Right! Time for me to change my position! She had always intended to get an epidural, and that was still her intention. She didn’t need me to persuade her otherwise, that wasn’t my job. As soon as she got the epidural there was an immediate calm and peace over the room. Natalia finally was able to rest comfortably, something she had been wanting to do all afternoon, and 9.5cm really was her first opportunity to do so.

Dr. Yium allowed her to labor down for half an hour or so, and then it was time to push this little lady out. Natalia was a trooper pushing hard for a good 90 minutes. The position that seemed to work the best was when Jenni (my shadow doula extraordinaire) held the rebozo at the base of the bed and Natalia grabed on it with both hands to pull herself toward Jenni and use that momentum to direct her strength down. Jason was in charge of keeping Natalia energized and comfortable, supporting her head, cheering her on, applying the chapstick, and catering to her ice chip and apple juice needs. I was on warm compress duty to help that perineum stretch. 90 minutes of pushing had her baby right on her perineum, but still a little stuck under her pubic bone. Her baby was showing some signs of fatigue, as was Natalia, self-admittedly. Dr. Yium suggested using forceps to help nudge baby around that corner. Natalia would still have to push hard, and Dr. Yium would just steer. One push later, at 4:33 pm Natalia’s beautiful baby girl was placed on her chest for some immediate skin to skin time and pinked up and cried immediately. Dr. Yium let her hang out there while she waited for the cord to stop pulsating. Jason got to cut the cord. Baby girl (who’s name is still being contemplated) was a tiny peanut, and weighed in at 5lbs 7oz. She was quickly weighed and measured, and went straight back to mamas chest for more skin to skin time. Natalia got a full 2 hours of bonding and breastfeeding in without interruption (thanks Seton!) And another pleasant surprise was that her mother, fresh off a plane from Kansas, excitedly arrived within minutes after baby’s birth, teary eyed and cooing at her brand new baby grand-daughter.

I thank you Natalia and Jason for allowing me to take part in this beautiful day. I thank you for always being open to changing your position. And reminding me to do the same. Many blessings to your new family. AS.

Music and Massage! Jamie’s Story

by Steph Scott

Jamie had been in early labor since 4:00 am Tuesday morning. She and her husband Travor spent the day trying to get labor going, walking and using the breast pump, but Jamie’s contractions were around 10 minutes apart most of the day. At 8:30 pm, she texted me that she had lost her mucus plug. I wrote back that this didn’t necessarily mean anything would happen tonight – but an hour later, Travor called to say Jamie’s water had broken!

I met them at Seton at 10:00 pm. Jamie was 2 ½ cm dilated, but her contractions were already intense enough that she needed help coping with the pain. She wanted a natural birth, but Travor told me she was already questioning whether that would be possible. When I arrived Jamie was lying in bed on her side – she was supposed to be monitored for an hour. She and Travor were listening to hypnobirthing recordings. Travor sat by her head and breathed with her during the contractions to help her focus on keeping her breaths long and slow, and after contractions, he’d give her sips of water, praise her hard work, and encourage her for the next one. They were in a wonderful groove, but it was still so early that I suspected things would soon get really intense.

Jamie liked very firm counterpressure on her low back while she was lying on her side, so I did a lot of that while Travor was by her head. It took me a while to unpack my things and get the room set up; the breaks between contractions seemed really short. I brought out my lavender and peppermint oils. I put some nice lavender soap at the sink and put some lavender hand sanitizer on the bedside table, and I turned off the horrible fluorescent overhead light and put on a softer, gentler light by the door that made the room darker and cozy.

As soon as the hour was up and the monitors were off, Jamie got out of bed and sat on the ball. Travor sat on the bed with pillows in his lap, and Jamie sat on the ball leaning over onto Travor. He was such wonderful support – he massaged her shoulders to relax them when he saw her holding tension there, he always remembered to offer her sips of water to keep her hydrated, and he intuitively knew how to help her focus on her breath by breathing with her loudly instead of trying to talk to her in words about how to breathe. When I emailed the other Get Babied doulas an update, I commented on how great Travor was and how Megan’s “Get Prepped Plus” class had turned him into a highly skilled doula! Megan wrote back that Travor was the superstar of the class. It really showed!

Travor also kept saying funny things to Jamie between her intense contractions. This is hard to do without getting yelled at, because humor can be annoying to a laboring mama when she’s trying to focus all her attention on coping with the pain. But Travor was able to find the perfect degree of levity to make Jamie smile. After the really hard contractions he kept saying, “Oh yeah, you kicked that one in the ASS!!” It cracked me up. Jamie would grin and murmur, “Thanks!” They were so sweet together.

Gus is a cutie!

While Jamie sat on the ball, I sat behind her and massaged her back. It didn’t take long before she started needing a lot of help and encouragement to get through her contractions and stay focused and motivated. I did a lot of very firm counterpressure on her low back; that seemed to help the most. Travor and I also did double-hip squeezes by standing on each side of Jamie when she was on her hands and knees so that we could each press one hip towards her spine. I could see her tensing up with each contraction, and instead of just breathing, she started whimpering in a way that sounded increasingly desperate. We talked about not fighting the pain because it was good; it was productive and was really helping to melt her cervix away and move Gus down a bit lower each time. Little by little, Jamie figured out how to work with the contractions instead of fighting them.

For the first few hours, she switched between the same two positions – sitting on the ball and sidelying in the bed. Because she had been awake since 4:00 am and labored all day, she was already exhausted when she got to the hospital. So we tried to make her comfortable enough that she could doze between contractions as much as possible. The contractions were getting more and more intense, and Jamie was doing great working with them. She told Travor and me that she liked hearing us talk to her and tell her she could do it. She had a very hard time relaxing because of the intensity of the contractions plus lack of sleep. At 1:00 am, another cervical check showed she was 3 ½ cm. She knew she still had a lot of labor ahead of her, so she asked for some medication. Within seconds of getting fentanyl she sighed and murmured dreamily, “This is AWESOME.” Travor and I grinned at each other across the bed – it was wonderful to see her smile again. As I spoke to her quietly about melting softly away and making more space for Gus to descend, I could see her shoulders moving down and her hands unclenching. As Jamie relaxed, I could feel myself relaxing too.

I began to pay more attention to the room around us as I was able to focus less intently on Jamie. Travor had exchanged the hypnobirthing recordings for the playlist Jamie had put together for her birth. Sitting behind Jamie and massaging her back and hips, I started really getting into the music. I was working on 4 hours of sleep, having just been to a birth early the previous morning, and I was a little bit delirious. At 1:20 am, “Crimson & Clover” came on, and I felt a subtle but distinct shift in the atmosphere. We were all sitting – Travor on the edge of the bed, Jamie on the ball with her head in his lap, me on the stool at her back, always massaging. But with that song, it started to feel like we were all dancing as we moved and breathed together in rhythm with Jamie’s labor and Joan Jett’s gritty vocals.

Jamie’s playlist was the perfect labor soundtrack. Most people choose their labor music based on how relaxing it is. Jamie said she just brought all the songs that made her really happy. She had a lot of Bob Marley, which is always wonderful for birthing – it’s impossible to feel too bad when you’re listening to Bob Marley. And “Your Pulling Touch” by Poi Dog Pondering is indeed one of the happiest love songs I know. As Travor said, Jamie has excellent taste!

Smack!

Jamie was able to cope well and rest with the fentanyl until around at 4:00 am. At that point, she was feeling a lot of pain, along with increasing pressure that made her want to push. She tried not to because she didn’t want her cervix to swell if she wasn’t completely dilated, but it became harder and harder to resist. Soon I could tell from the sounds she was making that she was pushing. She asked to be checked; she was 8 cm. She was making great progress, but she was thoroughly exhausted. She asked for an epidural so she could have some relief from the overwhelming urge to push and so she could get some rest; otherwise, she didn’t think she’d have the energy to push effectively. By the time she got the epidural, around 4:30 am, she had been laboring for about 24 hours.

Travor and I had also been up for 24 hours and working hard, though not as hard as Jamie. He had spent the day helping her try to get labor started, and I had been to an early morning birth. All three of us got some much-needed sleep after Jamie’s epidural. It took me a while to convince Travor to move out of his chair by the bed where he was sitting and holding Jamie’s hand – but finally, after they had both been asleep for about an hour (still holding hands), he agreed to move to the sofa bed. He slept with a scarf and a ridiculous furry hat with ear flaps because it was freezing in the room (Jamie had been hot all night). I slept on the sofa bed too, until around 8:30 am when Tanya, another of the Get Babied doulas, showed up with a triple mocha for me along with sugary treats for breakfast. (At the time I was convinced this was the most delicious breakfast I had ever tasted. I will be forever grateful to Tanya who appeared like some kind of angel from Starbucks – when I opened the door and saw her standing there I could swear there were harps playing).

Sleep Deprivation & a Ridiculous Hat

At 8:00 am Jamie was 9 cm; the epidural had slowed her labor down. Her doctor started pitocin to try to speed it up, but by 9:30 Gus’s heart rate started to dip after contractions, showing that he was stressed and not tolerating the pitocin well. They turned the pitocin back to the smallest dose possible and put Jamie on oxygen while we waited for a few more contractions to see what would happen. Everyone stared at the monitor, willing Gus’s heart rate to stay within the safe range – it did! Jamie’s doctor said she might need a cesarean if his heart rate started to dip again, but she was fine with Jamie laboring longer with the low dose of pitocin and the oxygen. Finally, at 2:15 pm, Jamie was finally 10 cm!

Gus was at +1 station, and the doctor wanted Jamie to labor down for one more hour to try to get him to +2 which would mean a lot less work for her to push him out. She was okay with this plan, although she was feeling more and more pressure and some pain at this point. She hung in there for another hour with Travor and me doing counterpressure on her sacrum. At 3:30 the doctor gave her the okay to start pushing, because Gus had moved down to +2 station.

Travor stayed by Jamie’s head holding her hand, and I brought warm washcloths for her perineum to help avoid tearing. The nurse did perineal massage with betadine instead of olive oil because the doctor wanted to avoid olive oil in case she needed to use a vacuum. By the time the doctor was delivering the baby, she wasn’t worried about needing the vacuum, and she did perineal massage with olive oil herself. Jamie pushed very well – she was really strong and the epidural had enabled her to regain a lot of energy. She didn’t think she wanted a mirror, but I suggested she try it. Right as Gus was being born, Jamie’s eyes were closed, so I prompted her to open her eyes and look in the mirror. She had been pushing quietly, but she suddenly gave a triumphant scream and then started laughing and crying at the same time as the doctor placed Gus right onto her belly.

Gus was born at 4:56 pm. He was a plump 8 pounds, 3 ounces and 20 inches long. As soon as Travor saw him, he started crying. Gus was so cute that none of us could look away from him! He was a very peaceful baby, and very alert. When his dad talked to him he got quiet and listened as if he understood what Travor was saying. Jamie got him unwrapped from all his blankets for some immediate skin-to-skin breastfeeding time. It just took a few minutes before he was latched on and chomping happily!

I want to end this birth story with something Travor said, which I think is maybe the nicest thing I’ve ever heard at a birth. After a really long, hard, contraction he told Jamie, “This little guy is going to love you more than anyone else in your life.” I know that is already true! Congratulations Jamie and Travor, and little Augustus Sharp!

Steph, Travor, Jamie, & Gus

I had the honor to help with a very special birth on November 1 – sweet baby Jesse was born to parents Elizabeth and Doug with the unfathomably generous assistance of a surrogate, Lily. Elizabeth, Doug, and Lily’s husband Sam were all in attendance to help Lily through her labor and greet this gorgeous baby. – Steph Scott

I was so excited about going to this unique birth. Because it was an induction, I knew when it would happen (11/1/11 – nobody will ever forget this little girl’s birthday!). I had a hard time getting to sleep the night before, and an even harder time waiting for the call to head over to the hospital. Lily and I kept in touch by text. Finally I texted Lily that the anticipation was killing me, and she replied that she was ready for me!

I arrived around 10:00 am. The doctor had broken Lily’s water at 8:24 am, and contractions came on pretty strong soon after that. (Elizabeth mentioned that Lily didn’t like the idea of “contractions” and preferred “surges” instead, and I kept forgetting! Sorry, Lily!) Sam was helping Lily labor in the shower when I got there, so I said hello to Elizabeth and Doug. They were both so nice, and very excited to finally get to meet their baby! They said Lily was doing great and they all really liked Sherah, their nurse. I had never met Elizabeth and Doug, although Elizabeth and I had exchanged some emails. It was great to finally meet them both – we hugged hello, and then Lily and Sam came out of the bathroom and it was time to get to work.

Lily looked great and seemed like she had excellent control, but she didn’t feel like it. She was most comfortable staying upright and wanted to try the birth ball. We put the ball on the bed so she could lean over onto it, and I stood behind her massaging her back. Then she sat on the ball and leaned onto the bed while I massaged her back. Lily felt very hot, so Elizabeth fanned her with a magazine and Sam and I brought cold washcloths with lavender and peppermint for her face and neck.

I was struck throughout Lily’s labor by what a great support and positive influence Elizabeth was. She seemed to know just what to say to keep Lily feeling encouraged. She anticipated the needs of everyone in the room, not just Lily but Sam, Doug, and myself too. Little things like reminding Sam to drink water, checking if Doug needed anything, and asking if I needed a break to pump (thank goodness she asked – I did, although I hadn’t realized it!) – all of this helped to keep everyone in the room feeling cared for and important. I was amazed that Elizabeth’s heart was big enough, at the birth of her baby, to show such concern for the whole birth team.

Lily gets a back rub from Elizabeth & a shoulder rub from Sam

Lily labored on the ball for about 20 minutes and then wanted to take another shower. I dug out my lavender soap and my flashlight so she could turn off the bright bathroom light and still be able to see (not as nice as a candle but a flashlight on the counter does lend a certain ambiance!). After another 20 minutes in the shower, Lily wanted to lie down in the bed. Sam and Elizabeth made her comfortable with multiple pillows and bolsters, and I got behind her to apply counterpressure to her sacrum.

Around noon Lily asked Sherah to check her cervix. She was feeling the surges much more intensely now. Also, the baby kept hiccupping – which made Lily and Elizabeth smile despite Lily’s discomfort. When she was changing positions after the cervical check, Lily pulled her heplock out and nurse Sherah (who was wonderful) needed to replace it – she had a hard time getting it to go back in, and Lily was dealing with huge surges all the while. Elizabeth was getting teary seeing her friend in so much pain. Eventually Dr. Schiemenz came in to check on Lily, and she helped get the saline lock back in.

Dr. Schiemenz checked Lily’s cervix at 12:45; she was dilated to 7-8 cm. Lily was nauseous and shaky – great signs that she’d be pushing before too long! I put some peppermint oil on a cool washcloth to help with her nausea. Soon she wanted to get out of bed and back in the shower, so Elizabeth went to get the shower nice and hot while Sam stayed with Lily. Sam helped her into the bathroom, and Elizabeth, Doug, and I waited and chatted while I pumped.

Over at the couch, we could hear Lily in the shower moaning more and more loudly. I asked Doug how he was doing with all this. Other than talking with the social worker and annoying paperwork lady, he had been spending most of his time sitting on the couch with his laptop. He said he was doing great although the moaning was kind of freaking him out; Elizabeth had had epidurals with their two girls, so he wasn’t used to the sounds of natural birth. He was happy to be sitting back at a distance. He joked that at least Sam could rub Lily’s feet: “I know Lily doesn’t want me anywhere near her feet, so I’ll just sit right here.” J

Around 1:00 pm, in the shower, Lily asked if it was too late to get an epidural. Elizabeth went to talk to her about it and once again said just the right things – she assured Lily she could have it if it was what she really wanted, but the baby was really close to being born now and Lily would be thankful later if she stuck to her plan for a natural birth. Sherah came in while Elizabeth was talking, and Sherah said pretty much the same thing – plus Lily was so close now that by the time she could get the epidural she would be almost done, and she might be numb after the baby was born.

When Lily came out of the shower, she got in bed and said she was feeling a lot more pressure. At 1:20 Dr. Schiemenz checked Lily’s cervix again and said she was 9 cm and could push a little if she wanted to. Soon she was complete and pushing in earnest, with Sam holding one leg and me holding the other. Elizabeth changed her shirt for a hospital gown so that she could do immediate skin-to-skin time with the baby. Things got pretty intense right at the end when the baby’s shoulders got stuck – Lily basically screamed her out, with Sam & me holding her legs back as far as possible and Sherah pushing on her belly. This only took a couple of pushes though, and at 1:42 pm, out came a 9 lb, 10 oz, very adorable little girl!

Because of the baby’s color and the presence of meconium, she needed to go straight to the warming table to be evaluated and have her lungs suctioned. Elizabeth and Doug went with their baby and Sam and I stayed with Lily. Lily was relieved and felt like this had been the hardest delivery since her first, whose collarbone broke after he became stuck in the birth canal.

At the warmer, Elizabeth and Doug were helping to suction their baby’s lungs. They were both calm and serene – they were just so happy to see their little girl and knew she was in good hands and would be okay. At her new baby’s side, Elizabeth still never forgot about Lily. She kept updating Lily on the baby’s situation: “She’s doing great, Lily; we’ll bring her over to see you in just a minute.” Doug turned into a new man when he saw his baby – he was still calm and collected, but his eyes really lit up and he stayed right by her side. Before long she belted out a strong, vigorous cry, which everyone was happy to hear because it meant her lungs were clearing up nicely.

Elizabeth brought her over to meet Lily, and both of them were teary-eyed smiling at this new little person they had brought into the world together. It was such a special, unique moment – I tried to get as many pictures as I could. The sweetest part of the whole birth was when Elizabeth told Lily that while they still hadn’t settled on a first name, they wanted the baby’s middle name to be Lily. Elizabeth and Lily were both in tears, and I realized I was as well.

I got some great pictures of Doug enamored with his new baby girl, snuggling her close and looking absolutely smitten. The grandparents came in and met their new grandbaby, and they took some pictures too. Soon the baby started rooting and snapping at passing fingers – it was time to feed her.

They had a pump in the room, and Elizabeth said she was happy to feed the baby a bottle if Lily wanted to pump, but if she wanted to breastfeed that would be great as well; she was fine with whatever Lily wanted to do. Lily felt like breastfeeding would be way more comfortable – so we got her set up with some pillows and Elizabeth handed her the baby.

Having breastfed three kids already, Lily knew just what to do. The hungry baby did too – she latched on perfectly right away and started munching. Elizabeth stood by tickling her chin and feet to keep her awake when she started to fall asleep. After breastfeeding, Elizabeth sat down and cuddled her new baby, skin to skin, just as she’d wanted.

Cute Baby Jesse with Elizabeth

I really think what made this birth so beautiful was the wonderful dynamic between the two couples. Elizabeth, Doug, Sam, and Lily have become very close throughout the journey that led them to this day. The love between them gave Lily the strength to birth the baby how she had hoped to, and enabled Elizabeth and Doug to participate fully in the birth of their little girl.

Just before I left, I was again struck by Elizabeth’s selflessness as she offered to let me hold her new baby! At 9 pounds, 10 ounces, this was a big baby, but she felt so tiny and delicate in my arms. She was lovely, with lots of thick, blonde hair and luscious long eyelashes, making her look like a little lady. And she has adorably pudgy legs which I’m sure will attract a lot of kisses in the days to come!

Elizabeth, Doug, Lily, and Sam – I cannot thank all of you enough for letting me share in this beautiful birth. What a lucky girl is this baby to be welcomed to the world with four such loving friends to greet her!

Welcome Baby Jesse!

O, thou art fairer than the evening air clad in the beauty of a thousand stars.–Christopher Marlowe

There are few things in life more beautiful and mysterious then the birth of a child. The birth of Marlowe Bain was no exception. From start to finish, Christina labored purposefully and gracefully. Christina started having on and off again contractions Friday night, so she emailed the doulas at Get Babied giving them a heads-up. She was able to take a bath and sleep well that night. Throughout the day on Saturday, her contractions gradually became more consistent and closer together, sometimes being as close as 3 minutes apart, other times 8 minutes apart. As the day progressed, Christina kept in contact with her doula on call that day, took a bath and a walk and began to feel more pressure in her hips. That’s when her husband, Wes, began to do the “hip-squeeze” on her that he learned in our Comfort Measures class. She said it felt awesome!

Sometime around 7pm that night, she began to feel like she could use some more support at home, so I arrived at her house shortly thereafter. I walked in to see a completely peaceful and happy Christina, lounging on her couch, munching on her “shot blocks” and drinking water. Her cat was dozing on the couch beside her. She was using her hypnobirthing techniques with each contraction, and she said it was really helping. And it certainly seemed to be! She looked every bit the picture of a calm, focused laboring women. I took over the hip-squeezing for a while, so that Wes could make himself a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich, and Christina did beautifully, taking one contraction at a time. We discussed different positions and breathing techniques, as well how cute their house and neighborhood were. She leaned over the exercise ball, sat on it, and rocked on it, but her favorite laboring position after a while seemed to be standing up and leaning over onto one of her kitchen counters. After a few hours of consistent 60sec. long contractions that seemed to be every 3 to 5 minutes, Christina began to “vocalize” a bit more, and Wes and she began to feel like they wanted to go to the hospital.

I followed them to NAMC, and after walking up to the labor and delivery floor, they got checked into the triage room. It was there that I witnessed the amazing ability of a laboring woman to almost completely stop contracting when being asked lots of questions in a new environment. Once all the triage formalities were completed, a quick cervical check showed that Christina was a solid 5cm, 70% effaced and baby was at 0 station. This was about 10:45pm. She seemed a little disappointed, and I know she was wishing she was further along than that, but she was doing so well. I set small, half hour goals for her, and this seemed to perk her back up. She and Wes decided to get checked into the hospital after that, and we all packed up and walked over to the labor and deliver room.

After getting her hep lock in, we got into the shower. Wes lgot a change of clothes on and lovingly sprayed her back with some hot water. Around midnight or so, Christina started to feel more pressure in her bum. Midwife Lisa Carlile said it might be her bag of waters bulging.  Christina laid down for her next round of monitoring, and her water broke.  You totally could hear it break!  Lisa did a cervical check around 12.15am and Christina was a 7cm.  She then gently held some cevix back during a next contraction and…boom…Christina was a 9 1\2 by 12.20am. Lisa tried holding the anterior
lip back, too, but it didn’t want to budge yet.  Christina was totally involuntarily pushing by this point, but Lisa said she had to try to labor down for a while on her side to get rid of the lip. Ugh! This is so rough to do! So we breathed and groaned and did mini push-grunts with Christina for about an hour.

Her nurse was in and out of the room during this time. Gradually Christina’s efforts to just breathe became more and more futile, and she began to involuntarily make more and more pushing noises. I was trying to keep her from pushing too hard, as we didn’t know if she was completely dilated yet, and midwife was in the other room with another mom who was pushing. I did start smelling poop at this point, and figured that since the baby was descending enough for her to be pooping, and that she had been “laboring down” for over an hour, maybe it was ok for her to just start pushing full on. Christina also said her vagina was hurting. She was laying on her side at this point, so I held one of her legs up, and showed her how to do it herself, curl over her baby, and push a little more effectively. I asked the nurse if she wouldn’t mind checking her, but the nurse said something about not being able to since she was one of Dr. Sebestyen’s patients. I kept telling her that I really thought the baby was going to come soon and Christina needed to be checked by someone, and even went so far as to get warm compresses ready for the nurse to put on Christina’s perineal area. Finally, the nurse called Lisa, and Lisa gave the ok for a quick cervical check. When Christina lifted up her leg to push at this point, the nurse saw that she was crowning, and quickly called Lisa to come in the room. I rewarmed the compresses for Lisa while Christina flipped more on her back and began to push her baby out. Lisa poured olive oil on Christina’s perineal area and did some quick perineal massage to help prevent tearing.

Christina was such a super pusher and after the head was delivered, Lisa let Christina reach down and deliver the rest of her baby, bringing her baby to her chest. That was such a super sweet moment!

Sweet Baby Marlowe was born at 2:43am weighing 7lbs 10oz…at 2.43 to a super strong momma and a loving daddy.

Dear Keller,

Your mommy is one amazing woman!  The day of your birth, she demonstrated bravery and perseverance.  Those are big words, I know.  But one day, probably after years of watching your mom do amazing mom-things, you’ll know what they mean.

On the morning of Fri. Sept. the 9^th your mom called me, her doula (a fancy word for  a birth coach of sorts), and said she woke up around 7am feeling “not so good,”  so she “googled” her symptoms to see if it was a sign of labor.  Around 8am she started to have some contractions, and called her Aunt Janie an hour later.  By then her contractions were about 3-5 min. apart.   She really wanted to go run some errands that morning (like taking her car to the shop), and she kept thinking that maybe she could go get stuff done when she wasn’t having a contraction.  But then, 3 min later, she would decide against it.

I suggested that she eat some breakfast, like eggs, bacon, and toast, if she felt up for it, and to stay hydrated.  We talked about any other symptoms of labor she could watch for and any fears she was having.  She just was so happy she didn’t have to be induced the following week.  Because she said her contractions weren’t that bad, she decided she would call me later when she needed me to come out to her house to help her.   She then talked to your daddy and asked him to bring home some bacon, eggs, ice cream and lots and lots of water.

I called her around lunchtime, and she said she had thrown up, but was doing ok.  Then around 1:45pm, your mom called me, saying that her contractions were still 3-5 minutes apart and 45 sec. long, but were much more intense now, and she wanted my help at her house.  I got there about an hour later.

When I entered your house, it smelled like bacon.  Your daddy was making your mommy a snack.  Your dogs also were very excited and sniffed me lots and lots. Also, while I was at your house, I helped your mom by giving her water, by squeezing her hips and by giving her more ideas for brave words to tell herself.  She was already telling herself that she was ok during the contractions.  “I’m ok.  I’m ok. I’m ok.” And she would say, “Relax. Relax. Relax.”  Sometimes she would say, “Oh, Wow,” or “Oh Golly,” or “Owe! Owe!” and get a little overwhelmed.  Then I would start repeating “Out, Out,” or remind her to chant, “I can do it,” or “Open,” again.  She really liked talking during her contractions.  In between contractions she was pretty funny and talkative, too.  She would ask me how I could possibly have gone through labor 3 times willingly, and she always wanted to know if I wanted any water or bacon or anything.  So polite!

Around 4pm we decided it would be best to go to the hospital.  It was Friday after all, and we didn’t want to get stuck in really bad traffic.  Also, your mom’s contractions were pretty long and consistently 3 min. apart.  She was in active labor for sure by now.

I followed your mom and dad to the hospital, and when we arrived, I helped your mom get checked in while your dad parked the car and grabbed all their stuff.  We even had to do a couple of contractions while leaning over a bench in the hallway.  I breathed with her or squeezed her hips or chanted little things with her.

When we finally got checked into a triage room, a nurse quickly found out your mom was 6 cm dilated, so she got to go to a labor and delivery room.  Once we were there, the nurse had to put a hep. lock in.  This is one thing your mom did not like or did not want at all, but she was brave and endured a few pokes by not one, but two nurses, until they finally got some blood and secured the hep. lock.  The other thing she did not want was a catheter, but you can ask your mom about this when you get older.

After Nurse Sarah listened to your heartbeat for a while, your mom was able to get into the shower and really relax.  We were in there for such a long time that we accidentally flooded the bathroom floor with water!  She did start expressing some doubts about continuing on, and said, “I don’t think I can handle transition.”  I quickly told her that she was probably in transition and that she was handling it and doing great!  While she was in the shower, she started to feel a lot more pressure in her butt, and felt like going poop, so we got out and had the nurse or midwife Kathy check her.  8 cm dilated! 2 more cm to go!  This was around 6:30pm.

For the next hour, your mom was kneeling in the bed with her head and arms resting on the elevated head of the bead.  During her contractions she really was vocalizing and talking to herself.  This is what a typical contraction would sound like:  “Ohhh, here comes another one.  I can’t do it. I can’t do it. I’m done. I’m done. Get him out. Get him out. Get him out now. (And I would step in at some point and give her something new to say, like “I’m ok” or “out” or “This is normal.”), and she would start chanting that. “OOOUUUT!  OOOOUUUT! OOOUUUT!” Then,  “Ok. I’m ok.  I’m ok. Relax. Relax. I feel better. I feel better. I feel better. It’s over.”  At one point, too, she started repeating, “It’ll pass. It’ll pass.  It’ll pass.”  So we said that for a few contractions.  I thought that was a fabulous thing to say!  She also was cold one second and hot the next, so your dad and I kept changing the hospital room’s thermostat.  We also took turns squeezing your mom’s hips, because she still liked that.

Maybe an hour later, Kathy, your mom’s midwife came and checked your mom again. When she did your mom’s water broke and Kathy happily told us that your mom could begin pushing you out any time she wanted to now.

After praying for strength and wisdom, your mom started pushing while still kneeling in the bed.  Then she pushed while squatting using the squatting bar.  After that, she pushed semi-sitting up while holding her legs back.  It was then that we started to see some of your hair.  Then Kathy got a sheet, put a knot at both ends, wrapped it around the birth bar and let your mom tug on that for a while. It was then that we really started to see more and more of your sweet little head.  Your dad and I kept giving your mom water and dabbing her head with cold peppermint-scented wash clothes and encouraging her.

After pushing for a little over an hour, your mom gave birth to you!  It was 8:29pm.  Your head and both your hands came out at one time.  It was like you were either saying, “Touch-down!” or “Praise Jesus, I’m out!”  Kathy said it was like you were trying to swim out.  Your dad said you looked like an alien coming out.  You weighed 7lbs 1oz, were 20 ½ in long and cried and pinked up immediately.  You were wiped up put on top of your mommy, and were very happy to eat once your mom was ready.

It was then that your mom and dad had to take a good look at you and determine which one of the four names your were going to be.  Did you look like a Jack, a Joshua, a Keller or a Matthew.  (Your dad kept insisting on the name Elvis, but got voted down.)  Your name, Keller, was finally chosen.  Your mom said she liked that name, and I agreed. I asked what the name Keller meant to your mom and dad.  Your dad replied that it is the last name of an author, Tim Keller.  This author made such a great impact on your dad and his walk with God, that he thought it would be fitting to name you after such a smart and godly man.  That seemed to seal the deal!  I am so proud and honored to have been a part of your birth, little Keller Milligan.  Now you have some big shoes to fill, and a brave, tough mom to help you!

Your Mom’s Doula,

Amy Nevland CD(DONA)

After meeting Megan and Lonnie I got the feeling that she was a mamma that loved being pregnant and therefore wasn’t in any rush to not be pregnant anymore. Megan was probably one of the most content 38 week pregnant women I have ever met. She was in no rush and completely satisfied where she was at in life. Over the next few weeks as her due date came and went, fellow Apprentice Doula’s and I walked the fine line of checking in and not making her feel any pressure. Megan’s plan to have a natural childbirth at the Austin Area Birthing Center did not include being induced or any other interventions. So, at 41 weeks and 5 days when her midwife started hinting at a possible induction Megan’s body kicked and knew what it had to do. Around 8:30 the Apprentices got a “heads up” email… the threat of induction was on the table and Megan had a plan to do everything in her power to get this labor started that night! With this promising news I made sure I would be ready to be at her side late in the night.

Sure enough the phone rang at 1:30. Lonnie said things were moving along and what were cramps seemed to have moved into full blown contractions. Megan was having contractions about 4 minutes apart and they were lasting for somewhere around 1 minute… and they took her full concentration. So, I brushed my teeth, grabbed my stuff and headed to Megan and Lonnie’s house.

I arrived at their house around 2:00 am on November 29, 2011. Megan was all snuggled up on her side in their dark bedroom with some soothing music playing. She was so calm! Again, going back to our first meeting; Megan was so at peace with pregnancy and now labor too! I was amazed to watch her contractions come on stronger and stronger and closer together as she laid in this peaceful bed in the dark. As she began to make comments like “I just don’t think I will be able to do this” it became apparent that she was progressing and maybe moving into transition…

Lonnie called AABC around 3:15 am and it was decided that we would load the car and head in.

4:00 am: same position different location… Now we are all situated at AABC and it was time to be checked; moment of truth. 5 cm and 100%!!! Things were looking good! So, it was time for Megan to keep on keeping on. Megan labored like this for about 45 minutes and Lonnie and I were thinking that maybe we should all try to get some rest. With her contractions coming on even stronger: belly shaking and all… we talked about maybe trying new positions. Megan mentioned that she wanted this to be over, so we talked about one potential way to move things along was to maybe let gravity help. Megan moved to the toilet.

Giving her and Lonnie some privacy, I sat outside the bathroom door and listened. After about ten minutes Megan had 2 contractions in a row that sounded like she had the urge to push. So, I peered in and asked her what she was feeling. She said she felt like she really had to use the bathroom. As she walked out of the bathroom another contraction started and she instinctively dropped onto all fours and sitting deep into her bottom as the contraction progressed. At this point I told her I think it was time to get Charlotte (the Midwife). I stepped out of the room and told the Birth Assistant that it was time to bring Charlotte in, that I had a feeling this was going to be a fast labor!

Sure enough, Megan was checked at 5:30 am: complete, complete, complete!!! It was time to push! Baby was ready!!!

With Megan on all fours and Lonnie and I at her face it became apparent that something was not quite right… Charlotte started Megan on some oxygen, Lonnie and I kept her breathing long, deep, calming breaths. Baby’s heart rate was really low… Charlotte quickly changed gears and decided Megan would be pushing this baby out fast. After a few awesome pushes, the realization set in that it would be longer than would be safe, the decision was made to move to the hospital. Megan was giving a shot to slow contractions.

Just before 6:00am we were loaded and out the door and on our way to St. David’s North.

As we rushed in, we were greeted with confused but very sweet hospital staff and Dr. Jaynes was not far behind. With Megan and baby hooked up it appeared that baby’s heart rate was back up and Dr. Jaynes was confident that Megan would be able to have a vaginal birth. With the aid of a vacuum and a small episiotomy not so little Xavier was born at 6:34 am: 9 lbs 1 oz and 22 ½ inches long.

Megan and Lonnie were amazing. They both stayed calm even through the hospital transfer. They went with the flow, kept their cool, stayed on track, and kept their focus. What a beautiful family, I feel so blessed to have been able to witness the first moments of it. Megan is a trooper and if she parents in the way she labored she is guaranteed a happy and content future with her family.

Thank you Megan and Lonnie for allowing me to be apart of your beautiful story.

-Tif

I arrived at the hospital at 11pm on October 10th. Amy was sitting cross-legged on the bed, her eyes closed and her hands gently resting on her belly, breathing slowly. Adam was by her side, stroking her arm. A Jack Johnson/Postal Service play-list and low lamp lighting set a soft tone to the room. Amy and Adam were, by far, the calmest and sweetest labor team I’ve ever been a part of. They actually thought to bring a bowl of Halloween candy for the hospital staff!

They checked into the hospital when Amy was about 4cm dilated and 80% effaced. Her bag of waters was still intact, and Amy was coping with contractions with some excellent deep breathing. For the first hour or so, they labored in the bathroom together and I stayed in the hospital room, preparing a hot water bottle for Amy’s back pain, fetching some of those highly-fashionable hospital socks, and adjusting the temperature of the room so we didn’t all freeze. Once the stage was set and they emerged from the bathroom, everything went smoothly. Amy found that sitting on her knees and resting her head on the elevated head of the bed was the most comfortable position. The hot water bottle and the double hip squeeze during each contraction helped her back pain. We changed positions every half hour or so, trying out the standing slow dance, using the rebozo, and moving to the tub for a while.

Amy works in a hospital, so she was familiar with many of the gadgets and procedures, and was able to advocate for herself when she wanted to be disconnected from the IV fluid (she knew she was sufficiently hydrated) and when she wanted her hourly dose of fentanyl to take the edge off. At one point, her nurse, Kim, allowed her to be disconnected from the IV and EFM for a few hours, allowing complete freedom of movement. Adam never left her side. He encouraged her during every contraction, reminding her how strong she was, how much he loved her, and how exciting it would be when they finally met Ronan. He never tired of rubbing her back and making her as comfortable as possible.

During transition, Amy was understandably exhausted. She found side-lying most comfortable and finally, at 9cm, 5:19am, her water broke. She started pushing at 5:30am. Nurse Kim brought a mirror in and used olive oil to massage her perineum as Adam and I helped Amy hold her legs back. She was a rock-star pusher and Ronan was more than ready to make a grand entrance. About 10 minutes into pushing, the doctor came in to inform us that she was needed at a C-section next door, and to hold off on pushing if at all possible. Amy didn’t even flinch; we got her into a more comfortable seat and helped her take short, shallow breathes, directed up and out. Five minutes later, the doctor returned and said, “Nevermind, keep pushing!” Ever-flexible, Amy resumed her pushing posture. At one point, Jack Johnson’s “Better Together” played on the mix. Amy started singing along between pushes. She and Adam looked at each other and smiled, saying, “This song is perfect for right now.”

Ronan finally made his appearance at 6:51am. They whisked him away for a few moments, determined that he was 7lbs, 14oz, 20 ¾ inches long, and perfectly healthy. They set them right on Amy’s chest, skin-to-skin, and it was love at first sight. the doctor stitched up Amy’s tearing, but she hardly noticed as she and Adam just stared in complete awe at their new son; they were totally smitten. The love among the three of them was so radiant and powerful. I feel absolutely honored to have been present during this special time. Within 30 minutes after an 11-hr labor, Amy looked up smiling and said, “I could definitely do that again.”

love at first sight!

Ronan naps after a long night of hard work.

better together

Thanks Amy, Adam, and Ronan for letting me be part of this amazing day!

Sylvia’s contractions started around 2:00 am, and Joshua called around 5:45. He sounded calm, cool, and collected on the phone. I talked to Sylvia through a contraction, and she was breathing through it but handling it great. About an hour later, she was ready for some support at home, so I called shadow doula Tif and we got ready to head over to Sylvia and Joshua’s house.

Tif was such a great shadow doula that she made it to their house before I did and helped Sylvia through some contractions in the shower. When I got there, Sylvia was having a hard time finding a comfortable position. Joshua brought her anything she needed – water, pillows, elaborate chair/pillow/towel combinations. He also had to take care of Millie, their anxious Jack Russell terrier, who quivered unhappily on the far side of her gate, not enjoying all the drama going on in the house.

After about an hour of trying and failing to get comfortable at home, Sylvia decided to head to the hospital. Her contractions weren’t quite a minute long, but they had been about 3 minutes apart for several hours and were quickly getting stronger and stronger. She was also feeling nauseous and feeling some pressure as her contractions intensified. Sylvia was serious during her contractions, and didn’t want to be touched or massaged at all. But between contractions she kept her sense of humor the whole time, even to the very end. I couldn’t believe what a good mood she was in! At one point, she looked at Joshua and asked, “How are you doing? Did I scare the crap out of you?” He said, “Eh, you know Mondays. I’d rather be here than at work.” Sylvia responded emphatically, “I’d rather be at work.” She cracked me up.

Tif and I drove after Joshua and Sylvia to the hospital, around 9:30 am. We saw them getting out of their car when we arrived, and they were giggling together as Joshua helped Sylvia into a wheelchair. We followed them into their room and tried to help Sylvia get comfortable while she answered all the admittance questions. Her nurse, Amy, was very nice and very welcoming to us doulas. She checked Sylvia’s cervix and found that she was 4-5 cm dilated and 100% effaced. Sylvia had to stay on the monitor for 30 minutes to make sure the baby was okay. She was relieved when Dr. Nash said she could switch to intermittent monitoring because she didn’t want to have to stay in the bed.

Sylvia and Joshua had a great dynamic going through the contractions. She didn’t want any massage, but she did want Joshua right by her side, holding her hand. He stayed face-to-face with her the whole time, reminding her to breathe during her contractions and joking with her between contractions. When the contractions got more intense, Joshua mentioned that their son was getting grounded for putting his mama through so much hard labor. Sylvia said, “At this point he’s grounded till he’s 10 years old.” Fortunately for baby Calum, he did manage to be born on 9/12 instead of 9/11. His parents decided to grant him some probation for that.

Dr. Nash was very nice and encouraging of Sylvia’s goal to have a natural birth. Around 10:45, Sylvia asked Dr. Nash some questions about pain medications and mentioned that she was feeling more pressure between contractions. Dr. Nash offered to check Sylvia’s cervix because the increased pressure could be a sign of transition, and if Sylvia were to learn she was close to the end then she might be able to push through without medication. Sure enough, Sylvia was already 8 cm dilated.

We talked about transition and how it was the most intense and painful part of labor but also the fastest. Sylvia was doing great, and Tif and I kept reminding her how strong she was and how great her control was throughout these crazy transition contractions. Tif helped Sylvia focus on her breathing to maintain her control. It was hard, and we could see that it took all the strength Sylvia had to keep control, relax, and breathe calmly. We tried to moan with her to help her keep her voice deep and low, but Sylvia said, “Um, that scares me.” She was so funny. Sylvia claimed more than once that she was never doing this again – though nurse Amy said she bet she’d see them again in a year with their second baby.

Dr. Nash did another cervical check around 11:00 am; Sylvia was 8-9 cm and her bag of waters was intact and bulging. The water broke in a gush 20 minutes later during the next cervical check. Sylvia was fully dilated now, just an hour & a half after arriving at the hospital. She started pushing on her side, and then moved onto her back. She pushed with amazing strength, and Sylvia and Joshua’s little boy was born at 11:33 am.

Calum was a super cute baby boy! After just a few minutes under the warmer and getting weighed and measured, the baby nurse wrapped him up burrito-style in some blankets and gave him to Joshua. He got quiet and stared straight into Joshua’s eyes. Joshua brought him over to Sylvia and she immediately unwrapped him for some skin-to-skin bonding time. She got him latched on and breastfeeding right away with no trouble at all.

Sylvia and Joshua had such a great birth. Tif and I talked afterwards about how this was an ideal birth in many ways – fast, hospital staff supportive of natural birth, freedom to do it the mama’s way, not much time spent at the hospital before the baby was born. Sylvia and Joshua made it happen just how they hoped it would. Congrats, Calum, for getting to meet the world with such happiness, laughter, and love!