Crazy Eights

It seems like I missed every birth at the birth center this summer!  And with a due date of July 27th, I was worried I would miss this one since I was out of town until July 25th!  (Don't worry, there are two doulas at the center, so no one was left alone!) But the days kept ticking and ticking by...  After a week, it was pretty clear to see that I didn't need to worry about missing this one.  :)

Getting very close to her 42 week mark (the point where women legally have to transfer to hospital care) it was time to try sweeping the membranes.  So the morning of August 7th, this mom had her membranes stripped and discovered she was already dilated to almost 5 cm!  

I received a text around 5:30 pm letting me know that contractions had started and were about 10 minutes apart, but I wasn't called to meet the couple until after midnight.  By 2:00 am we were all at the birth center.  Mom and dad were a great team from the get go!  He read birthing affirmations during contractions and helped ease her discomfort with pressure points.  

By 2:30, mom was in the tub.  The look on her face says it all.  The water feels good!  She found her internal focus, listened to relaxing music, and labored beautifully for hours.  She even kept up her manners with plenty of "Please" and "Thank Yous".  Hollywood always depicts women as being so rude and irritable during labor, but that is hardly ever the case.  Most labors are peaceful and pleasant.

Around 6:30 am mom became a little antsy, and frustrated at lack of progress.  She was cranking out contractions every 3 or 4 minutes for hours, but baby didn't seem to be moving down.  We decided to change some positions, and I kept feeling like we needed to do something to encourage the water to break.  You can't make your water break, but many times I've seen the water break once you put more gravitational force on the labor.  So we got out of the tub and mom and dad did the high school dance, and POP!  There went the water.  It was just what the labor needed as things intensified quickly after that.

Mom got back in the water for delivery, and about 40 minutes later, baby June slipped into the world, covered in cheesy vernix!  This mom pushed for hours with baby #1, and delivered baby #2 in under one hour.  I always say it's easier once the trail has been blazed!  :)

Born 8/8/2015

7:40 am

Who smiles while they are delivering their placenta?!

This sweet mom does!  And look at that cute baby!

Dad had a few minutes for some daddy-daughter bonding, then it was back to mom for the first feed.

This little girl latched on right away.

What a beautiful birth and wonderful couple.  This little girl is loved!