Sunny side up!

I arrived at my latest clients' home at 10 pm, Sept. 14th. She was contracting every several minutes, but her contractions weren't lasting much longer than 20 or 30 seconds. I could tell they were increasing in intensity, but was worried that they wouldn't be doing much dilation wise because of their short duration. But after just an hour, she felt it was time to head over to the hospital. Here dad is braiding her hair to help her get ready to leave. So sweet!

Despite the short contractions, she was dilated to a 5 and 90% effaced with a very low baby. Here her mother massaged her back while her husband offered verbal an physical support. This mom did such a great job staying focused, relaxed, and in control! She got in the jacuzzi for an hour, and was then dilated to an 8! Her back was hurting, and we were guessing that her baby was posterior, meaning he was facing the wrong way.

Posterior babies often cause much back discomfort because the hard part of their head is hitting mom's lower back, instead of her abdomen. They are also more difficult to push, as their alignment is not optimal for descent through the birth canal. This proved true for this mom who started pushing at 1:35, but didn't deliver until 3:09 am Sept. 15th. She was SUCH a strong pusher! I think her next baby will slide right out, no problem!

Sure enough, this little cutie was born "sunny side up", looking right up at the ceiling! Here mom is holding him for the first time, with soft lullabies in the background. A magical moment for any parent.

Dad was an awesome labor coach, and was especially great during transition. He helped mom find and maintain her focus, and never left her side.

This little man weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces, and was 21 inches long! He must have inherited alot of strength from his mom- who was able to deliver without pain meds and no interventions. He handled the labor perfectly, even the hour and a half his head was stuck in the birth canal! As of now, he has three possible names, so you'll have to get the information directly from his parents. :)

Thanks for including me in your birth, and sharing it with us! Congratulations!