A Daily Miracle

At 9:45 Tuesday morning I received a "heads-up" call from my clients, saying they thought mom was in early labor. I waited all day to be called to the birth, and finally almost 22 hours later we met at the hospital. They definitely get the award for giving me the most amount of time to get ready. :) They also get a patience award... not only was mom in early labor for an entire day, she was also several days past her due date. What a trooper.

In the early evening she wondered if her water had broken, and the car ride to the hospital confirmed that it had. But at 7:30 pm, she was still only dilated 2 cm. When I arrived shortly after midnight I found mom and dad laboring perfectly together. Meditation music was playing, and mom was using the birth ball to ease her discomfort. During contractions mom felt most of her pain in her back, and we suspected a posterior baby. The nurse checked her cervix at 1:45 am, and she was now dilated to a 4, and did indeed have a posterior situation.

Mom continued to really pump out the contractions, and spent her time walking the halls and leaning on the birth ball. She started to feel her baby moving, and suddenly most of the pain from her back was now on her right hip, meaning her baby was starting to find a better position. Her contractions were intensifying quickly, and at 2:50 am she was dilated to a 5 and headed to the jacuzzi. That water provided some much needed relief and rest until an overwhelming urge to push came over her during contractions. This is a wonderful sign of progress, but can make things pretty difficult for mom. After being in the tub for only an hour she was now dilated to 8!

Mom headed to the bed to prepare for delivery, and get through her final contractions. Like her entire labor, mom combined her knowledge with her instincts, and the result was a mom who labored like a pro! She was so in control and focused, and totally blew her husband away. At 4:20 am the doctor told her she could start pushing, and all mom could say was "really?".

Then just 35 minutes later, at 4:55 am on February 24th,
Mya (sp?) was born (without any intervention).
Isn't she a beauty?!

Baby girl appeared to be so content and
happy to be in her mommy's arms.

Weighing in at 7 pounds, 4 1/2 ounces.

And just like the lyrics to one of the songs we listened to during labor:

"It's just another, ordinary, miracle today."

While birth may be an everyday occurrence,
it truly is always a miracle.