Race ya!

Doesn't this woman look WAY too pretty to be in labor?! :) I think so, too. But she was. I got my heads up call at 4:00 pm. Her contractions were about 10 to 15 minutes apart, and she had her membranes stripped earlier that afternoon. Since her first baby came quickly, I knew that once she got on a roll, it wouldn't be long. And by 5:30, she and her husband were heading to the hospital.

Upon arrival she was 4 cm dilated, so spent an hour walking the halls to see if she could kick herself into active labor. When that didn't work, she was quickly offered an array of interventions. Which was a little overwhelming. They asked for some time to think things over, and I met up with them at 7:30 pm.

Deciding on an intervention is extremely difficult, to say the least. Their midwife offered to break her water. One reason why I like this intervention is because it is going to happen naturally anyway. It really can get the hormones revved up enough to kick things into high gear and get the job done. It doesn't enter anything into the bloodstream, and almost always gives the outcome you want. But it is a huge decision because there is no turning back. If it doesn't work, you have no choice but to turn to pitocin. So after deliberating for another hour, mom decided to go ahead and have her water broken at 8:15.

Since it was her second baby, I knew she may quickly jump into strong contractions. So once the water was broken, we turned on the music and focused on relaxation. That way her mind would be caught up with her body, which makes labor alot less overwhelming. Instantly she commented that the music was very helpful. It only took about 15 minutes for the contractions to become powerful. She walked the halls a little and spent some time on the birth ball. To help the baby's heart rate, she spent most of her labor in bed, on her left side. She stayed so focused and vocalized through each contraction.

With my 3rd baby, I also had my water broken. And my son was born less than 2 1/2 hours later! I thought it was kind of a record, but I'm pretty sure this mom beat me!

Pushing began at 10:27, and at 10:37 mom reached down and delivered her own son.

Baby Escher. 7 pounds 13 ounces

Both dad and I noticed that this little guy had a big mouth. :) And he knew how to use it.

Started nursing all on his own after a few snuggles with mom.

Congratulations to such a sweet couple! Thank you for sharing your birth!

My husband and I recently celebrated our 10 year anniversary by taking a trip to beautiful Belize. Once we booked our tickets, a past client of mine contacted me to let me know she was due the day after we left! I didn't think there was any hope of me attending her birth, but she politely waited until I had been home for several days. :)

Her last birth (http://musicbirth.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html) was about 25 months ago, and she was going for a VBAC. It was a long and tiring night. We spent about 12 hours together, that ended in a successful vaginal birth. I figured this VBAC would go smoother and quicker, but I had no idea it would be as fast as it was!

Mom texted me at 3:20 am saying her water had just broken! We met up at the hospital an hour later. She was coping wonderfully with her contractions. She was listening to Christian music and leaning on the counter. I could tell that her labor was progressing very quickly. She moved to the birth ball and vocalized a prayer during her contractions. Being a Christian as well, I was moved deeply by this beautiful moment.

The urge to push appeared well before the doctor did. And even though there was a floating OB just outside the door, she was told to wait. (Don't even get me started on this topic! RIDICULOUS!) When the correct OB finally appeared we barely got mom on the bed (in hands and knees position) just in time for this to happen...

One contraction and not a single tear later, this beautiful girl entered the world.

It was only 5:45 am!

7 pounds, 8 ounces

While it's nice for mom to not have to push a long time, it doesn't give the baby as much time to transition to breathing. And this little one was struggling a bit. After several minutes it was decided that she would be taken to the NICU. :( Not exactly what you expect with a flawless birth. Mom got to hold her for several seconds before they were separated.

Turns out, she does have an infection and will be spending over a week in the NICU. Poor little thing! So mom is busy pumping, and making it work!

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Welcome, Kaylee!

I received a call at 6 pm last night from my clients, thinking that their labor was starting. Things settled down, so they called and told me it was a false alarm. So lucky me... I got a full night's sleep. Then as soon as I was showered and ready, and all my kids were ready for the day, I got the call that she really was in labor! When does that ever happen? I can't believe I got to go to a birth with a shower and full night of sleep under my belt. :)

I met up with this couple at 10:30 at the hospital. She was dilated 5 cm, and having alot of back labor. Luckily, the hip squeeze did the trick. So the dad and I switched off offering this support until she started pushing. To get through the pain she kept telling herself that the pain wasn't real, and it worked! She was totally relaxed, focused, and in control the entire time. Up until the last hour of labor, mom was all smiles and often talkative between contractions. Her attitude was so positive, and her mood so sunny. I loved it!

Mom's favorite way to labor was on the birth ball, but she also walked the halls and sat in the jacuzzi tub. Music was a constant supporter as well. At 1:25 she was dilated to a 7, and at 2:45 decided to have her water broken to speed things along. It worked. Her contractions intensified quickly, and she started pushing just an hour later.

And at 4:08 pm, Kaylee was born!

These love birds have been married for 9 months and 3 days! They are such a good team, you would think they have been married for years!

Mom and dad were both thrilled to tears to meet their little angel. It was such a beautiful moment, I couldn't help but drop a few tears myself. :)

Even though she was almost two weeks early, Kaylee weighed in at a whopping 8 pounds and almost 10 ounces.

I am afraid to jinx this, but it has been almost an entire year since I have had a client receive any type of intervention. It is just so awesome to see all these women take control of their births, and deliver naturally. I love my job!

These two were really looking forward to their first family dinner. I hope they had a great evening together. Thank you so much for sharing your birth!

One Tough, Little Cookie!

Tuesday the 8th was the final night of my latest Music Birth class series. Our class was shrinking due to births, and I was wondering if this particular couple would make it or not. But they were there! Only hitch.... pretty sure she was in early labor. She was already dilated to 4, so we were hoping early labor wouldn't take long. Well, early labor had something else in mind. We didn't meet up at the hospital until Wednesday evening, around 7:30. Her contractions were regular, but her cervix had only gone from 4 to 4+. And she found out she was strep B positive, and was getting her IV when I arrived. Not the most encouraging way to start things out.

I never know what to expect when I arrive. I knew this mom had a strong desire for a natural birth, but every now and then I get a mom who changes her mind really early on. But this mom was A-MAZ-ING. She had her relaxation music on, and was breathing deeply. I could see right away that this mom really knew what she was doing.

This is not a typical contraction pattern! This mom had contractions like this all the time! She could go anywhere from 4 to 6 minutes without a complete release from her contractions. And she was so in control and relaxed, that she almost appeared to be sleeping through it. And this went on for quite some time. I could tell that this mom just got it. While most moms worry about what kind of massage or other comfort measure to use, this mom understood that tuning into the music and using deep abdominal breathing was key. The massage of course helped, but she knew it was her responsibility to stay relaxed, and our responsibility to support that however we could.

At 12:15 am mom was still only dilated to 5 1/2, so the decision was made to break her water. It definitely helped take the contractions to the next level. And by 3:25 mom was pushing. At 4:44 am, February 10th, Rayna was born!

I know! She is soooo adorable!

Tipping the scale at 8 pounds and 2.6 ounces. She looked like she was ready to crawl away!

There is no doubt in my mind this guy is going to be a great dad. He was a wonderful coach and support to his wife. He was in tune, supportive, and patient the entire time.

What a great couple to pull an all nighter with! :) Thanks for sharing your birth!

Baby "Wild"

First time moms seem to worry about labor because it is unknown to them. They have no idea what it will be like. But a second time mom knows exactly what to worry about. And they always wonder if the hardest part of their first delivery will be as difficult as it was the first time around. This particular mom had an unusually long and exhausting first labor. I was supposed to be there, but was out of town. And boy did my back up doula have her work cut out for her! Needless to say, this mom really didn't a labor that spanned several days.

I don't think I have ever gotten a heads up call at 8:00 in the morning! Who gets to go into labor after a full night of sleep?! By 11:00 we were at the hospital, and at 11:40 we found out that mom was already dilated to 8 centimeters! (applause here) Both mom and dad were AMAZING. This mom was definitely one of the most relaxed and in control moms I have ever had the pleasure of serving. She let me sleep all night, and then she was easy! Her personality is so laid back and happy that it didn't surprise me at all , though. Dad was a major multitasker: supporting his wife and taking care of his 2 1/2 year old daughter (which included alot of potty trips).

12:40 pm, grandma arrived. Hurray! This took alot of stress off of dad. And good thing since mom started pushing at 1:15!

It took a couple contractions to figure out the best way for mom to push. But once we did, that baby just flew out! And I won't lie.... There was screaming involved. :) This serene mom who vocalized quitely through each labor contraction really let it all out during pushing! Pushing a baby out in less than 5 minutes can be pretty intense!

And at 1:26, Chayton Lamar was born.

Weighing in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces.

For those wondering, his name was "Wild" throughout her pregnancy

because he was so active in there!

I sure lucked out with this one! I got the second labor which was WAY shorter. I didn't lose any sleep. And most of all, I got to be a part of this amazing birth, and work with a great family. Thanks for sharing your birth with me!

Slideshow and lullaby created at www.lullabyoflove.com.

Latest Arrival

Well, it has definitely been a while since I last posted! I took a much needed break from doula work. While there are few things I enjoy more than attending a birth, myself and my family needed to be free from me being on call. My time off is about to end, and I have several births in the next couple months. So keep checking back to read those stories!

During my "time off" (still pretty busy being a wife and mother!), my husband and I launched our new website: LULLABY OF LOVE. It has been so wonderful and exciting! We offer a site where parents can write the lyrics to their baby's lullaby. It is the only website out there (trust me, we've searched!) that gives anyone the ability to write beautiful and meaningful music. And the best part is, it's soooo easy.



First thing is choosing music. We have written, arranged, and recorded 4 beautiful songs to choose from. Choose the one you like best.

Next, write the lyrics. Tell your child what it is your heart. If writing the lyrics is too daunting, just tell us what you want the song to say and we will formulate it for you.

That's it!

Then we record and ship it to you in 2 weeks or less.

But I've saved the BEST part for last. Watch and see...



The world's most customizable birth announcement. One of a kind lullabies, written by loving parents. Is there a sweeter way to announce the birth of your little angel? (PS: Do you remember this mom? Read her birth story here.)

MUSIC BIRTH Mommies always gets discounts, too! Use the PROMO CODE: musicbirth to get 20% off any order. Use it yourself, and/or tell your friends!

For more information, watch the video below. It goes through step by step, how to create your one of kind lullaby.