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!
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