carrie's story | a beautiful birthday in the OR

A little over two years ago I was being wheeling into the OR with my third baby.  I was completely in shock that this 2 time vaginal birth mama and doula was not going to have the birth I had dreamed, planned and worked for.  Tears were flowing and I remember telling my doula, “At least I will be a better doula because of this”.  I knew that through the years I would have the honor of holding the hand of many women as they birthed their baby through their belly in an OR.  And it can be BEAUTIFUL, and it can take your breathe away.  And thankfully our local hospitals have heard our outcries that C section mama’s deserve a beautiful birth too, and so many have made steps towards a family centered c section.  This means mama’s can have skin to skin and breastfeed in OR.  This birth took place at Greenville Memorial Hospital in Greenville, SC.

I met Carrie and Chris late into their pregnancy.  They had just moved back to the area from CA and were trying to figure out birthing options.  They are both outdoorsy and laid back and they are both extremely athletic.  Carrie is a triathlete and she was active till the day she gave birth.  We met twice and I just knew that she was going to rock her labor and give birth naturally.  

I was so shocked when she called me after her 39 week appointment with news that her baby girl had turned and was breech.  I met them the next morning for an external version at the hospital and held her hand as she took it like a champ.  Baby was nice and comfy butt down so the decision was made to wait a week before proceeding with a c section.  Carrie did everything she could to turn that baby while still maintaining a very positive attitude about the possibility of baby not turning.  She was graceful in a way I surely feel I couldn’t be.  And all of a sudden, the day before the scheduled c section, the feeling in the air turned from that of hoping and trying to just plain joyful anticipation.  A baby was being born!  

I was so proud of Carrie and Chris for coming to their birth with joy instead of feeling like they had failed in some way.  We laughed and told stories and listened to Gregory Alan Isakov.  They texted back and forth clues for their secret baby name to their families.  Just as she was rolling off to the OR Carrie laughed because her sister guess the baby name at the very last second.  

I got to join Carrie in the OR as they prepped her.  It was a tiny space full of really laid back people who all had such beautiful attitudes.  Music drifted around and hands were squeezed.  And then before we knew it baby Dakota “Cody” was born with a long, loud cry!  The doctor even let me take pictures over the curtain! I loved seeing those little breech legs!  

Carrie was able to snuggle and nurse and comfort her daughter as soon as she checked out with the pediatric team.  The minutes that followed her birth seemed to be suspended in time.  It was incredible to watch Cody cry and then open her eyes to stare right at her mama and daddy.  I loved watching Chris stroke her little feet and support Carrie with a sweet pat on the head.  

We finished up the day with stories and laughter in their hospital room overlooking the beautiful mountains. It was a beautiful birthday and a birth story I will always treasure in my heart.  

amanda's story | a christmas day birth

Warning.  

This post includes pictures of nipples.  If you don't know what nipples look like...maybe just skip this post and go look in the mirror.  

Many thanks to this couple who has given me permission to share their raw birth pictures. Because not everyone births with a bra on.

:-) 

Not even two years ago I spent over 24 hours with Kurt and Amanda as they brought their first baby boy into the world.  It was an incredibly moving birth but one with lots of hiccups as labor stalled several times and exhaustion set in with 2 nights of no sleep.  Amanda rocked it and was able to bring her son into the world with the compassionate use of an epidural.  

When I found out they were expecting again I immediately accepted their inquiry to attend their birth (such an honor!) even though her due date was Christmas day.  Their son had been born on his due date and I was positive the likely hood of a second baby on a due date was extremely low.  

The Christmas season was such a beautiful one.  Full of expectation in all kinds of ways.  I was giddy as I communicated with Amanda as contractions came and left for weeks before her due date.  It was early on Christmas morning that I got the call that things were picking up and their baby was choosing to come into the world on Christmas day!  I had been up past midnight building toys for my kids and wasn't about to miss their faces so we woke them up super early and had a very sweet hour in the wee morning hours and then I got the call to meet them at the hospital.  

I just can't explain in words how sweet that birth room was.  The nurse and midwife were just so loving and the specialness of birthing a baby on Christmas was thick in the air.  Amanda was rocking it and had labored all night on her own.  When I got there things ramped up and got intense.  When Amanda labors, the whole room is just in awe.  She is so graceful and powerful at the very same time and really she brings labor back to its primal roots.  Kurt is just my favorite.  He is so tender with her and I just kind of stood back and watched their magic.  It was not long at all before this baby decided to be born.  No one knew the gender and we all held our breathe with anticipation as Amanda roared her baby into the world.  A beautiful baby girl. Liana was SO wide eyed and settled right into her mama's arms with knowing eyes of intense love.

Soon came big brother who was 21 months old at the time.  He was very pensive about the whole thing but as soon as he was able to nurse along side his sister he softened up.  

This was my 7th birth this year of repeat clients.  It has been SUCH an honor to be asked again and it has been transforming to see how each woman births with such confidence and power compared to her first baby.  Amanda was no exception.  She never faltered.  She knew she could and she did.

We finished up our time together with a birthday cake-with a "0" candle on it :-)  And I made it home in time to go to my mama's house for Christmas dinner.  

It wasn't easy leaving that sweet cocoon of warmth and love that Christmas day but I feel like this family is my family and I know that love will always be there.

Thank you for letting me share your story.

sweet baby graham | julie's story

No one loves babies like Julie Ledford…it is what bonded us years and years ago.  She’s my “baby friend.”  I texted her every time I thought I was pregnant, every time I took a test, every time I miscarried, every time I went to the hospital in labor.  And I knew that she never ever was annoyed.  

Her home is filled with the sweetest little Ledford babies and every single one of them is treasured like they are the only ones.  I was able to be their doula/birth photographer for the birth of their 4th baby Weston.  Julie and I walked the halls for hours that night just talking and talking about babies.  I was overjoyed when she told me they were expecting baby number 5 and that they wanted me to be there.  

This baby was so adored from the beginning.  Daily, little hands would pat mama’s belly and questions would come about when this baby would be in their arms.  After months and months of early labor and hospital visits to stop it, I think that the Ledford children thought this baby would never come!

This sweet baby was able to make it to full term and we were all just singing praises! Just a day shy of induction, labor started on its own!  Even on her 5th baby, Julie was nervous.  Every birth is so different and every single time it takes a surrendering to it.  I watched her labor all night, bravely, with not very much progress.  I saw twinges of doubt cross onto her face as she swayed in front of the monitors.  Finally I had a talk with her and we all decided to enjoy the lack of progress and to try to get some sleep.  After a few hours of sleep, Julie’s water was broken while I was grabbing breakfast from the waiting room.  I walked into a much different scene then I left.  She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye and said, “This baby is coming!”  And with two magnificent roars baby Graham was born into the world.  I nearly had to catch him, but the nurse beat me to it.  

Oh the first few moments were so sweet and so calm!  It felt like the sweetest secret to be there.  And then in marched the other babies just giddy with anticipation and I don’t think they’ve had a calm moment since!  This sweet boy is doted on and loved and I am so very glad he is here.