B transferred care to me at 29 weeks after she and her family made the move to the area from Washington state. B and J have three sweet little girls who were very excited to be having another little sister. Around 35 weeks, B began experiencing strong, regular contractions. This went on and on for weeks. B was a trooper! During a regular prenatal appointment, B requested a cervical exam. During the exam, I discovered she had cervical scar tissue. Her first exam she was a very tight 1. We talked over her labor history, and discovered that this has probably been an obstacle through out all her labors. During her first, B had a homebirth with a midwife. She labored at 2cm for many, many hours and then dilated to a 10 and had a baby in an hour or two. Knowing we were dealing with cervical scar tissue, I gave B some recommendations and she began supplements to work away the scar tissue. In the evening of December 23, B text me that she was having strong, steady contractions since 6 that evening. She said it reminded her of her first labor. We kept in touch over the next few hours. We both caught 30-45 minutes of sleep before things got intense. Right at midnight, B asked me to come. I arrived around 1 in the morning Christmas Eve. B was sitting in the bed when I arrived. Contractions were strong every 3-5 minutes, lasting a minute long. B stated she was feeling a lot of pressure on her pubic bone. B asked for a cervical exam to make sure the scar tissue was gone. B was 4cm, 90 percent effaced and baby was sitting low at a 0 station. Her cervix was anterior and very soft. Soon after, B got into the tub to labor. An hour later, B got out of the tub and labored standing by her bed. Baby’s heart rate was a little high from the water temperature. We hydrated B and had her change positions. Soon she climbed into the bed in runners position. Baby’s heart rate was back in the 130s and doing well. Soon B was back in the tub. She said the tub made things feel so much better. Contractions were closer and stronger. Bloody show was seen in the tub. Thirty minutes later, B was out of the tub and asking for a cervical exam. She was 5-6cm, completely effaced and baby was at a +1 position. B was happy with the progress and went right back to the tub. Patient labored well in the tub. Her husband was an awesome birth partner. Words cannot describe the beautiful connected B and J had. The birth team sat back and let them do their thing. It is such a beautiful thing to see such a connection between a husband and a wife as they are working to welcome a child into the world. Around 5am, B got out of the tub and went to lay in the bed. After a contraction, she asked me to check her cervix. No cervical change. B was discouraged. Tired. Worried about the three other little girls in the house if they would wake up before baby was born. I talked to B about surrendering her anxieties and fears and give it to God. Let the birth process happen. The birth team went downstairs to allow B and J to get some rest. I popped in to listen to heart tones, and B and J rested as much as they could between contractions. A little over an hour later, contractions were harder and B was feeling pressure. She asked me to check her cervix. No change. B asked me about breaking her water. We talked over the risks and benefits of breaking water artificially. B and J decided to have me break her water. Her other girls would wake at 7, and with no family to help with them, she was really hoping to have a baby around then. At 0620, I broke B’s water with an amniocot. A small amount of fluid leaked out. Baby was a trooper through out the process. B decided to get into the tub. Soon contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes, and B was moaning with contractions. J was giving consistent counter pressure on B’s back and hips. 0730 B was feeling pushy. She gave some pushes with contractions and stated it felt good to push. After 15 minutes, I checked and found her to be 8cm. I instructed patient not to push and give it a couple contractions to see if the rest of the cervix would melt away. Right after 8, patient was having an uncontrollable urge to push. A beautiful baby girl was born in the water at 0811 on Christmas Eve morning. B caught her baby girl and brought her to the surface of the water. What a wonderful Christmas gift! The placenta soon followed and we got B and baby to her bed. The oldest sister was so excited to cut the “belly cord”. She did a great job at cutting the belly cord, and we did a mini lesson on placentas and umbilical cords for the little girls. They were fascinated where their baby sister had lived and how she got her nutrition. Baby latched on like a champ. The immediate postpartum went well and uneventful. The older sister’s were such a great help getting diapers and clothes for baby, and helping me with the newborn assessment. I am so blessed and honored to be able to serve every couple as their midwife and to help welcome their babies into the world. What a Christmas Eve gift I received as well. Congrats B and J on a wonderful Christmas Eve gift (who came on her due date!). Welcome to the world, Abigail Marie, weighing in at 8.1# and 20.5′ in length. You are well-loved, sweet girl. <3 01/04/13 Birth Story of Autumn <3 B. transferred prenatal care to me in July 2012 for her second pregnancy. She had her first baby in the hospital, and wanted something different for this birth. The pregnancy proceeded with no issues. B had an estimated due date of November 22. On November 18, B called me in the morning thinking her water had broken. It was quite emotional for B as her water had broken in her first birth at the beginning and she did not want her labor to start that way. After a few hours of irregular contractions and no sign of water leaking, I went over and checked on B. We did an amnioswab and it came back negative for rupture. Praise God! Per B’s request, I performed a vaginal exam and fond her to be 3cm/70%/-1. Her cervix was soft and midline. A few mild contractions were noted while I was there. I encouraged B that things were going well and to try and do something relaxing that evening. B called me around 0230 on 11/19/2012 stating contractions coming every 5 minutes. She did not want me to come quite yet, but wanted to give me a heads up. Within an hour, she text asking me to please come her way. Upon arriving around 0445 I found B sitting on the couch visiting with her husband, mom and sister, with surges coming every 5 minutes, lasting 45 seconds long. B’s toddler had awoke from the activity of the house and was wanting her mama’s attention. As the sunlight was beginning to rise, B’s doula arrived. Surges were coming in the same rhythm. We decided to take B out to curb walk to jiggle baby girl’s head and encourage stronger, closer contractions. Through out the morning, B listened to her body and our suggestions to help with the surges. B curb walked, tried hands and knees, runner’s stretch, rebozo sifting, bouncing on the birth ball. Surges would get closer, and then get further apart. Close to 0900, B asked for a cervical exam. We found her cervix to be 6cm, completely effaced and baby sitting at -1 station. Her bag of water was bulgy. B was thrilled with the change and embraced the fact that she was really and truly in labor. B was incredible as she labored. Around noon B decided to try the pool. We left her in her room alone with her husband to labor. B had a hard time staying put in the birth pool. Baby’s head kept continual pressure on her bladder, helping B do an excellent job of keeping her bladder empty through out her entire labor. B decided to try a nap, and soon I heard light moaning with contractions. At 140 patient requested another cervical exam, and found patient to be 7cm and baby lower at 0 station. B’s surges were coming more frequently and stronger now, every 3 minutes, lasting 60-70 seconds. B’s doula did a wonderful job of massaging her back and keeping her comfortable. B was working hard. Moaning with the waves of the surges, and sleeping in between. B was moving right into transition beautifully. Two hours later, B’s body was beginning to push on its own during surges. B began to push and stated it felt good to push. After a few minutes, I checked B’s cervix and found her to be complete. B was encouraged. None of us realized what work lay ahead! Thirty minutes passed and we saw no change with pushing. A cervical exam found a lip of cervix had come back. I tried to hold back the lip while B pushed, but it would not resolve. B stopped pushing. She got out of the tub to try emptying her bladder and moved to the bed. She laid on her left side, hoping it would take away the lip of cervix. Another 30 minutes pass, and I find B to be 9cm dilated. I talked with B about not pushing and to try blowing through contractions. B rotated sides in the bed, and we tried the homeopathic remedies gelsemium and pulsatilla to help with baby’s rotation and to melt the last bit of cervix away. Soon it was 530 in the evening. I found B to be back to just a lip of cervix and a very bulgy bag of water. I talked with B and her husband and they decided they wanted me to artificially rupture her membranes. During this process, I could tell B took her vitamin C with bioflavinoids! It took a few minutes to finally rupture that bag of steel! Baby girl did wonderful through the whole procedure, but B’s cervix closed back to 8cm. As 600 rolled around, B was so very strong, but tiring out. B’s husband and mom were at her side, supporting her through every surge, but you could see concern in their eyes. I found her to be back to just a lip of cervix once again. I silently prayed for the cervix to give and let this baby girl be born. B looked me in the eyes and said she did not know how much longer she could do this. I encouraged her that she was rocking her labor, she was so strong. It was tough, but each surge was bringing her baby closer. B’s husband stepped out of the room. I stepped out with him, leaving B with her mom, doula and birth assistant. I talked with C and he wanted to know if we were going to have to transfer to the hospital. He said he hated to see his wife in so much pain, but he knew a transfer would be devastating to B, who so wanted to birth this baby in her home. I assured C as long as mom and baby were fine, there was no reason to have to transport. They always have the option available to them, but right now things looked great. As we were talking in the living room, B yelled “It’s burning! I have to push!” (B later told me that as she labored there those few minutes she focused on C and I, and although she could not hear us, she knew the talk had to be about going to the hospital. She said mentally she told herself there was no way she was going to be transferred and just let go. With that she felt the burning and need to push). I rushed into the room and put on gloves and found baby starting to crown. B hoped back into the tub. Baby’s head emerged. B raised from the water so I had her squat for the rest of delivery. I encouraged B to push with all her might to get the rest of her baby out after baby’s head had rotated. After 2 minutes, a beautiful baby girl fully emerged into her Daddy’s hands at 622pm. Autumn was here! B was exhausted as you could imagine from her labor. Patient moved to her bed and the placenta came thirty minutes later. Autumn nursed beautifully. B rocked her labor! I marvel at the way God created women. How strong women are and how wonderfully made we are. B had to work hard for her birth, and I was so inspired by her strength! As I performed Autumn’s newborn assessment, we found out why this little one took so long to come! B’s first baby was 7.0#. We knew this baby was larger than 7#, but no one expected Autumn to weigh in at 9.6#! Autumn was 22″ long with a head circumference of 15″ and a chest circumference of 15.5″. No wonder we had two minutes of tight shoulders! I was so blessed to help B and C welcome baby Autumn into the world! Congrats on your beautiful baby girl! Welcome Autumn Lee! Born 11/19/2012 at 622pm weighing 9.6lbs, 22in long, <3