Y’all, I seriously have the BEST. CLIENTS. EVER.

Katie and I’s initial conversations were unfortunately about my potential move. When I was SUPPOSED to be moving to Minnesota in May. Her guess date was in May, so it was a “you can wait to hear whether or not I move if you want but I don’t have an answer right now” 🤷🏼‍♀️

Well she did, and then once my move was delayed, she immediately booked me as her doula and birth photographer 😍

Surprise.

The night of Katie going into labor, there was no lead up. No prodromal labor. No random cramping. Nothing.

I was sleeping and didn’t wake up, but she texted me at 12:30 am to tell me that her water broke. At 2:44 am she texted me again that her surges were about 5-7 min apart and had been for an hour. And finally at 3:41 am, her last text was “every 3-4 min now.”

Her husband Erico called me shortly after that text and said “we’re heading to the birth center.”

That I wake up to. I’ll get ready and head that way!

movement.

I arrived at the birth center a little before 4 am. Katie was in the tub laboring, and Erico was putting the room together. They had THE MOST AMAZING galaxy projector aimed at the ceiling that I immediately became obsessed with.

We hung out together as Katie labored in the pool for about two hours. Listening to her body, breathing through the surges as they slowly intensified.

She got out of the tub at about 6 am, to pee and walk around.

And after some stretches and exercises, some toilet sitting, and more walking, she got back in the tub at about 7:45 am and was there for about 45 minutes as things started really ramping up.

At about 10 am, Josie, one of the midwives, brought Katie into their massage room to do side lying release and to work on her breathing. After 30 minutes, Katie walked back into the room she chose to birth in a different person. She was calmer through the surges, more grounded, and more in control.

Labor can bring things about, make us feel out of control, make us dig to the depths of our being to pull out a new soul.

pushing.

About 3:15 pm Katie got the ok to start pushing, she was fully dilated and baby was low.

Katie was having horrific back labor and any position she was trying, was excruciating. Nothing any of us were doing was really helping much.

She pushed on the bed on her back, on her side, and all fours. She pushed in the tub on her back, on her side, and on all fours. She went back to the toilet and pushed there for a little bit. She pushed standing flat against the wall while doing some lift and tucks (to try and make sure baby was tipped in to her pelvis and fully engaged). She then went back to the bed, and then got on all fours on the floor.

Then finally we got her on the birth stool. To mimic the pelvic floor response everyone has on the toilet but it gives everyone more space to move around (because it’s not stuck in a small bathroom).

Katie got up a few times from the birth stool to walk around, pee, or stand. But she always came back to the birth stool (even if she fought it).

And after 5 hours of pushing, baby Sunny was earth side. Into his dad’s hands, guided by Josie their midwife, and then brought up directly to Katie.

Although it took a little bit for the placenta to be born, Katie handled everything like a trooper. She sat on the birth stool snuggling a baby with a short cord as she was lightly bleeding into the stainless steel placenta bowl placed beneath her waiting for the afterbirth.

Sunny crying every so often from the newness of the world. And Erico lovingly looking on and taking all the magic in that he just witnessed and was a part of.

Birth is fucking rad.