I met Kelsey early in her pregnancy when she and her husband decided a home birth was what they wanted for their first baby. Kelsey’s pregnancy progressed as normally and beautifully as could be expected and as we neared 40 weeks, Kelsey was getting tired and ready to be done (to be expected ;))! Forty weeks came and went and 41 weeks arrived Monday and we decided to do a membrane sweep to encourage labor! I sent Kelsey on her way and didn’t hear from her until Tuesday morning when she mentioned she had been up all night with contractions and felt that she was in early labor. I encouraged her to call in her doula when things got too intense for her and to keep me posted if she needed anything!
As the day progressed, I continued to think of Kelsey. I was tempted to text Sarah her doula when a text came through around 1:45pm letting me know things were intensifying and she felt it would soon be time for me to come (she said 1-11/2 hours). At 3pm, Sarah texted me to let me know Kelsey’s water broke suddenly and she was feeling the urge to push. I raced over to her home as quickly as I could and arrived around 3:15pm to find mama laboring hard in the pool! I got set up and listened to baby, both were doing so well! I encouraged her to push as she felt the urge and Kelsey gave it her all! For the next 30 minutes, Kelsey pushed hard with each contraction giving it all the strength she had after being awake all night long. Each contraction came and went and Kelsey continued to move baby down centimeter by centimeter. As baby began to crown, Kelsey moaned with the intensity of the burning as baby crowned. We all encouraged her to push with all her strength as she changed positions continually. We listened to baby and the head compression was beginning to wear on baby so I asked Kelsey to push with all her might this next contraction to help bring her baby into the world. With everything she had left, Kelsey pushed and shoved and finally, baby’s head delivered and shortly after her body! She was done! After carefully unwrapping baby from the tight cord around her neck, she was able to bring baby to her chest who let out a huge wail! Baby Emelia delivered at 3:46pm weighing in at a sweet 6#8oz! Welcome to the world sweet girl, thank you so much for allowing me to be present for your amazing birth!
