If I could give out gold stars to all of the amazing little families I work with, I certainly would! Especially those that take all comments with a grain of salt, continue to not make decisions based on fear and work towards researching to be prepared, while still expecting “normality”.

This little princess was initially “breech” for a while. I had given some positioning considerations and demonstrations to the mom, in hopes of getting the little one to turn on her own, and within a couple of short weeks, she did! However, once labor began, it was apparent her positioning was still not ideal as there were a handful of days of “start & stop” contractions and nothing really picking up. Even after a round of maternal relaxation positioning and an acupuncture session, in hopes of getting baby to settle into a good place, nothing really got going for another day and a half. This momma was a complete rockstar to stay in a positive headspace and accept it as “normal” for her body and baby in the absence of any warning signs, even in light of the Dr having addressed previous concern over the estimated size of the baby in general and specifically her abdomen. It is such a challenge to take those things with a grain of salt and remain optimistic.

In the end, they labored for a long time at home, arriving at the birthplace-only 1.5 hours before the birth! It was beautiful, calm, peaceful and right on target with the experience they were hoping to attain! I always get really super excited for first-time parents to have such positive experiences:)

Some of my favorite moments were when we were walking the neighborhood, pausing for contractions, across the street from a busy park, and the looks and comments from passersby. Also, late in labor, while still in the comfort of their own home, as it was getting dark, he led her through loops in the house, slowly, with her eyes closed, hand in hand, while she leaned into him for support during contractions. Precious Moments! I really do wish I could video the entirety of ALL my birthing experiences with couples for the world to get a better, non-Hollywood glimpse, into the real and tender moments of the birthing process. Precious.