At 10:20 p.m. on Thursday, I got a text: contractions were starting to roll in regularly, about 10 to 12 minutes apart for the last 90 minutes or so. I told her I would try to get some rest, but I was all packed and ready for the call once her contractions were ramping up.
At 2:57 a.m., the call came. It was time to head over. I arrived at 3:52 a.m. The midwife and doula were already in place, and Chelsea was laboring over the bed with the steady support of her doula. The room glowed softly from candlelight and the fairy lights that twinkled throughout the birth pool. Rows of bows hung on the wall. This was their third baby, but their first girl.
Her contractions were strong and steady, and in a brief pause she mentioned that her doula and I were the first friends she had made after moving to Florida a couple of years ago. That made this birth team feel even more special to her.
At 4:21 a.m., she made her way into the pool. Her doula stayed close, giving counter pressure on her back with steady, reassuring hands. At 4:43 her mom joined the scene. Chelsea had become overcome with nausea and couldn’t keep much down, but her mom slowly fed her watermelon, hoping to give her some extra strength and hydration.
Though the contractions were incredibly intense, she remained in control, meeting each one with deep, primal sounds. It was brutal, but she persevered for two hours in the pool. Completely exhausted, she was ready to meet her baby girl, but things weren’t moving along as quickly as she had hoped.
At 6:27 a.m., her team recommended moving to the bathroom to help things progress naturally. She had actually had her last baby on the toilet and didn’t want a repeat of that experience, but out of desperation she decided to give it a try. After about 20 minutes, it was time to move to the bed.
Minutes later, her two older boys woke up. Their excitement was palpable, they couldn’t wait to meet their baby sister today!
At 7 a.m., just as she was nearly ready to give up on having this baby at home, she could feel it...her baby girl was coming. While it wasn’t the water birth she had hoped for, this position gave the perfect opportunity to capture her daughter’s arrival in fine detail.
Chelsea lay on her side, her doula holding her leg, her husband beside her head holding her hand, and Chelsea’s own hand ready to feel her baby entering the world. At 7:30 a.m., her daughter’s head emerged. Everyone cheered with pure joy.
“She’s beautiful, Chelsea!” her doula exclaimed.
“Here she comes! She’s here!” John, Her husband, announced at 7:31 a.m. as he and Chelsea worked together to bring their baby to her chest.
“My sweet girl,” Chelsea whispered, gazing down at the little angel she had been praying for.
“Ten minutes ago you said you couldn’t do it. Look what you did, Chelsea! Look what you did!” he exclaimed, overflowing with pride and awe.
At nearly the same moment Chelsea delivered baby Suzanne, rays of sunshine peeked through the window, bathing mother and daughter in light. “A Song For His Presence” played softly over the speaker, a song from the birth playlist her friends from church had lovingly put together. It was a truly beautiful and unforgettable moment.
Chelsea’s mom quickly brought her two older boys in to meet their new little sister.
“Look at the baby!” John announced. Giggles filled the room as they skipped over to her.
“It’s a cute baby! It’s our little sister! I’m so happy, we finally have our newborn! She’s so cute!” they exclaimed.
The boys were absolutely fascinated and giddy over their sister. Jamie, the older one, was especially intrigued by the umbilical cord and was very eager to cut it himself.
After delivering the placenta, baby Suzanne nursed for a bit, and then her older son got the special opportunity to cut the umbilical cord. After a little anatomy lesson on the placenta, the midwife helped place Suzanne in the cloth scale to get her weight. In utter shock, John read out 9 lbs 11 oz. Neither of them could believe it!
Following an exam on baby, Daddy had some skin-to-skin time while Chelsea cleaned up. I finished my time with them by capturing the beautiful moment of Chelsea introducing Suzanne to her dad, which was extra special since he is a stroke survivor. Being able to hold his granddaughter was truly a gift.
Chelsea and her family have begun settling into life as a family of five, soaking up the newborn snuggles and doting on their new little sister.
