When I met Lauren (shortly after she found out she was pregnant – she’s a planner) she told me that after 2 difficult hospital births, she was planning her first unmedicated homebirth. I felt immediately connected to her as I too had struggled with medicated births and finally decided with my last pregnancy to give unmedicated birth a chance. It worked out great for me, and I very much wanted that for Lauren, too. She was excited to document the special day her girls would become big sisters, as well as her labor and delivery. It would be an entirely different experience for her! Lauren’s excitement was palpable. I felt it immediately when we met to discuss her birth plan and birth photography.
In the wee hours of April 2, 2019, I arrived at Lauren’s home for Tegan’s arrival. She’d been having contractions all day, but they never got very regular. Clearly, her body was working hard though. Doula Julie Garcia had been there for some time providing support. When midwife Monika Stone arrived (an hour or so before me), she’d confirmed that Lauren was indeed in active labor.
No 2 births look the same. If I’d waited for something textbook to happen, I’d have missed this birth! Tegan was born within a few hours, and Lauren’s contractions didn’t hit that usual stride of long and strong until she began pushing! What an exciting story.
Welcome, Tegan. Congratulations Mom, Dad and big sisters!
