This mama called me pretty soon after she learned she was pregnant. We had a few visits and conversations over the course of her pregnancy. I learned from these that this mama knew her body, but also reminded of how we are made to feel during our birth experiences stays with us for the rest of our lives and carry into future births.  She told me her labor doesn't usually look like hard labor, until its pretty much time to give birth. She told me she had long labor periods, but when he water broke, things moved fast.

Things finally started brewing. Sometimes its obvious what to do, sometimes its not. We also know fear can slow or even stop things. I wish I could say that the times we went to the hospital, hoping it was the real thing,  were good experiences, but the reality is, they weren't....   So perhaps its good things happened as they did and the birth location would need to be changed.

Remember how I said she had a past of fast labors once her water broke? Well, about 2 am, I got the call. Waters had broken and they are packing up and heading to Trinity. A much closer hospital. Where the staff was also much gentler, and kinder to this mama. When I got there she was contracting, but still looking like her cool calm self in between (just as she had told me she would be). As soon as they got things set up, she asked to turn on hands and knees, and like that, things went fast, and it was time to push her baby out. It didn't take this strong mama long to birth her baby. She was strong, and powerful. And soon Alexander was here. Born just before 4 am all naturally.

It was sweet to watch baby Alexander meet his older siblings, who, in the rush of the moment, needed to come along and were waiting just down the hall for him to be born. He is a cute little guy, and I know he will be adored by his big brother and big sister!

Water broke! This time its time for sure!