just a few weeks shy of her big brother's (i was at his birth, too) 2nd birthday, ophelia grey made her entrance on the floor of a hospital room in the early morning hours. her mama was the most remarkable blend of fierce and kind, a rare combination perfectly blended in this woman. whitney knew what she was about, knew the birth she was determined to have, and she held her line unwaveringly and respectfully as she first informed her nurses and OBs that she would not be getting into the bed at all, and continually turned down nudges to move into any positions or places that would make things easier for her team but weren't working for her body. i wish that all women could watch her in action as an amazing example of what it looks like to be your own advocate in birth!
and i don't think i've laughed more at any other birth! whitney and brandon were full of humor and wit, at least in between contractions. sara, who is a midwife acting as a doula in this space, and i were giggling most of the way through this unfolding miracle of birth. truly a delightful experience to be with this couple as they did the work of bringing their sweet girl earth side.
finally, a reminder for you, dear blog readers: the reason i show so many birth images on this blog -- including depictions of the hard emotional and physical work of LABOR -- is because i believe it's so important for us to see what birth is really like, all the guts and glory. so that we don't need to be afraid of it anymore, so that we can know what is possible, and so that we can know that giving birth is a natural and beautiful invitation to the human experience. i am SO grateful that mamas like whitney are brave enough to share their images and stories because slowly, bit by bit, as women give one another this gift, we can change the misconceptions and culture of fear and control that has dominated american birth for too long. let's do this!
Yes, I do have limited availability for a couple fall birth stories. Reach out sooner than later if this is a gift you want to give your own family, too.