Hello All, this has been a long year...in so many ways. Yet the joy of family and the many beautiful births I attended, have left me with lasting moments of perfect peace. Choas all around, and I choose hope to anchor my boat in the storm.

So with that being said, I am starting a new chapter. I have decided to start working on writing a childbirth related book. I will not be extending my contract with the ADN another year for several reasons. I may host another blog at some point in the future, as I really enjoy passing along information and also listening to you and your conversations. Thank you for sharing.

I have recently found out that we are expecting our third child and I am thrilled! So I wanted to leave you with the positive birth story of our little girl who was born in 2008. I believe that birth stories should be shared, especially if they are empowing.

I went into labor at 4:15 a.m., and wasn't even sure that it was labor. Just contractions that were making it difficult to rest. As I realized that this could be it, I started to do the top three things that help labor progress. Drink fluids, empty the bladder, and change position every half hour. My husband went to work at 5:00 a.m. and the contractions were about 8 minutes apart, so I told him to call me in an hour.

I was singing and cleaning my bathroom, because I knew that midwives and my mom would soon be in my house, and I wanted it to be semi-presentable. I felt relaxed, and made a few phone calls in between contractions. Everyone I spoke to, I said "but take your time, I'm doing just fine". I guess the inner doula and childbirth educator in me, was coaching me to stay calm.

By 6:30 I was on my hands and knees gently moaning with the strength of the contractions. It felt good to be in this position. I called the midwife and she was getting ready to come, but I told her to take her time too. My mom had said she would come by soon too. At 7:00 p.m. I called my husband to say "you might want to come home, maybe in a half hour". Immediately after I hung up the phone, I realized I was in transition. My body instictually told me to stand up and lean forward...so I did. The fan was on in our room and it felt wonderful on my face.

I was in the bathroom when my husband arrived at 7:15 a.m. He was casually asking if I'd like him to hold my hand, when I declared that my water just broke and I was pushing! My body pushed twice on it's own, and out came a baby before my brain could even catch up with the fact. My husband rushed into action to catch our little one, and she was quickly on my chest. Soon after, my mom arrived in time to hear her first small cry. My husband called the midwife, who gave instructions to us over the phone. She was almost to our house. Then she helped with everything postpartum.

What a miracle! Our baby girl born at home. However, as a caution to you, I do recommend that you and your partner read some emergency childbirth books so that you know how to handle a situation where a baby comes quickly. Keep in mind that this was not my first child and that we spent almost the entire pregnancy praying for a fast and easy delivery...which is what we got. It's not always going to be that way, and the next birth will be a whole new adventure. But I share this story to inspire you and ease any fear you may be feeling. Birth is beautiful.

Many blessings to you all!

Laura