Birth Announcement! Elia Leona 1.9.17

A sweet baby entered the world on Monday evening! Very proud first-time parents Lisa and Patrick welcomed baby Elia Leona at 7:33p weighing 6# 2oz.

Elia is a rainbow baby many times over. Watching a woman and man become parents is always humbling and beautiful, and a rainbow baby somehow makes the moment that much more profound. The love they already have for this little soul is enormous!

Lisa and Pat prepared for their birth not only by hiring me as their doula, but also by taking childbirth classes with me. We were able to do some work to encourage baby into a good position, we prepared for pain-coping with a few different hands-on strategies, we practiced the double-hip squeeze, we learned some things to do (and not to) during the different stages of labor. We prepared for the unknown.

All of their preparation helped them to create an amazing first birth, filled with many life lessons (as all births are). They worked seamlessly as a couple, they opened their hearts to my presence, and Lisa dug deep to do what it took to welcome Elia earthside. There were, of course, many tough decisions to make throughout the course of Lisa's 18 hour labor. Preparing for the unknown is one way to keep an open mind throughout labor's twists and turns. How do you prepare for the unknown? We made space for many different scenarios and talked about control vs. influence. We discussed their birth preferences and also where to look to figure out what their birth preferences even were! We talked about the difference in pain vs. suffering. They really opened their hearts and minds; I could feel them grow as we made our way through class and again through their birth!

In the end their gift arrived at 7:33p, and with mama's last push her baby girl was brought to her chest, the end of a beautiful journey through pregnancy. And now, the parenthood journey just begins. Welcome, baby Elia! And congratulations again to Lisa and Patrick.