Amazing Arrival! A speedy birth story welcoming baby Atlas Jade

Today's birth story is told by Kate, first-time mom whose baby was born in quite a hurry! Join us in wishing a happy birthday to Atlas Jade, born 4.28.20 at 5:51 pm.

"It was Monday and we had our last virtual meeting with our labor doula, Tara, to check in and have any last questions answered. We ended the meeting feeling confident and ready for our little lady to join us.

The next afternoon I started having light contractions while my husband was at work and thought I would wait a little bit before letting him know. I was texting with Tara and walking around the house doing some Spinning Babies moves. I let my husband know my contractions were getting stronger and he came home immediately. We took our dog for a walk and when we got back to the house he started timing my contractions which were about 2 minutes long every 4 minutes. This is when we decided to head to the hospital which was only 20 minutes away but felt much longer because I was getting the urge to push and my deep exhales were turning into grunts.

We arrived at Cape hospital at 4:53. I had another contraction at the front door and again at the front desk to which a nurse popped her head out of her office and said, "Well she got here just in time." They handed us masks, then proceeded to take me to triage to check my cervix. She let my husband and I know I was 9 1/2 cm dilated. We looked at each other and laughed in disbelief while the nurse was yelling for help and started steering my bed towards and open room.

I was planning on a natural, unmedicated birth and arriving to the hospital when we did really left me no option except to go that route. We had also packed our bags with the intention of being in labor for awhile and setting the mood of the room with a diffuser, soft lighting and birth affirmations I had printed out, but we didn't have time to bring our bags in until after she was born.

Once we got in the room a team of nurses rushed in to get everything prepared for the birth. At this point every contraction was a strong urge to push and my midwife arrived just in time. I pushed for 30-40 minutes and was able to pull her out myself which was a really special moment and she was born at 5:51pm. The mirror when I was pushing was not only helpful for me but my husband found it to be a great addition since there were so many nurses around, he was able to track Atlas's every move, getting really excited and cheering me on with each push.

We are so thankful for the Mindful Birth team and all their support navigating the uncertainties of the ever changing pandemic. The meetings, information and kindness helped us feel comfortable with our first birth journey."

-authored by Kate, first time mom of baby Atlas Jade

A note from Tara: In the final weeks leading to Kate's due date, she and her husband Chris took labor prep seriously. Not only did they do the physical prep like daily walks and Spinning Babies but they also had long talks about what Kate wanted in labor. Specifically, how she wanted to be touched, things he could say to make her feel best supported, even down to the tone of voice. Thanks to the quarantine they had a lot of time to devote to this preparation and they used their time wisely. It was a pleasure and joy to support them through their journey.

My doula best,

Tara

If you'd like to learn more about preparing for your upcoming birth, click here.