The baby is born!

This beautiful family has just welcomed their baby girl. She was born alert and vigorous, (Apgars 9 and 9) welcomed by two smiling doctors, two wonderful, calm nurses and two doulas (me with the camera). The Dad was confident and this mother truly radiant, practical and about her work. Dr. Hartung welcomed this baby so gently, talking to her and handling her and her mama with such grace. Truly beautiful to witness. I hope that someday my hands could move so …. oh, listen, the lullaby chimes are playing over the hospital speaker system; a baby is born.

She’s wide eyed and nursing in her mother’s arms, skin to skin. She’s been on her mother’s chest since she was born, never separated to the warmer. She hasn’t been weighed yet. Mama asked to delay the weighing until after the nursing. She doesn’t want to interrupt her daughter’s first journey to the breast. But the nurses and Dr. Hartung were guessing over 8 pounds. She came as a frank breech, after something like 18-hours of labor and one hour of pushing. Very smooth, so smooth. She is her parent’s second child.

I just had to share this breech birth story since the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada just gave the recommendation of vaginal breech birth! If the parents give permission later, some discreet pictures will be added here.