Unassisted Birth of Briggs

“Hey DeLaney, we think it’s time! She’s feeling a lot of intense pressure!” - 12:03 am

“I think I see the head!” - 12:06 am

“Baby is here!!” - 12:10 am

Oh, the unpredictability and joys of birth. Magical, isn’t it?

This was my very first missed birth. A family that decided to birth outside of the system completely and they ended up having just that, without even their doula (me) present. As sad I was to miss this glorious moment, I know in my heart that that is exactly how their birth was meant to play out. Just them two, undisturbed, in their home, while their sweet oldest baby slept safely in bed in the next room over. When dad sent me the first text & I heard my phone ding, I immediately knew it was a message saying to come on. I replied “Wooohooo! Getting ready to head y’all’s way 🫶🏽” and got up and was about to walk out the door when the last text was received that baby was here already! It took me about 40 minutes to get their house and i called them on the way and I’ll never forgot dad’s voice. Shocked, overjoyed, full of awe and love! Once I arrived, I walked into one of the most beautiful scenes. Momma was on the bathroom floor with their sweet baby snuggled up in a towel on her chest, with her placenta nearby in a bowl. She looked up at me and one of the first things she said was, “he’s a boy!”. My heart swelled. I, too, had a surprise gender baby and it is honestly so exciting to wait until the moment of birth to find out whether the baby you’ve been carrying for the last 9/10 months is a boy or girl. As momma continued snuggling their baby, me and dad got her a bath ready so she could wash off a bit of blood and meconium before climbing into bed for the night. It was a stormy night but the windows were open and there was a breeze blowing through the windows. As momma bathed in a warm bath, I documented her loving on her baby and got her side of the bed ready. All the while, their oldest babe was sleeping soundly in bed. After we got momma in bed, I cleaned up their house a bit, we fed momma warm bone broth and some goulash and then I witnessed mom and dad cutting baby’s cords and checking his weight. (Which was one ounce shy of 9lbs!). It was around 3am when I left them, snuggling in bed. I got home right before a crazy storm blew in and I got to get into bed and snuggle my own babes as I listened to the thunder and watch the flash of lightening outside our bedroom window. A wonderful way to end the night/early morning.

As always, I am still in awe of this momma. I’m so grateful they welcomed me into their birth space with loving, open arms. It was truly an honor to serve them during this chapter of their lives. Also, it’s a wonderful reminder that birth works. More so, birth works as it should - when left undisturbed.