Middle of the Night

At 3:54am this morning, my phone rang. You would think I would be used to this, but it seems to startle me every time. My friend Laurie was on the other end of the line telling me she was headed to her first time mama's house and that the mama was pushing. After quickly getting directions and getting dressed, I just as quickly got in the car and headed to the birth. If I am helping another midwife at a birth, I usually have met the family at least once before the birth. Not so with this couple. I got slightly lost on the way (only 3 minutes worth) having not been to the house before. I called Laurie for a quick direction recap and heard the baby crying in the background. Dang...missed the birth. When I got to the house and walked in, Mama was standing in the shower rinsing off, Dad was sitting on the edge of the bath tub holding the baby, and Laurie was holding the placenta, her hair in disarray. She had gotten there 1minute before the baby came. I teased Laurie that she was going to be able to check the precipitous birth box when filling out the birth certificate. A precipitous birth is one that happens with less than 3 hours of labor. It is very unusual to be able to check that box for a first time mom. We got mama and baby nestled in the bed; then Laurie and I went to chat and knit for awhile, giving the new family some sweet alone time. As I was saying goodbye, I took a picture picture of the snuggly scene. This was taken just one hour ago...welcome baby!