A Family-Centered Water Birth | Birth Center
When people think about birth these days, they mostly think about a mom and her partner, in a hospital with doctors and nurses. People rarely think about it as a family event. But some couples, like Merranda and Karon, choose to shake off all stereotypes about birth and embrace it for what it can be: a natural, beautiful, and transformative process, one that can be centered on family and love. It was so special to see how they involved their daughter and Karon’s mom in this fast, middle-of-the-night birth of their son!
The day before this birth, I spent 11 hours photographing another precious birth at a hospital across town. At 26 week pregnant myself, I was pretty exhausted and went to bed early. I was grateful that I got a few hours of sleep because around 2am, I got a text from Karon saying that Merranda was in labor! Her contractions started off intense from the beginning, and they decided to go ahead and drive to the UF Birth Center. I grabbed my gear and headed out into the night, excited to witness another baby coming into the world, just 7 hours after the last one!
I quietly walked into their room and saw Merranda calmly working through her contractions. Just one look at her and I knew baby would be here soon. I was so excited to see their midwife, Ashley; she is the midwife who caught my own baby in the birth tub next door three years ago! Ashley said Merranda was at 9cm and doing great.
Merranda got in the birth tub with Karon and rode the waves of each contraction. Amora, still in her adorable pajamas, was excited to be up in the middle of the night! She sweetly splashed in the birth tub and seemed oblivious to the work her mama was doing right in front of her. Little did she know that her whole world would soon change when her little brother came into it!
A few minutes after I arrived, Karon’s mom came up to help with Amora. They spent some time reading books in the corner, both of them peeking over their book to see how Merranda was doing every few minutes.
Merranda radiated pure strength and peace as she breathed through each contraction. She sank into Karon’s supportive arms between contractions and let her body do its hard work. A small essential oil diffuser in the corner put a heavenly scent in the air. Karon shifted around to hold her in whatever position that felt right to her, whispering words of encouragement and holding her belly.
Things got more and more intense even as her contractions spaced out. After “transition” when contractions are one on top of another, most moms experience contractions that space out by several minutes, giving the body a chance to rest before the big job of pushing begins. Merranda’s body followed this pattern, and we knew her baby might be here in just a matter of minutes.
Knowing how things unfolded with the hospital birth of her first baby, she asked Ashley, “You’re going to tell me when to push, right?” Ashley responded with a smile and assured her that she could listen to her body, and that she would have an unstoppable urge to push when the time was right. Just a few minutes later, Merranda did just that. She dug deep and pushed through her contractions, perfectly bringing her son down lower and lower.
A few powerful pushes later, and a sweet head with dark hair slowly emerged…
And just like that, baby Kash was there!
There was so much love and joy in the air! The room filled with laughter as we all marveled at this amazing little baby in his mama’s arms.
Umbilical cords come in all different lengths, and Kash’s was unusually short. It wasn’t a problem at all; it just meant that Merranda couldn’t quite pull him all the way up to her chest. Ashley helped them lay Kash on her belly as they waited for the umbilical cord to stop pulsing and turn white.
They spent these precious minutes examining his tiny fingers, his incredible hair, and the sweet rolls of baby fat on his neck and back!
The day before was Kash’s due date, and Merranda treated herself to a manicure and pedicure. Blue for her baby boy! She was excited that her nails looked so pretty for her birth!
With the placenta’s nourishing work finally done, Karon cut the cord, separating Kash from his perfect home for the last 40 weeks. Such a simple moment with so much significance!
Karon held Kash and kept him warm while the midwives helped Merranda out of the tub and into bed.
Completely enthralled in everything that was happening, Amora snuggled into bed with her parents to meet her baby brother.
After Kash had gotten a good snuggle with his mama and breastfed for a while, Ashley carried him over to be weighed. This perfect little guy weighed in at 8.8 pounds!
The rest of the night slipped quietly by while this little family rested and got to know Kash. Midwife Christy watched over mom and baby, taking their vitals and make sure they had everything they needed. I think she is the best baby swaddler I’ve ever met!
Kash’s grandma was absolutely in love! She pointed out all of his sweet features; the swirls of hair on his head, his perfect ears, his big hands. She snuggled him while Merranda took a quick shower and put on a comfy robe.
Ashley gently did a newborn exam with Kash, measuring him and checking every inch of his perfect little body to make sure he was healthy.
And finally, Kash was placed in The Nest for a picture, a tradition for every baby born here at the UF Birth Center. A few hours later and this sweet family got to go home with the sunrise!
This birth will always stand out in my mind. Just two days later, I heard the devastating news that the UF Birth Center was going to be shut down. Despite being a shining beacon in our birth community for the last 4 years, with incredible statistics and families starting to return to birth their second and third babies at The Nest, new administration at UF Health made the short-sighted decision to use the space to bring in more hospital OB/GYN patients. A decision rooted in ignorance about natural birth (and how little money birth centers generate versus expensive hospital interventions), these administrators took away a safe, evidence-based, phenomenal birth option away from the families of northeast Florida.
Despite the frustration and anger that our birth community experienced as we fought to keep the birth center open, we sadly said goodbye to this beautiful place in July of 2019. But the good news is this: The Nest made a difference. Hundreds of families, like this amazing one here, welcomed their babies into the world in peace and strength. These families continue to tell their birth stories and show the world that birth can look different from what our culture says it can be. The midwives of The Nest changed our city for the better, and their work continues to spread ripples of change through our community. They have each gone on to fight for better birth in hospitals and private practices, near and far. I am forever grateful to them, as a birth photographer and as a mother who found her strength through their guidance.
Merranda and Karon, I can’t tell you what an honor it was to witness you bring your amazing little boy into the world. Thank you for letting me share your story!
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