Midwives: Jacinda Golden, Tiffany Martin, and Jenn Stone of Jacksonville Community Midwives

Doula: Christin Murillo of Doulas of Jacksonville

Birth photographer: Dallas Arthur of Dallas Arthur Birth Stories & Support

Location: home birth in Saint Johns, Florida

Nicole and I share a special, unique bond! Both of our daughters were born at the same birth center and both of our sons were born at home. And funny enough, our babies were even born in the exact same tubs! I loved doing their maternity and newborn sessions for their daughter’s birth and maternity, birth, and newborn for their son’s. We have become “crunchy mama friends” over the years and I’m always learning something new from her. It was a joy to document Jensen’s entrance into the world!

“After many, many days of prodromal labor I wasn’t REALLY convinced I was in true labor until it got pretty intense. I had a feeling around 4pm that this might be actual labor, but wasn’t convinced until hours later when I could barely eat and had to stop and breathe through contractions.

I called my doula [Christin Murillo of Doulas of Jacksonville] around 6pm and wanted to wait for her to come over before calling the rest of the team to come. I did call Dallas and my midwives just to give them a heads up but said we would call when things picked up more.”

“Well things picked up quite quickly not long after Christin arrived. Labor progressed so quickly that she ended up being the one to contact Dallas and the midwives...she told them to come NOW.”

I quietly came in through the front door and walked into their master bedroom, her birth space. The tub was getting filled, twinkle lights glowed on the wall, and Nicole was clearly in transition. I hoped the midwives would get there in time because it was clear there was going to be a baby in the room soon!

“My birth team gave me lots of sweet reassurance and encouragement. My doula did some lovely hands on work that helped move my labor along beautifully. She gave me great reminders to breathe and relax my face and shoulders too!”

It was soon clear why her contractions were so intense: Nicole’s water broke in bed, signaling that things were progressing. As soon as there was enough water in the birth tub, her husband and doula helped her to get in.

“To cope with the intensity, I did breath work and recited affirmations in my head. ‘This is temporary. Each wave brings me closer to my baby. We are working together.’”

“They barely got the tub filled in time! And the water was quite hot when I got in but I didn’t mind.”

Nicole went quiet and turned inward as her pressure waves spaced out, as they often do before pushing. Tommy poured in cold water to help balance out the temperature of the tub.

“Just keep focusing on your breathing, just breathe through the sensations,” Christin reminded her. Christin was Nicole’s doula for the birth of her first baby, too, so I know those familiar words were comforting and effective.

“After being in there for a few mins I was hot and tried to put my hair up in between waves...I didn’t have a hair tie though! Christin found me one!”

Within a few minutes of my arrival, two of the midwives of Jacksonville Community Midwives came through the door, Jacinda and Tiffany. The quietly got to work, listening to fetal heart tones, unloading birth supplies, and charting Nicole’s progress.

Nicole stayed upright in the birth tub, following her instincts and allowing gravity to help bring her baby down.

Their pups were so excited for all the new people in the room! After they gave kisses, they settled in near the tub and laid down.

Quickly, Nicole’s pressure waves changed to pushing. She felt the urge to bear down instinctively as her birth team quietly encouraged her.

“Fetal Ejection Reflex took over and there was no stopping him!”

Draped over the side of the tub, on her knees, Nicole pushed and birthed her baby boy into the world!

“I honestly couldn’t believe it was happening so fast. It only took a few waves and he was born!”

The room was all smiles as Nicole pulled her baby boy, Jensen, to her chest.

“Meeting my baby was just amazing. I was so happy and relieved to finally have him in my arms. Even though my active labor was short, the nine days leading up to it were physically, mentally and emotionally tough.”

After the dust had settled, one of the midwives checked her phone and realized their third midwive, Jenn, was at the front door and had been calling!

“I think the midwives said, “Everyone go and hopefully one of us makes it in time!” All three showed up! The third was locked out though because my husband didn’t know she was coming and had locked the door, oops! She said she heard everything though!”

Jensen was such a sweetie, blinking and looking back at his parents. He was so content to be snuggled in the water up against his mama.

Nicole birthed her placenta and the midwives scooped it up into a bowl, still attached to Jensen and floating on the water.

Once she was ready to get out of the tub, Jensen was passed off to Tommy, with the placenta bowl not far behind!

Jensen got a few minutes of daddy snuggles while Nicole was getting settled in bed and assessed.

But soon enough, he was back in mom’s arms for his first feed.

“Feeding him for the first time was so sweet. I felt so much more confident this time! It was a moment I had really been looking forward to.”

As we were hanging out after the birth, I realized that this tub, which Jacinda rents out to their home birth clients, was the exact same tub that I had birthed my son, Gavin, in two years ago! And I had also witnessed Jacinda birth her own baby in that tub when I was her birth photographer. We have such a small little birth community and it was so cool that three of us moms shared this special bond! The midwives mark the tub after each use, so Tommy added Jensen’s initials and birth date with a marker.

Use number 5 was Ivor, use number 6 was my Gavin, and use number 13 was Jensen!

Once the cord was limp and white and Nicole was ready, midwife Tiffany clamped the cord and Tommy cut it.

The midwives inspected the placenta and then gave a tour, showing its features and Jensen’s first home.

Tommy called family members to share the good news!

Christin peeked in on their daughter on the baby monitor, who had slept soundly through the whole birth.

Soon it was time for his newborn exam. He weighed in at 8 lb 7 oz of sweetness.

What a team! From left to right: me (Dallas), Tommy, Nicole and Jensen, Tiffany, Jacinda, and Jenn (and Christin taking the picture!).

“Jensen was born at 10:57pm so big sister was already asleep. I barely slept that night because I was so high from birth and so excited for her to meet him! The next morning when she woke up, it was the absolute sweetest...and funny too! My husband told her ‘Go meet him; he’s in there with Mommy!’ She RAN in our room and peaked into a laundry basket...’In here?!’”

Nicole, thank you so much for asking me to be part of both of your babies’ journey into the world!

PREGNANT AND THINKING ABOUT BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHY?

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