For this birth, I was hired to be a sibling doula for Alana's two-year-old sister Cailey. Anna went into labor in the evening and when I arrived at 11 p.m. Cailey was still up running around with excitement. Knowing it could be a while, I sang her a lullaby and put her to bed and then went to assist Anna and Josh in getting everything ready for the birth. Anna's first labor was four days long, but this one was already feeling more intense and that it would be quicker. Soon the midwives arrived and Anna felt pushy. Then she calmly remarked that she could touch the baby's head. That was my cue to get Cailey up so she could be present at the birth like Anna and Josh had wished. So I woke the precious sleeping little girl up, and took her to the kitchen for a drink of water to help her fully awake, preparing her by talking with her that her baby was about to be born! I calmly carried her into the bedroom, holding her in one arm, telling her what was happening each step of the way and taking pictures with the other hand. At 1 a.m. baby Alana came swimming into her parent's hands!
Anna wanted to do a lotus birth this time around, which is where you let the placenta stay attached until the cord falls off on its own a couple days later. So we washed and dried the placenta to prepare it for that.
Newborn exam time!
Welcome to the world little girl! Anna, you were so strong, and Josh, you were amazing to watch running this way and that making sure Anna had everything she needed in labor. It was an honor to be present at your birth.
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