My water broke before labor started, around 11 p.m. I reached out to my birth team—Jenny, my doula, and Kira, my midwife. They both encouraged me to rest, eat, and hydrate. I grabbed a snack and a drink, planning to take a nap afterward. But just as I lay down, my contractions kicked in.

By 1 a.m., labor had picked up, and I updated my birth team again. We decided to let Jenny know when things intensified so she could meet us at home before heading to the birth center. I labored in bed, surrounded by Jenny, my husband, and even my dog and cat, finding comfort in their presence.

Once my contractions became strong and regular, about 2 to 4 minutes apart, we made our way to the birth house. By the time we arrived, I was in full “rock and roll” labor. Things were intense, so I chose to get into the birthing tub early to slow things down. The warm water helped me relax, and I was even able to take a “labor nap” while Jenny and my husband, poured water over me.

As I started feeling pressure, I asked Kira to check me. I wasn’t quite complete yet, so my team—Kira, Jenny, and Rachel, our birth assistant—helped me change positions. Their soft encouragement kept me going, and I remember loving how peaceful and dark the room was as I labored.
At one point, my baby didn’t like the position I was in, and his heart rate dipped. Kira, in the calmest voice, said, “Baby doesn’t like this position. We’re going to move you to your left side and give you some oxygen. Try not to push for these next two contractions.” Even in that moment, I felt completely safe and in control, fully trusting my team. Sure enough, his heart rate came right back up.

As I pushed, we realized I wasn’t making much progress, so we decided to try emptying my bladder in case a full one was in the way. On the way to the bathroom, I had two incredibly strong contractions. I made it to the toilet, but as soon as I went to sit down, I said, “Nope,” turned around, grabbed the tank lid, and—standing up—pushed my baby out!

My husband caught our baby, making it such a special moment knowing he was the first person to hold our child. We were so overwhelmed with love that we forgot to check the gender! Someone finally asked, “Wait, what is it?!” My husband looked and announced—it was a boy! We welcomed Ander Blake, born the day after his due date, weighing 7 lbs 9.5 oz.

I labored for seven hours and pushed for one hour and 36 minutes, even napping between contractions during pushing. Afterward, my husband and I climbed into bed and soaked in every moment with our son. It was the sweetest feeling, and I will cherish his birth forever.