The Birth of Theodore

Some times, things really do not go as planned. Try as you might. 

I was booked with Abby for a natural home birth, we toured her home together talking about the beautiful natural lighting, art, and awesome shower shots she had in mind. We were both excited. Near the end of her pregnancy, she was told that baby was breech. Legally, in NJ this was a no go for home birth midwives, so she started to look at other options. Initially thinking she would have to go for a section, she found a provider about a 2 hours drive from home that was comfortable with vaginal breech birth and we reset our plans! 

I was excited to hear how her appointment went, she reached out and told me her babe was now footling breech, meaning she wasn’t able to go with this provider either! Baby seriously had other plans. Abby went to weeks of chiro, acupuncture, spinning baby’s techniques, moxi (being a doula herself, she knew all the tricks!) but, little Teddy wanted to stay put. 

A few days passed and she settled on knowing that she would be having a section. Again, we planned for great visions! Clear sheets, a full story line, capturing everything we could. Until the day I received a photo of her holding her little one. Confused, happy for her, and a little blown away, she explained that she was experiencing some really intense itching and pain and went to be examined by her doctor. This turned to a whirlwind of events, being officially and quickly diagnosed with Cholestasis, she was brought back for an emergency section. 

Cholestasis is a liver disorder, that interferes with the flow of bile. With a healthy functioning liver the bile produced is transported out of the cells and into the bile duct. Though with Cholestasis, this bile cannot be adequately transported out of the cells. This causes a build of bile acids in the blood. Elevated bile acids in the blood can cause a slew of complications, including: 

Pre-term labor/delivery

Fetal Distress

Meconium Passage

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)

Failure to establish breathing (sometimes called fetal asphyxia)

Maternal hemorrhage

Stillbirth (Intrauterine Fetal Demise/IUFD)

80% of cases are diagnosed within the third trimester, though it can be diagnosed as early as the first. 

Your body really can do amazing things when you find acceptance. Plans change, things might look completely different from what you’ve ever imagined, but when I came to visit Abby in the hospital...she was glowing. Beaming, holding and nursing her baby, laughing with her friends and mother, and just so happy to be finally holding this stubborn little boy. Saying “he wanted to be born here, he had other plans”. 

We had fun STILL creating new visions for what she wanted with her photos. Raw, real, all the details. Moody colors, natural light and casts of shadows, Abby brought a new breath into my creative side and I damn near sped home to edit them. I’m so thankful for her friendship and her ability to light up rooms with her positive glow.  

Birth is always a surprise, I love following where it leads. 

The biggest of congratulations to Abby and her family on the birth of little Theodore!