Jaxyn's Birth Story | Pensacola Photographer

Jaxyn’s birth story is the final installment of my crazy triple birthday story. To catch you up, baby Ambrose was born earlier that morning and baby Rex had also just been born after 2 solid days of labor and some legitimate midwife magic.

Courtney and Jason were right there in Sacred Heart through it all! Courtney wasn’t due for another two weeks, but came in around 10 am with a severe headache, as she was told to watch for such symptoms with the complications she was already having in her pregnancy.

After Ambrose was born and I’d moved into Rex’s birth space, I get the notification that Courtney was going to be induced. I popped down to check on them every once in a while and kept in touch via text during Priscilla’s labor, to make sure I was there for them as their doula, but Courtney was doing great. And Jason was the best client ever, making sure I was fueled and sufficiently caffeinated for the long night after and already long day.

By the time Priscilla began pushing, Courtney was 6 centimeters dilated. It was decided that due to a pre-existing medical condition, she wouldn’t be able to have an epidural, but still she was doing ok.

Rex was born and we were just about to move Priscilla over to postpartum, when all of the sudden Jason texted saying Courtney was ready to push!

Here is where things got traumatic. As I entered the room, Courtney was holding her hips off the bed with her arms and screaming that she needed to push. But being not quite 10cm yet, she was told not to push. I gave dad some ideas to help calm and refocus her until she could achieve complete dilation, which didn’t take long.

After the first few pushes, Jaxyn’s heart rate tanked. Suddenly the room was packed with people, the air tense and chaotic, as the OB residents worked to get Jaxyn out as fast as humanly possible. Ultimately the vacuum was used and he was pulled out pretty floppy. His cord was cut and he was rushed over to the warmer to be attended by the respiratory therapist. Thankfully, he recovered quickly on his own with some extra oxygen.

Ultimately, all was well. I was also blown away by how Courtney was able to reign in her panic, cope with the pain, and control her body’s need to push before it was ready. She was a total rockstar.