8:00 a.m. Kurt and I began removing the seats from our van so we could start our move to the suburbs! We had sent our older children to be with Kurt’s parents for the weekend so we could get as much moved as possible, while keeping Virginia (our two year old) home with us. She finds the chaos of moving to be traumatic, but being separated from Mommy to be worse, so we hoped the move would go well.

8:15 a.m. I went inside momentarily to take breakfast out of the oven, only to find that Rachel had called and said her labor had begun around 1 a.m. and for me to call her back. I went back outside to tell Kurt “Rachel is in labor!” (His reply, as he wrestled with the seats in the van, was: Of COURSE she is!” But later, he remarked that there was so much to do that we didn’t have a “moving day” but a “moving week” and there would be plenty left for me to do later, so I should just go take care of Rachel!)

8:20 a.m. I called Rachel back and we spoke for a little while on the phone so I could listen to her have a contraction or two. She didn’t feel like she needed me just yet, but we agreed that she would check in with me in a little while, and I would keep my cell phone on me and be ready to go at any time. She said she had eaten some sausage balls and juice at 7:30 a.m. I said that might be great food to save for after the birth, but if she got hungry again, to eat something less likely to hurt on the way back up than sausage, if possible, and we discussed some possibilities- maybe soup, yogurt, cottage cheese, or fruit.

8:45 a.m. I got my friends and family members situated with the move. I sent Virginia off with my sister and brother-in-law to praise team and choir rehearsals, and explained to my girlfriend Julie what I hoped to accomplish with the first day’s move, and encouraged her to “just pretend like you are me!” Everyone was excited that Rachel was in labor, and wondered what I was doing still there! I wanted to wait for Rachel to want me to come, though- not make her feel like a watched pot by going too early.

10:45 a.m. I talked to Rachel on the phone again. This time, Jerod was talking to the security alarm people, which was fine between contractions, but she was ready for someone to be with her during the contractions, as they picked up in intensity.

11:00 a.m. After hearing her work through a couple of contractions while we were on the phone and how she did not want to be alone during contractions, Rachel and I agreed that now would be a good time for me to come to her house. And I was to bring her a fresh apple (nice and hard, because she is “an apple snob”, which made me laugh), because that sounded appealing and might not produce bad heartburn.

11:30 a.m. Rachel’s friend Jana, who is a NICU nurse at Parkland, and I arrived at Rachel and Jerod’s lovely home in far North Dallas.

11:35 a.m. Jerod let us in and had finished with the security guy, so he took our arrival as his opportunity to have a shower, now that someone else could be there for Rachel during contractions. He knew he would be needed much more later on in the process, and wanted to be clean and sweet-smelling, not irritating, during labor! Rachel was coping well with her contractions; on hands and knees but rear end much higher than a flat back position, on the rug by her kitchen sink. She noted that the kitchen rug was not pristinely clean and that this was bothering her, (a cat hair!) but once covered with a clean blanket and her pillow, she really liked this location for almost her entire early labor, both before and after our arrival. It was centrally located enough that she felt like she was in “the thick of the party”, but when a contraction started, and she got down low, she was in a somewhat sheltered area between the kitchen island and the counters and sink, so it was “cozy”.

After seeing Rachel have a contraction, I made the suggestion that she see if she could tolerate keeping her torso above the level of her pelvis while on hands and knees during the next contraction. The position she was assuming probably felt more comfortable because it prevented her uterus from pressing the baby as strongly onto her cervix and getting firmly engaged… but strong is good and productive. However, if she were not ready to help things move along, she didn’t have to, she could continue as she was. Rachel thought this was a good suggestion because she was indeed ready to get serious.

Between contractions, Jana made a “bean sock” because the rice sock I had given Rachel and Jerod in childbirth class was feeling very soothing- but it took awhile to heat up, so having two would enable us to alternate them, so Rachel would never have to be without one. Since there didn’t appear to be any rice in the pantry, we used dry beans. This worked okay from a heat standpoint, but it was a little stinky if you got up close and personal to it! Around half of the apple got eaten before Rachel lost interest in it.

11:45 a.m. Hands and knees isn’t nearly as comfortable when allowing gravity to move the baby down, Rachel discovered! I was delighted with how well Rachel was tuning into her body and naturally assuming the positions that were the most comfortable to her, but since she wanted to keep gravity working on her team, we got out her birth ball for her to kneel and lean over. This position made it easier not to go all the way down to the floor with her arms and shoulders out of instinct to make the sensations less intense. Jerod was back from his shower, and with all four of us hanging out in the kitchen, and Jerod being funny between contractions, it felt like a party!

11:55 a.m. Rachel’s midwife, Karen, called to check on how Rachel was doing and to let her know that the birth room she had hoped to get was available, clean and ready to go, whenever she wanted to come in. Karen encouraged Rachel that she sounded like she was doing great.

12:15 p.m. Nicole, Rachel and Jerod’s friend and roommate, arrived, followed almost immediately by Kathleen, one of Rachel’s coworkers in L&D at Parkland. Within minutes, Jerod’s parents, Sherry and Ronnie, had also arrived, and the atmosphere really was festive! Everyone was respectful of Rachel during contractions, but between them, we could have been just over for a spring BBQ or open house! Rachel liked the eucalyptus and spearmint candle that Kathleen (I think?) brought and had burning, for some soothing and energizing aromatherapy.

12:40 p.m. Kathleen and Rachel decided to see if they could check FHT with a stethoscope, so Rachel moved from the kitchen to the living room couch. This was largely unsuccessful and short-lived, and not as comfortable for Rachel. I refer to both discomfort in terms of position and also in the sense that even when you know that just because a particular instrument that isn’t really meant for picking up fetal heart tones isn’t finding heart tones, does not mean that there ARE no heart tones, it is still a bit disconcerting. What had been theoretically going to be “reassuring” ended up planting a little seed of doubt and fear.

1:00 p.m. Rachel got up from the couch to go to the restroom, and preferred to return to the kitchen after that pit stop rather than the couch. Her contraction pattern changed a little bit at this point to a couple of contractions back to back then a longer break between them, after having been single and evenly spaced before, so after waiting to see if it was a one time thing or a different pattern beginning, we decided to try going up and down the stairs sideways and a little asymmetrical hip action and squatting in case the baby had squirmed into a slightly less optimal position.

1:30 p.m. WOW! There is nothing quite like seeing a woman who is in labor blithely going up and down the stairs sideways, taking two steps at a time, a few times in a row! I even suggested maybe she “Slow Down” a little for safety’s sake- Rachel is in great shape! You GO, Girl! After watching that feat of athletic prowess in amazement, we tried a couple of contractions with one foot elevated, up on step, first one foot, then the other. The contractions went back to the previous evenly spaced pattern, no more back-to-back, about three to four minutes apart, so we returned to Rachel’s favorite spot in the heart of her home, the kitchen. She liked the birth ball, and tried a couple of contractions squatting up and down holding Jerod’s hands. Rice or bean socks were imperative with each contraction.

1:40 p.m. Rachel’s mother arrived. I think this helped Rachel relax and that on some level she had been waiting for her mom. Rachel toyed with the idea of having some soup. Rachel’s mom and Jerod took turns with the emotional support and verbal encouragement during contractions, while I did the physical support. Jerod offered words of love and affirmation, Melina prayed over Rachel, and both approaches appeared to be comforting, relaxing and effective.

1:50 p.m. Another bathroom break, then back to kitchen.

1:55 p.m. Rachel’s dad arrived. He made a joke, offering a cigar, Rachel joked back- no way, that cigar is a cat hair!

2:00 p.m. Suddenly, from one contraction to the next, there was a marked change in Rachel’s demeanor- she was much more serious. When she returned from another bathroom break, Kathleen offered to check Rachel’s dilation, to which she agreed.

2:05 p.m. Kathleen, Jerod, Rachel and I headed up to Rachel’s bedroom. The atmosphere in Rachel and Jerod’s bedroom was in direct contrast to the party downstairs in the kitchen- quiet and serene. After a quick dilation check, which revealed a 2 ½ to 3 cm and very soft, anterior stretchy cervix, I asked Rachel if she would like to go ahead and stay upstairs for a few minutes and rest a little. She agreed that she would, was relieved to have her shorts off. Jerod’s mother Sherry and Rachel’s mother Melina came up to check on the situation, and since Rachel had decided to stay upstairs for a bit, we asked them if they could bring Rachel’s chicken broth and water cups upstairs, and reheat one of the rice socks. I quietly verified with Rachel that she was okay with having this amount of company (Kathleen, Jerod, Sherry, Melina, and me, plus Rachel) and she was- it is still a more intimate “feeling” in the bedroom. The party atmosphere was soothing to her before the contractions became too strong, but then had become distracting- however, Rachel had already expressed to me that she is a social person when she is sick- likes to be tended to- so this was a good amount of support/tending and a very workable compromise.

Kathleen called Karen, Rachel’s midwife, to let her know how things were going. Rachel settled into her bed, lying across it sideways, near the foot- surrounded by all of us. Jerod and Melina stayed near Rachel’s head and held her hands; Sherry, Kathleen and I stayed behind, in front of, and at Rachel’s feet. With each contraction, we sang praise music together to the accompaniment of Jerod’s laptop (Give Us Clean Hands, by Chris Tomlin, was a particular favorite for several contractions) while we used the hot rice socks on Rachel’s lower back and shoulders and rubbed her feet. Melina had brought Rachel’s childhood blanket (“nannies”) for her to cuddle as well. At one point in this time-out-of-time, the baby began moving vigorously, rooting out that tiny discomfort from when we couldn’t get a FHT reading with the stethoscope- Rachel’s joy and relief with how active he was while we were singing during the contraction was palpable and beautiful to see. She exclaimed, “He’s dancing!”

We began using Rachel’s list of verbal affirmations on some of these contractions, and her advance work with them was evident- they were definitely the words to which she responded well. As I would speak a phrase from the page, sometimes she spoke it back to me in a breath, or echoed just a word or two. The entire page of affirmations, read straight through, was about two contractions’ worth, and at this stage in labor, that is how we used them. Later on, once at the hospital, late in her labor, we had all learned enough of the words from the list to be able to just use a few sentences without looking, as she was no longer repeating them back nor listening as closely, but even then, she still soaked up the encouragement and truth in the words like rain on parched ground.

After thirty minutes on her left side and a trip to the restroom, Rachel agreed to thirty minutes on her right side. She was able to relax into every contraction and not fight them, and responded beautifully to touch reminders of places to relax when she became tense.

Jerod’s tenderness with Rachel during each wave was obvious to all of us, and his care in keeping the music going with songs she found comforting, added to the feeling of a loving cocoon being formed around his wife and baby as they worked together for birth. Both Rachel’s and Jerod’s mothers were wonderful labor support as well- loving, selfless, and eager to be helpful to their children in any way we suggested, without the least bit of ego involved. If either of them had anxiety or fear about birth or witnessing Rachel as she experienced the intensity of active labor, they did not express or convey it to her in any way, and remained positive, encouraging, and confident to help strengthen and reassure her. Having Kathleen present as both a friend, and as a fellow labor and delivery nurse, helped Rachel feel professionally “tended” in addition to the emotional and physical comfort measures we were offering, even though Kathleen wasn’t really doing anything clinical other than the one vaginal exam. Just the fact of her caring presence, in the familiar context they usually shared of “tending laboring women”, seemed to make Rachel feel much more secure and capable.

There was one funny moment shortly after the internal exam when Rachel seemed a little concerned about only being 3 cm dilated, and was wondering if she should do something more to “make things happen”. This was before we discussed all the options and she decided on the “rest for an hour and then decide what next” course of action. I mentioned that if she wanted to “do something”, we could all go back downstairs and leave Rachel and Jerod alone for awhile, and they could see if, as midwives say, “what gets the baby in, will get the baby out”. This got a big laugh and some eyebrow wiggling from Rachel and Jerod and their moms, but Kathleen, as the only childless person present, got an even bigger laugh when she looked around at us all giggling and remarked, “Am I the only one uncomfortable right now?” She recovered quickly though, and hopefully didn’t think I was too coarse or “out there”!  If the feeling in the room hadn’t been such a warm and intimate one, with everyone working together in such a symbiotic and comfortable way, I wouldn’t have mentioned the idea except privately. It is a credit to Rachel and Jerod how well she was prepared and how devoted everyone on their team was to them. Rachel and Jerod are the kind of people who inspire such caring and warmth.

3:10 p.m. The side-lying position was tolerable and the chance to rest while still at home was important, because Rachel had been awake and up since 1 a.m. and we didn’t want her to be exhausted, plus she knew that the hospital environment would not as conducive to getting rest as her own bed. However, upright positions and moving around were more comfortable for Rachel and she was beginning to want to “be where she was going to be to have the baby” and get down to business. Also, she was GBS+, and the timing for getting antibiotics was on her mind as well. Rachel consulted with Kathleen and decided she was ready to make her way to the hospital.

Although her bags were packed, there was still some logistical maneuvering to do, before we were ready to go. It was necessary to figure out who would ride in which cars, who could bring which supplies, etc. and Rachel needed something to wear. We had a moment of trying to find something for Rachel to wear at the hospital without bottoms since she was so much more comfortable without the shorts on, but Rachel didn’t have a muumuu type garment, so the shorts went back on. Jerod gladly sacrificed one of his T-shirts to the cause, so we packed that into the bag, and we were on our way. Jerod drove their car with his mom in the front seat and Rachel and I in the back seat, Rachel’s mom drove my car for me, while Rachel’s dad drove their car, Jerod’s dad drove their car, and Kathleen, Jana, and Nicole each came in their own cars also. 

The car ride to Parkland was a nice time to regroup. With Selah singing “You Raise Me Up” in the background, I pointed out to Rachel how beautifully everything was going, and how many of her prayers about how her labor would go had already been answered- the people present, being over her sinus infection before labor began, how well she was coping… We talked a little about the logistics at the hospital, but Rachel was losing some of her “instinctive mind” coping ability by being so focused on the “thinking mind” logistics, and Jerod and I eventually cut off the conversation by assuring her that she didn’t need to worry about it, we had it under control and all would be as she wanted it without her thinking about it or talking about it anymore!

When we arrived at the ER entrance to Parkland for Jerod to let Rachel and me out, turn the car over to his mother to park, and come with us, we had one little mishap where the trusty laptop, which had been helpfully playing music all along at the house, fell out of the car and hit the ground. Rachel and I left them behind to deal with it, as we rushed through the busy Saturday afternoon lobby full of patients on our way to the maternity floor elevators, trying to cover as much ground as we could before a contraction started. Waiting for an elevator, Rachel and I slow-danced through a strong one- the elevator came during it, but I waved the people on and it left again. It came back after the contraction was over, anyway, and up we went, to the third floor.

4:10 p.m. The next hour was a little tough for Rachel, although she coped well. The “getting settled in” process threw her off her groove and made her a bit tense and less relaxed, which made the contractions hurt more. She was “at work” and was much more in her “thinking mind” and trying to be cooperative and “a model patient” for her coworkers- focused on helping them do their jobs and not on letting her own body work. Rachel clearly understood that the bustle of activity was necessary so that everyone could “get it done then back off,” and encouraged everyone to do what they needed to do, with her full cooperation. However, the level of relaxation during contractions that she was able to reach in the hour of “getting things done” was a strong contrast to how deeply she was able to relax both before and after this hour. Once the IV was in, FHT’s were checked a couple of times (120’s both times), her antibiotics drip was finished, Jerod was there and had gotten the music set up again, both mothers were present and the rice socks were reheated (both having cooled during the trip in the car and subsequent checking-in process), etc. she began relaxing a little more again.

4:35 p.m. Karen did a quick progress check. Rachel seemed to me to be slightly disappointed to hear that she was 4 cm dilated and 100% effaced and –1 to 0 station, although she readily agreed to the perspective I reminded her of- which was that her prayer had been that she would not go to the hospital until 4cm, so this was another answered prayer. Also, I reminded her that she well knew that getting to 4cm is the longest part of labor, that once her cervix was fully effaced like that, it would be well able to dilate efficiently, and that she had made progress on every front in the last 2 hours, even during the adrenaline rush of preparing to go to the hospital, the car ride, and the bustling check-in process. I was impressed with how promptly and whole-heartedly Rachel embraced this perspective and went with it. Being disappointed with the progress noted in a vaginal exam has been known to cause much stronger reactions than just a crestfallen expression quickly followed by a resolute determination and turning away from the disappointment, in other women! 

5:15 p.m. All the check-in procedures were finished and the room was feeling more calm and settled. Rachel’s IV antibiotic drip was finished; not having had it yet had weighed on her a bit, so that was a relief and she was ready to regain her labor groove. We moved the head of the bed up so she could kneel and lean over the back of it as she had been doing on her kitchen floor with the birth ball. Nicole arrived and took a turn squeezing and massaging Rachel’s feet during contractions, while Kathleen provided ice chips, Jerod held her hands and stayed in Rachel’s line of sight, Melina read Scripture, I used the hot rice/bean socks and cold wet washrag on her neck and back, and Sherry kept the rice and bean socks heated and took turns trading off with Nicole and Melina.

Dr. Cooper and Whitney came to say hello, did not stay long.

5:30 p.m. Rachel wanted the contractions to get busy and do more, so I suggested sucking on a little DumDum sucker to stimulate oxytocin production, and wet her mouth. She had most of a watermelon lollipop between the next several contractions, with one of us holding it for her during them. She was sitting by the bed on the birth ball, then after a trip to the bathroom she switched to kneeling on the floor by the bed.

6:00 p.m. Jana arrived. The quality of the contractions was changing and Rachel felt a little shaky and nauseous. Her attitude changed from “let’s get this show on the road and strengthen the contractions” to “just getting through these contractions”- they were definitely stronger and less easily manageable. She switched to lying on her right side in the bed and ice chips, instead of the more active “beside the bed” position and lollipop, and was shaking and spitting a bit of bile. She was not too keen on this development at the time, but we were all happy and encouraging about it, because it signaled labor progressing.

6:30 p.m. Rachel switched to lying on her left side after a trip to the bathroom. She coped with a contraction or two by making eye contact with Jerod and them kissing, clearly drawing strength from his belief in her and encouragement. She was very serious and inwardly focused.

6:42 p.m. Spontaneous rupture of membranes! The amniotic fluid was clear. Rachel felt a little pushy, so Karen offered to check her and Rachel agreed. There was still a little forebag of waters left, which Rachel agreed to have ruptured. Karen found Rachel to be dilated to 5 cm and 0 station, but unfortunately the baby had moved into an OT position. This means we had to “move the mother, to move the baby” and Rachel had to avoid pushing even though she felt the urge to push. This was very disheartening news to Rachel, who wanted to hear that she was complete and ready to push, not that she had only dilated one centimeter in the last two hours of hard labor.

Sherry and Melina went to tell the dads that they had time to go back to the house and get the sausage balls, which had gotten left behind in the excitement of leaving for the hospital, and Karen and I brainstormed some techniques to try. We tried one or two contractions each in a number of different positions, including sitting leaning back on the birth ball, leaning forward onto the bed on the birth ball, sitting on the toilet, slow-dancing with Jerod, standing up by the bed and leaning forward, and hands and knees on the floor. Karen coached Rachel through panting and blowing breathing, while I murmured phrases of Rachel’s affirmations and reassured her over and over that she was coping well and was able to do this. 

7:10 p.m. Thirty minutes of contractions in very upright and active positions while panting and blowing against the urge to push took a toll on Rachel, and we moved back to the bed. Rachel made it through three or four contractions on her knees over the raised back of the bed, then switched to semi-sitting, leaning back. At this point, she felt very spent and was plaintively telling us that she “needed a time-out”. Melina, Sherry and I took turns praying over her and asking the Lord to pour out His Spirit afresh on her. “Run the race with endurance… finish the race.” It helped to hear “Let It Rain” by Michael W. Smith at some point in all this. We had sung that song during the peaceful hour in Rachel and Jerod’s bedroom, and hearing it play again during this more intense phase, helped.

7:30 p.m. Rachel moved to her right side and asked to be checked again. We were all delighted to hear that she was dilated to 7 cm, but she was not too pleased. We assured Rachel that this was wonderful progress, two centimeters in 45 minutes after having taken two hours plus for the previous one centimeter, but she had a hard time believing that it had only been 45 minutes! She felt better about the progress then, but since she was still fighting the urge to push with every contraction, and was in transition to boot, it was still an intense time. Ice chips, cold washrag, verbal encouragement and prayer, massage, Jerod being in Rachel’s line of sight, and hot rice socks continued to be comforting- and more than comforting, really- more like essential.

7:55 p.m. Rachel shifted to her left side, remarking breathlessly how much more compassion she was going to have once she was back at work for her laboring moms in the future when she asked them to shift positions or when they felt the urge to push before they were fully dilated. I agreed that she would be an even bigger blessing to the women she cared for through this experience, and assured her that even though she “felt” chaotic in her mind right now, that she was really not being loud or out of control, and that everyone was very impressed with her. This had been a concern she had had before labor, and I am not sure she believed me at that moment of time, but it seemed to be a relief to her to hear that she wasn’t as out of control as she felt in her mind like she was. Rachel asked to be checked again to see if she could finally push. Karen found her to be 9.5 cm dilated with a little lip and encouraged her to breathe through just a few more contractions.

8:05 p.m. “Ring of Fire!” Rachel exclaimed. Karen did a quick check and Rachel’s cervix was fully dilated, and the baby had moved down to +2. Yea!!! After feeling the urge to push and not being able to for an hour and a half, getting the green light to push gave Rachel a second wind… second wind? More like a hurricane! I took a quick picture since she had asked for a couple of pushing photos. We could see the baby’s head from almost the first push, and Rachel requested perineal support to help with the stinging she felt. I asked if there were hot compresses available (no) and Karen went to see if we could at least have a hot washrag, if the sink would run hot water. In the meantime, since I had the cold washrag we had been using on Rachel’s neck and face, I asked if she would like me to use it while we looked for the hot one. Thus, I had my first experience with doing perineal support! As soon as Karen got back (no luck with the hot water), I offered to move so the pro could step in, but she said I was doing fine. I have never really felt a “pull” towards midwifery or doing the more clinical tasks of midwifery, because the parent education, physical and emotional support of labor and birth is more my passion, but in this instance, it just felt like I was doing counter-pressure in a different location. After all, I had been doing counter-pressure and massage of whatever body part felt best to Rachel for hours, and this just felt like a natural extension of it, rather than over-stepping my scope of practice.

8:12 p.m. In between pushes, Rachel requested a pudendal block, which Karen quickly performed.

8:20 p.m. Jerod Matthew was born! Hallelujah! The cord was around his neck but was easily removed and he was fussing before he was all the way out. Much rejoicing and many tears of joy! Rachel was glad to be done, elated, and very, very tired.

8:26 p.m. Jerod cut the cord- proud daddy! Proud of his new son, and proud of his strong and capable wife, as well!

8:27 p.m. Kathleen began working on the cord blood donation. It is a more involved process than I had known, and interesting to watch. I was glad she knew what she was doing, and was able to let Karen know more about it too, because Karen hadn’t done one before either. Kathleen was careful to make all the logistical arrangements needed for the cord blood donation to be successful, because she knew it was important to Rachel. Meanwhile, I gave Rachel a medal and took a picture of her holding her beautiful prize for all her effort, her precious son.

8:32 p.m. Rachel birthed the placenta and had some routine Pitocin. Karen examined her and found that she had an intact perineum- another prayer answered!- and a small labial tear, which Karen repaired behind the drawn curtains, while the new grandmothers, Kathleen, Jana, Nicole, Jerod, and even the new grandfathers enjoyed feasting their eyes on the new family member over in the other corner of the room, nearest the door. Rachel had caught her breath again and was more animated but still just very, very tired. I encouraged her to have a little something to eat or drink, although she was not very interested.

8:35 p.m. We heard the news that “Matthew” was having a little suction and that he weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs 1 oz- there were so many cell phones and camera flashes going off over in “baby corner” that you could tell right away that there was a new celebrity in town!

8:50 p.m. The repair finished, Mommy and Baby get to nurse for the very first time, at 30 minutes old. Matthew liked nursing right away, but was less enamored with the camera flashes. He was forced to put up with a number of them anyway, because these moments were too precious not to capture by his adoring fan club. The “party atmosphere” was back, with much love and celebration being poured out on the new family. Matthew nursed on one side for a good long while. Karen worked some more on the cord blood donation.

9:30 p.m. Kathleen and Jana were about ready to take Matthew to the nursery, so we all gathered in a circle around Rachel, Jerod and Matthew, laid hands on them, and prayed thanksgiving and a blessing over the baby and his life, the parents and the joyful duty and privilege of their new role in life, and the family as a whole. This was one of the most moving, special moments I have ever been blessed to be a part of at a birth, and I was honored to be included in the family circle.

9:45-10:00 p.m. Nicole assured me that she would stay with Rachel until she fell asleep, Jerod having gone with Kathleen and Jana to take Matthew to the nursery, and the grandparents having gone home. We escorted Rachel to the restroom, and someone suggested her changing out of her own (soiled) clothes into a hospital gown. I mentioned Jerod’s t-shirt that Rachel had brought from home, which Rachel agreed to, and someone (Kathleen?) was able to find for us. Once she was all relieved and in the clean, dry T-shirt, Rachel was ready to rest, so Karen and I left… on such a high! What a wonderful birth and a special family, and a thrill to be able to serve them.