This birth story is one of strength, empowerment and love. Lindsey and Adrian came to me early in their pregnancy and were interested in birth photography for their double rainbow baby's birth.  Recently they had moved from Fort Collins to Denver, and decided to change care providers. Their current provider was great, just too far for them to drive for weekly appointments through crazy Denver traffic.  It takes a lot of strength to change providers in the third trimester of pregnancy, but the Center for Midwifery made it easy on them.In her third trimester, Lindsey's blood pressure started to rise slightly, but she wasn't sure if it was due to the long drive in traffic or if it was something pregnancy related. After switching to the Center for Midwifery midwives closer to her home, they monitored her with non-stress tests throughout her third trimester, and while her BP was still high, baby and mama were doing great. At 36 weeks, Lindsey's 'Braxton hicks' contractions started to pick up significantly and became more intense and painful. I suspected that Emilia was making her entrance into the world a month early, so when I got a text from Lindsey that her water had broke, I wasn't too surprised. They went to the hospital, but Lindsey wasn't in active labor yet. She labored naturally all evening in her birthing suite, through the night, and into the next day before things started to pick up. I arrived at the hospital late the next morning as her contractions got intense. Lindsey bravely navigated each contraction, with Adrian at her side. Labor gets intense when it's long and Adrian was an amazing partner, helping her stay focused through each contraction. It's a beautiful thing to watch a couple so in sync during labor. Lindsey walked, laid in bed, took a shower, got in the tub, and finally it was time to push. The staff at the Center for Midwifery always amaze me; their nurse stayed with her throughout labor, supporting her, rubbing her back and encouraging her throughout transition. This is how birth really can be, and it humbles me to watch this process, take a second to read about Lindsey's natural birth at the Center for Midwifery.

Double Rainbow Baby, the Birth Story of Emilia from Jennifer Mason on Vimeo.  Natural birth at the Center for Midwifery in Denver.

When it was time to push, Lindsey's supportive team was right by her side encouraging her. Their midwife, Leigh, sat on the bed and talked her through each push, directing her in the best way to get Emilia out. Leigh applied compresses and natural oils to help Lindsey through the process of delivery. There was a peace in the room, the intensity of transition was over and the excitement of arrival was only minutes away. As Lindsey and Adrian kissed, she pushed her baby out into the world. It was a beautiful thing and I am so blessed to be a part of her birthday. Take a minute to watch this amazing natural birth story at the Center for Midwifery in Denver, Colorado. Baby Emilia welcomed by her mother, Lindsey, her doting father, Adrian, and her two angel baby siblings in heaven.