25/08/2026
When I look back on Brianna's birth I get goosebumps, it was pretty close to everything she dreamed of after the birth of their first child left both parents with some trauma and fear for future birth experiences.
Pregnancy anxiety is real and when you have a not so good first experience it makes the anxiety worse. As challenges popped up during Brianna's pregnancy we planned, replanned and talked, texted and chatted our way through them. It was very important to me that she felt heard, acknowledged and supported when she needed it.
I could not have summed things up better than Brianna did, here are her words about her labor and delivery experience at OSF with the support of her husband, mother-in-law and me her doula:
There are some moments in life that you know you’ll carry in your heart forever… and this was one of them. 🤍
Being induced and knowing we were about to meet our sweet baby boy was a feeling I can’t even put into words. What followed was 10 hours of the hardest, most beautiful work I’ve ever done — 9 of those hours without an epidural. There were moments I wasn’t sure I could keep going, moments when I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and completely vulnerable… but I was never alone.
I leaned on my husband, my best friend, through every contraction, every tear, every moment I needed someone to remind me that I could do it. He was my strength when I felt like I had none left. 🤍
My doula was there with the kind of support, encouragement, comfort, and reassurance that carried me through the moments that felt impossible. And having my mother-in-law beside me, loving me, encouraging me, and witnessing this incredible moment with us made it even more special. I will forever be grateful for the village that surrounded me when I needed them most.
After 10 hours of labor, and about 30–40 minutes of pushing, our beautiful baby boy finally made his way into the world. And in one of the most incredible moments of our entire lives… Dad delivered his son. 🥹💙
Watching my husband bring our baby boy into this world is something I will never forget. The look on his face, the emotion, the love… it was a moment I wish I could freeze in time forever.
I would do every contraction, every tear, every ounce of exhaustion all over again for that one moment — the moment we finally heard our son cry and got to hold him in our arms.
Our son, you were worth every second. You were worth the pain, the exhaustion, the fear, and every tear. You completed a part of our family we didn’t even know was missing. 💙
And to my husband, my best friend, my doula, and my mother-in-law — thank you for holding me up when I couldn’t hold myself up. Thank you for believing in me, comforting me, encouraging me, and surrounding me with so much love.
I didn’t just give birth to our son that day… we brought him into this world together.
TRIGGER WARNING- YOU WILL SEE BIRTH IN THIS GALLERY, IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO THINGS LIKE THAT PLEASE DO NOT SCROLL THROUGH.