05/23/2026
BIRTH STORY (shared with permission). I got a labor call from an unusually calm dad.
“Hey so I think she’s in labor. Contractions started exactly an hour ago. The doula is at another birth but she told us to call you. Contractions are about 5 minutes apart.”
Normally for a first time mom, I would say “keep timing another hour or 2 because most likely this is just the beginning.” But hearing her in the background gave me the impression this labor was going faster than expected. Sure enough seconds before pulling into their driveway, I got a picture of the amniotic sac bulging out like a squeezed water balloon. I rushed inside, mom gave just 3 strong steady pushes delivering her 9 pound, 3 ounce son. Start to finish this labor was 1 hour and 54 minutes long qualifying as a precipitous birth. I never anticipate a first time mom having a labor this short but these are the births that keep me on my toes 😅.