Laughing Into Motherhood: Sami’s Gentle First Birth at Home

A Candid First Meeting

Sami came with her hubby, Brian, to interview with me early in her pregnancy, and when I found out she was related to one of my other mamas I was more blunt than I might usually be. We talked about how first births are the ones we need to be the most careful with, and how statistics were better for her if she did hire a midwife (whether or not that was me). We talked about inductions of first labors increasing c-sections to around 50% depending on the provider and how important pelvic floor preparation would be. We also talked about complications and how we handle those things at home.

Choosing Midwifery Care

When they left I wasn’t sure if I would see them again. I just hoped they would embrace midwifery care with someone to improve their chances of a non-surgical birth. When she texted they wanted to do care with me the next week I was so excited. And walking this pregnancy with her was so fun! We had so many laughs and she just seemed to sail through the process, eating well (within reason ), staying active, doing the pelvic floor work with Summer, and facing each challenge with humor and love.

A Joyful, Well-Nourished Pregnancy

When labor started it was gentle. Crampy waves that didn’t feel too difficult that started around 1 AM. She texted to let me know, and we kept in touch that way until closer to 5:30 AM when they seemed to have settled into 5 minutes apart and over a minute long.

So I hopped in the car and drove there to see what this labor looked like.

I walked in around 6:30 AM to gentle labor, and excited parents.

The Quiet Beginning of Labor

She had told me she wanted to laugh through labor. It was already getting hard for her to be in that space but she was breathing through them beautifully! Things seemed a little bit more like early labor slowing a little when I arrived. I settled in a little, just to see what would happen.

Trusting the Pace of Early Labor

Around 10 AM we decided to do a check and see where she was. Based on several factors, the cervix was posterior, dilation, and intensity of contractions still staying gentle we decided that Caitlyn and I would leave and come back later in the day. Sami was able to rest, eat, and move as she wanted and I ran off to check on another mama who was in early labor. This day was a little nerve wracking but I just kept trusting that God would have me where I was needed when I was needed.

When Labor Turned a Corner

The other labor fizzled out and I went back to check on Sami about 4 pm. Things were starting to look different. Much more intense and requiring her to concentrate. Around 5 pm the nausea started, her sister in law came by and brought all of us the sweetest gifts of labor snacks….. just in time for Sami to feel she needed to throw up.  

Unwavering Support from a Loving Partner

Caitlyn arrived to assist a bit after 6 pm and it wasn’t long before Sami was in the pool to help cope with the intensity of these contractions. This was when Brian never left her. Holding her hands and encouraging her every contraction. Refusing to leave her and no thought for himself. Complete focus on her needs. He was just an amazing support for her and I’ll be honest, it made me tear up so many times to see how he loves Sami and this baby.

Into the Water: Surrendering to Birth

Around 10 PM she began to have small urges to push which started to grow in strength and duration with each contraction…and that is where these pictures pop in to tell us the rest of the story. As things became more intense I began putting counterpressure on her perineum to ease the intensity. After some time, Caitlyn came to support Sami and Brian moved into position to catch when we started to see baby’s head.

Easton’s Gentle Arrival

At 11:02 PM Easton emerged into Daddy’s hands and he guided him through the water to Sami’s waiting arms! Samantha, their photographer was such a sweet addition to this birth, gently encouraging and unobtrusively documenting these precious memories! We loved having her there, and that she caught their birth so perfectly! Gah! It was just magical even if we all were soaked with birth pool water.

Honored to Walk This Journey Together

Thank you to Sami and Brian for letting us share the birth of your sweet Easton! It is such a huge honor to have walked this journey with you all and to be able to share a part of the story with other families!

Every birth has its own rhythm, its own challenges, and its own quiet moments of courage and love. At Heart Strings Birth Services, we believe birth is more than a medical event — it is a sacred unfolding, lovingly supported and deeply personal. These stories are shared with permission to honor the families who trusted us with their care and to encourage others as they walk their own birth journeys.

This blog post originated from @heartstringsbirthservices - November 30th 2025