The Birth of Hunter
- August 22nd 2020
- 8am
- 8lb
- 22 inches
By far the most beautiful, empowering, and intense day of my life. The day I became a mama 🙂
Our baby boy surprised us with a precipitous two-hour labor—something almost unheard of for a first-time mom. It was fast, intense, and completely consuming. We were alone, just the two of us, moving through each wave together with full presence. There was no fear—only instinct, connection, and trust. Robb and I worked in perfect rhythm, grounding each other as we brought our baby into the world.
We literally held our baby’s head in our bathtub. There are no words for a moment like that… time truly stopped. The sacredness of that memory will live in us forever.
I cannot begin to express my gratitude for Robb—my husband, my rock. He was fearless when I needed it most, grounding me through each contraction, reminding me I was safe and capable. The love and strength between us brought our son into the world.
We also had the most phenomenal birth team. Their wisdom and guidance throughout pregnancy and labor gave us the confidence to surrender when the moment arrived.
Labor Timeline:
-8:30–10:00 am: Grocery run at Erewhon, then a stop at a local coffee shop. Totally unaware what was about to unfold.
-10:18am: Early contractions began. No rest between them. The intensity hit fast. I was physically and mentally overwhelmed.
-11:16am: Laying on the bathroom tile to cool off.
-11:23am: My water broke. I moved between the toilet and the bathroom floor, eventually finding my way to the bathtub for relief.
-11:56am: I told Robb, “Film this moment!”
-11:57am: We were holding our baby’s head in our hands.
-12:00pm: Our son was born.
The moment I felt his head emerging, everything changed. Moments before, it truly felt like hell—raw, relentless, like an exorcism of all my fear and self-doubt. In a precipitous birth, contractions start and they don’t stop. There’s no break. I went straight into that feeling so many women experience during transition—*I can’t do this anymore*—except it hit me during the very beginning of early labor, at the first onset of contractions.
And then, in an instant, I felt his head. A massive wave of oxytocin washed over me. My body relaxed, and I dropped into a state of complete surrender. I felt peaceful. Grounded. Centered. I even turned to Robb and said, “*Film this moment.*” We had planned to have a photographer document the birth, but with how quickly everything unfolded, no one had made it. So we grabbed his phone and captured a selfie-style video that would eventually go viral—circulating across the birth community and receiving thou…
That’s what I want other women to understand: the full embodiment of labor. Birth is not one steady tone. It’s all of it—the breaking, the beauty, the wild surrender. And every part of that spectrum is sacred.
As Robb and I reached down and brought our baby up to my chest, Haize—our doula—walked through the door. It was perfect timing, as if she’d been guided to arrive for that sacred moment. Our midwife was on FaceTime, but the video unexpectedly cut off just before the birth. Still, everything about it felt divine. Soon after, the midwife arrived in person to help with the placenta and care for both me and our newborn.
We all expected an all-day labor, especially being a first-time mom. But baby boy had other plans. This kind of fast progression is rare for a first birth—but he came exactly how he was meant to.
Our midwife and doula had joked during pregnancy: “What gets the baby in, helps get the baby out…” And maybe they were right!
Preparation Was Everything
We could not have handled a birth like this if we hadn’t spent the previous eight months preparing—educating ourselves, reading, watching documentaries, taking a Bradley Method course, and building deep communication between us. We had conversations that brought us closer. Robb didn’t just support my desire for an unmedicated home birth—he believed in it. That made all the difference.
I was passionately dedicated to my health: nourishing food, herbal teas, gentle movement, breathwork, affirmations. I envisioned this birth over and over. The body really does respond to that kind of love and preparation.
The Greatest Adventure
My dream was always to travel the world. I never really saw myself as a mom. But the truth is—the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever felt was during these nine months of pregnancy, creating life, starting a family. Despite all the adventures I’ve had, this is by far the greatest one yet.
Words can’t express what Robb means to me. He is an incredible man, my best friend, and now an amazing father. If you had told either of us ten years ago that we’d be here… we would’ve laughed. But here we are, building our happily ever after. I’ve watched him grow into this role with such love and strength, and I am endlessly proud of him.
Despite his early resistance to the delivery process, Robb eventually said to me, “My hands are going to be the first ones to touch this baby.” And they were.
A Note From the Heart
From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I felt deeply called to have a natural, unmedicated birth. We trusted the process. We trusted my body. And the universe gave us the perfect birth.
This story is raw and real. We share it in the hopes that it will inspire others and expand their perception of childbirth. It can be beautiful. It can be sacred. It doesn’t have to be full of fear or intervention. When a woman is supported, informed, and able to listen to her body—birth can be blissfully transformative.
Thank You, Birth Team
To those who walked this path with us, we are forever grateful:
– Midhusband / Best Friend: Robb
– Midwife: Blyss Young
– Spiritual Doula: Haize
– Photographer / Doula: Stephanie Little Plum
– Bradley Method Teacher: [Insert Name]
– Chiropractor: Dr Berlin
– Natural Birth Advocate Friends: @esandoz @samantha_johns
And the countless books, conversations, courses, and community that guided us.
