Nikki and I met shortly after her second baby was born and we became great friends! So when Nikki told me she was pregnant with her third and asked me to be her doula and support her through her first unmedicated birth, I was elated!
"Thanks to Shandy and all that she prepared me with, I was able to deliver without an epidural and I had the birth of my dreams and my sweet little Coco Capri was born."
It was a stormy summer morning when I got a text from Nikki,
"Because it was my third baby I kind of knew what to expect with labor and how my body would progress. So, the second I felt the first contraction I was pretty sure it was the real deal."
We spent the day at home together following Nikki's body’s lead — laboring on the birth ball, using a rebozo, resting in the tub, loving on her kids and pups. We even did an HEB grocery pickup!
"I look back on the beginning stages of labor as sacred. I'll never forget how calm and prepared I felt. I knew it was going to be painful but I was so confident and up for whatever the experience brought. I'm normally a pretty anxious person so the fact that I felt these feelings of peace is huge. "
" I handled contractions with intentional breath work which helped tremendously while I labored at home. As my contractions got more intense Shandy helped with different techniques to relieve the pain. She was very in tune with me and she seemed to know exactly when I was contracting before I even told her."
Nikki handled labor like a champ all day as contractions got progressively more intense. I knew things would pickup when her husband got home...
and they did. So we headed for the hospital.
"I felt very calm and grounded throughout the majority of my labor. Because I tend to worry about everything, I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to live in the moment and to trust my body and that everything would be okay."
As soon as we got to a delivery room, Nikki's mental state (labor land) and her body's intuition made it clear that it wouldn't be long.
"By the time I was admitted, I was dilated to a 7.5 and I progressed very quickly after that."
Coco Capri was born about an hour later!
Landon, Nikki's husband, was one of the most supportive husband's I've seen at a birth. He was right there with Nikki and helping in any way he could. Afterwards, I lol'd when Nikki told me she could tell the difference between our hands touching her and that she preferred mine. She says it much sweeter here:
"It helped when my husband touched me but it was almost life-giving when Shandy touched me. That element of empathy makes all the difference. It also was so clear to me that birth has always been something that women are supposed to do together. Only women can really understand and show the love and support needed as we go through it."
When Nikki reached transition she began with the "I can't do this" and the "Is it too late for an epidural?" but she found her groove.
"It got to the point where moaning/making loud sounds was the only thing that helped me actually breathe...I became so zoned in and it felt like it was just me and my baby getting through this last part of labor and I think that's really special."
"I asked Shandy many times how I would know it was time to push. She promised me that your body just 'knows'... and she was right. When it was time, my body did what it needed to do. When I felt the infamous 'ring of fire' I vividly thought to myself, 'I need this to be the end because I don't have much left in me.' And so I pushed hard and fast and Capri entered the world.
"I remember being in a state of shock that it was over and that she was here. I'd almost describe it as a brief time where my mind had to reconnect with my body. I almost felt like it took a moment for me to really be present again- with my baby and loved ones in that hospital room. I think I got so 'in the zone' with pushing that I had to come out of that. But I felt immediate connection with my sweet baby girl."
NIkki rolled onto her back to hold baby girl, waiting for the placenta to arrive, but her cord was a little short.
"I was extremely proud of myself after delivering and quite shocked that I was actually able to do what I had planned for. There had always been a small part of my mind that doubted my abilities to make it through an unmedicated birth, as I know the quick relief that comes from an epidural. But I did it and I'm forever grateful to Shandy and the preparation and support she gave me."
" The best part of my birth experience was holding my baby after it was all over and thinking that we had done something huge together. It bonded us and I felt so proud and so grounded. I learned a ton about myself through this experience, and I also learned a great deal about Heaven and the ways that God works with man."
"I thought I'd only be able to feel Heaven as I actually delivered the baby, but I felt Heaven near throughout pregnancy and that's something Shandy helped me access. I will never ever forget how powerfully I had to rely on and lean on Heavenly Father as I knelt on that hospital bed at my weakest and most vulnerable. After Capri's birth I could never deny the reality of Him or His love for His children."
"Through it all I learned that we are powerful as women and that we're so lucky to be the connection between heaven and earth. It's a sacred role and I'm thankful it's been given to me."
Nikki, thank you for trusting me with such a sacred chapter of your family’s story. Watching you step into strength, faith, and confidence was an incredible honor. Seeing you meet Coco Capri — calm, powerful, and surrounded by the love of God — is something I will never forget.
love you both to pieces!
....
If you’re dreaming about a birth where you feel prepared, supported, and deeply cared for, I would love to walk alongside you too!
You can learn more about my doula and birth photography services here.
