My Second HypnoBirthing: Fast, Natural, and Calm Birth Story | Read more at kaileenelise.com

As I write this, my daughter is three years old and tomorrow I’ll be 39 weeks pregnant with our 3rd baby. My intention was always to write her birth story, but I put it off for one reason or another. Now I'm here, sharing before giving birth again.

Perhaps this is indicative of her being my 2nd born and the middle child. Maybe it's that life gets busy with two babies in two years (and then add a global pandemic to the mix). The reason doesn't matter. I'm ready to write the details and morsels that have stayed through these past three years.

Certain stories need to be documented immediately. Others want to stew and marinate until it's time for the words to spill out. I suppose I've always known this story was the second, otherwise I would've made it a priority sooner. Now is the right time. With her younger sibling hiccuping in my belly, I am here to share Merritt's birth story.

The pregnancy was smooth and gentle. Something I was especially thankful for with a toddler to chase around. It was so easy that I remember wondering when I would be pregnant again. I’d think to myself, "When will we have our 3rd baby?" and then immediately feel guilty for not focusing on the one who was squirming around inside me.

The naming process might not be part of other people's birth stories, but it's key to how this birth unfolded. We decided not to find out the gender, so we had to select a first and middle name for each gender. The boy name wasn't too hard. We liked the way the first name sounded with our older son's name and the middle was from my side of the family. It was simple, timeless. When it came to picking the girl's name, my husband and I had work to do. I wanted a name that felt strong and unique, he wanted something that wasn't too different or trendy.

After much back and forth, we agreed on Merritt. While watching the 2018 Winter Olympics, there was a female competitor named Merritt. Then we saw something with the actress Merritt Weaver in it. My go-to coffee shop at the time was a cute place with good vibes named Merit. Even the definition of merit, "the quality of being particularly good or worthy" felt like something to hold onto. We selected Olivia as the middle, a name we both adored that added a touch of femininity.

Since I had my son less than two years before, I felt way more comfortable with pregnancy and birth than the first time. I also learned a lot postpartum that helped me prepare for my second. I had an idea of what to expect and was ready to flow with whatever unfolded.

It's relevant to know my son's birth was intense and fast. The short version is that he was born 28 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. You can read the whole story here: Our Surprisingly Quick HypnoBirth at the Hospital.

The same as my first, my intention was to have an unmedicated (what some call natural) birth, with little or no interventions at the hospital. HypnoBirthing worked for me before, so I took a similar approach this time. I listened to their guided meditations every night, practiced the breathing techniques, and had affirmations for gentle and easy birthing.

After months of practicing prenatal yoga and seeing supportive healers like my acupuncturist, chiropractor, and massage therapist, my baby and body were ready.

My husband's mom flew in on a one-way flight from Ohio. The countdown and waiting for baby began. This was uncharted territory and I didn’t have the easiest time with it. I wanted to soak up the last moments with our son before becoming a family of four. I also wanted to share him with his grandma who doesn't see him often. I remember feeling conflicted and irritable. I didn’t want to wish the time away and I was ready for newborn snuggles. As I approached (and then passed) my due date, the days dragged along.

On a Wednesday morning, I took my very pregnant self to another favorite coffee shop for a date with my laptop. I was texting with my grandma who I'm certain was eager for baby news. But we ended up chatting about her two grandmothers instead.

I knew both her maternal and paternal grandmothers went by Emma, and that one's given name was Amelia, but I didn't know the other's name. My grandma said the other was named Alena and that she was her favorite of the two. I had never heard the name Alena and immediately looked it up. "Bright, shining light" popped up on my illuminated screen. Everything stood still. Tears rushed to my eyes.

I texted my husband without context. "If this baby is a girl, her middle name has to be Alena, not Olivia." He responded, "Okay honey, but we need to talk about it. The baby is coming any day now?"

That night we went to dinner at Grizzeldas, a cute, very pink, Mexican restaurant. I told him what happened that morning. How everything in the world stopped and I started crying in the middle of the coffee shop. I asked if we could change the baby's middle name and he agreed. That was Wednesday evening. She was born two nights later. I'm convinced she was waiting for us to figure out her name.

At noon on Friday, my water broke. It was a trickle, not a gush, but I was certain that's what was going on. I texted Adam to come home from work and I hopped in the shower. I felt calm and excited. My water didn't break last time, so this was new. It was nice to know that the baby was on the way.

Around 4pm, I snuggled with Owen and we watched a show. To keep dinner easy, we ordered pizza. My labor was gentle enough that we were able to go through Owen's whole bedtime routine. Then at 8pm, my body started to capture my attention.

This is where my memory gets fuzzy. As the contractions (or surges as they're called in HypnoBirthing) became more intense, I went deeper and deeper into a calm, meditative state. I was listening to one of the guided tracks, called Rainbow Relaxation, over and over again.

I recall finding comfort in leaning against the counter in our bathroom. Upright, feet out in a semi squat, my head propped up on my arms. The floor was cool on my feet, the lights dimmed. I have no clue how long I stayed that way, but it's the vision that has remained with me from laboring at home. A few hours passed and around 10 or 10:30pm, I told my Adam we should head to the hospital.

I don't time my contractions with an app, but Adam tries to keep an eye on them. At this point, I was managing okay the surges with focused breath. I guess I seemed like I was okay because he said, "Are you sure?" Yes. Time to go. We headed downstairs and loaded up the car.

Our drive to the hospital is very short, only 1.5 miles or 5 minutes away. There are a few lights and speed bumps. It was dark and quiet out. I played Woman (Oh Mama) by Joy Williams in the car, which is such a powerful song if you haven't heard it. I was still pretty calm, but sitting was not comfortable!

We pulled up to the South Entrance of the hospital and got out. Maneuvering in and out of the car felt like a feat. And then, the automatic doors would not open. I had to get back into the car, which at the time was the worst news ever. I asked Adam if I could walk to the Emergency Room entrance, but he didn't think it was a good idea. I climbed back in the car for the shortest ride ever around the corner, then rolled my birthing body out once more.

During my son's birth, the front desk attendant at the ER took forever to track down a wheelchair, which I definitely did not want. No more sitting, please. This time, we walked around the desk, heads down, heading straight to the elevators to Labor & Delivery.

I handed my wallet and paperwork to the woman at the front desk. Someone took me back to triage. I was playing Rainbow Relaxation on my phone and took the position that felt most comfortable to me... feet out in a gentle squat, leaning against the bed, head propped on my arms. Breath calm and slow, attention and focus inward. My cervix was 7cm dilated, which felt like a tiny triumph. (I was 10cm when we arrived with my first birth and hoping not to cut things so close this time.)

Sensing this birth would be quick, Adam whispered to the triage nurses that my last birth was very fast. He knew we needed to get to the room ASAP. Someone told me it was time to walk again. I grabbed my phone and followed.

Still listening to Rainbow Relaxation, there were a lot more people in the birthing room. I assumed my favorite position once more, along the foot of the bed, head propped up on my arms, feet out in a soft squat. A nurse asked about putting an IV in my arm. "Fine, as long as you can do it with me standing here like this." She said that I'd have to stay still. "Not a problem." I was in the zone and knew that an IV wasn't going to bother me.

I heard someone say to get the doctor in here. The next few moments were fast and filled with surprise. With the next contraction, there was a whooshing sound and a gush of liquid. Adam jumped a foot backwards in surprise. I felt a big release. And then the baby's head was born.

Thankfully, the doctor was right behind me. Very soon after, our baby's sweet and slippery body was born. I was still standing next to the bed, so I bent down a bit more and the doctor handed her to me through my legs.

The baby and I were both so messy and wet. Someone took her to the other side of the room to check, clean, and weigh her. Someone else helped me up into the bed to deliver the placenta. That's when I looked over at Adam who still had a funny look of shock and surprise fixed on his face.

The baby cried loud and strong, our girl Merritt Alena. 7 lbs 13 oz. Born at 11:23pm, less than 12 hours after my water broke. 28 minutes after we arrived at the hospital, just like her big brother.