After nearly nine exhausting days of false starts and relentless contractions, one Florida mother finally experienced the peaceful home water birth she had hoped for. What she expected to be another long night of waiting quickly transformed into a remarkably fast labor, leaving her birth team racing to arrive before her baby made his entrance.
For Nicole, the days leading up to labor were almost harder than labor itself.
For more than a week, she endured prodromal labor—persistent contractions that repeatedly hinted birth was near without progressing into active labor. By late afternoon one evening, she suspected something had finally changed, but after so many false alarms, she refused to get her hopes up.
Around 6 p.m., she contacted her longtime doula, Christin Murillo, asking her to come over before calling the rest of the birth team. Nicole also sent a quick update to her midwives and birth photographer, explaining that labor might be beginning but asking everyone to wait until contractions became more convincing.
That decision didn’t last long.
Soon after Christin arrived, labor intensified dramatically.
Recognizing how quickly things were changing, Christin immediately contacted the rest of the team with one urgent message:
“Come now.”
When the first members of the birth team entered the house, the transformation was already obvious.
The birth pool was filling in the master bedroom, soft lights glowed throughout the room, and Nicole had entered the intense transition phase of labor. Everyone immediately realized there wasn’t much time left.
Throughout the increasingly powerful contractions, Nicole relied on steady breathing and simple affirmations she had practiced throughout pregnancy.
“This is temporary. Each wave brings me closer to my baby. We are working together,” she silently repeated with every contraction.
Shortly afterward, her water broke while she was still on the bed, explaining why the contractions had suddenly become so intense.
As soon as enough warm water filled the birth pool, her husband Tommy and Christin helped her climb inside. Although the water was initially hotter than expected, Nicole welcomed the relief it provided as labor continued to build.
Within minutes, two of the attending midwives arrived and quietly began monitoring the baby’s heartbeat, preparing supplies, and documenting labor while allowing Nicole to remain completely focused on following her body’s instincts.
Standing upright inside the birth pool, she allowed gravity to help guide her baby downward.
Even the family’s dogs seemed to understand something important was happening. After enthusiastically greeting everyone who entered the home, they settled peacefully beside the birth pool, quietly observing the unfolding birth.
Then labor shifted once again.
The powerful contractions became unmistakable pushing contractions.
According to Nicole, her body seemed to take over entirely.
“The fetal ejection reflex took over and there was no stopping him,” she later recalled.
Kneeling over the side of the birth pool, she instinctively followed her body’s natural urges.
Only a handful of contractions later, her baby boy entered the world.
“I honestly couldn’t believe it was happening so fast,” she said afterward. “It only took a few waves and he was born.”
At 10:57 p.m., Nicole gently lifted her newborn son from the water and held him against her chest for the very first time.
Relief quickly replaced the emotional exhaustion that had accumulated during nine long days of uncertainty.
Although active labor lasted only a short time, she admitted the physical and emotional toll of waiting had been immense.
Once the excitement settled, the family discovered one unexpected surprise.
A third midwife had arrived during the delivery—but had accidentally been locked outside after Tommy unknowingly secured the front door. She later joked that although she missed the actual birth, she heard every moment from outside the house.
The newborn, later introduced as Jensen, remained calm and alert as he rested peacefully against his mother’s chest in the warm water.
After Nicole delivered the placenta naturally, Tommy enjoyed several precious minutes holding his son while Nicole moved to the bed for her postpartum assessment.
Before long, Jensen returned to his mother’s arms for his very first feeding.
Unlike her first breastfeeding experience, Nicole says she felt noticeably more confident this time, allowing her to simply enjoy those quiet first moments with her newborn.
The birth also carried an unexpected connection that made the day even more meaningful.
The portable birth pool, rented through Jacksonville Community Midwives, had already been used for several other home births within their close-knit community—including births attended by members of the same care team. As part of a cherished tradition, the family added Jensen’s initials and birth date to the inside of the tub, joining the names of babies who had entered the world there before him.
Once the umbilical cord had finished pulsing naturally, Tommy cut the cord while the midwives carefully examined the placenta and even gave the family a brief explanation of the organ that had supported Jensen throughout pregnancy.
The newborn examination confirmed Jensen weighed a healthy 8 pounds, 7 ounces.
One final family moment would become everyone’s favorite memory.
Because Jensen was born late in the evening, his older sister slept peacefully through the entire birth.
The following morning, Tommy excitedly told her to go into the bedroom and meet her new baby brother.
She eagerly ran inside, looked around, then peered curiously into a nearby laundry basket before asking,
“In here?”
The innocent misunderstanding immediately filled the room with laughter.
Looking back, Nicole says the birth reminded her that labor rarely unfolds exactly as expected. After days of wondering whether active labor would ever truly begin, everything happened within a matter of hours.
For Nicole and Tommy, Jensen’s arrival became far more than the joyful conclusion to nine days of anticipation. It was a celebration of perseverance, trust, experienced caregivers, and the quiet confidence that comes from knowing you are surrounded by people who believe in you every step of the way.
