It’s hard to believe we are already almost 8 weeks out from welcoming our sweet Skyler into the world. After 41 + 2 weeks of growing inside my belly, he joined our family earthside on March 20th, 2026 at 6:58pm.

I’ve replayed this birth in my mind so many times since then. Certain moments feel crystal clear, while others feel blurry and dreamlike now. But what I keep coming back to is how much this experience asked me to surrender.

The waiting.

The unknown.

The trust.

The timing I couldn’t control.

And somehow, looking back now, I can see so clearly that it all unfolded exactly as it was meant to.

It really was true for me that the “due date” and the end of pregnancy bring up so much of “this could happen at any moment”… while also constantly wondering, “when will it happen?”

I struggled a lot in my body during this pregnancy…terrible SI and pelvic pain, nausea, heartburn, and just being physically exhausted while running after my joyful and energetic toddler. So it’s safe to say… I was ready for our baby by the end.

But the most important thing for me was surrendering the timing. Trusting my baby, my body, and God’s plan for when he would arrive.

The biggest intention for this second birth was to go into spontaneous labor and avoid interventions for induction or pain. With Coco’s birth, I was induced at 41 weeks…not really for any major reason other than feeling “ready” and the OBs having me next on the induction list. It turned into a long, painful labor. I eventually got an epidural because I was so exhausted and needed a break before pushing. It ended up being 3 hours of pushing and a full 24 hours of labor.

It wasn’t a bad experience, and I trust it was exactly what it needed to be… but this time, I was so clear. I wanted to experience spontaneous labor.

So this meant surrendering the due date, trusting the timing, and being patient…even in the most uncomfortable moments.

Another layer to all of this was my sister being in the hospital at UVM Medical Center for two weeks leading up to this day. She’s been on an intense, year-long cancer journey, and what we thought would be a straightforward procedure turned into a serious emergency surgery and a much longer recovery.

It was a deeply unsettling and emotional couple of weeks.

I visited her as much as I could, often on the same days as my own prenatal appointments at the hospital. My parents were practically living there off and on for two weeks. I kept wondering if the baby would come while she was still in the hospital, but instinctively, I knew…my body knew…it wasn’t time yet. Our family needed space to focus on her healing first.

And by the grace of God, she was released Friday morning… just hours before we arrived to give birth to Skyler.

At my 41-week prenatal appointment, my midwife offered a cervical check and membrane sweep. I declined and said I’d come back Friday morning if I still hadn’t gone into labor yet. I really wanted to avoid interventions and let my body lead, but I was open to a sweep because it felt like a more natural nudge if needed.

Still, in my heart, I knew my body would go when it was ready.

On Thursday night, I started feeling cramping that felt… different. Different than some of the other discomforts I had been having. Aaron told me to take a hot shower and head to bed early because “we never know when things could move quickly.”

Sure enough, I woke up at 3am with my first real contraction.

I went to the bathroom and noticed some blood and immediately thought, okay… things are starting.

I woke Aaron up and told him what was happening, and he said something so sweet like, “yay, we are going to meet our baby soon.” We called our doula to give her an update, and she encouraged us to go back to sleep and rest before things intensified.

So I did…and somehow slept through the rest of the night without too much intensity.

The next morning started like any other. Snuggles and books with Coco. I told my mom about my contractions and she was instantly giddy. Aaron packed the car and made sure the car seat was fully ready to go.

I remember giving Coco the biggest hugs and kisses that morning and feeling the weight of emotion that this could be our last day with just her as our only baby.

Even though I felt things were progressing, we still went to my prenatal appointment with the intention of skipping the sweep and just checking in with my midwife. She confirmed what I already felt…things were likely already in motion. She suggested we go about our day, maybe curb walk, rest, and even have sex if I was up for it.

So we did exactly that…stopped for smoothies and then headed to a prenatal chiropractic adjustment, where he also said he could feel things progressing.

We went home for lunch and Coco’s nap… which turned into one of the hardest nap times we’ve had with her.

She cried so hard, only wanted me, and couldn’t settle for almost 45 minutes. At the same time, my contractions were around 10 minutes apart and I was starting to breathe through them. I could feel that she knew something was changing. Like she was trying to hold onto every last moment of just us. (crying again typing this 🥺)

I remember feeling frustrated for a moment that she wouldn’t go down because I really wanted to use that time to rest… but eventually I surrendered and just held her until she melted into me and fell asleep in my arms.

Once she was asleep, I went into our bedroom to rest.

Aaron looked at me and was basically like, “okay… let’s do this” 😂 and yes, we had a quickie, which honestly might have been the thing that fully kickstarted labor. Everyone says “what got the baby in helps get the baby out,” but let me tell you… sex at 41+ weeks pregnant is neither glamorous nor comfortable hahaha.

While resting, I started timing contractions…5–7 minutes apart and lasting about a minute each. I knew in my gut that things were really happening now.

We all woke up from our rest time, my mom arrived back after bringing my sister home from the hospital, and outside it had started absolutely blizzarding.

The snow was accumulating quickly.

Downstairs, my mom read books to Coco while Aaron moved around the house getting everything ready. I sat on my yoga ball while contractions built in intensity. My doula was on her way.

When contractions got closer together, Aaron looked at me and said, “I think we need to go now.”

My mom gently asked if I wanted to wait a little longer because she didn’t want us spending more time at the hospital than needed (understandable after being there nonstop for 2 weeks straight with my sister), but deep down, I knew…

It was time.

Saying goodbye to Coco was one of the most emotional moments of the whole day. I wanted to hug her forever, knowing the next time we saw her, she would likely be a big sister.

We got in the car for what should have been a quick 10-minute drive, but between the snowstorm and the intensity of contractions, it felt much longer. I was gripping the handle above the window, squeezing Aaron’s hand, breathing through every wave and trying to relax into the music.

I remember thinking, if anyone looks into this car right now they are probably wondering if I’m okay 😂

We arrived at the hospital around 4:45pm. It was Friday evening, and everything felt surprisingly calm and quiet. I saw my doula fast walking through the lobby, and Aaron ran to grab her so we could all head upstairs together.

I chose to walk instead of taking a wheelchair because I wanted to keep labor moving, even though I had to stop multiple times to breathe through contractions. I remember people smiling at me as we passed through the hallway, and it felt so tender and sweet… like they knew exactly where we were headed.

Once we got into the room, I immediately wanted to change because I was hot and uncomfortable in what I’d been wearing all day. My doula asked if I wanted to wait until I was checked, incase I wanted to go home if I wasn’t progressing and I thought to myself, I am definitely not going home, haha! My midwife checked me and I was already 5cm dilated.

After some initial prep, my doula suggested we do a hallway circuit. I agreed, but wow… things quickly became intense.

The bright lights, the nonstop contractions, gripping Aaron through each wave while moaning and breathing deeply through them. I remember leaning all my weight into him during contractions while he reminded me over and over how strong I was and how close we were to meeting our baby.

When my nurse suggested heading back to the room for a bath, it sounded like heaven.

As we walked back, Aaron held me close and looked me in the eyes and said, “God is with us, okay? I love you. You’ve got this.”

I looked back at him with tears in my eyes and said, “I needed that reminder.”

Back in the room, everything escalated quickly.

One of the most intense contractions hit. I leaned over the bed while Aaron pressed into my hips and Rachel held my hands. I looked at her and said, “I don’t feel like I’m getting any breaks… this is so hard.”

She looked back at me calmly and said, “That’s because you’re transitioning.”

The next contraction came on strong, and suddenly I felt the urge to push. My sounds shifted…deeper, more primal. Then I felt a pop and my water broke, pouring down my legs. I could physically feel the baby dropping lower into my body.

Suddenly the room started filling with more movement and people, and I remember thinking, wait… is this really happening already?

They checked me…I was fully dilated and they encouraged me to tune in and if I was ready, I could push.

I followed my body and started pushing.

I leaned over the back of the bed while Aaron held my hand beside me, grounding me through every push. My body took over in a way I can only describe as instinctual. Raw. Powerful. Beyond thought.

I could feel his head crowning and holy moly… it hurt. But I was ready.

I remember hearing someone say they could see his hair. Aaron looked down and told me I was so close.

And then suddenly… crying.

Aaron looked at me and said, “It’s a boy.”

I was completely shocked because I had been so sure we were having a girl.

I pushed him out in just 10 minutes. Two hours after arriving at the hospital.

It was everything I had hoped for…fast, powerful, fully surrendered.

He came out crying loudly, likely because there was still fluid in his lungs from such a quick delivery, but he was perfectly healthy.

9 lbs 6 oz… which finally explained all the pelvic pain 😂

And just like that, Skyler Reign Goldfield was here.

The hours and days after are blurry now in some ways, but what I remember so clearly is the overwhelming gratitude I felt. For our healthy baby boy. For my body. For our care team. For my doula Rachel. For Aaron, my “daddy doula,” who held me so steadily through every wave.

Now, almost 8 weeks later, I can see this birth gave me so much more than just the experience I hoped for.

It brought me back to trust.

To the kind of trust that asks you to surrender to timing you can’t control and a plan greater than your own. The kind that reminds you your body is wise. That sometimes waiting has purpose. That life can hold heartbreak and beauty at the very same time.

And it reminded me that it’s in these stretching, cracking-open moments that your heart expands in ways you never knew possible.