When I first met this couple in my Birth Dates childbirth class, I could feel how intentional and open-hearted they were about preparing for birth. What follows is their beautiful, unexpected, and fast birth story! Their birth story started with an induction and turned into a spontaneous and natural labor at exactly 37 weeks!
If you’re wondering whether childbirth education really makes a difference, read on. This mom used everything she learned—breath, mindset, and flexibility—to navigate an unexpected induction with confidence and calm. One of the main things she also had…the support of her husband!
Brenna (first time mom) and Bryan (dad to an excited toddler) had always envisioned a natural, unmedicated birth. When induction became necessary, they navigated the unexpected changes and stayed true to their birth vision. This beautiful birth story proves that even when things don’t go as planned, you can still have the birth you’ve always hoped for.
Ava’s Fast Induction Story
At a regular 36wk prenatal appointment, the NP noticed that my blood pressure was elevated. After several more readings, lab work, at-home monitoring, and NSTs, an induction was scheduled for exactly 37 weeks (5/1). My only symptom was high readings – no other signs of pre-eclampsia, and baby girl was still doing fine in utero.
In our Birth Dates Classes, you always focused on making preferences for labor, not plans, but finding out that I would be induced rather than having a spontaneous labor was getting me pretty nervous, when before I’d had no fear of the delivery itself. I was afraid I’d be fighting my body rather than working with it.
I checked into the hospital at 8pm Thursday night. At about 9pm they said that my cervix was “thin but closed”. The baby was so low that the nurse was having a hard time reaching around the head to get an accurate measurement. The OB said to prepare myself for a 3.5-4 day process. I received 3 doses of cytotec (misoprostol) overnight, with the last administered around 6:30am Friday morning. The medical team said that they’d be back around 10:30 to insert a Foley. By that point, I was starting to feel some light period-like cramps. At 7:30am my water broke on its own! Contractions started coming about every 2-3 minutes.
The nurse brought in a yoga ball, and I did some hip circles, but by this point contractions were barely 30 seconds apart and getting a lot more intense. I also started getting the urge to poop. I kept thinking to myself, “How much of an urge to poop is *the* urge to poop that everyone talks about??” Bryan called the nurse back in because he was getting concerned. She was surprised at how quickly I’d progressed since she left, she helped me onto the bed, and then checked and found that my cervix was completely gone and I was fully dilated. She and the midwife both gowned up, and at 9:48am Ava Lorraine entered the world. 6lbs, 14oz. 20″ long.
Everyone’s been amazed at how quickly everything happened, and I’m so glad that I was able to have a spontaneous, natural labor like I’d hoped for. Recovery has been going pretty well. I had a catheter in for about 24 hours due to all the swelling, but any discomfort has been manageable with Tylenol and icepacks.
Anyways, I really appreciated your Birth Dates Class and think it really helped me get into the right mind-frame for labor. And thanks to all the snacks we packed to eat while we hung out at the hospital that we never got to, I now have an abundance of breastfeeding fuel around the house.
Want to feel prepared like Brenna did—calm, confident, and ready for anything? Enroll now in Birth Dates and get the tools you need to feel empowered through every stage of labor, even when things don’t go according to plan.
Stories like this one remind me why I love teaching birth classes. If there is one thing I know about birth after 19 years of teaching The Bradley Method, is that birth is not something we can control. Birth doesn’t always follow the plan. But when you’re prepared with tools, knowledge, and the right mindset, you can meet it with strength and trust.
Here’s How To Learn How to Navigate an Induction in Just One Hour!
Let’s be real: hearing that you might need an induction can throw you for a loop. Especially if you’ve been dreaming of a spontaneous, natural labor. But guess what? An induction doesn’t have to mean giving up your birth vision. In fact, with the right prep (hello, Birth Dates class!), you can walk into the hospital feeling calm, confident, and totally ready to rock your induction.
In our class, we go deep into the real reasons people get induced—not just “because you’re 40 weeks” or “the baby looks big.” I break down the difference between medical reasons and social reasons for inductions. Pre-eclampsia versus just thinking your baby is big are not the same! I also teach you how to ask smart questions and have honest conversations with your provider. Being part of these convos can you can figure out whether an induction is really necessary—or if you’ve got some options.
Here are some of the most common reasons for induction that we explore in class:
Preeclampsia or gestational hypertension (high blood pressure in pregnancy)
Low amniotic fluid levels
Post-dates pregnancy (going past your due date, usually 41–42 weeks)
Gestational diabetes
Baby measuring large or small for gestational age
Concern over fetal movement or non-reassuring non-stress test (NST)
Premature rupture of membranes (water breaks, but labor doesn’t start)
Social reasons (provider scheduling, distance from hospital, avoiding major holiday, etc.)
We also talk about ways to reduce your chances of needing an induction in the first place. Think: getting your baby in the right position for birth with Spinning Babies techniques. Plus I teach you tips for ensuring you are with a doctor or midwife who only induces when medically necessary!
And if an induction does become part of your story? You’ll be ready. We cover every method they might suggest:
Membrane sweeps
Breaking your water
Foley balloon
Pitocin
Cytotec (misoprostol)
Cervidil
You’ll know what each one is, how it works, what to ask, and how to stay in the driver’s seat. Birth Dates doesn’t just teach you what might happen—we show you how to make empowered decisions along the way! [Get your Birth Dates now]
So if things don’t go according to plan (and let’s be honest, they often don’t), you’ll have tools, options, and the confidence to roll with it—just like Brenna did.
To the new parents: thank you for sharing your story with others to inspire them that inductions can be positive and powerful! And thank you for letting Birth Dates be a small part of your journey to meeting Ava Lorraine.
Want to feel just as prepared to give birth with confidence—no matter what comes your way? Join the Birth Dates Class and learn how to prepare for your birth with tools, knowledge, and mindset that work even when plans change.
Owner and founder of Baby Nest Birth Services for over 18 years she has been supporting parents to have empowering births and postpartum experiences. Growing up on a recreational farm in Canada watching animals give birth from a young age is where she had her first realization of how natural the birth process could be. She is a mother of two, a Birth & Postpartum Doula, a Bradley Method Birth instructor and certified placenta specialist in the Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR areas.
