06/14/2026
Welcome sweet Kira 🌈💕
Watching Eliana and her husband, Collin, welcome their sweet rainbow baby girl was everything.
A few days before her due date, labor began to pick up. We had planned to meet at my studio, but on my way there, Collin called and said they were heading to the hospital instead. Thankfully, their midwife was able to call ahead and get Momma settled right into a room.
Baby girl looked beautiful on the monitor, and Momma was laboring so well. This labor came on hard and fast though. There wasn't much of a break between contractions, and every contraction seemed to make her nauseous. She worked so hard through labor, spending time in the tub, trying different positions, and doing everything she could to stay comfortable. Eventually, she decided an epidural was the right choice for her, and after it was placed, she finally got some much-needed relief and rest.
A few hours later, it was time.
Sweet Kira made her entrance into the world in one of the most incredible ways. Momma's water never broke during labor, and baby was born with her waters still intact until her entire head was out. It was such a beautiful reminder that no two births are ever the same.
But birth always keeps us on our toes.
Immediately after Kira was born, her umbilical cord detached from the placenta, something called a cord avulsion. Thankfully, our incredible midwife recognized it instantly and acted right away. Because Kira wasn't pinking up as quickly as expected, the NICU team was called to evaluate her and draw labs.
As it turns out, Kira was doing just fine.
Once the placenta was delivered, we discovered Momma had a velamentous cord insertion, where the cord vessels traveled through the membranes before reaching the placenta. It likely explained why the cord avulsion occurred and made us even more thankful for the quick thinking and skill of an experienced birth team.
One minute your heart is racing, and the next you're watching two parents completely fall in love with the little girl they've been waiting so long to meet.
Welcome to the world, sweet Kira. 💕🌈
