Sadie’s birth was a bit complicated. My original birth plan was a water birth at home, surrounded by my closest family.

But I have Bipolar 1 Disorder and I am treated with lithium. Lithium can be very harmful to babies during pregnancy and during delivery. Even if you manage to dodge potential heart defects during pregnancy, lithium babies often have significantly lower Apgar scores as well as a host of neuromuscular and respiratory complications immediately following delivery.

On top of all those concerns, Sadie’s last ultrasound at 36 weeks and 3 days revealed a possible obstruction in her bowels, which would require a pediatrics team to be present at her birth to whisk her away to NICU.

Because of all these concerns, with the expert guidance of our amazing midwife, Hannah Howell from the Cochrane-based Shifra Centre for Wellness, we decided on a hospital birth at Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary. Due to multiple complications near the end of my pregnancy, we also entered into a shared-care arrangement with Obstetrician Dr. Paul Henning from Chrysalis Obstetrics & Gynaecology.

Now that I’ve thrown you all those names and details, you will understand why there are So many people in this video aside from Ryan and I present at Sadie’s birth. In the final thirty minutes of Sadie’s birth, I counted 10 people to my left and right in that delivery room, not including Ryan.

But that is my Favorite part of this video.

No matter how many people were in the room; how much fear we had been in prior to labour, and how much commotion was going on all around us-

all I heard was Ryan, and all I felt was Love.

Hope you enjoy the video, and for those of you wondering, the song is “I Won’t Let Go” by Rascal Flatts.

XO, Em