41 Hours Strong: A Home Birth to Hospital Transfer Story
A Birth Story in Hours: Joshua Moon’s Journey
Hour 1: The First Signs
1:00 AM — A gentle buzz lights up my phone. It’s Alexandra. On her due date, contractions have begun. As her birth photographer and doula, I remind her to rest while her body finds its rhythm. The journey has begun.
Hours 1–5: Early Labor
Alexandra drifts between sleep and sensation, listening inward. At 5:00 AM, something shifts — her voice tells me everything I need to know. With over an hour’s drive ahead and this being her fourth baby, I head out.
Hour 6: First Light
6:30 AM — I arrive at her home in Mascotte, alongside David and his student midwife from Tree of Life Birth & Gynecology. Soft golden sunlight spills into the bedroom where Alexandra rests with her youngest. Her baby’s heart tones are strong, and contractions are doing their own quiet, irregular work.
Hours 7–18: The Labor Dance
As a doula and photographer, I move between offering support and documenting the unfolding of her story:
• Shifting positions to help the baby descend
• Walking beneath the soft Florida sky
• Gentle hip circles on the birth ball
• Quiet pauses between waves, captured in stillness
We settle into the rhythm. This is the work of birth — slow, sacred, and strong.
The Turning Point
As the sun begins to set, her waters release on their own. Night falls once again, bringing progress and challenge. Alexandra reaches 8cm, but her contractions begin to space out. Her body is working hard, but something isn’t aligning.
Hour 27: A Brave Decision
After 27 hours at home, Alexandra makes an empowered choice: it’s time to transfer. The hour-long drive to AdventHealth Altamonte Springs marks a change in both setting and plan — but not in her strength.
Hours 28–40: Rest, Resolve, and Resilience
• An epidural offers long-needed rest
• Pitocin encourages a stronger pattern
• Joshua shows signs of stress
• And still — 14 more hours at 8cm
Hour 41: The Moment Arrives
7:35 PM — On February 2nd, 2024, Joshua Moon Nave is born via cesarean birth. The mystery is revealed: his umbilical cord, tightly wrapped around his body, had quietly guided the entire labor’s course.
The First Golden Hour
In the glow of recovery, their bond begins. Skin to skin, Joshua finds his way to the breast, surrounded by his parents’ love and gentle guidance. His journey earthside begins in warmth, peace, and strength.
A Note on Birth Photography
Supporting and documenting a 41-hour birth requires more than a camera — it calls for presence, patience, and reverence for the unfolding path. From the warm light of Alexandra’s home to the sterile brightness of the OR, every environment became a chapter in Joshua’s story — one of strength, surrender, and love.
To Alexandra
Your strength through every contraction, your trust in your instincts, and your unwavering love for your baby define courage. Thank you for letting me walk beside you — as your doula, your photographer, and your witness. This story will always stay with me.
