A Name from the Past, a Light for the Future: Lucille’s Birth Story | Augusta, GA Birth Photographer
“I'm a 26-year-old stay-at-home mom of 2 and I love being a mom! Bringing these special spirits into the world and having the opportunity to teach them and love them is such a blessing. I love seeing them learn and grow as they explore the world around them!”
Lucille is baby number two for this sweet mama, but the first girl in the family—and the joy of welcoming her into their lives is written all over the story of her birth. Born just 21 months after her big brother, she’s already set up to be his best friend and lifelong adventure buddy.
Lucille’s name is an heirloom of sorts—passed down from her great-great-grandmother, “I never met her, but I've heard some stories about her and I'm very close with my grandpa, her son. He is one of my favorite people in the whole world, so I know she did an incredible job raising him. So that says a lot about who she was as a person and as a mother! Plus, my husband and I really like old-fashioned names that aren't overly common, and we felt like this name fit our daughter perfectly.”
It’s a name rooted in strength and love, much like the little girl who now carries it. Fittingly, the name Lucille means light—a symbol of brilliance and illumination—which feels all the more special for this family. Her name not only honors the past, but also shines hope and warmth into their future.
As her due date approached, Mama was more than ready to meet her baby. With hopeful thoughts (and pineapple, dates, curb walks, and birth ball bouncing galore), she waited patiently—and then not-so-patiently—for signs of labor. “I had lots of false labor and labor-like symptoms. So when I continued to wake up the next day with no more signs of labor, I would get more and more discouraged.”
The plan was an induction a few days after her due date, but like many mamas at 40+ weeks, those last few days felt endless. Each morning she woke up still pregnant brought fresh waves of frustration. And let’s not forget the well-meaning check-in texts from family and friends—sweet, yes, but also a reminder that baby girl had her own timeline.
On the morning of the induction, just when things were about to get started, a call from the hospital brought more waiting. No room yet. But by midmorning, the call came: “Come in.” Relief and excitement replaced the waiting game—and it was finally go time.
Labor began gently with Cytotec, but Mama’s body knew what to do. Contractions picked up quickly on their own, and before long, she was in the rhythm of labor. With her husband by her side and a birth ball to help her through early waves, she powered through each moment with calm and strength. Though she received an epidural, things didn’t go quite as expected—it didn’t fully take, and she felt the intensity of her contractions as labor progressed.
“At one point, I was turned on my side and couldn't really feel them at all; the machine that measures contractions wasn't picking them up either, so they decided to start me on Pitocin to get things moving again. They changed my position so I was sitting up and gave me Pitocin. I started feeling really intense contractions almost immediately after that.”
Still, she held off from adding more medication, wanting to stay in tune with her body and feel when it was time to push. It was painful, yes, but also empowering.
"This contraction will only last a minute and I can do anything for a minute,"
"This contraction is bringing me closer to meeting my baby," and
"My body was made for this," she reminded herself, and with each one, she leaned on her breath, her affirmations, her husband’s hand—and her faith.
“My husband was with me in labor and thank goodness! He was my rock and was whatever I needed him to be at different stages of labor. He helped with counterpressure when contractions were making my hips and back hurt. He held my hand when I needed something to squeeze or because I needed the support. He reassured me when I felt scared and helped me to breathe. He even held a bag as I vomited into it.
That's true love I think.”
After about 10 hours of labor and just 10–15 minutes of pushing, Lucille made her entrance at 8lbs 13oz and 21 inches long. Her cord was gently wrapped around her neck, and she came out with a purple hue that gave Mama a moment of panic. But the room remained calm, and soon Lucille cried—
“Hearing that first cry is such a relief and is so beautiful.”
The moment Lucille was placed on her mama’s chest, time stood still.
“Having her on my chest and holding her for the first time was just magical.”
The room, the staff, the pain—all faded away as she took in her daughter’s tiny face. “I couldn't even tell you what was going on around us because all of that just melted away and all that mattered was her.” And while the emotions were huge—love, gratitude, awe—there was also a quiet moment of “Wow… I’m a mom of two now.” A little overwhelming, a lot beautiful.
Dad was right there, just as supportive in the delivery room as he was every moment leading up to it. He joked about whose nose Lucille would have—Mama’s or his— “I remember us laughing that her little button nose is another copy of my husband's--I love it.”
Their toddler wasn’t quite sure what to think when he came to visit the next day. He didn’t want to hold her just yet, but he did point out that she was there and say “baby!”—a small but sweet moment of big brother love beginning to bloom.
Reflecting back, Mama says she learned just how strong she is. “I did not expect the epidural to not work. I'm glad it happened though, because now I know for the next time that it may or may not work and that I should expect the unexpected! I can plan as much as possible, but things might not go to plan. But it will all work out in the end! And it will be a beautiful experience no matter what.”
“The best part of my birth experience, apart from getting my daughter out of it, I think was having my husband there. I feel like our relationship has grown stronger since then. Going through such a difficult experience, but knowing that I could rely on him and having him there to support me was such a blessing. It shows me that he will be there no matter what and no matter how hard things get.
“And for him, I think he got to see how strong I can be. We both grew closer to each other through this experience.”
“I definitely learned how strong I can be through this experience.”
“I learned that I can keep calm even when facing something scary and painful.”
“And I learned that I can't do those things without my support system--my friends, my husband, and especially my Savior Jesus Christ.
“There were multiple times during labor that I just felt like I couldn't keep going and I didn't know how I would be able to stand one more contraction. I would say a silent prayer begging for help and the scripture Philippians 4:13 kept coming to my mind:
‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’“
Lucille’s birth wasn’t exactly what she planned—but it was beautiful. It was calm and raw, empowering and emotional. It was her story, her daughter’s story. And now, it’s just the beginning.”
