In a Matter of Minutes

What happens when labor moves faster than your mind can process it?Most expectant parents prepare for labor to last hours. Jessy Beaulieu learned firsthand what happens when birth unfolds in a matter of minutes.In this candid narrative nonfiction memoir, Jessy recounts her experiences with precipitous labor, an unusually rapid labor and delivery, and the fear, intensity, confusion, humor, and vulnerability surrounding her children's births. She describes the moments before delivery, the rush of medical decisions, the physical aftermath, and the emotional weight that can remain after everyone else believes the danger has passed.In a Matter of Minutes goes beyond the idea that a short labor is simply an easy labor. Through deeply personal storytelling, Jessy explores how quickly a mother can lose her sense of control, why preparation and self-advocacy matter, and how birth experiences can continue shaping confidence, recovery, and motherhood long after leaving the hospital.Written in a direct, conversational voice, this book offers recognition to readers who have experienced an unexpectedly fast or traumatic delivery and insight for those who love and support them. It also helps expectant parents understand a birth experience that is often overlooked in traditional pregnancy conversations.This is Jessy's story, not a medical guide. It is an honest account of what happened, what she wishes she had known, and why speaking openly about precipitous labor may help another mother feel more informed, understood, and less alone.Ideal for expectant parents, mothers recovering from difficult birth experiences, partners, families, doulas, childbirth educators, and readers of women's health and motherhood memoirs.