I met Christina in her house in mid-March. She and her fiance, Drew, were expecting their first baby together and Drew had an 8-year old from a previous marriage. I immediately sensed the love between them and could tell they were very supportive of one another. Throughout the two prenatal visits, we discussed their hopes for the upcoming birth. They had taken the natural childbirth class and were very much hoping for a drug-free delivery. Christina warned me that her family members had a history of rapid labors and her main fear was delivering too quickly- while en route to the hospital. I assured her that this was unlikely, especially given that this was her first baby.
The day before her due date, Christina called me...squeezing out words between contractions. Her membranes had ruptured, contractions were becoming regular and she was on her way to the hospital. Soon I had gathered my doula bag together and was on my way to meet up for the main event.
I found Christina laying on the bed in the triage area, Drew beside her on a chair. The midwife had checked her about a half hour prior and she was 1-2cm. She looked up with sweat dripping down her brow and told me that she was exhausted and in pain. I quickly got to work getting her out of bed so that she could labor upright and encourage the baby down. The nurse came in and warned us that they were having an extremely busy day in Labor and Delivery and that no real labor rooms would be available anytime soon. So, we made the most of our tiny space in the triage area. Christina labored standing, leaning onto the counter and rocking back and forth. She sat on a birthing ball and rocked side to side as she held onto the foot of the bed. She sat in the bed, laid in the bed, and breathed like a champion. She was doing an excellent job, very focused, and determined. The one setback to the focus was the vomiting that occurred for about a half hour. I assured her that this was a good sign- vomiting often signals that you are rounding a corner in labor and that great progress is occurring. She handled it and moved on and although she was tired, she did not request pain medication once.
About three hours into the labor, we were still in triage, going through our routine when a medical resident walked in. She introduced herself and explained that all of the midwives were assisting deliveries at the moment and that she would take care of Christina until the midwives were available. Christina's body tensed and although she did not verbalize her anxiety, it was clear that she was upset at the thought of not being attended by a midwife for her birthing. When the doctor left the room, Christina went back to her steady breaths and position changes. We barely had anyone coming into the room to check on us throughout the 5 hours we spent in the triage area. The nurse had 5 other patients she was caring for and knew that Christina was doing well so we were pretty much left alone...which was great.
Between hours 4 and 5 Christina began to feel pressure. I called in the nurse who called in the doctor who checked Christina's cervix- 9.5cm! Christina had not been joking about the fast labors in her family. Going from 1cm to almost 10cm in 4 hours with your first baby is so quick. The nurse began to realize that she'd better move us to a labor room quickly or Christina was going to push this baby out in triage. Luckily they found a room and 15 minutes later we were being run down the hallway.
Almost immediately upon entering the labor room, the Anesthesiologist stepped in and nearly scared Christina to death. He was explaining the procedure for an epidural to Christina (even though she was still adamantly against getting an epidural) and mentioned the words "in the event of a c-section". Christina shot up out of bed and said "WHAT? I need a c-section?" Luckily I was right next to her and assured her that she did NOT need a c-section and that she was doing a fantastic job and would deliver her baby naturally very soon. I think the doctor got the hint at that point that no pain meds would be needed and he left the room.
A midwife then stepped in and began gowning up for the delivery (she had just finished catching another baby and was available to take over for the medical resident, just in time). She checked Christina again and noticed that there was still a lip of cervix. Christina went through 30 minutes of agonizing rocking on her hands and knees to get rid of that lip of cervix while resisting the urge to push. She did an amazing job.
Finally she was given the go-ahead to push. Each time she pushed she made great progress and in less than an hour the baby's head was poking out. Unfortunately the baby was having decels on the monitor (his heart rate was dropping) so an attending OB/GYN came in to assess the scene and see if she would need to intervene. The midwife told Christina she had to push with everything she had so that they would not have to use a vacuum or forceps. That next push, baby Joshua entered the world. A beautiful 8lb baby with a full head of black curls. Within the hour he was breastfeeding and the room was transformed from a stressful labor scene to a serene mother-baby bonding session. As I left the labor room, Christina said to me "thank you so much, Kat. you're going to make an amazing midwife." I welled up as I thought about Joshua's beautiful birth and the many many births to come in my midwifery career.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Midwives Midwives Everywhere!
Today was a day full of wonderful midwives. After class today we were invited to a reception to welcome Holly Powell Kennedy, CNM, PhD to the Yale School of Nursing Faculty. Holly is one of the lead researchers in the world on normal birth and is just beginning here at Yale. She is the first Helen Varney endowed professor at YSN and it seems like she has wonderful things in store for us, including starting a birth center at Yale New Haven Hospital!
It was wonderful to be at her reception, surrounded by midwives and future midwives. Immediately following, the students were invited to a midwifery potluck hosted by the second years. There were about 45 student midwives there and it was both exciting and inspirational to meet everyone and see what brought each person into this career path.
I feel very lucky to be in this place surrounded by people who inspire me and make me feel at home in my chosen life path.
It was wonderful to be at her reception, surrounded by midwives and future midwives. Immediately following, the students were invited to a midwifery potluck hosted by the second years. There were about 45 student midwives there and it was both exciting and inspirational to meet everyone and see what brought each person into this career path.
I feel very lucky to be in this place surrounded by people who inspire me and make me feel at home in my chosen life path.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Becoming a Midwife, the beginning
After a whirlwind summer that went by far too fast, I find myself here, at Yale University studying to be a Nurse-Midwife. The first two weeks of my program have come and gone in a blur. A blur of activity, of meeting new people and of learning new things at an unnatural rate.
The people are wonderful, the fellow aspiring midwives are fun and kind and engaging and everyone has an interesting story to tell. We are all dying to do birth-related activities but the first year we will barely talk about catching babies. The first year we will learn to be nurses. Next week I will begin working on the adult cardiac unit at a local hospital. It will be quite the transition from working with laboring mothers. However, it is all part of the process of getting to where I want to go.
At some point, perhaps today, perhaps another day when I have less work to do, I must post my last few doula birth stories. They were wonderful and deserve to be told before I forget the details.
As my new adventure in nursing school begins, I must remember to take it all in and not get bogged down by the workload. I can easily become tense when I think too far into the future...I need to let things come as they will.
The people are wonderful, the fellow aspiring midwives are fun and kind and engaging and everyone has an interesting story to tell. We are all dying to do birth-related activities but the first year we will barely talk about catching babies. The first year we will learn to be nurses. Next week I will begin working on the adult cardiac unit at a local hospital. It will be quite the transition from working with laboring mothers. However, it is all part of the process of getting to where I want to go.
At some point, perhaps today, perhaps another day when I have less work to do, I must post my last few doula birth stories. They were wonderful and deserve to be told before I forget the details.
As my new adventure in nursing school begins, I must remember to take it all in and not get bogged down by the workload. I can easily become tense when I think too far into the future...I need to let things come as they will.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
May is Natural Childbirth Month!
The last 8 days have been filled with wonderful, natural childbirth. I just returned home from the hospital where one of my clients gave birth to an adorable 7lb 7oz baby girl. Mom and her husband were so thrilled with the new addition to their family. It was beautiful to watch both of them admire their little girl with tears in their eyes.
Just 8 days ago I witnessed another fantastic natural childbirth of a sweet baby boy. And Shana had her all-natural VBAC 2 weeks prior to that.
More to come on the birth stories of these strong moms, supportive partners and beautiful babies.
Just 8 days ago I witnessed another fantastic natural childbirth of a sweet baby boy. And Shana had her all-natural VBAC 2 weeks prior to that.
More to come on the birth stories of these strong moms, supportive partners and beautiful babies.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Mother's Day VBAC
Mother's Day began slowly. A nice long sleep followed by lounging and breakfast-making. Just as I was leaving the house to go to my favorite cafe, my phone rang. It was Tom, husband of Shana, my first May client.
Shana's first birth experience had been traumatic, a c-section that she felt had been completely unnecessary. She felt as though she had no control over the decisions made during the birth of her first baby and was determined to have a different experience this time around. When I met Shana at the hospital an hour later, she was very controlled through her contractions. She was easily talking in between them and could breathe through every one. I was concerned that she was not very far along and that she would be disappointed when the midwife checked her cervix. In her ideal world she wanted to labor at home until late active labor but her husband was too worried that she would deliver the baby in the home if they waited.
When the midwife checked her, she was 1-2cm. Shana immediately got up and said--ok, I'm going home. The midwife suggested that Shana, Tom and I take a walk outside, grab food, and come back mid-afternoon. We thought that was a great plan but things quickly changed. The nurse took Shana's blood pressure and it was way too high. Darn. Back to the bed, no walking around until the BP went way down.
Although Shana changed positions on the bed, she was really much more comfortable when standing. When we were moved to the official L&D room, her BP had gone down enough so that she was allowed to stand and sway during contractions. I applied firm counterpressure during the contractions and her husband helped to keep the baby's heart rate on the monitor (she had continuous EFM because she was a VBAC and had high BP). This went on for a couple of hours until I suggested she get on the birth ball. After settling down on it, she really found relief from the way it was opening her up. Soon it was mid-afternoon and the midwife wanted to check her again. As the midwife checked Shana's cervix she smiled and said: "guess how many centimeters you are, Shana". Shana said 5-6 and to our delight the midwife informed us that she was 7cm, 100% effaced and the baby was nice and low. Phew. The VBAC was well on its way!
Shana went back and forth between the birthing ball and standing and swaying for the next hour or so. Soon the contractions began to intensify and although Shana was still very focused and breathing beautifully, she was definitely getting more uncomfortable. I suggested she get up onto the bed on her knees. We raised the head of the bed and she draped her arms and rested her head on the top of the bed. She was starting to contort her face during contractions and I tried to get her to relax her facial muscles and gently rubbed her head when she scrunched up.
Maybe an hour later she felt "pressure" for the first time. She said to wait to get the midwife, so we continued with our routine for another forty minutes. The midwife came in and re-checked Shana. Fully dilated! A new midwife was on-call and she was wonderful. She gave Shana great hints on how to breathe during pushing and how to rest between pushes. Shana's husband really got into gear at that point and was so sweet and supportive. He looked into her eyes and held her head gently in his hands. Shana pushed on her side for about thirty minutes until the cutest baby girl entered the world. Mom looked at baby and said "Hi beautiful" and the baby looked longingly up at mom. Soon they were beginning to breastfeed and getting to know each other. I felt so happy knowing that Shana had a wonderful, natural, empowering second birthing experience.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Spring is here!
As I biked to work this morning I couldn't help but smile. Spring is truly here and it is wonderful to be outside enjoying it.
With all of the excitement of the new season also comes the excitement of new babies. I have three clients due to deliver in May and each seem to be taking their time. Hopefully they all do not decide to deliver on the same day!
Each of these clients is so different and I am eager to see how their childbirth experiences play out. I know they will each be great moms. Two are first-time moms and one is a second-time mom. My second-time mom is going for a VBAC. She is a very strong lady and I know she can do it as long as she listens to her body. She had a traumatic first birthing experience (she has a heart condition and the Drs panicked and did an emergency c-section even though she was already 8cms and she and baby were doing fine!) I'm hoping I can help her have a much better birthing this time around. If any of you have VBAC tips, please share :)
My two first time moms are also very different. One of them wants to know everything about pregnancy and childbirth and early infant care. She and her husband have read books, articles, pamphlets, and taken the Natural Childbirth Class together. The other mom has more of the "my body will know what to do attitude" and has not opened a book (although she and her partner did take a childbirth class). Both are VERY excited to be mommas.
It should be an exciting month! Maybe this weekend one of the little ones will enter the world...
With all of the excitement of the new season also comes the excitement of new babies. I have three clients due to deliver in May and each seem to be taking their time. Hopefully they all do not decide to deliver on the same day!
Each of these clients is so different and I am eager to see how their childbirth experiences play out. I know they will each be great moms. Two are first-time moms and one is a second-time mom. My second-time mom is going for a VBAC. She is a very strong lady and I know she can do it as long as she listens to her body. She had a traumatic first birthing experience (she has a heart condition and the Drs panicked and did an emergency c-section even though she was already 8cms and she and baby were doing fine!) I'm hoping I can help her have a much better birthing this time around. If any of you have VBAC tips, please share :)
My two first time moms are also very different. One of them wants to know everything about pregnancy and childbirth and early infant care. She and her husband have read books, articles, pamphlets, and taken the Natural Childbirth Class together. The other mom has more of the "my body will know what to do attitude" and has not opened a book (although she and her partner did take a childbirth class). Both are VERY excited to be mommas.
It should be an exciting month! Maybe this weekend one of the little ones will enter the world...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Another Beautiful Baby
One of my clients delivered her first child this weekend :)
A sweet baby boy was born via c-section after 54 hours of labor. Mom was such a trooper, completely determined throughout the whole process. Although the c/s was unplanned, everything went well and both mom and baby are doing fantastic.
there's really nothing that compares to watching a momma see her baby for the first time. amazing.
A sweet baby boy was born via c-section after 54 hours of labor. Mom was such a trooper, completely determined throughout the whole process. Although the c/s was unplanned, everything went well and both mom and baby are doing fantastic.
there's really nothing that compares to watching a momma see her baby for the first time. amazing.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
I want the epidural...NOW
Gloria called me when she was 37 weeks pregnant. When she called I was hesitant to be her doula because I had a client whose due date was very close to hers and I was afraid they would overlap. Then, I thought, what are the chances they would really deliver on the same day??
I went to Gloria's house a few days after her initial phone call and immediately liked her. She was young and full of energy and a very warm person. She had already been through a lot, having decided to keep the baby despite her boyfriend threatening to break up with her if she did. She decided that she would rather keep her baby and be single than terminate the pregnancy. Luckily she had the strong support of her family and she was at peace with her decision.
When I asked her about the pain relief techniques she wanted to employ during labor she assured me that she had an extremely high pain tolerance and would not need to use any drugs. I said, "great" and we went about discussing natural birthing methods.
Just a few days later, mere hours after my other client delivered her baby(!), Gloria called me. She thought her water had broken and she was definitely noticing mucus. I asked her if the fluid had been clear and she said it was. Although she was not experiencing any contractions, she was feeling anxious and I told her to call the midwives and chat about her options and then call me back. When she called back a couple of hours later, she was headed to the hospital but still not having any regular contractions. I told her to give me a call when she was admitted and let me know how things were progressing. A few hours later I got a call from a very different-sounding Gloria. She told me to come as soon as I could...these contractions were getting tough. Twenty minutes later (at 4:30am) I was at her bedside encouraging her to breathe. She was BEGGING for pain medication. I reminded her of her former desire for natural childbirth...she would have none of it. After much encouraging we tried getting up and walking. Then the shower. Finally the birth ball. Through all of this she was begging for pain medication...and she was only 3cm. Her midwives, her mother and I really tried but ultimately, she knew what she wanted. Because the baby's heart rate was a bit irregular, she was discouraged from using Nubain and instead opted for the epidural.
Gloria was the old Gloria again after the epidural. She was bright, enthusiastic and even cracking jokes. After a bit she fell asleep and I took her mother down to the cafeteria to get some breakfast. Gloria was in and out of sleep for the next three hours... She was a happy lady. When she awoke around 1pm we talked for awhile and she was beginning to feel pressure. When the midwife checked her shortly thereafter she was almost fully dilated. Since she had the epidural we decided to wait a bit before encouraging pushing but Gloria was told not to push the button for more pain medication so that she could regain some feeling before pushing. About an hour later the midwife came in again to survey the scene. It seemed like Gloria was really getting ready to push. Gloria's mother was on her left, I was on her right, the nurse was setting up all of the birthing supplies and the midwife wedged herself right in between all of us. It was a great group of women. We were all speaking a mixture of Spanish and English and generally having a great time. Gloria was a great pusher (and was joking around between pushes) and a half hour later Jack was born. He was ADORABLE. Just a little over 6lbs with a full head of black hair. He even latched on right away. All of us were immediately in love with the little guy...especially his grandma. She was smitten. I think she called fifty people in the next half hour. There was such a wonderful energy in the room and everyone was genuinely thrilled that the birthing had gone so well. The midwife left to take care of another patient and said "hey ladies, thanks for the party" on her way out.
The experience with Gloria taught me to really listen to my clients and realize that even if they didn't want an epidural beforehand, they may and can change their minds. And sometimes it ends up being the best thing for them. Everyone's experience is so different, and you just have to adapt to the changing needs of each person. I was also enamored with the power of an all-woman birthing room. It was really a beautiful group and I felt honored to be a part of it.
I went to Gloria's house a few days after her initial phone call and immediately liked her. She was young and full of energy and a very warm person. She had already been through a lot, having decided to keep the baby despite her boyfriend threatening to break up with her if she did. She decided that she would rather keep her baby and be single than terminate the pregnancy. Luckily she had the strong support of her family and she was at peace with her decision.
When I asked her about the pain relief techniques she wanted to employ during labor she assured me that she had an extremely high pain tolerance and would not need to use any drugs. I said, "great" and we went about discussing natural birthing methods.
Just a few days later, mere hours after my other client delivered her baby(!), Gloria called me. She thought her water had broken and she was definitely noticing mucus. I asked her if the fluid had been clear and she said it was. Although she was not experiencing any contractions, she was feeling anxious and I told her to call the midwives and chat about her options and then call me back. When she called back a couple of hours later, she was headed to the hospital but still not having any regular contractions. I told her to give me a call when she was admitted and let me know how things were progressing. A few hours later I got a call from a very different-sounding Gloria. She told me to come as soon as I could...these contractions were getting tough. Twenty minutes later (at 4:30am) I was at her bedside encouraging her to breathe. She was BEGGING for pain medication. I reminded her of her former desire for natural childbirth...she would have none of it. After much encouraging we tried getting up and walking. Then the shower. Finally the birth ball. Through all of this she was begging for pain medication...and she was only 3cm. Her midwives, her mother and I really tried but ultimately, she knew what she wanted. Because the baby's heart rate was a bit irregular, she was discouraged from using Nubain and instead opted for the epidural.
Gloria was the old Gloria again after the epidural. She was bright, enthusiastic and even cracking jokes. After a bit she fell asleep and I took her mother down to the cafeteria to get some breakfast. Gloria was in and out of sleep for the next three hours... She was a happy lady. When she awoke around 1pm we talked for awhile and she was beginning to feel pressure. When the midwife checked her shortly thereafter she was almost fully dilated. Since she had the epidural we decided to wait a bit before encouraging pushing but Gloria was told not to push the button for more pain medication so that she could regain some feeling before pushing. About an hour later the midwife came in again to survey the scene. It seemed like Gloria was really getting ready to push. Gloria's mother was on her left, I was on her right, the nurse was setting up all of the birthing supplies and the midwife wedged herself right in between all of us. It was a great group of women. We were all speaking a mixture of Spanish and English and generally having a great time. Gloria was a great pusher (and was joking around between pushes) and a half hour later Jack was born. He was ADORABLE. Just a little over 6lbs with a full head of black hair. He even latched on right away. All of us were immediately in love with the little guy...especially his grandma. She was smitten. I think she called fifty people in the next half hour. There was such a wonderful energy in the room and everyone was genuinely thrilled that the birthing had gone so well. The midwife left to take care of another patient and said "hey ladies, thanks for the party" on her way out.
The experience with Gloria taught me to really listen to my clients and realize that even if they didn't want an epidural beforehand, they may and can change their minds. And sometimes it ends up being the best thing for them. Everyone's experience is so different, and you just have to adapt to the changing needs of each person. I was also enamored with the power of an all-woman birthing room. It was really a beautiful group and I felt honored to be a part of it.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Hypnobirthing
So this Saturday evening I had a hypnobirthing session with one of my clients who is due in a couple of weeks. It was pretty darn cool and I'm hoping we can use it for this birthing. If anyone has any hypnobirthing success stories or tips, please share them! I've had one other client who wanted to go the hypnobirthing route but her baby ended up being breech so she couldn't use it.
When I talk to people (non-doulas) about hypnobirthing they are SUPER skeptical. Pain-free birth? It seems inconceivable to some but I hope it works out. People often have the wrong idea when you mention hypnosis. It's not like some weirdo guy waving a clock in front of your eyes and bringing you into a trance, it's more just eliminating fear from the birthing process and going inward...giving into the power of your labor and breathing through it. We shall see. I will be sure to report how it goes.
When I talk to people (non-doulas) about hypnobirthing they are SUPER skeptical. Pain-free birth? It seems inconceivable to some but I hope it works out. People often have the wrong idea when you mention hypnosis. It's not like some weirdo guy waving a clock in front of your eyes and bringing you into a trance, it's more just eliminating fear from the birthing process and going inward...giving into the power of your labor and breathing through it. We shall see. I will be sure to report how it goes.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Hope
A story about Hope:
Hope was referred to me by her midwife at around 32 weeks gestation. I met Hope and her husband Henry at their cute apartment and immediately liked the feel of the place and of the couple. I was relieved because we had an awkward initial phone conversation and I was afraid we wouldn't have good doula-client chemistry but luckily, in person things were different. She was so excited to be pregnant and really glowed like only a pregnant woman can. She definitely spread her wonderful pregnancy energy to me and asked really good questions. Hope reminded me of my vision of a flower child, definitely a free spirit and very artistic. As we sipped herbal tea and talked birthing I took note of how much I love this job.
I met Hope and Henry another time before their birthing and we had a delicious vegetarian soup and some homemade cookies I had brought over. Hope told me that she had gained 5lbs in the past week which surprised her but we agreed it was probably just water weight. Less than a week later we were reunited, this time at the hospital where she was very clearly in active labor. Henry had called me an hour before to say that Hope had actually been in labor all day (and worked a full 8 hours at her job!) but she had been denying it to herself (and others) up to this point. She was quickly admitted to L&D and when the midwife checked her she was already 6cm. As a first time mom we knew that this did not necessarily mean the baby was going to come anytime soon and we set about making Hope as comfortable as possible.
Through her contractions I encouraged her to stay upright to work with gravity and she did a great job of swaying back and forth, back and forth, with the force of each contraction. Things got intense a couple of hours later and she began asking for pain medication. I knew from talking to her prenatally that she was SO psyched about natural childbirth and I hoped that Henry and I could remind her of that. Sure enough I convinced her to get into the shower to use warm water to alleviate some of the pain and that worked pretty well. She stayed in the shower for over an hour and I stood right by her repeatedly saying "you've got this one, Hope, you've got this one" (later she told me how helpful my words had been). After she felt done with the shower she got onto the bed and the midwife checked her--she was fully dilated! Already exhausted, Hope was a trooper trying to push and was even convinced to get up on her hands and knees for two hours to push her little boy out. But her little boy would have NONE of it. Even though his mom was trying SO hard. After 2.5 hours the OB Resident came in and began talking C-section. I cringed. Over 20 hours of Natural laboring and then a c-section...ughhh. But when we watched the monitor and saw the baby's heart rate drop during contractions, we understood it was the right thing to do.
The anesthesiologist came in to give the epidural and Hope was having so much trouble sitting still and resisting the urge to push. Finally she was able to remain still sitting cross-legged and the doctor was very impressed with her flexibility (that's what yoga can do for you!) After that Henry and I sat around and waited for a half hour while she was prepped for surgery. We were both allowed into the operating room and got to witness the birth of James, a 9lb12oz baby boy! Turns out he had been stuck! Because Hope was such a small lady, James just couldn't fit.
Although the recovery was a bit tough (When I went to the hospital to visit the next day, Hope was completely out of it) everything turned out fine and now James is a very healthy little man with two very proud parents. A month later I visited the family at their apartment and we talked about the birth experience and luckily Hope and Henry both had a positive memory of the experience. She HAD done natural childbirth up to the very last minute and that was something to be extremely proud of. And next time, she'll do it the whole time and she's already invited me to come along for birth journey number 2.
Have I mentioned that I love this couple?
Hope was referred to me by her midwife at around 32 weeks gestation. I met Hope and her husband Henry at their cute apartment and immediately liked the feel of the place and of the couple. I was relieved because we had an awkward initial phone conversation and I was afraid we wouldn't have good doula-client chemistry but luckily, in person things were different. She was so excited to be pregnant and really glowed like only a pregnant woman can. She definitely spread her wonderful pregnancy energy to me and asked really good questions. Hope reminded me of my vision of a flower child, definitely a free spirit and very artistic. As we sipped herbal tea and talked birthing I took note of how much I love this job.
I met Hope and Henry another time before their birthing and we had a delicious vegetarian soup and some homemade cookies I had brought over. Hope told me that she had gained 5lbs in the past week which surprised her but we agreed it was probably just water weight. Less than a week later we were reunited, this time at the hospital where she was very clearly in active labor. Henry had called me an hour before to say that Hope had actually been in labor all day (and worked a full 8 hours at her job!) but she had been denying it to herself (and others) up to this point. She was quickly admitted to L&D and when the midwife checked her she was already 6cm. As a first time mom we knew that this did not necessarily mean the baby was going to come anytime soon and we set about making Hope as comfortable as possible.
Through her contractions I encouraged her to stay upright to work with gravity and she did a great job of swaying back and forth, back and forth, with the force of each contraction. Things got intense a couple of hours later and she began asking for pain medication. I knew from talking to her prenatally that she was SO psyched about natural childbirth and I hoped that Henry and I could remind her of that. Sure enough I convinced her to get into the shower to use warm water to alleviate some of the pain and that worked pretty well. She stayed in the shower for over an hour and I stood right by her repeatedly saying "you've got this one, Hope, you've got this one" (later she told me how helpful my words had been). After she felt done with the shower she got onto the bed and the midwife checked her--she was fully dilated! Already exhausted, Hope was a trooper trying to push and was even convinced to get up on her hands and knees for two hours to push her little boy out. But her little boy would have NONE of it. Even though his mom was trying SO hard. After 2.5 hours the OB Resident came in and began talking C-section. I cringed. Over 20 hours of Natural laboring and then a c-section...ughhh. But when we watched the monitor and saw the baby's heart rate drop during contractions, we understood it was the right thing to do.
The anesthesiologist came in to give the epidural and Hope was having so much trouble sitting still and resisting the urge to push. Finally she was able to remain still sitting cross-legged and the doctor was very impressed with her flexibility (that's what yoga can do for you!) After that Henry and I sat around and waited for a half hour while she was prepped for surgery. We were both allowed into the operating room and got to witness the birth of James, a 9lb12oz baby boy! Turns out he had been stuck! Because Hope was such a small lady, James just couldn't fit.
Although the recovery was a bit tough (When I went to the hospital to visit the next day, Hope was completely out of it) everything turned out fine and now James is a very healthy little man with two very proud parents. A month later I visited the family at their apartment and we talked about the birth experience and luckily Hope and Henry both had a positive memory of the experience. She HAD done natural childbirth up to the very last minute and that was something to be extremely proud of. And next time, she'll do it the whole time and she's already invited me to come along for birth journey number 2.
Have I mentioned that I love this couple?
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
New Client!
A couple of weeks ago I met a potential client and her husband at a tea shop in Harvard Square. I really liked her and was hoping that she would pick me to be her doula. I was a little concerned because it took her 2 weeks to contact me and I figured that she had picked someone else but I heard from her today and it looks like I'm going to be her doula! I'm very excited. I think she and I are going to work really well together and her husband seems super nice and laid back so that should be great. I think that my experience with her will be similar to my experience with Hope and her husband (whom I have yet to write about) and that was wonderful so I'm really looking forward to it. More to come :)
Friday, February 27, 2009
Marissa's (almost) Natural Childbirth
Marissa called me when she was 34 weeks pregnant with her second baby. Her first delivery had not gone the way that she had hoped and she REALLY wanted this delivery to be different. The problem was that she had NO supports for her birth. The father of her baby was incarcerated and she was not close to any family members in the area. She hoped that I could help her achieve a better birth experience this time around. When I met with her we discussed her previous delivery and why it had been so traumatic. Marissa explained the chain of events that led to the delivery of her son six years ago. Apparently her water had broken spontaneously but her contractions never began. Hours later she was advised to come into the hospital for a Pitocin augmentation. Every fifteen minutes the nurse would increase the Pitocin dosage and a few hours later she had such intense pain that she asked for demerol (although she had wanted a natural childbirth). Hours later she was still contracting and making little progress and the demerol was wearing off...that led to the epidural. The epidural futher slowed the labor and now she was unable to walk to bring the baby down faster...36 hours later she pushed out her baby boy. Although she was happy to have her son, she was so exhausted and drugged that she could not fully appreciate the moment and bond as much as she had hoped to. This time she wanted no Pitocin and no pain medication and hoped that I could help her stay strong throughout her natural childbirth journey.
A week later I met Marissa at her tiny apartment. She was clearly trying to make the best of an extremely poor living situation and I was immediately glad that I had agreed to be her doula for free. She really needed the help. Marissa introduced me to her 6-year old son Edward who was very outgoing and sweet. After seeing all of Edward's coloring books, Marissa and I got down to talking about her delivery and her hopes for the birth of her daughter.
I met with Marissa one more time before her delivery and we became very comfortable with one another. I could tell she really trusted me and was ready to work with me during her delivery. We talked about her concerns and her hopes for the delivery. We discussed her ideal birth and her worst-case scenarios. I baked her a bunch of cookies and she and Edward enjoyed those as he practiced his spelling homework with me. She said that she was more nervous this time around than her first delivery but she was ready to have her baby girl.
About a week later Marissa called me in the middle of the night. Her water had broken and she had just called the midwives at the hospital to see whether or not she should come in. The midwives told her to wait until she had contractions and to hydrate, eat and rest. I reassured her that this was the right thing to do and she agreed although I predicted that she would not be getting too much sleep that night. Sure enough when I called her at 9am the following morning she told me that she had only slept 1 hour the night before. There was just too much anticipation! She still wasn't having any contractions and I could tell she was nervous that this delivery would be like the last. I told her to walk around a lot and just try to get things moving and to call me when she was ready to go to the hospital. I was out shopping when she called at 1pm. She was frustrated. Still no contractions and the midwives were asking her to come into the hospital for a Pitocin augmentation. Over the phone I tried to reassure her that just because she was getting Pitocin did not mean this birth would be the same as her last. A bit before 3pm I arrived at the hospital where she had just been admitted. Her midwife had just checked her and said that she was 3cm and they wanted to start the Pitocin in the next 30 minutes. We both got settled and then the Pitocin drip started. Slow at first but increasing every 15 minutes. Luckily we were given a monitor with a remote tracker so we were able to walk around the labor floor to help move the labor along. We walked and walked and walked. Between walking she rocked in the rocking chair and I massaged her. She tried sitting or laying on the bed when she became really tired but the pain was much more intense when she was laying down. So we walked some more. The midwives and nurses switch shifts on the 7's so the new midwife came in around 7:15pm to check on Marissa. She said that things seemed to be progressing well but that she predicted we still had many more hours of labor left so she would come back around 2-3am to check her dilitation. I was surprised because it seemed to me that Marissa was entering transition and as a mulitp would probably deliver shortly thereafter. The midwife left the room and Marissa and I continued our routine...less walking now and more swaying during contractions. Marissa was very uncomfortable and said "I think I need the epidural." I reassured her that she was doing a wonderful job and she was doing everything she could for her baby. Although she asked a couple more times for the epidural, I could tell she didn't really want it. An hour later she said that she needed to go to the bathroom. I led her in there and asked "are you sure you don't have to push?" She said no, she was sure that she just needed to use the bathroom and I left her to it. Five minutes passed and I heard a yell from the bathroom, "the baby is coming OUT!" I got the nurse and the nurse got the midwife and we moved Marissa onto the bed just in time. Shaelyn was born a few minutes later pink and vigorous.
Marissa had done it. Shaelyn was born naturally (if you don't count the Pitocin) and I was so proud. I could tell she was pretty darn proud of herself too.
A week later I met Marissa at her tiny apartment. She was clearly trying to make the best of an extremely poor living situation and I was immediately glad that I had agreed to be her doula for free. She really needed the help. Marissa introduced me to her 6-year old son Edward who was very outgoing and sweet. After seeing all of Edward's coloring books, Marissa and I got down to talking about her delivery and her hopes for the birth of her daughter.
I met with Marissa one more time before her delivery and we became very comfortable with one another. I could tell she really trusted me and was ready to work with me during her delivery. We talked about her concerns and her hopes for the delivery. We discussed her ideal birth and her worst-case scenarios. I baked her a bunch of cookies and she and Edward enjoyed those as he practiced his spelling homework with me. She said that she was more nervous this time around than her first delivery but she was ready to have her baby girl.
About a week later Marissa called me in the middle of the night. Her water had broken and she had just called the midwives at the hospital to see whether or not she should come in. The midwives told her to wait until she had contractions and to hydrate, eat and rest. I reassured her that this was the right thing to do and she agreed although I predicted that she would not be getting too much sleep that night. Sure enough when I called her at 9am the following morning she told me that she had only slept 1 hour the night before. There was just too much anticipation! She still wasn't having any contractions and I could tell she was nervous that this delivery would be like the last. I told her to walk around a lot and just try to get things moving and to call me when she was ready to go to the hospital. I was out shopping when she called at 1pm. She was frustrated. Still no contractions and the midwives were asking her to come into the hospital for a Pitocin augmentation. Over the phone I tried to reassure her that just because she was getting Pitocin did not mean this birth would be the same as her last. A bit before 3pm I arrived at the hospital where she had just been admitted. Her midwife had just checked her and said that she was 3cm and they wanted to start the Pitocin in the next 30 minutes. We both got settled and then the Pitocin drip started. Slow at first but increasing every 15 minutes. Luckily we were given a monitor with a remote tracker so we were able to walk around the labor floor to help move the labor along. We walked and walked and walked. Between walking she rocked in the rocking chair and I massaged her. She tried sitting or laying on the bed when she became really tired but the pain was much more intense when she was laying down. So we walked some more. The midwives and nurses switch shifts on the 7's so the new midwife came in around 7:15pm to check on Marissa. She said that things seemed to be progressing well but that she predicted we still had many more hours of labor left so she would come back around 2-3am to check her dilitation. I was surprised because it seemed to me that Marissa was entering transition and as a mulitp would probably deliver shortly thereafter. The midwife left the room and Marissa and I continued our routine...less walking now and more swaying during contractions. Marissa was very uncomfortable and said "I think I need the epidural." I reassured her that she was doing a wonderful job and she was doing everything she could for her baby. Although she asked a couple more times for the epidural, I could tell she didn't really want it. An hour later she said that she needed to go to the bathroom. I led her in there and asked "are you sure you don't have to push?" She said no, she was sure that she just needed to use the bathroom and I left her to it. Five minutes passed and I heard a yell from the bathroom, "the baby is coming OUT!" I got the nurse and the nurse got the midwife and we moved Marissa onto the bed just in time. Shaelyn was born a few minutes later pink and vigorous.
Marissa had done it. Shaelyn was born naturally (if you don't count the Pitocin) and I was so proud. I could tell she was pretty darn proud of herself too.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Big News!
I am officially going to be a midwife!
Last weekend I received my acceptance letter for the Nurse-Midwifery program at Yale. I honestly could not believe it. I cried when I opened the letter and am still in a state of shock. It was the only school I applied to because I was not planning on applying to schools until next year (but Yale has no prerequisites so I figured I'd give it a shot).
I truly believe that I have found my calling and I am so fortunate to be able to pursue it so soon. In May of 2012 I will be a certified baby catcher. So cool :)
Last weekend I received my acceptance letter for the Nurse-Midwifery program at Yale. I honestly could not believe it. I cried when I opened the letter and am still in a state of shock. It was the only school I applied to because I was not planning on applying to schools until next year (but Yale has no prerequisites so I figured I'd give it a shot).
I truly believe that I have found my calling and I am so fortunate to be able to pursue it so soon. In May of 2012 I will be a certified baby catcher. So cool :)
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Rosa
Rosa was not your typical client.
One of the wonderful things about my research job is the opportunity to meet the amazing doctors and nurses who work with the babies at the Brigham who are born with conditions that make their new lives very difficult. These individuals are so compassionate and recently started a Palliative Care Program for the babies who may not survive past infancy because of a prenatally diagnosed condition. Back in October I contacted one of the Nurse Practitioners in the department of Maternal-Fetal medicine and offered my doula services for free for moms who are faced with delivering a baby with a known birth defect. She responded immediately that she had a mom due to deliver in the next few weeks that could really use the help of a doula.
Rosa was a 21 year-old woman from Puerto Rico who was pregnant with a baby diagnosed with Alobar Holoprosencephaly-- a severe brain malformation that is often fatal. Along with this difficult diagnosis, Rosa herself had a very difficult medical and family history. Because Rosa had a history of sexual abuse, severe depression and some learning disabilities the doctors and nurses were concerned with her ability to cope with the birth of a very sick infant. I was warned that she presented with a very flat affect and never laughed or cried. Admittedly this would be a tough client. I mulled it over for a day...would I be able to keep it together enough to help enhance this woman's birth experience?
The next day I agreed. I would help Rosa when she came into the hospital. It wasn't long. Three days later I was at her side in her birthing room. I was called when she was in active labor and her epidural had already been placed. She spoke only Spanish (and her nurse spoke no Spanish) so my initial job was to relay messages to her nurse--what she was feeling, was she comfortable, did she need anything, etc. Rosa and I chatted for awhile, she was very comfortable with her epidural and her boyfriend looked so worried and was not speaking at all (I think she was just so relieved she had someone to talk to). We even joked around a bit and to the great surprise of her nurse- I got her to laugh! After awhile she wanted to talk about the baby--would she be born alive? would she be able to hold her? what would the doctors do to help the baby? I tried my best to answer her questions but really I did not know what to say much of the time.
About two hours later tons of doctors and nurses were coming into the room. Specialists from fetal medicine, the neonatology team, ob/gyns and their interns, respiratory therapists, pediatricians... it got very crowded. Turns out the Spanish translator who was supposed to be present during the whole labor decided not to come in that day so that job fell on me. I translated for every specialist and every nurse while trying to stay focused on Rosa and her needs. To be honest it was exhausting and exhilarating all at once.
The baby's heart rate began to drop to the point where the doctors would have decided on a C-section in a normal case. Since this baby had such a poor prognosis, however, they decided to let mom labor longer than usual and really try for a vaginal delivery so that she could spend the next few days with her sick baby, not recovering from surgery. About an hour later mom was pushing. The special photographers also came into the delivery room to take pictures of the baby right after she was born in the event that she didn't live past the delivery room.
The pushing stage actually went very quickly and soon Rosa was the proud mother of Daniela, a 5lb8oz baby girl. Although Daniela did not cry immediately, the neonatology team took her over to the warmer and stimulated her for a minute and she let out a nice strong cry. As Daniela cried, I looked over at Rosa who also had tears streaming down her cheeks. I congratulated her on her beautiful baby and she sobbed intensely.
Sadly Daniela's strength did not hold up very long and she was unable to breathe without oxygen after ten minutes. The neonatologists asked me to confirm with Rosa that she wanted them to intubate the baby. After I explained the process of intubation to Rosa and assured her that it would not hurt Daniela, she agreed. After intubation Rosa was allowed thirty seconds with the baby on her chest. Just enough time to give her a kiss on the top of her little head.
The chaplain entered the delivery room and I translated the baptism of Daniela right there with dad by my side and Rosa still on the bed. It was a tearful baptism for all twenty of us in the room. Shortly thereafter, Daniela was put into an isolette and wheeled to the NICU.
The whole experience is one that I will never forget. It was the most intense experience of my life and I felt blessed to be a part of it. My heart goes out to Rosa and her family and my thoughts are always with Daniela who continues to live against the odds of medicine.
One of the wonderful things about my research job is the opportunity to meet the amazing doctors and nurses who work with the babies at the Brigham who are born with conditions that make their new lives very difficult. These individuals are so compassionate and recently started a Palliative Care Program for the babies who may not survive past infancy because of a prenatally diagnosed condition. Back in October I contacted one of the Nurse Practitioners in the department of Maternal-Fetal medicine and offered my doula services for free for moms who are faced with delivering a baby with a known birth defect. She responded immediately that she had a mom due to deliver in the next few weeks that could really use the help of a doula.
Rosa was a 21 year-old woman from Puerto Rico who was pregnant with a baby diagnosed with Alobar Holoprosencephaly-- a severe brain malformation that is often fatal. Along with this difficult diagnosis, Rosa herself had a very difficult medical and family history. Because Rosa had a history of sexual abuse, severe depression and some learning disabilities the doctors and nurses were concerned with her ability to cope with the birth of a very sick infant. I was warned that she presented with a very flat affect and never laughed or cried. Admittedly this would be a tough client. I mulled it over for a day...would I be able to keep it together enough to help enhance this woman's birth experience?
The next day I agreed. I would help Rosa when she came into the hospital. It wasn't long. Three days later I was at her side in her birthing room. I was called when she was in active labor and her epidural had already been placed. She spoke only Spanish (and her nurse spoke no Spanish) so my initial job was to relay messages to her nurse--what she was feeling, was she comfortable, did she need anything, etc. Rosa and I chatted for awhile, she was very comfortable with her epidural and her boyfriend looked so worried and was not speaking at all (I think she was just so relieved she had someone to talk to). We even joked around a bit and to the great surprise of her nurse- I got her to laugh! After awhile she wanted to talk about the baby--would she be born alive? would she be able to hold her? what would the doctors do to help the baby? I tried my best to answer her questions but really I did not know what to say much of the time.
About two hours later tons of doctors and nurses were coming into the room. Specialists from fetal medicine, the neonatology team, ob/gyns and their interns, respiratory therapists, pediatricians... it got very crowded. Turns out the Spanish translator who was supposed to be present during the whole labor decided not to come in that day so that job fell on me. I translated for every specialist and every nurse while trying to stay focused on Rosa and her needs. To be honest it was exhausting and exhilarating all at once.
The baby's heart rate began to drop to the point where the doctors would have decided on a C-section in a normal case. Since this baby had such a poor prognosis, however, they decided to let mom labor longer than usual and really try for a vaginal delivery so that she could spend the next few days with her sick baby, not recovering from surgery. About an hour later mom was pushing. The special photographers also came into the delivery room to take pictures of the baby right after she was born in the event that she didn't live past the delivery room.
The pushing stage actually went very quickly and soon Rosa was the proud mother of Daniela, a 5lb8oz baby girl. Although Daniela did not cry immediately, the neonatology team took her over to the warmer and stimulated her for a minute and she let out a nice strong cry. As Daniela cried, I looked over at Rosa who also had tears streaming down her cheeks. I congratulated her on her beautiful baby and she sobbed intensely.
Sadly Daniela's strength did not hold up very long and she was unable to breathe without oxygen after ten minutes. The neonatologists asked me to confirm with Rosa that she wanted them to intubate the baby. After I explained the process of intubation to Rosa and assured her that it would not hurt Daniela, she agreed. After intubation Rosa was allowed thirty seconds with the baby on her chest. Just enough time to give her a kiss on the top of her little head.
The chaplain entered the delivery room and I translated the baptism of Daniela right there with dad by my side and Rosa still on the bed. It was a tearful baptism for all twenty of us in the room. Shortly thereafter, Daniela was put into an isolette and wheeled to the NICU.
The whole experience is one that I will never forget. It was the most intense experience of my life and I felt blessed to be a part of it. My heart goes out to Rosa and her family and my thoughts are always with Daniela who continues to live against the odds of medicine.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
the client that wasn't
I know now that being a doula is all about being flexible. You have to be able to roll with whatever happens or you will become frustrated. Alicia's birthing (see previous entry) was not actually supposed to be my first doula experience. Even before meeting Alicia I had met with another young woman named Maria from Puerto Rico. Only 20 years old she was here with very little family support. She had an Aunt in the area and the rest of the family and the uninvolved father of the baby were back in Puerto Rico. She spoke no English and seemed pretty scared and overwhelmed by the whole prospect of birthing and raising a baby with limited supports (rightfully so!)
Her midwife suggested that she should have a doula with her during her birth experience to support her and help her express herself to her medical providers (who would most likely be only English-speaking). I gladly met with her and offered my services for free. Since I speak fluent Spanish the communication wasn't a problem but she still didn't seem 100% psyched about having a doula. I asked her if this was what she really wanted "si, si" she assured me. OK...
Over a week past her due date, I began to worry about how she was feeling. I knew that when I met her at 36 weeks she was already really anxious to get the baby out. I called her on the phone and she said that she was still pregnant and REALLY hoping to give birth that week. I again explained that she should call me at the onset of labor and give me a heads up when she was going to the hospital. She agreed.
Well...a few days later, I noticed her name on the hospital census (my other job involves working with the newborns at the hospital she was supposed to deliver at). She had given birth that morning! No call! I was shocked at first, then upset. I had put aside a lot of time to be there for her delivery (I had even skipped out on watching my boyfriend's marathon so that I could be in town in case she delivered). Then I went up to the post-partum floors to see her and the baby and get the story. I saw that little girl and melted. A beautiful 7lb baby looking so peaceful. Her mom apologized profusely for not calling---"everything just happened so fast! I was throwing up and I had no control over my body."
Birth can take us by surprise. I guess you just have to roll with it.
Her midwife suggested that she should have a doula with her during her birth experience to support her and help her express herself to her medical providers (who would most likely be only English-speaking). I gladly met with her and offered my services for free. Since I speak fluent Spanish the communication wasn't a problem but she still didn't seem 100% psyched about having a doula. I asked her if this was what she really wanted "si, si" she assured me. OK...
Over a week past her due date, I began to worry about how she was feeling. I knew that when I met her at 36 weeks she was already really anxious to get the baby out. I called her on the phone and she said that she was still pregnant and REALLY hoping to give birth that week. I again explained that she should call me at the onset of labor and give me a heads up when she was going to the hospital. She agreed.
Well...a few days later, I noticed her name on the hospital census (my other job involves working with the newborns at the hospital she was supposed to deliver at). She had given birth that morning! No call! I was shocked at first, then upset. I had put aside a lot of time to be there for her delivery (I had even skipped out on watching my boyfriend's marathon so that I could be in town in case she delivered). Then I went up to the post-partum floors to see her and the baby and get the story. I saw that little girl and melted. A beautiful 7lb baby looking so peaceful. Her mom apologized profusely for not calling---"everything just happened so fast! I was throwing up and I had no control over my body."
Birth can take us by surprise. I guess you just have to roll with it.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
My First Birth
Right after I finished doula training I sent out an email to all of the midwives at Brigham and Women's to offer my doula services for free for their patients. I didn't receive too many responses from the midwives at first and was a little bummed that they would not want to utilize my doula services. After all--I had just finished the doula training and was SO excited to go to my first birth.
A few weeks later I was at work when I received a call from Alicia (names of my clients will always be changed for their privacy). She explained to me that she was 39 weeks pregnant with her second baby and she had gotten my name and phone number from her midwife. A couple of minutes into the phone conversation I noticed that she was breathing heavily and pausing at times. Oh yes, she was having contractions.
Alicia explained that her husband was out of the country and that she was afraid that she would have to leave her 6-year-old home alone when she had to go to the hospital. Her mother was there with her for another few days but after that she would be all alone. Between what seemed to be intensifying contractions, she asked, "Will you be my doula?"
I tried to hold back my excitement and I told her that I would love to be her doula and I would help in any way that I could. About 8 hours later she called to tell me that she was headed to the hospital and I soon joined her there.
I entered the triage area of labor and delivery and immediately met Alicia's mother who was in the waiting area while her daughter was being admitted. Minutes later we were led into the triage room where Alicia was visibly contracting every four to five minutes. The contractions were extremely intense and sweat was beading along her hairline as she breathed through each one. I introduced myself and quickly got to work helping her get into more comfortable positions and coaching her through the breathing during contractions. Her mother and I made a dynamic team and together we were able to focus her on the ultimate goal and relieve some of her pain.
Alicia was amazingly strong and did not ask for pain medication once. She said more than once "Erica [the baby] is going to kill me" but never questioned her ability to labor naturally. Once we were moved into the official labor and delivery room, we had more space to move around and labor in upright positions. The labor progressed extremely rapidly and four hours later a very healthy 9lb5oz baby girl was born. I will never forget the intensity of the experience and how natural I felt helping a woman through labor. Although I had never been to a delivery before, I seemed to know exactly what to do to help Alicia achieve the birth experience she wanted. When her mother asked me how many labors I had been to after Erica was born, she was shocked when I told her this was my first one. Alicia's labor and Erica's birth truly confirmed that this was my calling. I couldn't wait to help with more deliveries.
A few weeks later I was at work when I received a call from Alicia (names of my clients will always be changed for their privacy). She explained to me that she was 39 weeks pregnant with her second baby and she had gotten my name and phone number from her midwife. A couple of minutes into the phone conversation I noticed that she was breathing heavily and pausing at times. Oh yes, she was having contractions.
Alicia explained that her husband was out of the country and that she was afraid that she would have to leave her 6-year-old home alone when she had to go to the hospital. Her mother was there with her for another few days but after that she would be all alone. Between what seemed to be intensifying contractions, she asked, "Will you be my doula?"
I tried to hold back my excitement and I told her that I would love to be her doula and I would help in any way that I could. About 8 hours later she called to tell me that she was headed to the hospital and I soon joined her there.
I entered the triage area of labor and delivery and immediately met Alicia's mother who was in the waiting area while her daughter was being admitted. Minutes later we were led into the triage room where Alicia was visibly contracting every four to five minutes. The contractions were extremely intense and sweat was beading along her hairline as she breathed through each one. I introduced myself and quickly got to work helping her get into more comfortable positions and coaching her through the breathing during contractions. Her mother and I made a dynamic team and together we were able to focus her on the ultimate goal and relieve some of her pain.
Alicia was amazingly strong and did not ask for pain medication once. She said more than once "Erica [the baby] is going to kill me" but never questioned her ability to labor naturally. Once we were moved into the official labor and delivery room, we had more space to move around and labor in upright positions. The labor progressed extremely rapidly and four hours later a very healthy 9lb5oz baby girl was born. I will never forget the intensity of the experience and how natural I felt helping a woman through labor. Although I had never been to a delivery before, I seemed to know exactly what to do to help Alicia achieve the birth experience she wanted. When her mother asked me how many labors I had been to after Erica was born, she was shocked when I told her this was my first one. Alicia's labor and Erica's birth truly confirmed that this was my calling. I couldn't wait to help with more deliveries.
Getting Started
Birth is a messy and beautiful process. It is the kind of thing that makes some people cringe with disgust and others cry with joy. Regardless of your stance, however, most would agree that witnessing a birth is an unforgettable experience.
For some reason, I was never under the impression that birth was gross, not even as a little girl. I was always fascinated by pregnancy and birth and wanted to learn more and more about it. My mother told me that I had "baby-dar" because I would always spot babies on the streets, in restaurants, at the library, in the doctor's office. I was hooked. I constantly thought to myself- babies are amazing. They are these little people that did not exist on earth just a short time ago.
After working with newborns for three years, I still feel that way.
I'm not over it- the amazing process of pregnancy and birth and witnessing the miracle of a little person coming into this world that moments before did not exist on its own.
As I guide my clients through their deliveries, I share my enthusiasm with them for the birthing process. I think it helps. When you put aside the fear that labor is all about pain, you realize that labor is all about bringing a new life into this world. Yes, it can be painful...but it can also be amazing. By focusing on the baby, the new person you are going to share your life with, you can give into the strength of the contractions and allow nature to take its course. The course might be long and it will probably be tiring, but it will definitely be worth it.
I am a doula (a labor support companion) and an aspiring midwife. I may not have my own babies yet but I have a lot of babies that I consider "my babies," I have watched these little ones come into the world and I have shared the experience with their mothers and fathers and grandparents. It's a pretty great job. I can't complain.
For some reason, I was never under the impression that birth was gross, not even as a little girl. I was always fascinated by pregnancy and birth and wanted to learn more and more about it. My mother told me that I had "baby-dar" because I would always spot babies on the streets, in restaurants, at the library, in the doctor's office. I was hooked. I constantly thought to myself- babies are amazing. They are these little people that did not exist on earth just a short time ago.
After working with newborns for three years, I still feel that way.
I'm not over it- the amazing process of pregnancy and birth and witnessing the miracle of a little person coming into this world that moments before did not exist on its own.
As I guide my clients through their deliveries, I share my enthusiasm with them for the birthing process. I think it helps. When you put aside the fear that labor is all about pain, you realize that labor is all about bringing a new life into this world. Yes, it can be painful...but it can also be amazing. By focusing on the baby, the new person you are going to share your life with, you can give into the strength of the contractions and allow nature to take its course. The course might be long and it will probably be tiring, but it will definitely be worth it.
I am a doula (a labor support companion) and an aspiring midwife. I may not have my own babies yet but I have a lot of babies that I consider "my babies," I have watched these little ones come into the world and I have shared the experience with their mothers and fathers and grandparents. It's a pretty great job. I can't complain.
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