We had 3 clients on our calendar for the months of July/August. Not a super heavy load, the days ticked by and no one had a baby we were really starting to sweat (sweat in the sense that we were going to have overlaps, not that they were over due). Two of our summer clients were VBAC's (one due in late July, and one due in mid August) and one was a first time mom (due mid August). We had grown quite close to them over the previous months.
Mom #1 8/07/13 VBAC
This mom worked so hard during her pregnancy to be healthy, even though she has had a terrible relationship with food, her body and birth in the past. She ate well, stayed active and went nearly two weeks over due. Unfortunately after 3 days of labor, 2 days with membranes ruptured (spontaneously), getting all the way to complete, with NO urge to push, this mama ended up transferring to the hospital and having another C-Section. My heart just broke for her. She cried, and we cried with her. Portly Baby #1 was born in the early morning hours weighing in at 9lbs 15.5 ounces. I say even though she didn't get her vaginal birth, she is still a rockstar!
Mom #2 8/17/13 Primip.
Got the call from this mom about 8 in the morning that she had been having regular contractions since about 5am. She too was nearly 2 weeks passed her due date. We popped over, as she was nearly walking distance from both mine and Haylea's houses. She also had a friend there who was her doula. We set up, got the pool filled and mama got in to the pool. She had a stellar labor, record breaking speed. about 1pm she was feeling some urge to push, so she got out of the pool to go to the bathroom and sat on the birth stool to rest. Her water broke, there, and almost immediately she started to swell. I cannot for the life of me make sense of it, but in the next couple of hours her poor anatomy swelled and swelled, and we again, had to transfer to the hospital, again mother required a C-section. Words cannot convey. She was very understanding, but disappointed. Baby #2 born at abut 6pm, weighing in at 9lbs 6oz. Again, a rockstar!
Mom #3 8/22/13 VBAC
This mom is a young woman I met from Eastern Kentucky. She traveled the nearly 3 hours to me (one way) for all of her prenatal care,except for two visits. She was also passed her due date, and coming in to my office for a prenatal visit. The transmission blew out in their new-to-them fresh off the lot minivan, stranding them here. Staying in a hotel, waiting for the car to be repaired she went in to labor. The hotel room was entirely too small to set up the birth pool so we decided to have the baby here at my office. Let me say right off the bat, THAT rocked ALL THE SOCKS! I was able to sleep in my own bed, eat my own food and it all worked out so perfectly. The labor was long and slow, about 24 hours of latent labor, with very little sleep to be had, mostly for her. When Active labor kicked in, she only had 3 hours of it. She was tired, but super in tune with everything, and the truest example of a mother in *labor land*. She pushed actively for about 15 minutes. She pushed a 9lb 11 oz baby (boy) out of her vagina. August was a ROCKSTAR month. Oh... and nary a tear. She recovered on the futon in my office, I took the papa to get their vehicle and the went home to begin a new life as a family of 4.
Each time I am blessed to serve women in this sacred way my capacity for love and joy becomes greater. I can triumph with them, cry with them, and try to be what they need, when they need it. I love the men who love the women who have their babies with us. I am forever changed by each and every birth. Tiny little footprints on my heart.
Mom #1 8/07/13 VBAC
This mom worked so hard during her pregnancy to be healthy, even though she has had a terrible relationship with food, her body and birth in the past. She ate well, stayed active and went nearly two weeks over due. Unfortunately after 3 days of labor, 2 days with membranes ruptured (spontaneously), getting all the way to complete, with NO urge to push, this mama ended up transferring to the hospital and having another C-Section. My heart just broke for her. She cried, and we cried with her. Portly Baby #1 was born in the early morning hours weighing in at 9lbs 15.5 ounces. I say even though she didn't get her vaginal birth, she is still a rockstar!
Mom #2 8/17/13 Primip.
Got the call from this mom about 8 in the morning that she had been having regular contractions since about 5am. She too was nearly 2 weeks passed her due date. We popped over, as she was nearly walking distance from both mine and Haylea's houses. She also had a friend there who was her doula. We set up, got the pool filled and mama got in to the pool. She had a stellar labor, record breaking speed. about 1pm she was feeling some urge to push, so she got out of the pool to go to the bathroom and sat on the birth stool to rest. Her water broke, there, and almost immediately she started to swell. I cannot for the life of me make sense of it, but in the next couple of hours her poor anatomy swelled and swelled, and we again, had to transfer to the hospital, again mother required a C-section. Words cannot convey. She was very understanding, but disappointed. Baby #2 born at abut 6pm, weighing in at 9lbs 6oz. Again, a rockstar!
Mom #3 8/22/13 VBAC
This mom is a young woman I met from Eastern Kentucky. She traveled the nearly 3 hours to me (one way) for all of her prenatal care,except for two visits. She was also passed her due date, and coming in to my office for a prenatal visit. The transmission blew out in their new-to-them fresh off the lot minivan, stranding them here. Staying in a hotel, waiting for the car to be repaired she went in to labor. The hotel room was entirely too small to set up the birth pool so we decided to have the baby here at my office. Let me say right off the bat, THAT rocked ALL THE SOCKS! I was able to sleep in my own bed, eat my own food and it all worked out so perfectly. The labor was long and slow, about 24 hours of latent labor, with very little sleep to be had, mostly for her. When Active labor kicked in, she only had 3 hours of it. She was tired, but super in tune with everything, and the truest example of a mother in *labor land*. She pushed actively for about 15 minutes. She pushed a 9lb 11 oz baby (boy) out of her vagina. August was a ROCKSTAR month. Oh... and nary a tear. She recovered on the futon in my office, I took the papa to get their vehicle and the went home to begin a new life as a family of 4.
Each time I am blessed to serve women in this sacred way my capacity for love and joy becomes greater. I can triumph with them, cry with them, and try to be what they need, when they need it. I love the men who love the women who have their babies with us. I am forever changed by each and every birth. Tiny little footprints on my heart.
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