Another Sweet Birth

I met my client November, 2022.  A single mother by choice,  she moved to Utah from Pennsylvania during the Pandemic with her one year old son.  She hired me as her a doula for her daughter’s birth in February.

We immediately connected.   She was brave and calm.  I liked her style - very direct, professional and intentional.  And we bonded over the love of travel.  She shared her son’s birth story with me and highlighted the role that her Pennsylvania doula served.   I usually support both the birthing mama and her partner, and in this case, I’m the partner. I was excited to support her and looked forward to the birth of her baby girl.

A few months later, I returned to her apartment for our second prenatal appointment and we reviewed the birth details. She was scheduled for an induction for February 16th.   My plan was to meet her at the hospital at the start of the induction.

She updated me after each prenatal appointment.  After her final appointment on Valentine’s Day, she was  1.5 centimeter dilated and 70% effaced.  The hospital told her that the 16th looked like a busy day and they may move her induction to the next day.  We thought Friday was the day until Wednesday when they told her to plan on Thursday.  While we both were flexible and ready, I recognized this was challenging.

I woke up early on Thursday, February 16th ready to go to the hospital.  We initially thought she would be admitted between 5am and 9am.  At 7am, they told her to call at 10am.  At 9am, they told her to call at 1pm.  By noon, they told her that they’d admit her at 3pm, that evening or the next day.  I texted her that I felt like our flight was delayed!

I went to bed around 10pm on Thursday evening and woke up at 11:57pm to the call.  She said in a hurried voice, “They are ready for me.  I’ll meet you there.”  Her mom gave her a ride to the hospital and I later learned that they asked her how quickly she could get there.  We laughed because after waiting all day, her induction seemed quite urgent!

I arrived a little before 1am.  The nurse started the induction.  My client was still 1 centimeter dilated and 70% effaced.  Hooked up to an IV and beginning a drip of Pitocin, there was not a lot to do but wait.  We turned off the lights and napped.  Every  half hour, the nurse came in to turn up the Pitocin.  At 4:30am, she gave her another cervical exam and she was 3 centimeters dilated and 60% effaced.  She gave my client Tylenol for her cramps and we again napped. It felt like a redeye. We both slept a little, but not well.

At 7am, there was a shift change we started over with a new nurse.  Less than an hour later, we were discussing breaking my client’s water which is a method of induction that helps progress labor. She agreed and at 8:30am, the doctor on call broke her water.  The baby was positioned up high and my client was still 3 centimeters dilated.

Thirty minutes later, her parents arrived for a visit.  They dropped off her son at day care and drove ver. They were happy to sit and talk until 11am, when my client’s contractions picked up, she told them she was going to nap and she’d call them later.  They left and she laid on her side and rested. I appreciated her ability to ask for what she needed.

At 12:30, the nurse turned up her Pitocin.  She was receiving 16ml of Pitocin per minute which is quite high. No wonder her contractions became more intense.   I suggested that my client sit on the birth ball and I applied counter pressure on her back to relieve some of the sensation felt during the contractions.

Over the next two hours, the contractions came consistently in waves.  My client focused and breathed.  At 2pm, she wanted to talk to her nurse about an epidural but the nurse was in another birth. We waited and the contractions picked up in intensity and duration. My client did not have much break in between.

The next hour was very intense for my client.  In hindsight, productive for her labor as well.  She labored sitting on the ball with her head resting on a pillow on the bed.  She focused and remained calm despite the intense sensations. No complaints.  Finally the nurse arrived and called the anesthesiologist.    I know she needed relief. About 3pm, it was placed and shortly afterwards, she was numb from the chest down.

At 3:30pm, her cervix was dilated to 6.5 centimeters.  Those contractions opened her up! She laid on her side with the epidural. The baby was not very happy so the nurse came in and watched the monitor to make sure that the baby’s heart rate tolerated the contractions.  The baby was OK and mama rested.

An hour later, the nurse checked my client again - more progress.  She was at 7cm and the nurse called her cervix “squishy”.   We sat my client up in a throne position with one leg under a peanut ball and she felt the baby move down.  We switched sides with the peanut ball and at 5:15pm, the nurse checked her again and announced that she was complete at 10 centimeters!

The doctor on-call came into the room and the nurses held my client’s leg, I was standing by her head. We were all set for the birthday party.  She only pushed for ten minutes and at 5:34pm on Friday, February 17th, her beautiful baby girl was born with a head of dark hair.  She didn’t cry much at first but had really good coloring.  My client cut the umbilical cord - something I’ve never seen before.   The nurses checked out the baby and her heartbeat was strong.

My sweet client cried as she held her newborn daughter.  I captured the precious moments on film.  Five minutes later her placenta was delivered. 

My client was an absolute champion birther. I was so proud of her.

It wasn’t long until the nurses left the three of us alone.  In a quiet room without any intervention, the baby found her mama’s breast and started suckling.  Again, a first for me to witness.  That baby used pure instinct remind me of our amazing human nature.

At 6:30pm, her parents and son arrived to meet the baby.  What joy!  Her son was a little shy at first and preferred his “PopPop’s” lap and his thumb to his baby sister.  But it wasn’t long until he was up on the bed with his mom and sister.  We took photos of the three of them.  I smiled so much that my cheeks hurt.

A few minutes after 7pm, I gathered my things and gave my client a big hug. 

It was a beautiful crisp winter night.  I drove up Parley’s canyon in silence, letting the long lovely birth sink in. I loved supporting this client and witnessing the birth. 

It was OMazing.