A Long OMazing Birth
At the beginning of November, I had the privilege of supporting an especially long and difficult birth. My client was in labor for nearly three days. Along side her smart, kind husband, I supported her for almost twenty-four hours. My client’s unexpected induction began on Thursday and we met the baby on Saturday - just hours before I taught a seven hour childbirth workshop. It was a doozy of a day!
Friday was my husband’s birthday. I thought that they baby would have arrived and I’d celebrate with him at dinner . Instead, the birthday that I celebrated was a beautiful baby girl. She did not come Thursday or Friday. She took her time arriving. Her mama worked hard to birth her.
I met my client last spring. She was happy to be pregnant and knew she wanted a doula. She bought a yoga package from me as well. Over the summer, we talked about the importance of being in the body and breathing and finding sweetness in the pregnancy even when it was hard. Our friendship grew over the months.
I met her husband twice before the birth. First the end of July in my studio and then again in October. They on the same page and clear about their birth preferences. The knew they needed to remain flexible.
My client was scheduled for induction November 14th. Two weeks before her scheduled induction, I received a text: “I’m at an appointment with my midwife. I’m sure everything is fine, but my blood pressure is really high. They are sending me to OB emergency to test for pre-eclampsia.”
The next text was from her partner: “There’s protein in her urine, they have diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and are inducing today.” A few minutes my client called me in tears. Emotional and overwhelmed, there was a lot to process in a short amount of time. I reassured her that I’d be there and told her to take some deep breaths.
My client was admitted to the hospital around 11am on Thursday. The doctor started her with a cervical softener. She negotiated for the least amount. I stopped by that afternoon to talk about what to expect in the induction. She was very calm and patient. She said that if it took “3 days” that was OK. Hmmm. Later I wondered, was that a premonition?
I stayed for about an hour and then left.
We texted back and forth for the rest of the day. That evening, her cervix had not started dilating. The doctor recommended more cervical softening medicine and inserted a foley balloon - accidentally breaking her water. It was bedtime and I texted them to call me when they needed me.
I woke up at 4:30am on and looked at my phone. Nothing. I sent a note: “Good Morning.” Two hours later they responded. We agreed that I’d come to the hospital around 8:30am.
I walked back into their room and my client was rocking on the birth ball having a contraction. She breathed in nitrous to help her cope. The nurse told her that she was not supposed to eat. I did not agree. I encouraged her to snack.
Over the next hour, her contractions picked up. Every thirty minutes, we changed her position. At 10am, struggling with fatigue and sensation, she decided to take some pain medicine. After the effect of the medicine kicked in, she had a cervical exam. She was 5 centimeters dilated and 50% effaced meaning that her cervix was open and thinned half-way to completion. My client took a nap. After resting, my client said, “I feel refreshed.” Her contractions slowed down and were not nearly as frequent as they had been earlier.
Her partner pulled out the bed. It was his turn to nap.
A couple hours later, a midwife checked in with my client. We mentioned that the nurse said that she was not allowed to eat, and the midwife said thta was ridiculous and brought a lunch tray. “Please eat” she said. The old-school nurse thought because she had Pitocin, she could’t eat which is not true.
Without strong contractions, the midwife increased the amount of Pitocin. That adjustment brought on stronger contractions and more sensation.
My client continued to moved around slowly She was having a hard time coping and asked for another dose of pain medicine. She needed a break. After the medicine, she closed her eyes. I went downstairs for a bite to eat.
Her partner reached out when I was in the cafeteria. An epidural was inevitable. I returned to the room and met two anesthesiologists who were setting up. Wiped out and emotional, tears flowed from her eyes. Relief was on its way.
My client held exceptionally still during the epidural placement. Her partner stood by her side. The epidural started working right away. My client fell asleep and holding her husband’s hand.
The nurse kept coming in to the room to adjust her monitors. She was having a hard time tracking her contractions so she inserted an internal monitor and checked her cervix. She was 7 centimeters dilated. She told her to rest and then she’d check she again in a few hours.
Around 11pm, she woke up feeling uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure what had changed, but something was different. I asked if she had the urge to push. She thought yes so she called the nurse who checked her cervix again and smiled. “Are you ready to have a baby?”
YES! She was fully dilated and complete.
The lights came on and the doctor walked in. It was indeed time to push. Her birth team encouraged her every step of the way. It was a slow and steady process. We all hoped the baby would move down but she was taking her time.
For hours my client pushed. She never gave up. She never complained. She was exhausted, and dug deep. Around 2:30am, the doctor talked to her about options. Although she was pushing well, the baby was not making progress under her pubic bone. The doctor went through the risks of both an assisted delivery with forceps and a caesarean section. Bravely, my client chose the assisted delivery.
Two doctors had to be present to assist with a forceps delivery so a doctor on call was asked to come in. When she arrived, she checked her cervix and agreed that forceps would likely work. If they didn’t, she’d have to go into surgery for a c-section.
Preparations were made. A pediatric team arrived in to the room. Everyone in the room identified themselves. As the doctors were cleared to begin an alarm sounded.
Oh, the drama! The doctor ripped off her scrubs and the pediatric team ran out to assist with another birth. My client’s contractions did not stop so she continued to push. After the urgent situation on the floor resolved, everyone came back in and started again.
It was GO time. My client was a warrior. She breathed in and and gave an enormous push. Her baby made progress. Another contraction moved her closer. And the third contraction turned out to be the push that gave birth to her daughter.
It was 3:21am.
“Look at her red hair” was the first the first thing I heard. The baby was placed on her mother’s belly. Oh, she was so so cute. The father cut the umbilical cord and then the baby was whisked away. Her color was good, but her muscle tone was not. She was a little floppy and needed assistance with her breathing. The Pediatric team gave her a CPAP to help her open her lungs. They told us that they needed to bring her to the nursery for observation.
The father followed his daughter to the nursery. When a baby is separated from the mother, I am always happy to be there. Without a doula or a third support person, a birthing mother could be left alone which is less than ideal.
We both rested until it was time to go to the Newborn Maternal Care unit. I said my goodbyes shortly after 6am. My client didn’t leave for a few more days. Her daughter spent a week in the NICU. She was released and has been home for a few weeks. . Mama is recovering slowly and is love with her daughter. Her partner is in awe of the strength of his wife which is easy to understand.
I told my client at the postpartum meeting that I have supported many births and I do not make a practice of ranking them by difficulty. However, if I did, hers might be on the podium. Her strength and resilience inspired me. The birth was hard as was being separated from her baby. And, she was able to accept with grace and positivity.
Their daughter, born in the season of gratitude, will be their delight. Her parents are both grateful and OMazing.