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Across the Fence:  A lovely birth  |
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hipmamato4
True Blue Farmgirl
51 Posts
danielle
wernersville
pa
USA
51 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 02 2008 : 6:00:37 PM
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I haven't been around for a few weeks, but occasionally I check in to see what's happening. My husband was in the hospital for a week, nearing liver failure for eating some poisonous mushrooms in our yard--amanita phalloides, or death cap, which some of you West Coast people might be more familiar with than us on the East Coast. No, it wasn't a suicide attempt (LOL) as some people wondered. He was just being foolish and thought they might taste good. Anyway, that's another post entirely. I promised that I would post about some of the births (human) that I have attended recently as a doula. Last week's birth was an emergency c/s for toxemia and the birth before that happened so quickly I didn't get there in time. So, here's the latest.
At 3:30 this morning my cell phone rang. I tried it on vibrate this time thinking that the vibration on my bed stand would be a gentler way to wake up than the ring, even on the lowest sound setting. My 2 yr old is in our bedroom also so I was hoping to not wake him or my husband up. It worked. It was a very gentle way to wake up! Anyway, Lasi (my doula partner) called and said that our client's water had broken and she was having easy contractions (abbreviated ctx). She said that she was getting up to get ready to go, so I told her that I was going to go back to sleep until we got the word to leave for the birth. About 45 minutes later she called again, to say that the ctx were getting stronger and we were to leave. I got up, packed some food, unpacked a birth stool that had just returned from a rental in Phila. and headed out the door. Arrived at the mom's house about 5 AM, to find her in the bathtub on her side and her boyfriend with her, being very calm and patient. She was cold so she put a towel over her whole body and I poured water over her. This mom (31 yo) had her first baby as a teenager and it was a highly interventive and traumatic birth for her. That was 13 years ago and she really wanted to do things better this time. She educated herself, chose good midwives, wanted a homebirth, and used Hypnobabies Childbirth Education for her relaxation and birth education. She was so relaxed the whole time using the hypnosis.
Mom stayed in the bathtub for awhile. The bathroom was so warm, which was a welcome change from the usual chilly climate in a hospital. I have been known to wear long underwear to hospital birth, I get so cold. From the bathtub we (well, she!) sat on the potty for awhile, which does great things for helping a mama to open her pelvis and baby to come down. From there we went to the bed and she labored on her side and on her hands and knees. At one point, she said, "oh, my, he's coming. I can really feel him moving down." It was moving pretty quickly. They called the midwife who was at another birth. (I have yet to have a birth with a midwife who arrives too late, but at this point I am not really worried aobut it because most of the time things go so well, especially at home. My sister in law was two pushes away from having her baby in my van last September. That was as close as I have gotten. I called the midwife and had her on the phone just in case. As it turned out, we pulled up to the birth center and they told her she could have the babe in the car, which she declined due to aesthetics! We walked in and she pushed her daughter out in two pushes. But, I digress.) Mom was just doing wonderfully and then the midwife arrived. I let her in the door, and without going into details she was SUPER ticked off and clearly not in the place that she needed to be to attend the arrival of a new life. I asked her if she was ok- she said not really,. I asked what I could do to help. She complained about the couple. I was so disappinted! I eventually told the dad that we need to protect the mama from all the negative enrgy coming for the midwife, (whom I know and DO like) He totally agreed and we just went about and did our thing. Mom moved around a good bit, was on the toilet again and the birth ball. At this point she was near transition and laid on the bed on hands and knees (a great birthing position. Calmly and quietly she said he's coming. And...he came. A slow crown. Two more pushes and he gently and quietly came into the world at 7:20 AM. It was so wonderful and peaceful and just the way that birth can and should be. He didn't cry. He just nuzzled his mama and looked around. Labor was 4 hours, only 1 hour from 7 cm-birth.
After the lovely birth the midwife came downstairs and thanked Lasi and me again and again. She said it was a pleasure to watch us do our stuff with mom. She also apologized for how she came to the birth and said it had been a rough night with a young mom at the hospital who was probably going to be c/sectioned. I understood her pain and frustration. I was glad that she realized her place and the impact of her negative energy at the birth. It made me wonder if we all need to "check our energy/attitude" when we arrive somewhere and walk into a room or situation. At birth, especially, it is important for us to bring into the envrironment calm, peace and revernece for the miracle that is taking place, not only within the new baby's life, but also the transformation that is taking place with a new mama, papa and family as well. I love the lessons in birth. This birth restored my spirit.
Homebirthing, home-schooling mama to 4 awesome kids, living an idyllic country life in Pennsylvania |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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5 acre Farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1007 Posts
~~~*Terri*~~~
WA.
USA
1007 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 08:42:43 AM
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Birth!!!! It is soo beautiful!!!!
What can I say, it awes me each and every time I attend a birth,,,,
I too, want to be a Doula....something almost "magical" happens when a new life is brought into the world, reagrdless of the circumstances....
Congrats for you being able to be there...and to the new mom and dad...
Farmgirl Sister #368
http://froccsfrillsfurbiloesandmore.blogspot.com
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kmbrown
True Blue Farmgirl
459 Posts
Misty
Waynesboro
Pennsylvania
USA
459 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 5:21:16 PM
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| Sounds like the perfect birth!! Sometimes I really miss delivering babies!! Maybe when my babies get older I'll renew my midwife brain and retire my mommy brain!! |
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bohemiangel
True Blue Farmgirl
2087 Posts
Bridget
Ligonier
pa
USA
2087 Posts |
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oldfashioned girl
True Blue Farmgirl
2391 Posts
monica
oatman
az
USA
2391 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2008 : 06:33:33 AM
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I had a midwife with my first and she was the best! She was better than 1000 doctors and even though my son is 6 1/2 I still talk to her every so often!
Danielle, thank you for sharing about this with us! What a wonderful experience!
Monica
farmgirls rule!
www.justducky48.etsy.com |
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Across the Fence: A lovely birth |
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A lovely birth
