baby girl

When I became a doula I was aware of what it meant to be "on call". I knew that becoming a doula meant that I would have to commit to my clients no matter what. Be that holidays or birthdays or whatever plans or events that occurred in my life. I feel like I have "officially" become a doula now. I attended a birth on one of my children's birthdays, and it really could not have worked out better.

Mark announced earlier this week that he had a very important meeting on Thursday morning that he could absoulutely not miss. The minute he said this I knew that I would be called to the birth during that time. Phone rings at 3:30am Thursday morning. Client is having contractions and is at her mother's house. We chat about what might be happening. I ask her where she would feel most comfortable laboring. She says at home, and decides to head back there. She tells me she will call me when she gets home. Phone rings again around 4:45. It is her husband. They want me to come over. I tell them I will be there as soon as I can.

Hubby and I chat, he is stressed because he will now have to run the meeting from home and will not be able to get the kids to school until around 9:30. I tell him I will do what I can, but I have to leave. I head downstairs, pack lunches and head out the door.

I arrive at my client's house around 5:15am. She is hungry and is eating a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of soup. "hmmm" I think. She is eating. This is still early labor. I hang out with her and observe for a few minutes, I can't really tell when she is having contractions, and she says they are spacing out to about 5 minutes apart. We strategize and I tell her I think she is still in early labor. She has been up since about 1:30 and decides to go lay down and rest for a while. Her husband joins her and I hang out in the living room. Around 7:30am she comes out to go to the bathroom. She says that the contractions have spaced out a lot, to about 10 minutes apart. I tell her my situation, and we decide that I will go home and take my kids to school. She will call me when things pick up again.

I hear from her next at 11:30 am. Contractions are a little closer together, but more intense. She wants me to come over. I arrive at her house about an hour later. When I arrive, I observe her for a while and things have definately changed. She is much more serious and not as chatty. I think things are progressing. She is drinking a lot of water, and REALLY enjoying crushed ice. She takes many trips to the bathroom. After about an hour, the contractions are 2-3 minutes apart and really intense. She decides it is time to head to the hospital.

We arrive at the hospital around 2pm. She is checked in triage and found to be 7 cm with a bulging bag of water. She is moved to a labor room post haste. She labors for another 2 hours. She finds sitting upright indian style to be most comfortable. During contractions we clasp hands and rock back and forth. She has found her ritual and it is working for her. She is amazing and strong and totally in tune with her body. After a bathroom break she changes position to hands and knees. This new position brings even stronger contractions and her labor intensifies. When presented with the possibilty of breaking her water, she decides it might be a good idea. The midwife breaks her water, and after about 4 extrememly intense contractions, she feels pushy. The midwife checks her and she is fully dilated. She begins to push. I am at her head and decide to grab my camera, as I walked around the edge of the bed I saw the head crowning! Two pushes later her daughter was born. 9 lbs. 10 oz. A big, beautiful pink girl!

I was lucky enough to attend 2 birthdays yesterday! I stayed with the family until everyone was comfortable and the baby was nursing. They were elated and so was I. I headed home and arrived in time to go out to dinner with my family for Andrew's birthday. What an incredible day.