I checked my phone early Wednesday morning and found a text from my latest client saying she had been up for several hours with contractions coming every 7-8 minutes. I was surprised to hear from her before her due date since her first two children were both born at 42 weeks! She had a regularly scheduled OB appointment at 9:00 am, and was discouraged to find out she was only dilated half a centimeter! She went home to rest and see how the day went.
We kept in touch over text, and contractions stayed between 6 and 8 minutes for the majority of the day. Things began to pick up in the early evening, and at 6:30 her husband called me and asked me to join them at their home. While I was preparing to come, he called again and asked me to meet them at the hospital. Things were progressing quickly and getting very intense. Mom began to doubt herself, and told her husband she felt like a failure. :(
I met my clients in triage at 7:45 pm. Mom was dilated to a 6 and was very pleased with her progress! She moaned through her contractions, and I could tell we were moving into transition!
Mom's back was hurting, so once we got into the labor room we tried some different positioning to help baby rotate. She walked and leaned and rolled her hips.
She cooled off with her misting fan and that arrived in the mail today!
At 8:30 the tub was ready and mom quickly got in, seeking relief from the hot water.
At 8:45 her water broke and the urge to push came with it.
At 9:00 mom moved to the bed in a hands and knees position. We all felt like that baby was going to slide out really quickly! We were wrong. Mom still had a bit of a cervical lip to work through. That basically means she is 9.5 cm. :)
When babies don't descend, we change positions frequently. And when nerves get high, we get out the nitrous. Mom breathed in the nitrous in between contractions, and moved to the birth stool at 9:30 pm. Her own mom arrived to offer love and support.
Mom pushed so hard! She doubted herself and worried she wouldn't be able to do it. Everyone feels that way right before they do it!
Most natural birthers do not picture themselves giving birth on their backs. But when you've tried every position and haven't given birth, moving onto your back usually does the trick! It helps utilize the space in the back of the pelvis. And once mom moved into this position, we began to see a lot more progress. At 10:05 we grabbed a mirror so mom could see for herself, and before we knew it, her baby was born!
I love these photos so much! Look at that chubby face! This baby did not rotate, and was born "sunny-side up", meaning his face was born first instead of the crown of his head. These babies are harder to push out, and this mama worked very hard to get him out!
NICU was called in because there was meconium, but this baby pinked up right away. He was very alert and doing so well. His poor mama still had some tough work to do, though.
After-birth was no fun. Mom had some heavy bleeding, due to a very tired uterus. She also needed some repair, so dad got to spend some time with his new son. Baby was so calm and alert. The minute he was finally passed back to mom (11:00pm), he instantly started nursing.
Welcome Nicholas!
Born Wednesday, May 23rd at 10:19 pm
Two days before his due date.
Weighing in at 8 pounds and 3 ounces
This mama was so proud of herself when all was said and done, and she should be! She worked so hard, and displayed so much strength and endurance!
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