Hanging out at 41.5 weeks, my latest client decided to have her membranes swept on Saturday morning. She was 3 cm, and the midwife could stretch her to almost 5 cm after the sweep. We kept in touch over text all day, but there wasn't much to report. At 7:30 pm she was having contractions every 45-60 minutes, and by 9:00 pm they were every 25 minutes. We didn't know what to expect, so we both decided to try to get to bed early and see where the night took us. :)
She called me at 12:30 am to say contractions were coming every 4-7 minutes, and that she was feeling a lot of pressure in her hips. It was go time! I arrived at their home shortly after 1:00 am. Mom was smiley and chatty. She had to breathe through each contraction, but was conversational in between. After just a handful of contractions we all headed to the birth center.
We arrived at the birth center at 1:40, and contractions were coming every 3 minutes. Each contraction was noticeably more intense, and mom's demeanor became more serious with each one. I got the relaxing music going, and dad and I took turns providing counter pressure on mom's hips.
At 2:20 mom was ready for a rest. By 2:30 she had the shakes, and at 2:45 an exam showed she was 8 cm and 90% effaced. By 3:00 am, mom was vocalizing and starting to show the signs of getting the urge to push. She continued to labor in bed until 3:50. At that time we decided to get up and see if a change in position would get things rolling more. The midwife did another exam and mom was complete. After just a few contractions upright, mom decided it was time for the tub!
Mom said she could feel her baby getting lower, but the urge to push wasn't taking over yet. The midwife offered to break her water to intensify the urge, but mom decided to keep things going how they were. At 4:30 I suggest a new position of side lunging, in the hopes that it would increase the urge push. I don't know if that's what did the trick or not, but one contraction in that position and mom was full on pushing her baby out!
At 4:38 not only did this sweet little boy slip into the world, his amniotic sac remained in tact. So he was born in the water... in his amniotic water! A double water birth, and the only en caul water birth I've ever seen.
It was a good position to push in, but took some serious coordination to get the baby into mom's arms after.
Welcome Arthur!
Born Sunday, February 9th, 2020
Weighing 8 pounds 14 ounces
He was so calm and so alert, and so cute and squishy!
It was wonderful to support this mom during such a great birth experience, in a fraction of the time of her first birth several years ago. This birth was shorter, but short births come with few breaks and lots of intensity! She was amazing during both of them!
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