Face Presentation

 My latest client is a repeat client from Oct. 2017.  Her last baby came 9 days late, so we weren't expecting an early delivery this time around.  Once 41 weeks hit, talk of induction was abounding, but this mama did not want to induce.  She scheduled an induction for the very last day possible, and ended up giving birth the day before her time was up!

Her contractions began early Saturday morning, around 2:00 am.  But by sunrise they had stalled out quite a bit.  We kept in touch throughout the day.  She contracted sporadically and lost her mucus plug around 5:00 pm on Saturday.  But by bedtime things were pretty chill, so we both went to bed.  She woke up with contractions every 10-15 minutes at 3:30 am, and by 7:00, it was time to head to the hospital.

I arrived at 8:00 am and found mom laboring in bed with dad offering support and encouragement.  Mom was feeling "shaky and emotional", which is a pretty normal way to feel in labor!  She was 6 cm, and we assumed things would progress really fast like last time. (Last time we arrived at the hospital at 6 cm, and her baby was born 68 minutes later.)

 At 9:00 the OB arrived and mom was now 8 cm, 90% effaced and her baby was at zero station.  There was a bulging bag of water, too.  

We spent the next couple hours changing positions.  I rubbed mom's back during contractions while dad pretended not to have a headache.  (Poor guy suffers from chronic, cluster headaches.  I kept telling him he could take a break, but he wouldn't leave his wife's side.)  After a trip to use the restroom, mom literally crawled across the floor and back into the bed.  Not a glamorous way to get around, but a great way to change positions and encourage good positioning!

At 11:30 we were all a little surprised that things weren't progressing.  I kept wondering what would happen if the water broke.  In an attempt to see if gravity could help us break the water, mom got out of bed and did some leaning and lunging on the edge of the bed, and at 11:40 her water leaked.  It wasn't a gush, but there was definitely something.  But it didn't change anything.

At 12:30 the OB came back in and mom was 9 cm, but there was still a bulging bag of waters.  The OB offered to break the water to see if that would encourage the baby to descend more.  She broke the water and exclaimed that the baby "came down miles", ha!  

Things did intensify a bit, but I was surprised that the urge to push wasn't taking over yet.  Dad and I held each of mom's hands while she moaned almost continuously.  She was totally in the zone.

At 1:10 mom said she wanted to push, so she was checked again and was complete, and baby was almost at +2 station.  I could tell the urge to push was still a little off, but mom worked hard and figured it out! 

Several minutes later we were all surprised to see a little face presenting instead of the crown of the baby's head.  A face presentation is rare, and often requires a cesarean.  But with the skilled technique of the OB and mom's incredible strength, this baby girl was born at 1:36.

Weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces

I was so happy my client was able to have the natural birth she desired and was able to go into labor before she needed to be induced!  So often women feel like they will never go into labor, but they will.  :)  Even if it is 12 days late.