Blessed Beginnings

Over a year ago, I wrote this post about a birth that I had attended.  That birth stands out in my mind and it's one of the ones I'll never forget.  It was hard, hard work and was really quite a disappointing experience for my client. Yes, she had a beautiful daughter, but there was nothing empowering about it.  In fact, the experience seemed to be disempowering for her. 

 

A few months ago, I was contacted by this client again as she was expecting their second child and wanted me to be her doula again.  Repeat clients are always special and I looked forward to being with her as she brought her child into the world.  We met once prenatally and talked about how her previous birth really did some emotional damage, how she couldn't really find anything positive about that birth, and with tears streaming down her face, we worked hard together to make a plan for this birth to be different.

 

The phone rang early yesterday morning - her water had broken 4 weeks earlier than expected!  We spoke about her options and I geared up for a long day and night ahead.  Her contractions started up nice and easy and she was handling things quite well.  So far so good. 

 

She called me to come to the hospital and I arrived around 3:45 or 4 pm to find her sitting on the birth ball, moaning low and rotating her hips through her contractions.  This was a huge change from her last labor which was spent entirely in bed!!  She was 3cm and going strong ... and fast!  We moved and changed positions many times with two of my favorite nurses peeking in every now and then to sit quietly and observe our work.  This was moving fast and my client was doing sooo well. 

 

When she reached 6 cms, she decided she wanted an epidural.  What a great improvement from her previous birth!  Since she hadn't been hooked up to any fluids yet, she had to receive an entire bag of fluids prior to getting her epidural, so the IV was hooked up and away we went.  It was clear to me soon, however, that there would not be time for those fluids to go in much less time to get an epidural - my client was working hard and this baby was coming!  She requested the squat bar and we got it up and next thing we knew, my client was standing on the bed, holding onto the squat bar and pushing all on her own.  We managed to get her to sit down on the bed long enough for the doc to catch her beautiful 6lb 5oz son at 6pm over an intact perineum with no pain meds and completely under her own power.  Her placenta came out easily with a little traction 20 minutes later.

 

It's been a long time since I've been so moved by a birth.  It was such a blessing to see this family welcome their newest member.  Talking with my client afterwards, we both cried tears of joy as we realize that not only had she done it, she had accomplished all of her goals, even the ones she thought were pipe dreams.  She did it all on her own, her own way, and it was perfect.  As her baby enjoyed his first meal at his mother's breast, I could see all her wounds from her previous birth just heal and slip away.

 

Congratulations L & T, and welcome to the world Baby L!!

 

So, what do I know for sure now?  The same thing I've always known - Birth Works!

 

**Dedicated to my dear friend SS, who recently found out that she'll be adding a baby to her family this coming September.  Congratulations, Sweet Sister, on your pregnancy.  May your experience be nothing short of blessed.