Posted with permission of the family
This past Friday was my first birth as an official doula. M was being induced for hypertension with a prior history of pre-eclampsia. This was a big test for me. Induction starts off meaning two things, restriction of movement, and increased pain due pitocin not being able to cross the blood-brain barrier and not providing pain relief like it’s natural companion, oxytocin, does. Add to that the client being hypertensive which means much more restriction on movement and I was a bit concerned I wouldn’t be able to do what needed to be done to support her through it without an epidural. I was also concerned because baby and cervix were not ready yet, could we do this, with pitocin, with little movement, with a high up baby and an unripe cervix, and not only avoid an epidural but a c-section?
During our prenatals, it had been discussed that M’s husband, A, wasn’t the best labor partner. She was okay with him not being her go to, and he was too. So it was amazing to watch the change in A when I gave a couple small suggestions throughout her labor, and he just stepped up and really found himself! They really came together as one to support her as baby made his way out. I can clearly remember the minute that I switched from her support person, to the tool that would help them get it done, and it was glorious!
During a contraction
M went inside herself, she would meditate through each contraction, going somewhere else. I could tell though that she was struggling though. We were trying positions to both help her pain and to assist baby because he was not in the mood for this, and while she always seemed like she could make it through, I could tell she wasn’t always getting by so well. There was a point though that it clicked for her. Through her high pitched vocalizations, I kept moaning and telling her “low”, “down” trying to prompt her to change the way she was using those muscles. When she switched, WOW! M, A, and I all just moved into the singular purpose of getting this baby out. The midwife and nurse wouldn’t interrupt any of us.
Baby T!
When it came time to push, the midwife had M do one push to get the last little lip gone and expected that she would stop and let the midwife get situated at that point. I stood on the side of M, physically supporting her while she pushed, and I felt her not fully release from that push and looked at her and said, “Do you still need to push? If so, go ahead!” She changed again there, it was her body and her baby and they didn’t need to wait for the midwife to do business. She went all in and pushed and pushed until the midwife had to sort of yell at her to look, her baby was out enough for her to see! And of course, she, with her body, said, “not enough of him” and got her the rest of that baby!
It was exhilarating and amazing, and I’m so privileged to be asked in on these special times to help these families. I’m excited about my new career and the places it will take me.
