Birth Stories
Postdates Induction ▪
Homebirth with Older Sibling Present
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Hypnobirthing
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Friday’s Child is Loving & Giving
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Vaginal Breech Birth
Postdates
Induction
Dear Celia,
What a
sweet, wonderful name you have, my dear. Your parents kept it
a secret from everyone until the moment you were born, but it
was worth the wait. It suits you.
My name is Heather, and I was your mother's doula. Your mom
contacted me early in her pregnancy, and I'm so glad she did.
It allowed me many months to get to know her and your dad
before we spent the day together in the hospital for your
birth. Your mom was interested in doing what was best for your well being from
the beginning. She switched doctors during her pregnancy and
chose a new doctor and wonderful midwife in Peoria. Then she attended classes to prepare for your birth.
She committed many, many hours to learning about pregnancy and
childbirth. She also cared for her body while she was pregnant by getting massages, eating healthy foods and
resting when the midwife said to rest. Pregnancy was not easy for her, but she was a
wonderful mother to you before you were even born.
Your mom's due date was December 16th, but she hoped to give
birth to you during the first week or so of December. You had other plans. You were
busy growing into a big nine-pound baby girl, who was perfectly happy to be rocked to
sleep in her mother's womb. By December 22nd, you still had
not arrived, so your mom's midwife decided that it was time to help things along because of your mom's blood
pressure concerns. Your mom was disappointed that the hospital
had no room for her to start laboring until the middle of the afternoon, especially since many of the women in the
occupied rooms were being induced for scheduling, rather than medical, reasons. I was
worried that your mom would get very tired since she would likely be having strong
contractions in the middle of the night.
The medicine that starts labor is very strong and it was hard
for your mom to deal with. Your dad and I tried some pain
relieving labor approaches like encouraging your mom to breathe, reading her relaxing stories, and massaging her back.
Both of your grandmas came to visit your mom early in the evening when labor was
just beginning. It was sweet of them to check on your family.
They went back home and anxiously awaited for the news of your
birth the next morning. At about 10 p.m., your mom got an
epidural that helped her rest some. There were a couple of scary times
throughout the night when your heart rate dropped down low and your mom needed to move
around, which then allowed you to move around a bit. It was scary for your mom and dad to
think that anything could possibly happen to you. None of us got much sleep during
the night. Your dad lay in a bed next to your mom's hospital
bed and tried to rest. Some of the time, he sat near her bed and talked with her, fed her ice chips, and held her
hand. I tried to massage her legs and feet and pay attention to other needs that she may
have.
By 7 a.m., the midwife said that your mom could start pushing.
Because you were a big baby and your mom was lying down, she
pushed for a very long time. She felt like giving up many
times, but each time another contraction came, she pushed just
as hard as the last. She endured pain and fatigue to bring you into this
world. Your dad was worried that he may not be able to handle watching your birth,
but he was just fine. He was right by your mom's side every minute.
At 9:29 a.m., with the help of the doctor, midwife, and nurse,
your dad and I, your mom gave one last push and you breathed
your first breath and cried your first cry. You were big and beautiful and pink. You didn't cry very much
because you didn't need to. You were breathing and healthy and
enveloped with love. Your mom held you on her chest and looked
at you with tears in her eyes. Your mom had been saying that
she would never have another baby throughout her labor, but one
look at you and she concluded that it was worth it. Your dad held you for the
first time, and I took some pictures. It was the perfect
ending to a long night.
Each birth is a true miracle, and a parent's love is
unconditional and never ending. I know that God created you and gave you to your parents for a
very special purpose. I wish you all the best in your life. Thank you for allowing me
to share your birthday.
By Heather Longfellow
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Linda’s
labor began on Monday, July 22, 2002 after several episodes of
start and stop labors. But this was it. When I arrived at
Linda’s house, I found Pauline and Star setting up their
equipment. It was about 10 or 11 p.m. Linda was crawling
around on all fours. She was wearing a very comfy yellow
jammies. Her friend Rita was there and Rita’s dog too.
David and Rita eventually took Rita’s dog to the kennel at the
vet’s office.
Linda
mostly labored on her hands and knees on her living room
floor. She used the hide-a-bed mattress for padding.
Occasionally she would lie on her side to rest. Pauline and
Star took turns napping and watching. David and I sat with
Linda. Susie went to sleep. Contractions came and went at a
steady pace. Linda’s hip was aching. She was content and
focused on her labor. She found a groove and fell into it.
At about 3 a.m., her labor was very, very active.
Sometime
during the early morning hours, Linda’s mom, brother and a
small kitten arrived from southern Illinois. We had a house
full of people and animals.
By
morning, (about 5:20 am) Linda was pushing a little. At about
10 minutes to 6 am, Linda’s water broke spontaneously.
Pauline checked Linda’s cervix at about 7 a.m. All that
remained was an anterior lip. Pauline was unable to push the
lip past the baby’s head. It appeared that the baby’s head
was tilted to the side just a bit – that was probably causing
the hip pain. By 7:10 a.m., Linda was pushing with every
contraction.
Linda
went to the bathroom to use the toilet to lunge against.
David supported Linda from behind as she lunged to the left
with her foot on the toilet. As Linda lunged, Pauline tried
to move the baby’s head over to a more favorable position. I
remember Pauline saying “Bingo” as the baby adjusted her head
position and the lip disappeared. At 7:30 a.m., Linda was
complete and pushing hard. With the lip out of the way, the
baby moved down quickly.
At 7:45
a.m., Linda birthed her baby standing in her bathroom,
supported by David. David had wanted to catch the baby, but
his hands were full supporting Linda. Pauline offered him the
chance to catch. He chose to hold Linda. They were working so
well together–it just seemed right for him to stay where he
was. The birth space was cramped, yet it was perfect–warm and
intimate with lots of love and support.
As soon
as the baby was born, Linda sat down on the toilet, holding
the baby on her legs. The baby was a little floppy but
responded well to drying and stimulation. Her APGAR scores
were 5 at one minute and 8 at five minutes. She was crying
well by 2 minutes. After the cord stopped pulsating, David
cut it.
PLACENTA?? I don't know the time.
They
moved to the living room to relax on the hide-a-bed mattress.
Linda had a minor tear and required a quick repair. The baby
girl, Linda, David and Susie were doing great. After the baby
had a chance to nurse, Pauline and Star recorded all the
baby’s statistics: 9 pounds, 0 ounces, 21¾ inches long, head
circumference 14 inches, chest circumference 14¼ inches and
abdomen circumference 13¾ inches. She was born strong and
healthy.
We busied
ourselves cleaning the bathroom and packing up equipment while
the newly expanded family got to know each other. When I
left, Linda was resting with the baby contently nursing and
her family taking care of everything else.
Karla was
born at home, on the July 23, 2002. She shares her birthday
with her big sister, Susie. Linda was strong and confident.
David and Linda worked so well together, there was very little
for me to do. I kind of like that. It give me the chance to
stand back and admire how amazing and beautiful a laboring
woman can be. I truly appreciate that David and Linda invited
me to be a part of their birth space. I want to thank them
for the opportunity to witness and share in the beautiful
birth of their gorgeous daughter.
By Penny
Silzer
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Dear
Mary,
My name
is Heather, and I was your mother’s doula. I was so excited
that your mom decided to use me as her doula, because she
intended to labor in a way that I had never experienced. She
wanted to use a technique called Hypnobirthing. Her doctor
and hospital were not supportive of her needs during your
sister’s birth, and your mom realized that she needed a
healing experience this time. So, she hired me, bought some
Hypnobirthing books and tapes, and started practicing. Your
mom learned to put her mind and body into a deep state of
relaxation while she was practicing with her tapes or with
your dad. She put aside her fears and trusted her body. I’m
sure you sensed this state of relaxation while you were still
inside her womb, and it’s part of why you are such a peaceful
baby today.
Your mom
went to visit her midwife on August 30th and was told that she
was in labor but she wasn’t really experiencing any pain.
Your mom left the doctor’s office that day and continued with
her plans for the day. She had a nice lunch and called your
grandma and I and told us that she was in labor. Your grandma
hurried down to Pekin to be with your mom, and I kept a phone
nearby anxiously waiting for her to call. The hours passed
through the day but your mom never called. She had dinner,
practiced some of her relaxation techniques and went to bed.
She slept for most of the evening and woke up about 4 a.m. At
that time, her labor contractions were a bit more intense and
she decided to take a shower. While in the shower, she
realized that it was time to call me and get to the hospital.
I met your mom, dad, grandma and Elizabeth at the hospital at
6 a.m. on August 31st.
The first
thing your mom said to me was, “I think I may have waited too
long.” She was worried about you because the doctors had told
her that she needed to get some medicine in her body before
you were born to keep you safe. She was worried that the
medicine may not have time to work if you arrived too
quickly. I believe that may be the reason your mom didn’t
give birth to you until almost 5 hours later, even though it
appeared that you could have been born sooner based on your
mom’s progress.
Your mom
settled into her hospital room and a wonderful nurse listened
to your heartbeat and gave your mom the medicine that she
needed. I read some relaxation scripts to your mom while your
dad pressed on her back. Her back was really hurting and she
relied on your dad immensely through every contraction because
his hands on her back helped the pain go away. Your grandma
played with Elizabeth until a friend came to pick her up. She
was very anxious for your arrival. She had been saying for
nine months that you were going to be a girl. She wanted a
sister terribly!
Two
midwives came and checked on your mom. They were a little
worried about your mom and so the nurse and I helped your mom
understand that she needed to do all that she could to bring
you into this world. Your mom cooperated wonderfully. She
stood up and sat down and lay down and went to the restroom.
She kept moving which is very important during labor and she
never once complained (well, maybe just a little to your
dad). Your mom never had any medicine to help her body not
hurt. She merely kept herself very relaxed and focused.
When the
midwives said that she could push, your mom worked very hard
and everyone encouraged her while she was pushing you out.
Your grandma was waiting and watching with tears in her eyes
as your head emerged and everyone exclaimed that you had
beautiful dark hair. Your dad told your mom what a great job
she was doing and watched in amazement as you were born. Your
dad never left your mom’s side. Your grandma and I kept
asking if he needed anything but he always said he was fine.
After you were born, the midwife immediately put you on your
mom’s chest. She held you close, completely elated that you
were here and a girl. She told you how beautiful and
wonderful you were even though the midwife had handed you to
her backwards and she hadn’t even seen your face yet! I’ll
never forget the glow around your mom as she nursed you and
gazed at your face. You healed her from what had been a
difficult birth the first time.
Your mom
held you for more than an hour before the nurse weighed or
measured you. Everyone was eager to have you weighed because
we could tell that you were such a big baby. Your mom
eventually handed you off (reluctantly) so that we could watch
the scale add up to nine pounds and nine ounces. Wow! Your
mom had given birth completely naturally and vaginally to a
nine pound, nine ounce baby. What an accomplishment!
Before I
left, your dad said that this way of having a baby was much
more fun than the last. I believe that everyone agreed with
that! Thank you for letting me share in your birth, Miss
Mary. May God truly bless you all of your days.
By
Heather Longfellow
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I met
Rebecca, the mother, at the OSF Nursing Group after she had
Stella, her first baby girl, back in 2001. We quickly became
friends, and when she got pregnant the second time, she asked
that I be her Doula for her birth. What a beautiful birth of
a baby boy with lots of great pictures. Her husband, Brian,
was very supportive of having an additional shoulder to lean
on and hand to hold. Clearly, I was the Doula for the
family. Quickly after Rebecca found out she was pregnant for
the third time, she called me. I was honored to be a part of
their family’s intimate birth experience again and gladly
accepted.
The Birth
Week: Rebecca called me several times the week of her baby’s
birth, just checking in with me for some review and
reassurance. Of course, at the time, we didn’t know this was
the week of the baby’s birthday. We talked about when her
body was going to go into labor, trying to guess the baby
boy’s size and how this labor will be the same or different to
the other labors she has experienced. We discussed all the
exciting things women think about in the last trimester when
it comes to our babies and birth.
Rebecca
actually started having short and light contractions on
Wednesday and Thursday, but the contractions would stop when
the sun would set. It was like her body’s way of letting her
get a good night’s sleep to have the energy to birth her baby.
Friday
May 14: I spoke with Rebecca throughout the day; she was
having contractions but was taking care of her two toddlers so
you can imagine she didn’t have much time to think about
herself. As the evening approached, I could hear the
anxiousness in her voice and asked if she could lie down and
rest awhile and let her husband care for the kids. She did
and called me after she awoke. I asked if she would like me
to come over because it appeared as though these contractions
were getting more intense yet not closer together. I could
hear in her voice that it was time, and I happily arrived at
her house around 8:40 p.m.
8:40
p.m.: When I arrive at Rebecca’s home, her mother, a family
friend (to watch the children) and Dad are gathered in the
living room. The children are asleep, and the house is
quiet. Dad paces and packs and paces and packs. He is
excited, and we keep him busy while the ladies and I talk.
Rebecca is just beautifully breathing slowly through the
contractions while holding my hand and looking into my eyes.
We all paused as needed and then continued where we left off.
At this time, her contractions are stronger but varying in
lengths and time between. Rebecca is feeling some anxiety and
wonders if she is progressing at all. She talks about how she
will just be glad if she is a 3-4 cm. We all assure her that
she is doing a wonderful job and her body is working well.
Since I have been with Rebecca before, I knew she was further
along than she expected. Rebecca found sitting on the couch
leaning over her knees moving with her contractions was the
best place for managing her contractions.
9:25
p.m.: Rebecca announces to all of us…she is ready to go to
the hospital. She explains that she just wants to know if she
is dilating. She is pleading her case on why she wanted to
go. No explanation necessary. Her contractions are clearly
getting more intense and clustering together…yes…good news.
9:38
p.m.: We go to Methodist Medical Center Labor and Delivery,
and Rebecca changes into a fashionable robe (yeah, right).
Next, the nurse brings the inevitable…paperwork! During this
time, her nurse scurries around her to put the external
monitor on her belly to check his heart rate during her
contractions. Her baby boy is doing great. Rebecca’s mom,
Brian (her husband) and I are close by helping her with all
the paperwork and pausing to focus on her contractions.
Rebecca’s mom is so glad to be with her daughter. She is from
out of town and by chance is able to make it here when Rebecca
is in labor.
9:55
p.m.: The nurse asks to do an internal check and Rebecca
agrees. She is dilated 8-9 cm. Rebecca is ecstatic; she was
convinced that she was only 3-4 cm. The nurse is in shock
because Rebecca is not a laboring woman that appeared to be in
transition. The nurse asked if another nurse could do an
internal check, and Rebecca said okay. Yes, 8-9 cm dilated.
Way to go, Rebecca.
10:00
p.m. The doctor is being called. Rebecca is not feeling the
urge to push yet. Her contractions keep coming closer and
stronger. Brian holds her hand tightly while Rebecca works
hard to conquer each contraction. I am close to her face
giving her encouraging words and steady touch. Rebecca is so
strong. The nurse feels her belly and is trying to determine
if her baby is head down because it appears that the baby’s
head is pretty high based on the internal check. The nurse
asks to take a quick sonogram in the birthing room and the
sonogram tech for a quick moment says the baby is feet first.
Then, another nurse looked at her baby and says no headfirst,
just high. That was an interesting quick minute.
10:25
p.m.: The doctor arrives with a big smile and said he knew she
would be having her baby boy soon. Rebecca’s baby was
actually due the next day. Talk about being on time. The
doctor asks to do an internal check, and Rebecca agrees. He
says she is 9cm, and the baby’s head is high. He asks if he
can break her water and slowly bring down her baby’s head.
Rebecca agrees and after the gush of the bag of waters her
baby’s head moves down.
10:30
p.m.: Well, now Rebecca has the urge to push and does so while
the room prepares for the birth. I am grabbing the
camera…here we go. We captured some great photos of her baby
being born last time. Dad is on one side holding her hand and
her mom is on the other. Rebecca was great at pushing
following her body’s urges. Everybody is ready for this baby
boy.
10:38
p.m.: While Rebecca is pushing, she pauses and says, “Should I
stop pushing when I get a burning feeling?” Which, of course,
when you talk, you stop pushing. Isn’t she amazing? Her
baby’s head pops out. No tearing, no episiotomy. Go,
Rebecca. I tell her quickly “His head is out!” She is
shocked and has a huge smile of relief on her face. Then his
body quickly slides out. It is a boy. Yes. Bryce. Weighing
7 pounds 15½ ounces and 20½ inches of beautiful boy.
Immediately, he is rested on her chest to gaze into his
mother’s eyes…ahh. This is a wonderful sight. Brian is so
proud of his wife and his new son. You can see it in his
eyes. HE is glowing now. Bryce is so alert and ready to
nurse. He nursed like a champ, no surprise. Mom and baby
couldn’t be happier. What a miracle…don’t you just love
birth? Wow. The nurses and doctor were so delighted. They
complimented Rebecca several times on how great she labored
and delivered her baby. I am sure this will be a birth story
they won’t forget.
Thank you
for the gift of allowing me to be a part of something so
special and amazing again. Rebecca, your continued strength
in labor and birth is inspiring to me.
xxxooo,
Jenny
Carmean
Your
Doula
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Rodney
called me at about 3:30 a.m. on December 5th to tell me that
Dianne’s water broke and asked me to come to their house.
Since Bruce was still student teaching, there was the usual
panic about what to do with the kids. Just as we got it all
worked out, the phone rang again. Rodney, sounding incredibly
calm, called to let me know that Dianne felt pushy and that
they were leaving for the hospital. I planned to meet them
there.
When I
arrived at the hospital, Dianne and Rodney were the center of
a flurry of activity. There’s always some degree of chaos
when checking in with a mom in active labor, but this was
different. The extra “unknowns” due to the baby’s breech
position added excited energy to the chaos. Darla and Sam
were there along with a couple of extra nurses, all busying
themselves with paperwork, machines and questions. Dianne was
coping well with it all. She was at a point where she had to
focus on her labor. She and Rodney worked together through
contractions. She was dilated to about 6 cm with the baby’s
butt well applied to her cervix. Her labor was cooking, fast
and intense. Contractions were very strong.
Shortly
after Dianne got settled on the bed, a nurse tried to insert
the needle for an IV. Rodney warned them about Dianne’s past
difficulties with needle sticks. He requested that they
please call in the “vein lady.” Every hospital has a vein
lady, that one woman or man who has the magic touch and can
always draw blood or start an IV first try. The nurse
shrugged and proceeded to stick Dianne. Dianne, thrashing in
pain, demanded that they stop. The nurse hit a nerve in
Dianne’s arm, shooting excruciating pain down to Dianne’s
fingertips. “Take it out, take it out!” she screamed. “Pull
it out now!” Rodney demanded. The nurse looked at them as if
Dianne were just a hysterical crazy woman in labor overacting
to circumstances. She was waiting for Dianne to calm down so
she could push the needle in further. I was shocked.
Obviously that needle was causing Dianne great pain, far worse
than her labor. I as so amazed that I was speechless.
Luckily, Rodney was not. He again commanded the nurse to take
that needle out. This time she did. That particular nurse
left the room and, to the best of my knowledge, did not
return.
Sam
appeared dressed in scrubs. She quite calmly and confidently
inserted the IV needle. Apparently, Sam is the “vein lady.”
With the
IV saline lock in place, Dianne was free to focus on her
labor. She rode out her contractions by vocalizing and
breathing during them and focusing on relaxing between them.
Sam did a quick sonogram to verify that the baby was still
head up. He was. Meanwhile, Dianne had dilated to complete
and wanted to push. Since the baby was breech, neither Sam
nor Darla were allowed to catch him. The doctor had been
called in, but was not yet present. Dianne, so wanting to
push, would have to wait. With our help, Dianne pretended to
blow out candles during a contraction. It’s hard to push if
you are concentrating on blowing. She focused on my face,
watching my bangs flying in the breeze as she blew through the
contractions.
Finally,
the doctor arrived. This was the moment of truth. Until he
arrived, nobody knew for 100% certain if Dianne would be
supported to deliver vaginally. After another quick sonogram
to confirm that the baby’s head was flexed, Dianne was given
the okay to start pushing.
Sam
directed Dianne’s pushing. Rodney and I did our best to help
Dianne relax between contractions. I suggested that she melt
into the bed as Rodney guided Dianne through visualizations of
relaxing places they have visited. Darla's calming presence
helped to ground us all. With every push, the baby entered a
little further into the world.
Eventually the issue of episiotomy surfaced. During the brief
pushing phase, the doctor started to explain that sometimes
first time moms and moms with big babies need a little help in
the form of an episiotomy in order to avoid a tear. He wanted
to do an episiotomy so that Dianne wouldn’t tear. Rodney
immediately defended Dianne’s choice not to have an
episiotomy. He went on to say that Dianne would prefer not to
be cut, wanted to be supported not to tear and would feel
better about a small tear than a large episiotomy. Much to
my shock, Darla reprimanded Rodney for questioning the
doctor. The baby was coming so fast, there was no time to
come to reach a consensus. In the end, the doctor did not
have time and did not cut Dianne. I was so proud of Rodney.
He stepped up, right when he was needed most and stuck up for
Dianne in one of her most vulnerable moments.
The baby
was coming fast. The doctor did not pull or tug, allowing the
baby to unfold, to open like a flower. First his butt
emerged. Then his legs unfolded. Next his arms popped out.
The doctor and Sam supported his body, now dangling from
Dianne’s vagina, with a towel placed under his belly like a
sling. Sam held the towel as the doctor helped the baby’s
head wriggle free. His head came like a cork shooting from a
champagne bottle. Amniotic fluid went everywhere, but mostly
all over the doctor’s face. He stood there, baby in hand,
fluid coating his glasses, droplets dangling from his nose.
His facial expression said, “Jeez, what next? That figures. Oh
well.”
The
placenta popped out shortly after the birth. The doctor
left. Sam did a repair on Dianne’s second degree tear. An IV
with Pitocin was started to address minor postpartum
bleeding.
At the
time of the birth, the room was full of people–Dianne, Rodney,
Me, Darla, Sam, the doctor, Brooke (LDR Nurse), a team of
neonatologists from St. Francis, and a whole herd of mystery
people. I couldn’t begin to tell you who they all were. It
seems that anyone on the floor who didn’t need to be somewhere
else was present to witness an unmedicated, vaginal breech
delivery–a rare site in the current age.
The baby
was limp and not breathing immediately. However, is heart
rate was strong and his color was good. His five minute APGAR
was 8. He was whisked away to the nursery. There was a
conflict of gestational age that I won’t go into here. Dianne
and Rodney will remember. Rodney accompanied his new son to
the nursery. He was born quite rapidly, only about 4 hours
total labor. (Dianne’s water broke at about 1:30 a.m. He was
born at 5:42 a.m.)
I stayed
with Dianne. The fast, intense labor left her dazed and
wondering what just happened. Dianne fell right into a space
between here and there. The nurse went about the business of
the usual postpartum stuff–temp, blood pressure, pulse,
cleanup and a new gown. About 30 minutes later, Dianne was
ready to hold her new son.
Rodney
returned from the nursery to let us know what was happening.
The doctors wanted to keep the baby in the nursery to monitor
his breathing and blood oxygen saturation. Since
Dianne and Rodney know more about what happened in the nursery
than I, I’ll end my story here. When I left, Dianne was
sitting in a rocker in the nursery, nursing her newborn son.
I want to
thank Rodney and Dianne for inviting me to be a part of their
birth team and allowing me to be a part of this amazing
birth. I not only consider my doula work as a valuable
service to others, I consider it a privilege and an honor to
be invited into their personal drama. Thank you!
With Love
From Your Doula,
Penny
Silzer
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