Continuous Support

Change Positions

Let Labor Begin On Its Own

Welcome Jack!

Labor Begins:

On May 13 (16 days before birth guess date) at 3:00 am, Tiffany called me; she had awoken at 2:00 am experiencing contractions that were taking her breath away. Tiffany’s husband, Kyle, was out of town and I didn’t want her to be alone so I suggested for her to get in the bath/shower and I got ready to go to her house. I arrived at 4:30 am and started timing contractions, which were consistently 7 minutes apart lasting a full minute. By 7:00 am contractions were 5 minutes apart. Tiffany ate and drank and coped well with the contractions.  By 9:00 am her husband arrived and was very supportive. Approximately 10:30 am contractions were 4-1-1 and we were ready to go to the hospital.  Right as we were leaving, her water broke. We arrived at the hospital at 11:15 am.  Tiffany was dilated to 5+ and 80% effaced and baby was low and ready. Tiffany’s labor pains got intense quickly and she had little or no time in between contractions. She chose not to have medication of any kind, intermittent monitoring, and no IV. At 1:16 pm, baby boy Jack was born. She had no tears or stitches. Jack was placed skin to skin on Tiffany’s chest. He did not take that initial breath so doctors had to take him and work to wake him up and get him to breathe to open up his sticky lungs. After about 20 minutes, baby was placed back on Tiffany and after another 15 minutes, he latched and began to nurse.

As the Doula:

My role at this birth was to offer continuous care to Tiffany, to help with her toddler while Tiff labored at home, and to offer support and encouragement to her husband. During labor we used the birth ball, double hip squeeze, massage, walking, and changing positions; she especially found comfort on her hands and knees. The use of lavender oil on a tissue helped with her nausea. Kyle gets all the credit for regulating Tiffany’s breathing; he was an amazing, controlled comfort for her.

Tiffany’s Reaction to Labor and Birth:

Tiffany coped really well throughout the labor pains at home. I think she was surprised at the quick intensity of the contractions almost immediately after arriving at the hospital. I reassured her she was in the quickest phase of labor and that it would not last long.  She had moments of panic and didn’t want to use the visualization, massage, or breathing techniques we had practiced beforehand. Only once did she look in to my eyes and say she could not handle the pain. She was very tired and just wanted rest. Tiffany probably would have been more focused if she had had childbirth classes to prepare her for transition but overall, I think she was extremely happy that she DID IT and stuck to her birth plan perfectly!

I Learned:

I was amazed at how storybook Tiffany’s labor and delivery were. I felt calm even though it was my first birth. I relied on instinct and trusted the process of labor and delivery. I used the techniques I learned but didn’t feel the need to pull out all my bag of tricks and potions. I also learned I am part of the birth team and not the sole supporter.  I went in to the hospital birth slightly apprehensive of how the hospital staff would treat me as a doula and if they would respect my client’s wishes without an attitude. I needn’t have worried; they were very supportive of Tiffany’s birth plan and did not waiver. It was a beautiful, perfect labor and birth.  I feel honored and very blessed to have witnessed the miracle of birth.  xo C~