Birth Stories
Letter to a baby
(letter written for client)
Dear Baby (name retracted for privacy),
Here is the story of your birth! Your mom and dad have their own memories of what happened when you were born. I was there too, and here is what I remember.
Your grandmother (your mom’s mom) had come to town for a visit. She was going to stay with your big brother while your mom and dad went to the hospital to have you. She was also planning to help your mom out when you were first born. Its great to have a new baby to love, but it can also be very tiring, so your grandmother was going to help your mom take care of you and your brother.
Your brother had been a big baby, which made us wonder if you would be too. Sometimes its hard to give birth to a big baby. Since you might be big, and since your grandmother was in town, your mom and her doctor decided to help your mom start her labor so that they could meet you as soon as possible.
You were in your mom’s body in a placenta, which some people call a bag of waters. To start the labor, your mom’s doctor was going to try to separate the placenta from her body, hoping that would make you want to be born. The doctor accidentally made a whole in the bag of waters and your mom got her clothes all wet!
Your dad came to the rescue with some dry clothes and came to take your mom to the hospital in Alexandria. Your mom was having contractions which means the muscles around the bag of waters were working to get your mom’s body ready for you to come out. The contractions weren’t very strong, though.
A nice midwife suggested that your mom rest in the hospital for the night. This was a great idea, since your brother and grandmother were already resting at home.
When morning came, your mom and dad were very excited. They knew this would be your birthday. Your mom’s midwife gave your mom some medicine to make her contractions stronger and longer. This meant you were getting closer to being born, but it also meant your mom was very uncomfortable.
Your mom liked sitting and bouncing slightly on a big exercise ball in between contractions. During contractions, your dad and I made your mom more comfortable by squeezing her hips. It’s a good thing your dad is so strong, because your mom felt best when we squeezed very hard.
Your mom decided she’d like to have some medicine for the pain, like she had when your brother was born. She had been trying to avoid that medicine with your birth because it makes it hard for the mom to help push the baby out when the time comes.
Your mom decided to try changing positions one more time before calling the doctor with the pain medicine. To our surprise, when she stood up from the birth ball, she felt like she was ready to push you out!
We called the nurse and the midwife to come and get ready for your birth. Your mom got on her hands and knees on the hospital bed and pushed and pushed for 20 minutes to get you out. Since you weren’t coming that way, the midwife thought it might be good for your mom to turn around on the bed.
Your mom got onto her back in the bed which was set up so she was sitting up. Its hard for mom’s to see their babies coming out around their big bellies, so the nurse got a mirror so that your mom could see you coming. This really got your mom excited and she pushed very hard. She pushed and pushed for another 20 minutes like this.
The midwife thought maybe you were a big baby like your brother. Since we could tell you were very healthy, she let your mom keep pushing. Finally, your head pushed through and came out of your mom.
The midwife told your mom to put her hands down so that she could catch you when the rest of your body was born. She did and the next time she pushed, your body came out completely and your mom lifted you up to her chest. Your mom and dad were thrilled to finally meet you!
Since you had been in a bag of waters, there was lots of fluid in your nose and mouth. The midwife sucked this fluid out so you wouldn’t breathe it in.
Your dad told us all that you were a girl! We were so excited to meet you.
Your mom and dad couldn’t adore you enough. They were so happy to have a little sister for your brother. They hugged and kissed you and took pictures.
After a while, the nurse weighed you. You weighed nine pounds, 14 ounces and you were 20 inches long. You were a big baby!
Love,
Sarah Wholey (your mom’s doula)
Birth, the First (the story of the first birth I attended as a doula)
I arrived at 7:30 PM to find my client (Mom) on an electronic fetal monitor prior to getting admitted. They found her to be at 3 cm, and wanted a 20-minute measurement.
The nursing staff was pleased when I produced several copies of the birth plan. The doctor came in to review it. She went through each item. Doctor said she would prefer to break Mom’s water rather than using Pitocin if the labor seemed to need encouragement, which worked for Mom.
In the L&D room, Nurse1 looked at the birth plan and said, “Dim lights are fine, but I need to see to get my work done.” I was concerned, but as soon as the heparin lock was in we were able to dim the lights and she never turned them back up.
I suggested we walk and Mom had contractions while we were out of the room. She was tolerating them but wanted to get back to the room. Dad and I both used counter-pressure throughout the contractions and Mom used the birth ball. Mom also liked heat on her lower back.
The intensity of contractions picked up and Mom asked about pain medication about 21:30. The nurse said that wouldn’t be a problem, but would require 20 minutes of monitoring and another exam. The doctor came in to find Mom mid-contraction.
Nurse1 gave an IV dose of a narcotic, Stadol around 22:00. They also administered a drug to counteract nausea. Contractions were less frequent and irregular. She slept in between contractions which was welcome.
Up to then, Mom had been mobile, drinking, and using the toilet. Once the narcotic was administered, she was not safe on her feet. She drank less, but had an IV. She felt the urge to urinate and a bedpan was brought. Twice she tried, but contractions interfered. We continued counter-pressure and encouraging words. The contractions picked up. The pain was less intense but she still wanted counter-pressure and heat. A few times, she felt Baby move down.
The next exam came before midnight. The doctor found her to be 7 cm and asked if Mom wanted her water broken. She said “yes” and Dad said, “So we’re really committed now.” Mom said, “We’ve been committed,” and continued her occasional mantra to him: “I’m having a baby here, babe.”
The intensity and duration of contractions picked up. She now preferred to stay elevated on her side. The pain was so intense she found it hard to continue to breathe normally. Baby’s heart rate dipped and the monitor’s alarm sounded. Nurse2 suggested a change of position indicating that the cord might be pinched and she put Mom on oxygen.
Mom felt ready to push. They warned her against pushing since she’d just been found to be 7 cm. Since she felt him so low, the nurse took a look during the next contraction. She’d progressed a lot since midnight and Nurse2 and Nurse3 concurred that it was time to call the doctor. Nurse3 had burst onto the scene in a flurry, whipped on the lights, and started calling Mom by her full name and using a stern loud voice. I quietly informed her that Mom called herself “M.” Dad reiterated this and Nurse3 switched gears. The doctor arrived and after a very brief discomfort we were all working as a team.
With each push, the doctor stretched Mom open. This and Baby’s small size helped Mom to avoid a third episiotomy. The full head of hair soon arrived to be followed by the rest of Baby’s body at 00:58.
The baby was laid on Mom while the nurses rubbed and suctioned him. The cord was clamped and cut. They swaddled Baby.
The third stage took a few more contractions. The cord was not very long and not very thick, so the Doctor hesitated to pull. She used pressure and massaged.
Soon the caregivers left, and Dad went to make calls. Mom was shaking with the hormones and the Pitocin administered after birth. Nurse2 came back and said they wanted to get Baby to a warmer so we left her with instructions to collect Dad in the hall. She got Mom a blanket.
Dad came back without the baby around 01:30, reporting that Michael was in the warming room. We sat for a while wondering where Michael was and Nurse2 got the birth plan asking for minimal separation and brought it to the warming room. By 03:00 the whole family was back together and Baby had latched on.