Aug. 12, 2007
Catching Babies
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I was sleeping peacefully enough, dreaming of who knows what. It was that "mom" kind of sleep with eyes closed and ears open waiting for the baby to wake. The phone rang at 5:30 and the voice on the other end said "I think it's time". Fully awake now I asked "really?" "Yes, I took a shower and the contractions didn't go away. Now I can't talk through them..." pause...heavy breathing and then "I gotta go!". Yep, she was really in labor. She and her husband had decided to have an unassisted home birth. When I asked my husband if I could attend as doula he simply stated that he didn't see the wisdom in having and unassisted birth so I told her I would not be able to attend. Several days later it looked as if another friend trained as but not practicing as a midwife would attend the birth. My husband seemed to be okay with that. As her pregnancy progressed and the midwife-ish friend wasn't available after all I asked my husband what he thought. He said he didn't remember saying no. So I planned to be the doula (and official 911 caller if needed) because I'd rather be there to do something than not be available if help were needed. Her husband would catch the baby and her mother along with another friend, homebirthing mother of 7, would be in attendance. Usually when I go to attend a birth I get butterflies in my stomach. Not out of fear, but rather excitement similar to waiting to open presents Christmas morning as a girl. But this morning was different. I felt extrememly peaceful and quiet. I kissed my husband to let him know where I was going and drove the three minutes it took to get to her house. When I arrived it was very peaceful and it was just her. There was no husband, mother or friend. Her husband had the opening managerial position at a coffee shop and was frantically trying to find someone to fill in. Legally he could not leave the shop without another manager to take his place. I sat next to my friend as she knelt in front of her sofa with her head resting in her crossed arms on the cushion. The house was very peaceful and I spoke very quietly asking where this and that was. Where was the birth kit, water, etc. The contractions were getting hard quickly and she had no break as one came on top of the next for 7 minutes, 10 minutes....When she could get a breath out she said "Luanne said we should put cloths in water in the crock pot for warm compresses" then her focus would shift to the birthing dance we was a part of. Her moaning a song calling forth the child God had graciously placed in her womb. I called her husband telling him he needed to hurry. He answered the phone so cheerfully and professionally you'd never know how panicked he was to get home. She felt like she had to go to the bathroom so with the contractions pressing on her body we made it to the toilet. She grasped my hand and looked deep into my eyes "I don't think I can do this Annalisa!" Then her eyes rolled back as another contraction pressed hard around her abdomen. The location and position were causing uneasiness so we slowly made our way back to the sofa. Grabbing a long protective sheet from the birth kit I laid it down just in time as she lowered herself back down. She sang her birth song into the sofa cushions so as not to wake the landlord upstairs. She called out to the Lord as I prayed beside her. I brought her water to sip and prayed quietly. "Warm compresses!" she breathed, breaking her way through the unrelenting contractions. I obediently went to the bathroom, cooled the compress just enough and applied it to ease the burning. This baby was going to come! I kept looking at the door waiting for someone to come through, but no one came. I called a friend who lived nearby who had both had most of her children at home and caught several babies, planned and unplanned. She also happened to be a redcross first aid instructor. "Terry, I've never delivered a baby before, but you have. Could you come?" "Where are you?" I asked my friend her house number, her response was simply a loud groan. "Well...she can't talk right now." I finally explained where we were and my friend said she would come. As I continued to hold the compress firmly in place I began to feel pressure against my hand. I jumped up and grabbed the bulb syringe from the birth kit and got back on my knees behind her. She bore down then yelled "don't push, don't push" and bore down again. The baby's head was crowning. Slowly the head emerged. It got half way out and I reached in with my finger to make sure the cord was not wrapped. Again she pushed with little progress. "The head is half way out, you must push again" One more push and the baby slipped out right into my hands. Taking the bulb syringe I cleaned out his nose and mouth and pronounced to his mother that she was the proud owner of another wonderful boy! I passed him between her legs and mother and son beheld each other. Hearing a car door close outside I ran to meet my other friend calling "it's a boy". As we walked in the house, mother was on her knees holding her new son looking radiant! My friend put on gloves (now why didn't I think of that?!) and help position mother to deliver the placenta. She delivered a beautiful placenta, we wiped the blood from her legs, cleaned the disposable sheet, and positioned mother and baby on the couch. Just then her 19 month old son woke up. I went and got him and brought him to the living room. Mother greeted son and showed him his new sparkling fresh brother. He giggled:) Ten minutes later her husband arrived followed by her mother and the mother of 7. She gave birth to a wonder 10lb2oz baby boy. We took a couple pictures and my Red Cross friend and I went home so our husbands to go to work. My friend had experienced her first contraction at 5:00 a.m. and delivered her sweet babe at 6:40 a.m. 1 hr and 40 minutes from start to finish!!! When I got home my husband was dressed and ready for work. "I delivered the baby, no one else was there." He smiled at me, "I knew as soon as you left that you'd be delivering that baby so I was praying." What a wonderful man! While I have no desire to become a midwife, I will gladly catch any babies the Lord ordains for me to catch:) Not bad for a little self proclaimed doula and a Great Big God!!! |
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