Good luck birth

Simon and I were all cozy in bed very asleep when I got a call from Diane (the midwife) around 3am. I groggily answered and she whispered over the line "Fly like the wind". I knew that ment that our next mom was in labor so hoped out of bed, threw on my clothes and jolted out the door. I'm constantly amazed at how the adrenaline surge from an immenent birth can wake me right up.

I arrived to D's house (the mom) just as Diane was arriving and I helped her carry all her supplies in. We checked on D who was laboring in a downstairs bedroom where they had planned to do the birth. She was doing great, kneeling on some blankets and leaning onto the end of the bed breathing through each contraction with her husband at her side. She asked if Diane could check to see how dilated she was, and she was around 4cm.

We then set up all the equipment as quietly as we could in the room and made sure she had juice to drink and was comfortable. She was very focused on each contraction, whispering to herself what sounded to me like chinese prayers, and then in between she'd checkin on us, asking if we needed any food or drinks, etc. =) so sweet. Of course we told her we were fine and not to worry, if we needed anything we'd forage. =) Diane's backup midwife Davi arrived soon after.

So we all sat there with her, she didn't need or want to be touched, even by her husband. She was seriously focused and would lift her head and ask for water or juice from time to time. Diane would occasionally check the baby's heart rate, which was doing great the whole time. We continued to sit with her as each wave of contractions came, getting progressively stronger and stronger. With each contraction she would make a low moan, which turned into a long slow Om*. At times we would join her with her Om's and the whole room would fill with a vibration of strenght and peace.

After a while she felt like she had to go to the bathroom, so we helped her to the toilet where she sat with Diane for a while. I can't emphasize enough how great toilets are for laboring. The mother can rest without having any pressure from below, and be able to open up and release anything without feeling self conscious. She and Diane stayed in the bathroom with the door open for a while. Just breathing and relaxing and surrendering to the contractions as much as possible.

Soon Diane gave me a signal to bring the birthing supplies over to the bathroom, so I set them all up just outside the door in the hallway. The contractions were getting stronger, so Diane suggested that D move from the toilet to the floor right in front of her, so we set down some towels and absorbent pads and helped her slowly lower her knees to the ground. She was able to lean forward onto the open door and hold on to it with a hand on each side supporting herself.

As she began to push her husband was at one side, and Diane at the other supporting. The head was born with the amnotic sack over his head. Diane used an amnicot, a mini finger condom with a small plastic hook on the tip, to break the sack and carefully lift it away from the baby's face so that he can breath when the body comes out. With the next push his whole body came out and he was handed to D through her knees. We helped support her and the baby while she sat down and cuddled her new little son.

After that it was pretty much the same drill. Help mom to bed, get her something to eat and drink. Make sure she uses the restroom. And get the baby nursing. Once all that is done we do the full newborn exam. Weighing, measuring, listening, etc. He was perfectly healthy and super cute =) In many cultures being "born in the caul" is good luck =) And as the new family cuddled in bed, loving their new son, I felt very lucky to have witnessed this peaceful gentle birth.


*Aum (also Om) is a mystical or sacred syllable in the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religions. It has many meanings like the sound the universe made when it came into was created. Some people take this literally and some metaphorically. Also, the phonetics of the sound Aum starts in the bottom of the vocal cavity, then to the glottis, then to the mouth cavity and ultimately disappear into the silent void. This process symbolizes the creation, the maintainence, the destruction of all things and the return to where they came. As a Mantra repeating the word "om" is a great way to slow down the breathing, calms the nervous system and gives the glands and organs of the body a vibrational massage.