We had two moms deliver last week. One on friday and one on saturday. Both were water births with baby girls and lovely chinese mommas. =)
Friday's went great. Mom's water broke around 3am. Labor picked up soon after and they headed over to the birth center. They live in Sacramento so it was a good 2 hour drive at least. Judi called me around 7am saying that they had arrived and that it was still a bit early, but to be prepared to come around 12. I decided to head out a bit earlier and got a call from Judi while I was on BART. She said I should get there as soon as i could, things had picked up. Luckily I was just 2 stations away at that point.
When I walked in Judi was fervently setting up the tub and mom and dad were in the front exam room laboring hard. Gradually they made their way over to the birth room and she got into the tub. I had never seen a first time mom in active labor be so relaxed. She literally melted and floated in the water. Her partner was right at her side supporting and helping remind her to drink to stay hydrated.
As usually the warm water slowed things down a bit, so we had C change position a few times and eventually squat and stand swaying for a few contractions. It definitely did the trick and her contractions picked up again. Baby was doing great the whole time. Good strong heart tones. =) Soon it was time to start pushing and she worked so hard to bring her little girl down and out. Emmi was born at 1:59pm. Beautiful, pink and a bit early at 37 weeks and 3 days.
On Saturday I came in to help out with a "Mother and Baby Care" class that Judi was teaching from 2-5pm. Around 3pm we got a call from H who was 41 weeks and 6 days. Once moms hit 42 weeks they aren't allowed to birth at the center and have to go their back up hospital instead. So over the last few days H had been working with Judi to naturally induce labor using herbs, castor oil and membrane stripping. This was H's second baby, so we just had to get labor kicked in and her body would take care of the rest.
Apparently the castor oil had worked, because she was having contractions every 4-5 min for about a minute long since 1pm. Judi said for her to come in at 5pm as planned to see if she had dilated some more. When Judi checked her she was 6-7cm with a bulging back of waters. Both Judi and H decided to go for broke and do a full on "natural" induction and break her water. Normally most midwives try to avoid breaking waters as it can cause issues if the baby isn't positioned right or not ready. But in H's case, she was well past due, already dilated and having contractions, and baby's position was perfect. And luckily in her case, it totally worked.
Labor got stronger and stronger. And we helped her deal with her fears. Her first labor had lasted 52 hours and ended in a transport with an epidural. So she had never felt the full strength of contractions before. We decided to welcome them as friends and helpers with a positive mind set. As they became stronger she needed some more help and Judi guided her through each contraction chanting "OOOooopppppeeeeennnnn" with her to help visualize her cervix opening.
Soon after she got into the tub with her partner supporting her and the water was very comforting. Eventually her "open" chants became less fluid and more grunty, usually meaning that the pushing stage was beginning. She began to push with each contraction and slowly her daughter came closer and closer. We could she her little head full of dark hair and H put her hand down to help ease the head out herself and then pick up her daughter as she was born.
Both were very sweet births. Totally normal with no resuscitation or abnormal bleeding. Just pure birth, and bliss and love.
In December there are 15 moms due. Some are bound to spill over into November like friday's birth. And some are likely to last into January. Simon and I are going away from dec 25th till Jan 3rd. So I'm going to miss some births. But I'm hoping to catch most of them =) I'm up to 5 births at the center, but I'm only counting 3 as official because i was there from beginning to end. And that makes a 17 total since March.
I've decided not to take the second apprenticeship and just do Tuesdays and Thursdays at the center. That way I can focus on finishing my modules. I really want to finish them by spring of 2010, take the NARM exam and then go traveling with Simon for 6 months. I know I can do it. I just need lots of coffee to help focus =)
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Second Apprenticeship?
So during my hunt for an apprenticeship I heard about a group of three midwives who have a home birth practice in the east bay and SF. I had hoped to talk with them before deciding on working at Sage Femme, but the timing was not right. A week after I accepted the apprenticeship at Sage Femme I got a response from these midwives that they were interested in meeting with me.
I wrote them back explaining that I had already accepted my apprenticeship, but that it was only one day a week, and whenever there were births. I asked if they would in interested in working with me when I wasn't at Sage Femme since I don't have another job or kids yet. The only potential issue would be if there are overlapping births. They wrote back and said that there isn't a conflict with Sage Femme, because they don't regularly see clients on the day I'm scheduled to work there. And as for conflicting births, if its meant for us to work together, then we'll find a way to work things out.
So I'm going to meet with them on Wed for lunch and see how things go. I have a feeling that I will really like working with them. Just from the impression I got from their website and birth photos. I did meet one of the midwives briefly at a conference in March. She was also a student at Sage Femme for a while before leaving to do home births. So Judi knows her well and I talked to her about my plans to meet with them so that everyone is in the know.
Because I accepted at Sage Femme first, I plan to make them my priority. If I'm already at a birth at Sage Femme, then I won't be able to leave for another birth. And if I'm at a birth with the other midwives and get a call for Sage Femme, I'll have to leave. This could potentially really really suck. If I've developed a strong relationship with the mother I won't want to leave in the middle of her birth. I'm hoping that the chances of births overlapping will be slim. But it really depends on how busy they are.
We will talk about everything and figure it out. I think maybe doing a trial period of a few months to see if I can actually pull it off is a good idea. I don't want to over commit or burn myself out. But at the same time I'm very eager to gain experience and take advantage of my time right now. And I would LOVE to be in the homes again. 2 of the three births I have attended at the birth center resulted in transporting to the hospital. Both were necessary, but it makes me wonder...
I have a theory that mothers that choose home birth are more committed and willing to have a natural birth. And that mothers who choose a birth center are still afraid or not trusting of birth. They don't want to be at home, but don't want to be in a hospital. It's a safe middle ground. Both deserve unconditional support and excellent care. But part of me wants to work with mothers who trust birth as much as I do. That is one of the things I need to work on personally.
So we'll see how it goes. I need to keep studying. It's hard to with distractions at home. The internet, Cody (our kitty), and wanting to get organized around the house still. I find it's easier to study at night when everything is quiet and dark. =) Wish me luck!
I wrote them back explaining that I had already accepted my apprenticeship, but that it was only one day a week, and whenever there were births. I asked if they would in interested in working with me when I wasn't at Sage Femme since I don't have another job or kids yet. The only potential issue would be if there are overlapping births. They wrote back and said that there isn't a conflict with Sage Femme, because they don't regularly see clients on the day I'm scheduled to work there. And as for conflicting births, if its meant for us to work together, then we'll find a way to work things out.
So I'm going to meet with them on Wed for lunch and see how things go. I have a feeling that I will really like working with them. Just from the impression I got from their website and birth photos. I did meet one of the midwives briefly at a conference in March. She was also a student at Sage Femme for a while before leaving to do home births. So Judi knows her well and I talked to her about my plans to meet with them so that everyone is in the know.
Because I accepted at Sage Femme first, I plan to make them my priority. If I'm already at a birth at Sage Femme, then I won't be able to leave for another birth. And if I'm at a birth with the other midwives and get a call for Sage Femme, I'll have to leave. This could potentially really really suck. If I've developed a strong relationship with the mother I won't want to leave in the middle of her birth. I'm hoping that the chances of births overlapping will be slim. But it really depends on how busy they are.
We will talk about everything and figure it out. I think maybe doing a trial period of a few months to see if I can actually pull it off is a good idea. I don't want to over commit or burn myself out. But at the same time I'm very eager to gain experience and take advantage of my time right now. And I would LOVE to be in the homes again. 2 of the three births I have attended at the birth center resulted in transporting to the hospital. Both were necessary, but it makes me wonder...
I have a theory that mothers that choose home birth are more committed and willing to have a natural birth. And that mothers who choose a birth center are still afraid or not trusting of birth. They don't want to be at home, but don't want to be in a hospital. It's a safe middle ground. Both deserve unconditional support and excellent care. But part of me wants to work with mothers who trust birth as much as I do. That is one of the things I need to work on personally.
So we'll see how it goes. I need to keep studying. It's hard to with distractions at home. The internet, Cody (our kitty), and wanting to get organized around the house still. I find it's easier to study at night when everything is quiet and dark. =) Wish me luck!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
First official day =)
So my last post was on the Sunday before I officially started. I got a call the next day, Monday, and there was a mom in labor. Judi wanted to know if I would like to observe the birth. Of course! It was still a bit early but I headed over to the center to be there when the mom arrived. While waiting I started the scavenger hunt around the center and got very familiar with where all the supplies and equipment are stored. A few hours later and still no momma, so Judi called to see how she was doing. Her contractions were becoming irregular again and waning so they were probably not going to be coming in. I was disappointed but grateful to get to know the center a bit more and went home.
The next morning at 5:30am I got the call from Judi. L had come in around 4am and she was around 6cm with fairly regular contractions every 5-7 minutes. I jumped in the car and drove over the bridge into the city with the early morning traffic. By the time I got there L's contractions had slowed a bit, and she was being well supported by her husband and doula. I ate some breakfast and got introduced to them. Sweet couple, mom in her early 40's, first baby, its a boy "Paulo". At this point I was just helping with taking vitals and timing the contractions occasionally.
The next 12 hours seemed to fly by with taking vitals and trying to help her swing Paulo into a better position. The silly monkey had his back on one side and his head turned the other way. To help do that we had her changing positions and walking, trying to keep her contractions going, but it was hard because of his funky position, his head wasn't applying the even amount of pressure on the cervix to synchronize the contractions.
At 7pm after having a bit of yogurt with honey for energy L vomited and her water broke at the same time. Even though most people think vomiting is a bad thing... in labor it can actually help a lot. Her waters were clear and perfect. Throughout the whole day Paulo's heart rate was fantastic. The little guy wasn't even phased =) Now that her water was broken we needed to monitor her temperature to see if she was at risk for an infection. So far so good =)
After her water broke she became a bit dehydrated so Judi suggested an IV and they accepted gratefully. After an hour or so of the IV she was feeling much better and had much more energy. She was rocking and swaying with the contractions. Around 10pm Judi decided to check her again to see if she'd made any progress. If she hadn't we were going to talk about transporting because the contractions she had kept coming and going and weren't strong enough to help turn Paulo. If she got a bit of Pitocin at the hospital it would help, and before she was too tired for the pushing stage.
When Judi checked her she was still 7-8cm, but very stretchy. So Judi decided to hangout for a contraction and see if the head came down when L pushed. It did. So through a few contractions Judi helped move the cervix out of the way for the head to come down. And down he came. We moved L to a birthing stool to let gravity help and with each contraction and push he came closer and closer. Soon we could see his little head full of dark hair molding perfectly to fit. As he started to crown she panted through the contractions and his head came out perfectly. He had turned the right way!
With the next couple contractions his whole body came out and we helped lift him to L's lap. He was pretty flaccid (floppy) and didn't start to cry after being stimulated with rubbing, talking and some suctioning. Judi listened to his heart and it was pretty slow, so she clamped him and brought him to the resuscitation table. I was right there ready with the oxygen on and a warm blanket to help dry him and stimulate him more. After a few seconds he started to pink up, I listened to his heart and it was back up to a good range. But he still wasn't crying or making strong efforts to breath. Judi asked me to call 911 and ask for a neonatal resuscitation team.
I flew to the other side of the room and called. Somehow I remembered the address even though I'd only been here twice before. While on the phone I could see Paulo moving around and starting to make a little noise. Once I confirmed everything I went to the front of the building to wait for them. They arrived about 8 minutes later (longest 8 minutes of my life) and I let them in. When I went back to the room Paulo was breathing on his own but still wasn't crying. So the decided to transport him just to be cautious. So Paulo and dad went to the hospital and mom stayed with us to make sure she was doing ok.
During the commotion of resuscitate and calling and waiting L had delivered her placenta with the help of the other student midwife and her doula and was doing great. Before we could let her leave we had to make sure she wouldn't hemorrhage, was able to go to the bathroom, get something to eat and rest for a bit. We got her in bed and I made her some scrambled eggs. While feeding her the eggs and some yogurt we talked about what happened and how Paulo looked to me, and that I was certain that he was going to be fine. As the EMS was leaving with him we heard him cry.
After about an hour and a half, with a good nap, food and being able to walk around without feeling dizzy... I drove L to the hospital. We had her sit and she was finally able to hold Paulo and cuddle him skin-to-skin. They had done some blood tests and found that his hematocrit was higher than normal, meaning his blood was thicker than they liked. The talked to the parents about doing a procedure to help dilute his blood, by extracting some from his umbilical vein and adding saline through and IV. The risk of a high hematocrit is having his blood clot and potentially give him a stroke. The benefits of the procedure definitely out weighed the cons so they agreed to go forward with it.
I offered to stay at the hospital and wait with them till after the procedure and Paulo was all settled with his mom again. The father still needed a ride back to the center to pick up their things that were left behind in the rush and to get their car. So around 9am everything was finished, Paulo was back to cuddling with his mom and resting so it was time for me to head out. I as so grateful to be able to support them. I was able to help assess L's bleeding while at the hospital to make sure she was still doing fine and make sure she stayed hydrated.
Even though I had been awake for more than 27 hours, I was high on adrenaline from the whole evening and so satisfied and happy that they were all doing great and finally together again. I learned a ton and was so grateful that I was able to help so much during the birth and afterward. Judi does have another midwife on staff, but the decision to start pushing happened so quickly that even if she had called her, she wouldn't have made it there on time. And I'm super glad that I came early on monday and got to know my way around the center. Knowing where everything was helped a ton and I was able to preemtively prepare things. I was fast and efficient. It felt great =)
I got home around 10am, took a shower, ate and then crashed into bed =) *sigh* It was a good start to my new apprenticeship =)
The next morning at 5:30am I got the call from Judi. L had come in around 4am and she was around 6cm with fairly regular contractions every 5-7 minutes. I jumped in the car and drove over the bridge into the city with the early morning traffic. By the time I got there L's contractions had slowed a bit, and she was being well supported by her husband and doula. I ate some breakfast and got introduced to them. Sweet couple, mom in her early 40's, first baby, its a boy "Paulo". At this point I was just helping with taking vitals and timing the contractions occasionally.
The next 12 hours seemed to fly by with taking vitals and trying to help her swing Paulo into a better position. The silly monkey had his back on one side and his head turned the other way. To help do that we had her changing positions and walking, trying to keep her contractions going, but it was hard because of his funky position, his head wasn't applying the even amount of pressure on the cervix to synchronize the contractions.
At 7pm after having a bit of yogurt with honey for energy L vomited and her water broke at the same time. Even though most people think vomiting is a bad thing... in labor it can actually help a lot. Her waters were clear and perfect. Throughout the whole day Paulo's heart rate was fantastic. The little guy wasn't even phased =) Now that her water was broken we needed to monitor her temperature to see if she was at risk for an infection. So far so good =)
After her water broke she became a bit dehydrated so Judi suggested an IV and they accepted gratefully. After an hour or so of the IV she was feeling much better and had much more energy. She was rocking and swaying with the contractions. Around 10pm Judi decided to check her again to see if she'd made any progress. If she hadn't we were going to talk about transporting because the contractions she had kept coming and going and weren't strong enough to help turn Paulo. If she got a bit of Pitocin at the hospital it would help, and before she was too tired for the pushing stage.
When Judi checked her she was still 7-8cm, but very stretchy. So Judi decided to hangout for a contraction and see if the head came down when L pushed. It did. So through a few contractions Judi helped move the cervix out of the way for the head to come down. And down he came. We moved L to a birthing stool to let gravity help and with each contraction and push he came closer and closer. Soon we could see his little head full of dark hair molding perfectly to fit. As he started to crown she panted through the contractions and his head came out perfectly. He had turned the right way!
With the next couple contractions his whole body came out and we helped lift him to L's lap. He was pretty flaccid (floppy) and didn't start to cry after being stimulated with rubbing, talking and some suctioning. Judi listened to his heart and it was pretty slow, so she clamped him and brought him to the resuscitation table. I was right there ready with the oxygen on and a warm blanket to help dry him and stimulate him more. After a few seconds he started to pink up, I listened to his heart and it was back up to a good range. But he still wasn't crying or making strong efforts to breath. Judi asked me to call 911 and ask for a neonatal resuscitation team.
I flew to the other side of the room and called. Somehow I remembered the address even though I'd only been here twice before. While on the phone I could see Paulo moving around and starting to make a little noise. Once I confirmed everything I went to the front of the building to wait for them. They arrived about 8 minutes later (longest 8 minutes of my life) and I let them in. When I went back to the room Paulo was breathing on his own but still wasn't crying. So the decided to transport him just to be cautious. So Paulo and dad went to the hospital and mom stayed with us to make sure she was doing ok.
During the commotion of resuscitate and calling and waiting L had delivered her placenta with the help of the other student midwife and her doula and was doing great. Before we could let her leave we had to make sure she wouldn't hemorrhage, was able to go to the bathroom, get something to eat and rest for a bit. We got her in bed and I made her some scrambled eggs. While feeding her the eggs and some yogurt we talked about what happened and how Paulo looked to me, and that I was certain that he was going to be fine. As the EMS was leaving with him we heard him cry.
After about an hour and a half, with a good nap, food and being able to walk around without feeling dizzy... I drove L to the hospital. We had her sit and she was finally able to hold Paulo and cuddle him skin-to-skin. They had done some blood tests and found that his hematocrit was higher than normal, meaning his blood was thicker than they liked. The talked to the parents about doing a procedure to help dilute his blood, by extracting some from his umbilical vein and adding saline through and IV. The risk of a high hematocrit is having his blood clot and potentially give him a stroke. The benefits of the procedure definitely out weighed the cons so they agreed to go forward with it.
I offered to stay at the hospital and wait with them till after the procedure and Paulo was all settled with his mom again. The father still needed a ride back to the center to pick up their things that were left behind in the rush and to get their car. So around 9am everything was finished, Paulo was back to cuddling with his mom and resting so it was time for me to head out. I as so grateful to be able to support them. I was able to help assess L's bleeding while at the hospital to make sure she was still doing fine and make sure she stayed hydrated.
Even though I had been awake for more than 27 hours, I was high on adrenaline from the whole evening and so satisfied and happy that they were all doing great and finally together again. I learned a ton and was so grateful that I was able to help so much during the birth and afterward. Judi does have another midwife on staff, but the decision to start pushing happened so quickly that even if she had called her, she wouldn't have made it there on time. And I'm super glad that I came early on monday and got to know my way around the center. Knowing where everything was helped a ton and I was able to preemtively prepare things. I was fast and efficient. It felt great =)
I got home around 10am, took a shower, ate and then crashed into bed =) *sigh* It was a good start to my new apprenticeship =)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Changes
So a lot has changed in the last couple months. We moved back to the Bay Area and are now living in Berkeley. I went from driving everywhere to riding my bike everywhere. We went from fostering kittens to adopting one. =) And as of Tuesday I'm going from being a home birth practice apprentice to a midwifery birth center apprentice.
All of these changes are good and challenging. I love being back in the bay area, close to my family and old friends, but I do miss the friends we made in LA. Driving was fast and convenient, but now biking is fun and gets me in shape. I'm very grateful that Berkeley is mostly flat. Being a new parent to a kitten is so much fun. Cody is ridiculously funny and keeps us constantly entertained. =) But trying to decide if he should be allowed to go outside or not is causing turmoil.
On Tuesday I start my new apprenticeship. I had contacted about 10 local midwives to see if they were looking for an apprentice, and they all either had one already or weren't looking. By chance I decided to contact Sage Femme Midwifery in SF. I had hoped to continue working with a midwife who does homebirths, but at this point I was willing to work anywhere I could gain experience and learn.
When I met with the CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) who is the founder of the birth center, she explained what an apprenticeship is like there and how they structure it. Basically they schedule appointments on tues, wed and thurs. They have 3 students and each is assigned to just one day to avoid burnout and to accommodate anyone who has a second job and/or childcare issues. Each client is always scheduled on the same day for their appointments, so which ever student is working on their day will be assigned to attend their birth, whenever it may happen.
I am the new Tuesday student. A few things that will be very different from my previous apprenticeship, aside from the obvious location will be:
The center accepts Medicare, meaning their clientele ranges from upper middle-class down to the occasional homeless:
I am glad for the opportunity to work with a wider range of clients. A bit apprehensive, because I'm not sure what challenges it will present, but I'm hoping to learn as I go.
I will only be going in once a week, as opposed to spending each weekday driving from home to home for appointments:
Going in just once a week at first felt like it would be a waste, that I should be busier and use the time I have available now. But the more I think about it, I will have more time to study and complete the academic part of my program, which is very time consuming and laborious.
I will have the opportunity to observe certain tests being preformed in a hospital setting:
For example if the parents decide to do genetic testing I could go with them to the hospital for support and observe clinically how the test is given. This would help me understand it to better explain and prepare future parents if they are considering it. Because the center has connections with hospitals in SF they offer genetic testing. To function as a free standing birth center they have to have these connections. They also have to perform certain tests and adhere to stricter guidelines than a private midwife would. I'm curious to see what the differences are in practice.
So that's it for now. As time goes by I hope to be able to revisit some of the births I wasn't able to write about yet. I attended 14 births in total down in LA. 3 of the 14 required transport, 2 of them for cesareans, and one for a vacuum assist. All ended with healthy happy babies and families. I plan to write about my experiences at the birth center, but I want to be considerate to the mothers and families, so I might not give as much detail as before. It is their birth story after all. =)
All of these changes are good and challenging. I love being back in the bay area, close to my family and old friends, but I do miss the friends we made in LA. Driving was fast and convenient, but now biking is fun and gets me in shape. I'm very grateful that Berkeley is mostly flat. Being a new parent to a kitten is so much fun. Cody is ridiculously funny and keeps us constantly entertained. =) But trying to decide if he should be allowed to go outside or not is causing turmoil.
On Tuesday I start my new apprenticeship. I had contacted about 10 local midwives to see if they were looking for an apprentice, and they all either had one already or weren't looking. By chance I decided to contact Sage Femme Midwifery in SF. I had hoped to continue working with a midwife who does homebirths, but at this point I was willing to work anywhere I could gain experience and learn.
When I met with the CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) who is the founder of the birth center, she explained what an apprenticeship is like there and how they structure it. Basically they schedule appointments on tues, wed and thurs. They have 3 students and each is assigned to just one day to avoid burnout and to accommodate anyone who has a second job and/or childcare issues. Each client is always scheduled on the same day for their appointments, so which ever student is working on their day will be assigned to attend their birth, whenever it may happen.
I am the new Tuesday student. A few things that will be very different from my previous apprenticeship, aside from the obvious location will be:
The center accepts Medicare, meaning their clientele ranges from upper middle-class down to the occasional homeless:
I am glad for the opportunity to work with a wider range of clients. A bit apprehensive, because I'm not sure what challenges it will present, but I'm hoping to learn as I go.
I will only be going in once a week, as opposed to spending each weekday driving from home to home for appointments:
Going in just once a week at first felt like it would be a waste, that I should be busier and use the time I have available now. But the more I think about it, I will have more time to study and complete the academic part of my program, which is very time consuming and laborious.
I will have the opportunity to observe certain tests being preformed in a hospital setting:
For example if the parents decide to do genetic testing I could go with them to the hospital for support and observe clinically how the test is given. This would help me understand it to better explain and prepare future parents if they are considering it. Because the center has connections with hospitals in SF they offer genetic testing. To function as a free standing birth center they have to have these connections. They also have to perform certain tests and adhere to stricter guidelines than a private midwife would. I'm curious to see what the differences are in practice.
So that's it for now. As time goes by I hope to be able to revisit some of the births I wasn't able to write about yet. I attended 14 births in total down in LA. 3 of the 14 required transport, 2 of them for cesareans, and one for a vacuum assist. All ended with healthy happy babies and families. I plan to write about my experiences at the birth center, but I want to be considerate to the mothers and families, so I might not give as much detail as before. It is their birth story after all. =)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
June Babies
So believe it or not, but I have 7 new birth stories I need to write about. June was incredibly busy with births on the 1st, 7th, 8th, 19th, 22nd, 26th and the 30th!
The first birth of June was my first transport and first cesarean. With her first son, L had tried for a natural birth in the hospital with a doctor. It ended in an c-section which left her scarred emotionally and physically. For her second son she tried for a natural birth in a hospital again with a nurse midwife, which also ended in a disappointing c-section. For her third pregnancy she decided to try again for a natural birth, but this time at home with a midwife. Although it too ended in a cesarean, this time L was very happy with her birth experience.
VBAC's and HBAC's (vaginal birth after cesarean/ home birth after cesarean) have spurred a lot of controversy. Many hospitals will not let a woman who had a previous cesarean even try for a natural birth. They've coined the phrase "once a cesarean, always a cesarean". There's a whole movement by the International Cesarean Awareness Network (www.ican-online.org) to prevent unnecessary cesareans through education, to support women who have had cesareans so they can heal emotionally and physically and to promote VBACs. It's an issue that I'm very passionate about, especially because I've had friends and family who experienced unplanned cesareans.
So naturally this birth shook me a bit. I wanted to believe that if a woman trusts in herself and her body, and has a completely supportive team and environment to birth in, that a cesarean can be avoided. I've learned first hand that even with all those things, sometimes cesareans are neccessary. What reaffirmed my faith in midwifery is knowing the statistics. That the cesarean rate among midwives is only 3-4% compared to 25-30% in most hospitals.
So what are midwives doing so different? They openly communicate with the mother so she understands what is happening, they work together as a team to try different positions or techniques to try and help the baby turn or descend. What is so fantastic about midwifery is that in the rare case that a cesarean is neccessary, you know that you tried everything, that it you didn't just give up or get pushed into something scary. That the mother is always calling the shots and is in control of her birth experience. And that makes a world of a difference.
I got the call around 3am. It seems like I get most of the calls at 3am these days =) Luckily there was very little traffic because this family lived an hour and a half away. I was the first to arrive, as usual. They had the pool inflated, but Sue had the hose adapter so we couldnt fill it yet. L was laboring beautfully. Staying hydrated and rocking her hips on her birthing ball. Her husband B was at her side helping to time the contractions. Their two sons asleep on the air matress set up in the living room.
When Sue and Jake (her other apprentice who was about to get her license) arrived I helped them set up her equipment and started to fill up the tub. Sue checked L to see how dilated she was, around 4 cm. We got the tub filled up and she got in and was able to relax and be more comfortable. She labored in the tub for a while and we monitored the baby's heart. They didnt know the sex of the baby, it was going to be a surprise =) As the contractions intensity grew she needed to really focus. Her sons woke up while we were bustling around setting things up, so they decided to have them go over to the neighbors. Her older son was none to happy about that and started crying.
He really wanted to be there for the birth. I was able to talk to him quietly, telling him that I knew he wanted to stay and help, but that the best way he could help right now was by giving his mom some quiet space. And I promised that as soon as the baby was born I would run over and get him. This calmed him down and he told his mom that he loved her as he agreed to go. (I didn't know that we'd endup transporting though, and still feel a bit guilty wishing that I had been able to run over and get him...)
After a few hours went by Sue checked her again to see if she was making any progress. It seemed that the baby's head was tilted to the side a bit with her chin up a bit, making it hard to apply even pressure to the cervix so it would dilate. Ideally the baby's head would be straight with its chin tucked down so the top of the head is right on the cervix. We suggested to have her get out of the tub and try to walk around a bit. Sometimes the movement of walking and the gravity an help the baby reposition its head. By then the sun was rising and it was really nice outside. They lived on a ranch in the hills, so we were surrounded by trees and birds singing. She walked around for a bit outside, and drank some tea with honey, but was pretty tired so we headed back in. I suggested that we set up her birthing ball next to the bed, and put a bunch of pillows on the bed, so that she could sit and lean forward and rest her head.
This worked perfectly and she was able to get some rest between contractions. Another hour later and Sue checked again to see if the baby was able to reposition its head, no luck. With her energy restored a bit we went for another walk outside. The warm sun helped her perk up and we suggested she stomp around a bit and wiggle her hips. I demostrated for her which got a good laugh and then she did it herself including some sassy shoulder/chest shakes. So together we wiggled and stomped our way back and forth across their lawn smiling and giggling between contractions. We even went up and down a couple steps to see if that would help.
Once back inside Sue checked her again. Baby wasnt budging =( inspite of all the strong contractions and our dancing. We talked about the options. We could try and keep going at it, but L was getting tired. She'd been up the night before with some toning/practice contractions and even with little breaks between contractions didnt feel like she could keep going another 12 hours. She decided she was ready to go to the hospital while she still had energy and the baby was still doing great. It was a hard decision to make and her husband was reluctant, but L was certain, so they packed up and got ready to go. They decided to go to a better hospital that was about 40 minutes away, instead of one that was closer because Sue knew about its reputation.
So they drove off to the hospital and I was left behind with my car to clean up, pack up and meet them at the hospital. Draining the tub felt like it took forever, I finished packing everything up and took a small nap while the tub was being pumped down the toilet. (fyi bigger tub + long hose = long time to drain) Finally I was on my way and realizing how tired I was. Since that drive I've decided to keep some chocolate covered espresso beans in my car to help keep me awake and alert. I arrived at the hospital and they were filling out paper work and getting her set up for the cesarean. Sue talked with the doctor and nurses, handing over her charts and talking about the labor so far and what she observed.
Once everything was ready we gave her hugs and let them know we'd be waiting for them as they wheeled her off. They said it would be about an hour before we could see them. The three of us headed down to the cafeteria for some much needed food and caffeine. We talked about the labor, and all the what ifs and I was able to ask any questions I had. After that we went to the hallway where they would be passing through to the nursery and waited. About an hour later B came out with his new daughter, bundled up in her little hospital trolly. She was perfect, the operation went perfectly, and L was doing fine in recovery.
Sue and Jake needed to leave. Sue was exhausted and had some other moms due any minute, so she had to get some rest. I on the other hand fully caffeinated offered to stay behind till L came out of recover and keep B company. He went to the nursery with his daughter and the nurse and I was able to watch from the other side of the window as they took her foot prints, trimmed her cord, gave her a diaper, checked her temperature, etc. The nurse took her time doing all these things, coming and going, while the baby fussed and cried. B was a very loving father and held her as much as he could inbetween, trying to console her.
Eventually she was all done and wrapped up cozy. They were issued a room that L would be going to shortly, so we went there to wait. B and I talked as the baby slept and a few minutes later L was wheeled in. Inspite of the hard labor and cesarean, she was glowing and had the biggest smile. She was so happy to have a girl, and told me that she was grateful to have had the labor she did, knowing that it helped prepare her daughter to be born giving her the hormones she needed to help her transition to life outside. She said that she felt very well cared for by us and thanked me for helping and staying.
Relieved to see her so happy I was able to leave content. I knew we did the best we could, and I was grateful myself to be working with a midwife that was skilled enough to know when it was time to go, and not wait till it became an emergency. I hope that someday I'll have all the skills, knowledge and intuition to make the right choices at the right times.
The first birth of June was my first transport and first cesarean. With her first son, L had tried for a natural birth in the hospital with a doctor. It ended in an c-section which left her scarred emotionally and physically. For her second son she tried for a natural birth in a hospital again with a nurse midwife, which also ended in a disappointing c-section. For her third pregnancy she decided to try again for a natural birth, but this time at home with a midwife. Although it too ended in a cesarean, this time L was very happy with her birth experience.
VBAC's and HBAC's (vaginal birth after cesarean/ home birth after cesarean) have spurred a lot of controversy. Many hospitals will not let a woman who had a previous cesarean even try for a natural birth. They've coined the phrase "once a cesarean, always a cesarean". There's a whole movement by the International Cesarean Awareness Network (www.ican-online.org) to prevent unnecessary cesareans through education, to support women who have had cesareans so they can heal emotionally and physically and to promote VBACs. It's an issue that I'm very passionate about, especially because I've had friends and family who experienced unplanned cesareans.
So naturally this birth shook me a bit. I wanted to believe that if a woman trusts in herself and her body, and has a completely supportive team and environment to birth in, that a cesarean can be avoided. I've learned first hand that even with all those things, sometimes cesareans are neccessary. What reaffirmed my faith in midwifery is knowing the statistics. That the cesarean rate among midwives is only 3-4% compared to 25-30% in most hospitals.
So what are midwives doing so different? They openly communicate with the mother so she understands what is happening, they work together as a team to try different positions or techniques to try and help the baby turn or descend. What is so fantastic about midwifery is that in the rare case that a cesarean is neccessary, you know that you tried everything, that it you didn't just give up or get pushed into something scary. That the mother is always calling the shots and is in control of her birth experience. And that makes a world of a difference.
I got the call around 3am. It seems like I get most of the calls at 3am these days =) Luckily there was very little traffic because this family lived an hour and a half away. I was the first to arrive, as usual. They had the pool inflated, but Sue had the hose adapter so we couldnt fill it yet. L was laboring beautfully. Staying hydrated and rocking her hips on her birthing ball. Her husband B was at her side helping to time the contractions. Their two sons asleep on the air matress set up in the living room.
When Sue and Jake (her other apprentice who was about to get her license) arrived I helped them set up her equipment and started to fill up the tub. Sue checked L to see how dilated she was, around 4 cm. We got the tub filled up and she got in and was able to relax and be more comfortable. She labored in the tub for a while and we monitored the baby's heart. They didnt know the sex of the baby, it was going to be a surprise =) As the contractions intensity grew she needed to really focus. Her sons woke up while we were bustling around setting things up, so they decided to have them go over to the neighbors. Her older son was none to happy about that and started crying.
He really wanted to be there for the birth. I was able to talk to him quietly, telling him that I knew he wanted to stay and help, but that the best way he could help right now was by giving his mom some quiet space. And I promised that as soon as the baby was born I would run over and get him. This calmed him down and he told his mom that he loved her as he agreed to go. (I didn't know that we'd endup transporting though, and still feel a bit guilty wishing that I had been able to run over and get him...)
After a few hours went by Sue checked her again to see if she was making any progress. It seemed that the baby's head was tilted to the side a bit with her chin up a bit, making it hard to apply even pressure to the cervix so it would dilate. Ideally the baby's head would be straight with its chin tucked down so the top of the head is right on the cervix. We suggested to have her get out of the tub and try to walk around a bit. Sometimes the movement of walking and the gravity an help the baby reposition its head. By then the sun was rising and it was really nice outside. They lived on a ranch in the hills, so we were surrounded by trees and birds singing. She walked around for a bit outside, and drank some tea with honey, but was pretty tired so we headed back in. I suggested that we set up her birthing ball next to the bed, and put a bunch of pillows on the bed, so that she could sit and lean forward and rest her head.
This worked perfectly and she was able to get some rest between contractions. Another hour later and Sue checked again to see if the baby was able to reposition its head, no luck. With her energy restored a bit we went for another walk outside. The warm sun helped her perk up and we suggested she stomp around a bit and wiggle her hips. I demostrated for her which got a good laugh and then she did it herself including some sassy shoulder/chest shakes. So together we wiggled and stomped our way back and forth across their lawn smiling and giggling between contractions. We even went up and down a couple steps to see if that would help.
Once back inside Sue checked her again. Baby wasnt budging =( inspite of all the strong contractions and our dancing. We talked about the options. We could try and keep going at it, but L was getting tired. She'd been up the night before with some toning/practice contractions and even with little breaks between contractions didnt feel like she could keep going another 12 hours. She decided she was ready to go to the hospital while she still had energy and the baby was still doing great. It was a hard decision to make and her husband was reluctant, but L was certain, so they packed up and got ready to go. They decided to go to a better hospital that was about 40 minutes away, instead of one that was closer because Sue knew about its reputation.
So they drove off to the hospital and I was left behind with my car to clean up, pack up and meet them at the hospital. Draining the tub felt like it took forever, I finished packing everything up and took a small nap while the tub was being pumped down the toilet. (fyi bigger tub + long hose = long time to drain) Finally I was on my way and realizing how tired I was. Since that drive I've decided to keep some chocolate covered espresso beans in my car to help keep me awake and alert. I arrived at the hospital and they were filling out paper work and getting her set up for the cesarean. Sue talked with the doctor and nurses, handing over her charts and talking about the labor so far and what she observed.
Once everything was ready we gave her hugs and let them know we'd be waiting for them as they wheeled her off. They said it would be about an hour before we could see them. The three of us headed down to the cafeteria for some much needed food and caffeine. We talked about the labor, and all the what ifs and I was able to ask any questions I had. After that we went to the hallway where they would be passing through to the nursery and waited. About an hour later B came out with his new daughter, bundled up in her little hospital trolly. She was perfect, the operation went perfectly, and L was doing fine in recovery.
Sue and Jake needed to leave. Sue was exhausted and had some other moms due any minute, so she had to get some rest. I on the other hand fully caffeinated offered to stay behind till L came out of recover and keep B company. He went to the nursery with his daughter and the nurse and I was able to watch from the other side of the window as they took her foot prints, trimmed her cord, gave her a diaper, checked her temperature, etc. The nurse took her time doing all these things, coming and going, while the baby fussed and cried. B was a very loving father and held her as much as he could inbetween, trying to console her.
Eventually she was all done and wrapped up cozy. They were issued a room that L would be going to shortly, so we went there to wait. B and I talked as the baby slept and a few minutes later L was wheeled in. Inspite of the hard labor and cesarean, she was glowing and had the biggest smile. She was so happy to have a girl, and told me that she was grateful to have had the labor she did, knowing that it helped prepare her daughter to be born giving her the hormones she needed to help her transition to life outside. She said that she felt very well cared for by us and thanked me for helping and staying.
Relieved to see her so happy I was able to leave content. I knew we did the best we could, and I was grateful myself to be working with a midwife that was skilled enough to know when it was time to go, and not wait till it became an emergency. I hope that someday I'll have all the skills, knowledge and intuition to make the right choices at the right times.
Monday, June 2, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Busy Busy Busy
So for those wondering, no, I haven't forgotten about this blog =) I've just been running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I still have to make an entry for the last birth I attended which was over a month ago, so hopefully I'll do that soon. But first here's a recap of what's been happening:
I did my first official blood draw on a pregnant woman a few weeks ago. Infact, I did two different moms in one day. And! I did them perfectly. Just one stick, no bruising and even the moms said I did a great job. haha.
The very next day I did my first newborn screen test. Which sadly involves a heel prick and squeezing drops of blood onto a special paper for the test. Theodore and I got to know eachother before the test, and then his mother held and breastfed him during the test. Then after I was able to cuddle him again and appologize for pricking his foot. I like to think he forgave me.
On my birthday I went to a weekend long midwifery conference which was held at a retreat center in Occidental. It was a beautiful facility surrounded by redwoods. It totally felt like sixth grade camp, bunkbeds and all. Except instead of ghost stories there were birth stories =) I took a Neonatal Resuscitation course which was intense and amazing. The teacher empasized the tools and techniques for resuscitation, but also mixed in a lot about the process the baby is going through and suggestions on how to talk to, treat and respect the baby.
For example a lot of the time right as the baby comes out doctors and even midwives will begin to suction the baby's mouth and nose. Recent evidence-based research, and this teachers own experience, shows that in a normal birth a healthy 7lbs baby can clear its own throat and nose without assistance, and that by letting them do this they avoid oral aversions which can cause problems with breastfeeding later. That's just one example.
Another which was my favorite is her description of birth from the baby's perspective. Imagine that you have been inside one of those water therapy pools where they dim the lights and there is very little sound and its nice and warm. And you've been in there for a while just peaceful and relaxed. What you dont know is that just outside all of your friends are there waiting for you, and they've been cooking indian food all day. And they are really into aromatherapy so they have lots of scented candles lit. And on top of all that they are REALLY REALLY EXCITED TO MEET YOU! So the door opens and they help you out and they start touching you and kissing you and taking pictures with bright flashes and rubbing you dry with towels and you can imagine how overwhelming that can all be for the baby.
So she suggests to keep that in mind at births, and remember that the baby may need a minute to process all of this, ontop of all the physical stuff going on inside of them. Their lungs changing from fluid-filled to air filled, their kidneys, liver, bowels and stomach switching on for the first time in preparation of the first food going through the whole system. It was all really facinating.
Since I returned from the conference I've just been busy going to prenatal and postpartum appointments, fostering 3 new kittens, working on design stuff for Fine Design Group, trying to find time to study, helping 2 midwives i met at the conference create their own websites, being a supportive loving wife and keeping the house in order =) So yeah, busy busy busy =)
(ps Right now we have 1 mom due any second, and then 4 more that are due early to mid June. So more birth stories are soon to follow)
I did my first official blood draw on a pregnant woman a few weeks ago. Infact, I did two different moms in one day. And! I did them perfectly. Just one stick, no bruising and even the moms said I did a great job. haha.
The very next day I did my first newborn screen test. Which sadly involves a heel prick and squeezing drops of blood onto a special paper for the test. Theodore and I got to know eachother before the test, and then his mother held and breastfed him during the test. Then after I was able to cuddle him again and appologize for pricking his foot. I like to think he forgave me.
On my birthday I went to a weekend long midwifery conference which was held at a retreat center in Occidental. It was a beautiful facility surrounded by redwoods. It totally felt like sixth grade camp, bunkbeds and all. Except instead of ghost stories there were birth stories =) I took a Neonatal Resuscitation course which was intense and amazing. The teacher empasized the tools and techniques for resuscitation, but also mixed in a lot about the process the baby is going through and suggestions on how to talk to, treat and respect the baby.
For example a lot of the time right as the baby comes out doctors and even midwives will begin to suction the baby's mouth and nose. Recent evidence-based research, and this teachers own experience, shows that in a normal birth a healthy 7lbs baby can clear its own throat and nose without assistance, and that by letting them do this they avoid oral aversions which can cause problems with breastfeeding later. That's just one example.
Another which was my favorite is her description of birth from the baby's perspective. Imagine that you have been inside one of those water therapy pools where they dim the lights and there is very little sound and its nice and warm. And you've been in there for a while just peaceful and relaxed. What you dont know is that just outside all of your friends are there waiting for you, and they've been cooking indian food all day. And they are really into aromatherapy so they have lots of scented candles lit. And on top of all that they are REALLY REALLY EXCITED TO MEET YOU! So the door opens and they help you out and they start touching you and kissing you and taking pictures with bright flashes and rubbing you dry with towels and you can imagine how overwhelming that can all be for the baby.
So she suggests to keep that in mind at births, and remember that the baby may need a minute to process all of this, ontop of all the physical stuff going on inside of them. Their lungs changing from fluid-filled to air filled, their kidneys, liver, bowels and stomach switching on for the first time in preparation of the first food going through the whole system. It was all really facinating.
Since I returned from the conference I've just been busy going to prenatal and postpartum appointments, fostering 3 new kittens, working on design stuff for Fine Design Group, trying to find time to study, helping 2 midwives i met at the conference create their own websites, being a supportive loving wife and keeping the house in order =) So yeah, busy busy busy =)
(ps Right now we have 1 mom due any second, and then 4 more that are due early to mid June. So more birth stories are soon to follow)
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