Birth Story of Scarlett

A and J started care with me near the end of the first trimester of A’s third pregnancy.  A had a cesarean and hospital VBAC before but was ready for a different experience this time. Pregnancy was uncomplicated until 37 weeks when blood pressure elevated and swelling became prominent.  A saw an acupuncturist which helped immensely with the edema.  I saw A at 37.6 weeks and thought we were going to make it a few more days.  However, baby had other plans! At 530am on October 11, A’s water broke.  I had a midwifery workshop to teach the 12-14th.  A and I were determined to get this baby out before I had to go off call! Do to my schedule for the week, I arrived to A’s house around 9am.  She wasn’t having much contraction activity.  She was 3cm dilated, 70% effaced and baby was at a -1 station.  I worked on getting some fluid out and stretched and swept around to see if we could get things going. For the rest of the morning, we alternated walking with sitting on the ball.  We walked loops and loops around A’s neighborhood.  When she was tired she would rock her hips on the birth ball. We alternated homeopathy and clary sage essential oil to help get contractions going. Around 11am, we talked about seeing if A could reach her acupuncturist and see if she would see her to get some contractions going.  Around 1145 she heard from her acupuncturist who was willing to see her.  I did an exam to see if we could get some oxytocin going on the drive.  A was now 4cm.  We loaded up and headed out to the acupuncturist. We did not get back from the acupuncturist until about 3:45pm.  The acupuncturist worked on A for over 2 hours.  Some irregular contractions began but nothing that stayed around.  A ate a good, nourishing lunch and was ready to walk some more. At 440pm, we did another exam.  There had been no change.  We did some more homeopathy to see if we could get some contractions going.  A’s friend M did some acupressure points with clary sage, and A pulled out the breast pump to do nipple stimulation. We did this rotation over the next few hours.  A would go for a walk, then come inside and try pumping while M did acupressure.  Weak, irregular contractions would hang around for a bit, but would eventually fizzle. Around 8pm, I talked with my back up midwife and we made a plan of action for her to come in the morning to take over if spontaneous labor did not begin during the night. As 10pm neared, A said she was tired.  We had a talk about rest.  I did one final vitals assessment, gave hugs and headed home.  I was so sad that I would be missing this birth!!  I never want to miss a patient’s birth, but I trusted that I was not the person meant to be there and knew A would be in great hands with my wonderful back up Jaymee! Around 4pm the next afternoon, contractions began!  They were about every 15-20 minutes, but they stayed no matter what A was doing. By 7pm, A was contracting every 12 minutes, and things were getting uncomfortable.  She got into her bath tub to get some relief on her back.  J and I talked and I told her I was going to catch some sleep and to call me when things were active and I would come for delivery. By 10pm, contractions were coming every 2-6 minutes, lasting right under a minute long.  J did an exam and found A to be 5cm dilated and 90% effaced. In the 11pm hour, J asked me to come.  I got up and headed that way, but received a text that transport was in place since baby was having some tachycardia that wasn’t resolving. A little after midnight, J asked me to please come.  Baby was 9cm and patient would like me present.  I got in my van and headed towards the transport hospital. While en route to the hospital, A began feeling very pushy.  Thankfully the EMT’s had J ride along as no one on the ambulance had ever delivered a baby.  The ambulance pulled over while A pushed.  The baby’s heart rate sounding perfect now.  With no progress, the ambulance got back on the road, only soon to be pulled over again.  A few pushed and A birthed her baby on her hands and knees in the back of the ambulance. I arrived at the hospital right after the ambulance.  A handed me the baby and told me we were all going back to her house.  After a mini ordeal, we all went back to A’s house and did postpartum care.  Boy did Scarlett take everyone on a wild ride! Welcome to the world Scarlett, born earthside on October 13, 2015 at 1:05am, weighing in at 8lbs 14ozs, 22 inches long!  You never would know this little one was two weeks early!  It was a privilege to be part of this little one’s birthing day. And many thanks and praises for my awesome back up Jaymee Boughton!  Seriously, love this woman.  If you are south of downtown, definitely look up this woman to be your midwife!