C and J started care with me in the first trimester of their sixth pregnancy. This was C’s fourth time using me as her midwife. You can read about her previous journey’s here, here, and here.
C’s pregnancy progressed along normally. As her due window came, she was feeling more and more ready to meet her little guy. Prodromal labor contractions were becoming more regular and stronger. We did an exam at her last prenatal appointment at 39.1 weeks, and C was 3cm dilated, 80% effaced, and baby at a -1 station.
One day after her estimated due date, C sent me a text in the night stating her contractions were coming every 10 minutes, but were very strong and she felt that it was likely to happen sometime in the night. I was with another mom who was close to having her baby, so I asked C to keep me well updated.
As we were finishing up the postpartum care at the first birth, C asked if I could stop by on my way back home to do an exam. I said of course, and was on my way with a arrival time of 725am.
As I was pulling in, I saw C and J walking around the block, but could tell something was amiss. C did not seem herself. Once we started talking as I was collecting vitals, C said she was feeling an unusual, sharp pain in her lower abdomen that was worrying her. She was on edge that something was wrong. All vitals were perfect, and C was 5cm dilated, 50% effaced, and a -1 station. I told C everything diagnostically looked good, but if something was telling her that this baby needed to be born in the hospital, I 100% supported her. C requested some time to talk to J, while I sat in the living room and waited.
At 830am, C told me she was just feeling too concerned at home this time, and felt she needed to transport for a repeat cesarean (C’s three previous deliveries with me had all been VBA2Cs.). As they packed up, I called and gave a report to the charge nurse. We arrived at the hospital at 930. I was made to wait in the waiting room while C and J went back.
My husband brought my baby up to nurse. J came to get me right before 11. They performed an ultrasound, and the hospitalist told C that since she wasn’t in labor and that by ultrasound her uterus looked fine, she was being discharged for home and refusing to do a cesarean. C was upset, as she felt like it was time for baby to come out. We discussed options, and C stated she would like me to come back to the house and do a membrane sweep and herbs, before she took a nap.
I did vitals at 1140am. C was 6cm dilated, 80% effaced, and station at -1. C originally had told me she would want me to go home after the sweep, but contractions were much more uncomfortable so she asked me to wait.
She sat on the birth ball at 1155, moving gently through contractions. Contractions seemed to be coming every 3 minutes, and definitely were intense. J was filling the birth pool so that it was ready for C when she wanted it.
C moved to left side lying in the bed at 1207pm. She had her eyes closed and was focused, but requested I not leave because things were intense.
Things seemed to be moving quickly from here, so I requested the birth team to start coming this way at 1225pm.
C needed to move, and got out of the bed to walk around the bedroom at 1230pm. She was starting to feel pushy, and was ready for the birth pool to be ready. The pool was soon ready, and C got in at 1246pm in a semi reclining position.
C said she was needing to push at the peaks at 1250pm. C has a history of cervical lips, and her preference is for me to hold the lip back. I did an exam at 1254pm, and found C to have a cervical lip, 100% effaced, and baby at a +2 station. She began to spontaneously push with the next contraction as I reduced the lip. The lip reduced very rapidly. As soon as the cervix was gone, the baby came quickly. At 1258pm, baby was born en the caul. I pulled the caul off the baby, and placed him immediately on his mom’s chest. After days and days of contractions, he was finally here!
Welcome to the world Sean! Born earthside on January 18th, 2019 at 1258pm, weighing in at 8lbs 14ozs, 20″ long. He had a fast and furious journey earthside once he was ready to come, being born less than two hours after C was told at the hospital that she was not in labor! What a journey he had earthside.
Repeat clients are super special, and it was extra special getting to work with C and J for a fourth time, making them my second “four-peats” of my career thus far.
#sacredjourneymidwifery
