Pictures taken by the lovely Devynn Leanne Photography.
B and B started care with me in the first trimester of B’s fourth pregnancy. B had her precious two babies with me. Her first was years ago when I first started, and those few initial blogs went missing when I changed web hosting. Her second birth story can be read here.
B has a history of going postdates and having what we like to refer as really healthy sized babies. If you saw her in real life, you would never believe her previous two babies with me were over 9 pounds! The body is truly incredible!
As B’s pregnancy progressed, she was feeling a lot more discomfort than she remembered, and I felt that this baby would be her biggest baby. B’s due date came and went, and she decided that if she was still pregnant the Saturday after her due date, she wanted to be encouraged.
B and B came over the evening of October 5th to do some herbs and a membrane sweep. She was very hopeful this would help her meet her baby in the next couple of days. With the exam, I found B to be 1-2cm dilated, 50% effaced, and baby at a -3 station. I estimated weight around 10 pounds. Her biggest baby was 9 pounds 6 ounces.
B texted me the next morning around 7am that she was sure she was in early labor. Contractions began over night that were becoming stronger, closer, and more regular. After talking for awhile, B determined she wanted her team to join her.
I arrived around 930am, and found B laboring around the house. Hers and babies vitals were perfect. A cervical check showed her to be 4cm dilated, 100% effaced, and baby at a -2 station. As I was coming out, her baby of water ruptured. Baby was in the ROA position.
B was planning to live stream her birth on Birthtube on facebook, so we helped her get this started. Keeping her live stream going was no easy feat, as there was several technical errors, but we continued to fix it every time.
Apprentice A did lift and tucks with B as 10am neared using the rebozo for ten contractions, since baby was still high and we were anticipating baby to be bigger in order to help with positioning and engagement.
After the lift and tucks, B alternated leaning on B or sitting on her birth ball. Contractions felt a little stronger. We administered a homeopathic to help break up the rigidity on her cervix.
While the pool was finished filling, B moved to laying in her left side in her bed, resting while waiting. It was not long, and the pool was ready. She got into the pool at 11am, laboring on her hands and knees.
Contractions were coming about every 3 minutes, lasting 60 seconds while she labored in the birth pool. She alternated her position to semi reclining to give her knees a break.
As 12pm neared, B requested a cervical check while in the pool. I found her to be 6cm dilated, 100% effaced, and baby at a 0 station with some cervical swelling.
B opted to get out of the pool to empty her bladder, so at 1210 she got out of the pool. I recommended doing three contractions on the toilet. After her toilet contractions, I recommended B try a position called open knee chest for 40 minutes to reduce cervical swelling and continue to help with progression. B agreed. This position is unpleasant, but B was a trooper. During this position, we alternated doing “the booty shake” with the rebozo, as well as massage and work on her ischial tuberosities.
She powered through those 40 minutes, then moved to the toilet, before laying in the bed on her left side to get some rest. She was ready to get back into the pool at 140pm which had been refreshed for her. Contractions were coming every 4-5 minutes, lasting over a minute long.
While she labored semi reclining in the pool, we began to give her honey and a homeopathic to help her with energy. Her labors have always been on the longer side, and the energy boost was helpful for the hard work she was doing.
B asked for an exam at 215pm. She was 8cm dilated, 100% effaced, and baby at a +1 station. Contractions were much more intense now, and B was within herself in her labor haze, moaning gently with contractions.
B got out of the pool quickly around 3pm to try to empty her bladder. She was beginning to feel pushy and wanted to give baby plenty of room to continue to descend.
With each contraction, B’s noises were changing, and by 330pm, B was feeling grunty at the peaks. She requested a cervical check, and I found her to have an anterior lip. B has had an anterior lip with all her babies, and is a source of some trauma. I encouraged her that this baby would get past it just as all her babies have. After a couple contractions, B asked me to hold back her lip.
We did this through a couple contractions, then I requested she blow through a couple, before I helped reduce her lip again. The blowing was successful, and at 354pm, baby was passed the lip and at a +3 station.
B birthed her baby’s head at 407pm in a semi reclining position into daddy’s waiting hands. I saw the classic signs of an impending shoulder dystocia, and worked with B to help get the baby out. At the minute mark, we helped B moved into hands and knees, and then lifted her leg into runner’s. As the two minute mark was about to hit, I went after the shoulder and helped release the baby’s shoulder, and sweet Gemma came at 409pm. After giving Gemma a little help to get the right idea to breathe, she let out a triumphant cry for all to hear!
Welcome to the world, Gemma! Born earth side on October 6th, 2019 at 409pm, weighing in at 10lbs even, 21.25 inches long. She is her daddy’s first biological baby, and she is the absolute apple (and identical twin!) of his eye.
This sweet mama has so much strength that she shows all the time in life, but even more so in her long, hard labors and birthing her big babies!
#sacredjourneymidwifery
