My first birth story...

Hi Everyone,

Just to let you all know that "my" woman gave birth last night!!!! I have had four hours sleep this afternoon, so I am now able to articulate what happened : )

She is with the Birth Centre, and I had had two antenatal visits with her already, one at 39weeks and the other on her due date (which was last Friday) ... but no call that day which I was very disappointed about!

I waited all day, and all day Saturday and then on Sunday I couldn't handle it anymore and I packed a "birth bag" for myself in the (possible) case scenario of having to stay 12 hours or so (considering past labour of 21hours).....but still no call : (

I finally decided to go to bed, just lay there looking up at the ceiling, when I was called!!WOoohOoo!!! It was this morning at 12:48 am, by the midwife's stand-in, as the midwife was having a weekend off (apparently a rare incidence). I immediately got together my "birth bag" ... and jumped in the car to head off to the Birth Centre.

I sat in on a few contractions, but both the midwife and I decided that the couple should have some time to themselves, so I sat in the midwife's station and copied out notes about check-in and the initial palpation and vaginal examination....then I went and sat in for a few more contractions, and again went back with the midwife. She periodically checked the baby's heart rate so we went in for that, and popped our heads in just to see that she was okay. Otherwise, we chatted midwifery, this birth, what I knew and didn't know (took longer to tell that bit!), and listened to her moans and (increasing) grunts.

When the grunts became a little more guttural we "moved" into her room and gave her some extra encouragement. I was uncomfortable doing much but observe, but it was a lovely and rich experience. She got into the bath when the pain became too great and I got to see how a water birth looks like. The urge to push became really strong around 5.00am, but after a VE the midwife recommended not pushing as the cervix was not fully dilated. (If you do push when the cervix is not fully dilated it causes swelling of the cervical muscles, the midwife said, which makes it increasingly harder to birth.)

When the midwife had "breathed" the woman through several more really tough contractions, she did another VE and said that it was now okay to push. Very shortly there was a crowning; then baby's head out; then the shoulders were a little stuck and the midwife had to ask the woman to get out of the bath, lift one leg a little, and with the help of another contraction and the midwife easing the baby out, out came a gorgeous baby girl! SO LOVELY!!

I had to really hold back the tears, it was just so lovely! And even though I was "only" observing I did get to document all the "births" (baby, placenta, etc) timings while the midwife was in the thick of it all...so that was exciting : ) And I found out that my name is put on the birth register as a witness to the birth, how cool is that??!!! : )