Getting into the birthing world.

Well it is finally happening. After all of my hard work and dedication, I will be assisting women at their births as a doula. As of right now I have two for sure clients and one potential client. I am so proud and excited because I have worked, so very hard for this. The best part is, I will be working with my best friend. It will be kind of a joint doula job!

I am learning that there is so much work to do, in setting up a doula practice! There are so many things that you have to decide to do. Things such as: what do I want to do, if the mother decides to get an epidural? Do I want to be a doula for someone who decides to have a c-section? What about payment plans? Draw up a contract for financial reasons, Do I want to include other services? etc.

Tori and I sat down and hashed out what we want to present in our child birth education classes. We have decided to include in our services a child birth education class. Hopefully providing these classes will help empower the family to make their own choices and be in control of their own births. I feel very good about our lesson plan, that it will be fair, very comprehensive, and flexible for individual families.

My knowledge of pregnancy and birthing has also been improving, by leaps and bounds. The Childbirth International communications manual has been such a great help for me in learning how to communicate with the mom's that I will be assisting. I am learning effective language, and listening skills, someting that I didn't realize was so hard. I have been using what I have learned when I talk with Adrian and I have noticed that it has made communication between us much much better.

This path is going to take a lot of work and dedication. I forsee some very work intensive and exhaustive times ahead, but it still feels like it is worth it.

Finally the Birth Story!

I was two days overdue and feeling very grumpy about everything! I had gotten a text message telling me that my friend who was two weeks behind me had her baby that day and I was so jealous. I was feeling very grateful though that Adrian was home, because he usually works on Fri. Sat. Sun. an hour away, and I didn't feel comfortable about him being so far away. It was an OSU game day, and since I wasn't having any really consistent contractions I suggested to Adrian that he go to the tailgate and to the game and if anything started to happen I would give him a call (my mom was with me all day). Well he went to the game and nothing happend! I was so frustrated (which probably accounted for some of the labor stalling) After the game was over Adrian, my dad, and some other game goers decided that we should go to Buffalo Wild Wings and watch another footballgame. I thought that this would be a good idea because I had been at home, trying to get labor to start (pressure points, nipple stimulation, and black and blue cohosh homeopathics) all day and just wanted to get out.
When we got there, I just felt different...I didn't feel chatty (which is weird for me) and I just wanted to get out of there so after we ate I told Adrian that I had to get out of there and we went home. We put Caroline to bed and I think we watched a movie. At 11 or so, I started having some good contractions and Adrian suggested that we should go to bed (we had been having some strong contractions at night for a few nights and we didn't want to be too tired if this was it) I am so glad that he suggested that, because at 3:30 in the morning (or was it 2:30? The time change happend that day, lol so I was confused about the time the whole time) I woke up with really bad stomach cramps! I thought that I had eaten something and that it was making my stomach hurt so I got up to go to the bathroom, but didn't have to go...suddenly it dawned on me "I think I am going into labor". LOL, I kept remembering what all the books said that if you can sleep through it, then it is not real labor so I decided to lay back down and try to fall back to sleep...that was definitely not happening, so I jumped in the shower to try and relax a bit and think about what my next course of action was.
My doula lived three hours away, and I didn't want to call her to come over unless I was 100% sure that this was it, I also wanted Adrian to sleep as long as he could, because I knew that I was going to need him to be solid for me later on, so I decided to call my best friend who was to be at the birth no matter what. LOL, this is about 4 in the morning and luckily she was already up and came straight over. We were both so excited, we talked and she started timing my contractions and just doing the whole birth thing, lol. I decided to call my doula at 5 because I knew that this was it and I wanted her to get here before it was too late.
After my second shower, I could hear Caroline awake in her bedroom, since I was moaning a bit loud so I had Adrian get her and call my parents to come pick her up. They got there about 8 which was about the time that my doula arrived. My doula is a friend I met with AAMI, and she is also studying to be a midwife which was very convenient because she could check dilation and had a doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat. As soon as Caroline was gone, and C (the doula) arrived I felt very comfortable and my labor picked up. At first I couldn't seem to get my groove and I was pretty vocal, I decided to go and lay down in the bed with Adrian to see if I could try and rest between contractions. This is where things became different...I felt like I was able to relax.
Just laying there next to Adrian felt good. I stopped having to make noise with my contractions and was able to just lay there and relax every muscle in my body. The pain didn't go away, it just felt like I was able to handle it now. We laid there for what seemed like forever, and as I look back at that time it was my favorite time during my labor. I was so surprised at how much I felt like I needed him...I just wanted to know where he was and everytime I got up to go to the bathroom, I would peek into the office just to reassure myself he was still sitting there working on his homework. I eventually had Adrian get C, and I had her check me which she found me to be about 5/6 cm. Once again I decided to get into the shower and I labored in there with Adrian sitting in the bathroom talking to me. LOL It was so cute...I remember him asking me to describe to him what it felt like and I tried to, but it's just one of those pains you can't explain (especially to a man, when you tell him its like really bad PMS cramps, he still doesn't get it hee hee), I also sat in the bathtub with the shower running crying to him telling him that it hurt really badly and I wish that I could get an epidural, but I was afraid to get one because that hurt really badly, too :)
After my shower I decided to lay on the couch with my eyes closed just trying to relax all my muscles. It was so strange...I still didn't make any noises, it felt like if I moaned or made any noise at all, it made the contractions hurt worse. C and Tori sat in the living room with me, and chatted quietly which was actually very comforting. The most comforting thing during my labor, was to have everyone going about their business. I didn't want people to hover and be all over me, but if I needed something I wanted them there. That is why just laying there on the couch, while C and Tori talked was so nice. I think subconsciously I knew that if everyone acted like everything was fine, then I was fine and safe.
At some point my mom came back over. She finally got Caroline to sleep at her house and she wanted to be here for me while I labored. She came in and just sat on the floor listening to C and Tori along with me. I do not know how long I was laying there but all of a sudden the contractions seemed different to me. It seemed like they started coming closer and I was getting more uncomfortable. My mother said that I started sighing more often, and my breathing would change and sometimes I would put my arm up straight in the air ( I don't remember that but I know that when I get my migraines if I lay on the couch and put my arm in the air they help, so I believe her, lol.) During a contraction I started feeling the need to push and my body began pushing with the contractions.
My eyes shot open and I remember telling C "We need to go right now." She asked me if I wanted her to check me and at first I told her no, but then I was afraid that I would get to the hospital to early, and then I would have to fight them about every intervention they wanted to do, so I decided that she should check me to make sure it was time to go. Sure enough I was 9 cm and 100% effaced. Everyone started getting ready to go, my mom went to go get my dad and Caroline and was going to meet us at the hospital. Tori put the rest of my bags and stuff out into my car and C helped me walk out to the car (lol, I wonder what my new neighbors where thinking. Here I come, helped outside, while grunting and trying not to push the baby out onto the concrete right there.). C asked me if I wanted her to ride with me there, or follow her there and I told her that I wanted her to follow Adrian and I there, so C and Tori drove together to the hospital.
During the car ride to the hospital I was a bit nervous because I kept pushing. Adrian was pleading with me to not push the baby out in the car and I kept telling him "I can't help it!" I remember looking over at the car next to us and wondered if they could tell something was going on, lol.
We all got to the hospital at once. Adrian helped me out of the car and Tori and C met us at the door. I am still not quite sure what happend next, because next thing I know Adrian is missing and C and Tori are trying to get me into the hospital. I remember standing at the informational desk with a contraction trying not to push the baby out in the entrance of the hospital. A couple walked by us with the look of fear in their eyes, lol. I think they thought I was going to push the baby out there, too!
I was relieved to see that Adrian was now back at my side, and we were going up the elevators. Once on the labor and delivery floor I thought that things were going to just fall into place. Well I was sort of right. I get up there, and the first thing the nurses want me to do is stand on the scale. I gave them a "are you kidding me look" but still climbed up onto that scale. I had a contraction and made pushing noises and they shuttled me off to the delivery room.
Once more, I thought that everything would just start to fall into place, and still I was wrong. Once I am in the delivery room, they take me to the bathroom and ask me to pee in a cup. I remember thinking "You guys are crazy" but somehow I manage to do what they asked. I think they are used to mom's who say they are having the baby, but are in fact not quite ready. The nurse asked my doula if she checked me but wasn't satisfied with C's answer and decided to check me herself. The nurse looked up and said "Oh you are complete I better go call the doctor." Well duh!! I told you!
All of a sudden I had a huge contraction and my fore bags broke. I am standing in the bathroom completely naked and I can hear the second nurse say "I get to catch the baby!" She asks me if I can get into the bed and we said no. So they decided to help me to the bed and let me hang onto it to push. They raised the bed, put some pads underneath me and then I got down to business.
The contractions seemed to just start coming one on top of another. Adrian was on the other side of the bed holding my hands and looking into my eyes. It was amazing!! I remember looking at him and just feeling so charged.With each contraction I would squat down a bit and push as long as it felt good. I pushed about 4 times and out she came!!!! I DID IT!! I heard this loud cry and turned around to see my baby!
Katie was born 2:31 pm and she weighed 9 pounds even. She was beautiful. They tried cutting the cord, but Tori informed them that we didn't want to cut the cord until after it stopped pulsing. They handed Katie to me and I held her for a while. I was enjoying the after baby high that natural childbirth lets you have. It was wonderful.
Finally the doctor gets there, lol, and he told us he ran all the way there. I like to think he was impressed with me :) To tell you the truth, I was impressed with myself! He told me that he very rarely sees someone who goes naturally all the way which made me feel really good. He only had to repair a small tear that didn't want to stop bleeding. Everyone in the room was impressed that I had a 9 pound baby with only a small tear.
After the repair I got to take a shower, and the family started to pour in. Caroline was such good big sister from the beginning. She was so curious about her and so happy. Adrian's family quickly made it to the hospital from Edmond and I just sat there and enjoyed my family!
I loved everything about this birth. Looking back on it makes me feel so strong. I was blessed to have such a wonderful birth experience and am very grateful for everyone that played a part in it! Katie is such a happy little baby, she is a great nurser, and I am in so much love with our new little girl!