I haven't had a chance to post on here much lately, mostly because life is keeping me so busy. It's certainly not for lack of interesting things happening. Babies being born, a puppy that needs trained, a crazy rainstorm with leaky windows -- hmmmm, where do I begin??
Here's the short version: My partners and I have attended 5 birth since last Wednesday; in addition, we have a client who will be having a c-section today for going two weeks past her due date in addition to having a suspected large baby. Two sonograms were done last Tuesday -- one estimated the baby at 9 1/2 pound, the other estimate was 11-12 pounds! Either way, a big baby! The midwives have tried all the tricks to get her into labor, but it just is not happening. It's really a shame; I'm praying for a healthy, happy outcome for them today.
The longer version: The birth I did on Wednesday was long, arduous, and also came close to ending in a c-section; thankfully, with a little help from pitocin and requesting a bit more patience from the doctor, we were able to have a lovely birth of a very cute little girl!
I was home (and asleep) for only two hours when the midwife called, said someone else was in labor, and she couldn't find my partner -- huh, what??? Thankfully, they were able to track her down, because there's NO WAY I could've driven to Virginia in my stupor! Her client's baby was born that afternoon.
Then Sunday evening -- crazy!! What else can I say? I got called to to the birth center around 6:30, and the client R and her husband C arrived around 7 pm. Initial check showed 5+ cm., 100% effaced, 0 to +1 station -- yay!! Off she went to the jacuzzi, where she stayed for quite some time. Probably around 9:30 or so, we got a call from another midwife in the practice that somebody else might be coming into the center and so we gave R the choice of either staying in the jacuzzi and changing birth rooms, or getting out so we could clean it. She chose to get out, so she headed off to the main birthing room and I started cleaning up the jacuzzi room. The other midwife had said she wasn't sure when the second client would be coming in, because she thought it was too early, but she wanted to give us a heads' up. We were taking our time, just leisurely cleaning stuff. Then at 9:45 - 9:50 PM, we got a call that the other clients were on their way in -- RIGHT AWAY -- things were happening fast, didn't know if the midwife OR the other birth assistant would make it on time. HUH??? What just changed here?? So K (the midwife) and I hurriedly set up the supplies in the other room, got things ready just in case, and I went to tell my clients what was happening. Of course, she chose THAT MINUTE to have her first pushy-feeling contraction!!! Yikes!! I took a moment to explain to them what was happening, and that if anything changed and they needed us, to just call.
The doorbell started ringing frantically and K ran downstairs. She came back up with the other gal in rip-roaring labor, yelling that she wanted to get in the tub. Apparently, she spent a lot of her long previous labor in the tub and she thought that was what she needed to do. Got into the bathroom and we were trying to do vitals and check her, and that baby was coming, RIGHT NOW!! I started grabbing supplies, bringing things to the bathroom just in case. The second midwife arrived about 10:10; baby girl was born on the bathroom floor at 10:13 PM!!
Then back to R, who was feeling more urges to push. When we next checked her, she was about 8-9 cms. At some point, maybe 11 or 11:30, she went to the bathroom and then decided to sit in the tub. She was feeling very pushing by this point. To make another long story short, she was pushing BEAUTIFULLY in the water. K (the midwife) had not checked her, but suggested R feel inside herself for the baby, which turned out to be only about one finger joint inside. She pushed somewhat ineffectively for a few minutes; I suggested she leave her finger inside and see if she could make the baby descend while she felt it. Instantly, her pushing changed and became much more effective. She ended up pushing the baby into her own hands, and gave birth in the water into her own hands as well. Absolutely beautiful birth!! (12:38 AM)
I was so thrilled for her and they were so pleased and excited with themselves! The midwife and I agreed that it was the most gorgeous birth either of us had seen in a long time! Postpartum took a bit longer than we'd hoped, but all went smoothly -- mom and baby were healthy, calm, alert, and so happy!!
After the clients left to go home, K and I finished the cleaning and then sat down to eat some left-over quiche. Everything had happened so quickly during the evening that we never had a chance to to eat anything more than the DELICIOUS chocolate chip cookies they'd brought. So, all together, I think we left the center around 5:20 AM; drove home with music blasting and windows open trying to stay awake (soooooo tired), home by 6:10 AM, straight to sleep on the couch. Hubby woke me around 8:30 AM and sent me to the bedroom so everybody else could get up and start their day, and I slept solidly until about 2 PM. Somewhere in there, I think I lost a day of my life!!
So, two births in less than 2 1/2 hours! A new record for me!!
And my other partner got called to a birth that night as well, with a lovely Mennonite couple having their ELEVENTH baby!! Wow!!
Then yesterday afternoon, we had a HUGE storm come through the area with heavy, heavy rains, driving winds, thunder, lightning, the whole deal. At some point, I took the puppy over to the glass doors to watch the rain with her, as it seemed to be scaring here, and I thought it might calm her to sit there with me and watch it. Unfortunately, when I got to the glass door, I found that water was coming in around the door, both from above and from the bottom. Yikes!! The water was going under the carpet and the padding was getting soaked as well. We threw down towels and my husband ran outside in the pouring rain to check the gutter. He found it to be full of debris, which was causing it to overflow and send the rain behind the gutter and onto the top of the sliding glass door. And the driving rain -- coming STRAIGHT at the back door -- was forcing more water UNDER the door.
And as we cleaned up, I had a thought of "Hmmmmm, what about other windows on this side of the house?" Uh, oh -- off I ran to check, and sure enough, water was coming in our bedroom window and onto the wood floor! More towels, more clean-up.... blah..... just what I wanted to do, only three hours after waking up from those two births. But now my gutters are clean, and I have more reasons to keep bugging my husband to install new windows in our house!!
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