Around Christmas during my second pregnancy I watched a movie. It was movie based on a story most people know. A young pregnant girl travels with her husband to the town of his lineage. When they arrive there is no where to stay, a kind innkeeper offers a stall in his stable. With nothing but her body and love for her unborn baby she births her son. No medicine, no doctor.
I was inspired by this girl’s story. I have a the same body, a body able to conceive, carry, and birth a child.
Initially I didn't think about hiring a doula to be with me at my birth, I just knew I wanted to do better this time. While I was at my prenatal check up I saw a flyer for a local doula offering her services.
It felt like fate when I met with Cindy. We talked about my hopes and goals for this birth and she told me a doula is there support my decisions, encourage me and help comfort me during the most difficult parts of my labor? I knew that I wanted Cindy to be my doula.
She was kind and funny, she was a well of knowledge and was always was patient with me when I called with questions. She was even happy to answer the phone at midnight to tell me if the glob of snot I found in my underwear could possibly be the birth plug and did this mean I was close?
When I started having contractions we waited for a while at home before heading to the hospital, this time around we didn't drive quite as fast.
Cindy, our doula, met us at the hospital. We had discussed my birth plan so I was confident she would help me stick with my goals. I opted to not have the fetal monitor belted on continuously or have an IV port placed so I could move freely and take advantage of the shower. My doctor had agreed that this was fine and they could check the heart tones throughout the labor with a smaller hand held monitor. Because my pregnancy had been low risk there was also no reason to have an IV.
This labor was so smooth compared to my first and I was able to rest when I needed rest, find my own rhythm and flow. I felt like getting in the shower and sitting on my birth ball I stayed for what seemed like an eternity. I prayed and sang to myself, talking to my baby and God I asked for strength. It felt like I was in a trance. I was in a river of feeling, no thought but moving from one contraction to the next. The water soothed my body, distracting me and giving me something to focus on. The nurses would come to make me get out but Cindy would kindly tell them I was fine and ask them to give me a few more minutes. She was a sentinel at my door, standing watch with a kind fierceness.
When I left the shower I was so relaxed I laid down and fell asleep. Cindy came to wake me up so the labor would not stop progressing, putting an orange slice under my nose to refresh my senses with the zing of citrus. I labored on my ball until the pressure was too intense to sit. I stood with my arms around my husband and we swayed as he held me and stroked my back.
My water finally broke while I was sitting on a bedside commode with a pillow for comfort. I was so excited it had happened on its own! After I made it to the bed the urge to push was too strong to resist and After pushing a little while I began to feel the pressure and burn of my baby's head crowning.
With that final powerful push Noah was born into this world the day after Jacob turned 2. The meaning of his name is " comfort, peace, rest".
Cindy was such a tremendous gift to us. She not only comforted and cared for me, she also gave encouragement and guidance to my husband Chris. They worked as a team at times to meet my needs and I am so grateful for both of them <3
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