Birth Observe #1

Image from: Attachments Catalog

Thursday, I went on two prenatals with my midwife. Both women are in their delivery window, 37 to 42 weeks gestational age (wga), and the grand mulipara has a history of going early (38 wga at most). For the mama that goes early we didn't even make a follow up appointment for her because we knew we'd be coming back any day now for her birth.

Around 9pm on Thursday night the midwife called me to let me know that our grand mulipara (5 or more births/paras) thinks that she's in labor. The midwife told me to hang tight. She was going to take a shower and call me back in an hour. At 11pm she called me again to let me know that she was on her way to check the mama. The mama recently thought she was in labor a few days prior and the midwife wanted to make sure that this was it before sending me on my way. At midnight my phone rings, "get here now, the baby will be born tonight!"

I get to the birth around 12:30am. The midwife lets me know what's going on and tells me that the mom is at 2cm. Shucks, I think to myself, I have to be at work at 8am I hope I don't miss my first birth as a student midwife.

During our prenatal visits the mama told us that she goes early and she goes fast. I was expecting fast but her labor/transition and birth were unbeliable. Around 12:40 am the mama was squirming in the birth tub as what appeared to be huge rushes washed over her. The midwife wanted to check her again so around 1am she did and she was 100% effaced and 8cm. A few more contractions and the mama had the urge push.

At 1:21 am on 1/21/2011 a beautiful baby girl was born. My first birth as a student midwife! From 2cm to birth in less than an hour! Amazing.