Derek and Emily were expecting their baby to arrive around Christmas time, as the estimated due date was December 20. However, Emily had her son (three years old now) two weeks early, so they were ready just in case this little baby decided to make his/her entrance into the world in time to celebrate the holiday with the family, outside of the womb. Good thing they were prepared because little Jax William wasn't going to wait around until Christmas to be born. He was born last night, two weeks before his "due date." This little guy means business too, seeing as how he came just two hours after Derek and Emily got to the hospital!
I was honored to be a part of this birth, serving Derek and Emily as their doula. They took my childbirth classes this fall and then hired me as their doula shortly thereafter. I couldn't have been happier!
Emily was pretty confident this baby was going to come before the due date, as she texted me about a week ago to let me know how her prenatal appointment had gone. She was already 4 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Granted, she is a second-time mom, so of course she was going to be farther along in that area than most first-timers, but still, I decided I should go ahead and pack my bags just in case this baby did decide to come "early."
Wednesday afternoon, Emily texted me again, this time letting me know that she had been having pretty bad back pain and irregular contractions all day long. She wasn't too excited about the possibility of actual labor yet, since she had been experiencing this off and on for the past four days! We agreed that she should rest, monitor baby's movements, and drink plenty of water. She would keep me posted about any progress and let me know if I should make my way to the hospital.
Several hours later, Emily texted me saying that things were picking up and they were indeed thinking about heading to the hospital. The timing couldn't have been any better, on my end at least. I was just saying good-bye to my final daycare kiddo, so I called my husband to let him know what was happening and that I would need to bring the girls to him at school. I quickly packed a few snacks, put some essential oils and a diffuser in my bag, and grabbed my camera. Before I could get my hair up in pony tail, Emily texted me one more time, informing me contractions were about 4 minutes apart and they were on their way to the hospital.
It was go time! And I instinctively thought I needed to hurry, which is easier said than done when you have two little girls in tow, one of whom decided to wear her yellow rainboots! Let's just say we had quite the time running through the halls at Daddy's school as we searched first his classroom, then another teacher's classroom at the other end of the school, and finally found him with the Boys to Men Club in the gym -- on the opposite side of the school! I literally dropped the girls off and sprinted back out to my husband's car since he would need mine with the carseats. I knew that I would once more have to battle rush-hour traffic in one of the busiest sections of town yet again. On the way to the school, I had hit every single red light. My luck continued on the way to the hospital, but to make things worse, I got trapped behind a motorist apparently out for a Sunday drive. He wasn't too happy with me trying to coax him to hurry up either, as he slammed on his brakes when it came time for him to turn into his subdivision. He ever so kindly "waved" me on my way and I sped the next mile to the hospital.
I had never been to the hospital for a birth before, but I found the birth building with no problem. Inside, a kind nurse pointed me to the elevators and I made my way to the third floor, where I checked in and walked briskly to Derek and Emily's room. It was 5:10 pm.
I found Emily on the birth ball, already in hospital gown, having a contraction. When it was done, the nurse finished getting the starter in for Emily's IV. Since Derek and Emily wanted a natural childbirth, she wouldn't be needing any medications, drugs, or even IV fluids. The hospital staff was nice to let her just have a saline block, just in case an emergency did arise. This allowed Emily to have freedom to move around and be in the most comfortable position possible. I set my bags in the corner out of the way and excused myself to go to the bathroom. By the time I got back, Emily was already having another contraction! I knew she must be in transition already, and that this baby was not playing around!
In the middle of another contraction, another nurse came it to draw Emily's blood. We all were a little surprised that they needed to take blood at that very moment, seeing as how Emily was having intense contractions, back to back to back. But, the hospital simply had to have her blood type on hand, in case of emergency of course. Emily wanted to know why they didn't have that on record from the last time she delivered a baby at the hospital. I silently wondered the same thing, but thankfully the nurse did her thing and was gone before another contraction came.
At this point the doctor came in to check and see how things were going. She had just finished delivering another baby and jokingly told Emily that a nice, short labor would be nice! Emily smiled and assured the doctor she would do her best to make that happen. The doctor offered to break Emily's water at any point, but left the decision completely up to Emily (and Derek). I was kind of worried at this point that more interventions might take place than what was desired, but I also appreciated that the doctor didn't push the issue at all. She told Emily she was doing awesome and then left!
Emily wanted to move into the shower, as she was having extremely rough back pain. The hot water felt good, and so we all stayed in the shower for quite awhile. I even shut the door to the bathroom in an attempt to finally let Emily get away from all the hustle and bustle of the nurses. I guess my plan didn't work. Apparently, there is no hiding in a hospital. A nurse came in with a clipboard and pen; she needed Emily to sign a consent form! Really? At that very second? Derek and I both told her to wait until Emily was at least done having a contraction, which took a bit as her contractions were double peaking and not allowing for any rest or relief. The nurse waited patiently and finally Emily scratched her name on the line and went right into another contraction!
I'm not sure how long we stayed in the shower, but Emily decided she wanted to try kneeling on the bed to see if that would let her be more comfortable. We made our way back into the main room, where the nurses had been busily (and quietly!) setting up all the birth stuff, as the warmer area was ready and a covered table was at the foot of the bed, hiding all the supplies needed once the baby had arrived. We got Emily up on the bed but needed more pillows. I searched every cabinet and cupboard space in the room and couldn't find a single pillow, so I went out to find a nurse to ask for some more pillows.
The nurse came in with pillows very shortly and with her she brought a new nurseto check on Emily, as it was a shift change. Since Emily was on the bed, the nurse hooked up the Electronic Fetal Monitor to check baby's heartbeat. Emily had a few more contractions, still long, intense, and one right after another. She wanted the doctor to go ahead and break her water, so we discussed the pros and cons and what that would look like. The doctor must have overheard us because no sooner had we agreed that Emily would go ahead with breaking her water, the doctor walked in the room! Derek informed her of the decision and the supplies were gathered. Again, I had never seen someone have their water broken before, so I was learning as I went. I must say it didn't look all that comfortable, but then again being on your back and having someone do an exam of any sort while you are in labor rarely is!
Once her water was broken, Emily tried laboring in a sitting squat position, which was completely uncomfortable for her. She didn't know what she wanted to do or how to get relaxed, so both Derek and I suggested she turn back around and lean on the bed. That helped a little bit and before long Emily was feeling the urge to push. We reminded her to continue breathing deeply and moaning as loudly as she need to in order to avoid any tension in her body. At some point, I plugged in a diffuser with Clary Sage (I read it is supposed to help female hormones and even induce labor). I also put lavender on my hands to rub on Emily's back. I sensed she was getting tired and stressed, and I wanted to help her relax as much as possible as she entered the final stage of labor.
Sure enough, in a matter of minutes (though it seemed longer at the time), the baby was crowning. I could see a head of black hair, then the entire face, and finally the whole baby! Derek and Emily had waited to find out the gender, so the doctor held up little Jax and announced he was indeed a boy. It was 6:33, just over an hour after I had arrived!
Emily got turned around into a sitting position and immediately her newborn son was placed on her chest, where he stayed for the next fifteen or so minutes. Once again I was appreciative of the doctor respecting Derek and Emily's wishes. She waited until the cord had stopped pulsing before she helped Dad cut his son's umbilical cord. The doctor also waited for the placenta to be born on its own, without giving Emily any pitocin to speed the process along. Once the placenta did come, the doctor showed it to us all, explaining how it had worked in the womb to keep baby Jax strong and healthy.
He sure was too -- at two weeks "early" he already weighed in at 7 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 19 and 3/4 inches long! Imagine if he had waited until his due date. But Jax knew he was ready and decided to come long before then. After being weighed and measured, the nurse did the APGAR test, while Dad looked on proudly and talked to his son throughout the entire "exam." Then, the nurse swaddled Jax up and handed him to Dad while Mom finished getting cleaned up and comfortable on the bed. After Emily drank her Bradley cocktail of orange juice, she was ready to hold her baby boy. He started nursing and seemed to be a pro right away! Since everything was going so smoothly, and Emily's mom had arrived, I took a few more pictures before saying good-bye. I would be able to get home in time to feed my own baby girl before she went to bed! (Derek and Emily were "model clients" for sure!)
I am so glad everything went so well last night and that I got to be part of the magical event! I absolutely love being a doula (and childbirth educator) so I can help families welcome their precious little ones to the world! Though my "job" does make me want to have another baby SOON :)
I am pretty sure Derek and Emily are happy too. Even though Jax came early, I am guessing they (and big brother Hayden) think he is the best Christmas present ever!
I was honored to be a part of this birth, serving Derek and Emily as their doula. They took my childbirth classes this fall and then hired me as their doula shortly thereafter. I couldn't have been happier!
Emily was pretty confident this baby was going to come before the due date, as she texted me about a week ago to let me know how her prenatal appointment had gone. She was already 4 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Granted, she is a second-time mom, so of course she was going to be farther along in that area than most first-timers, but still, I decided I should go ahead and pack my bags just in case this baby did decide to come "early."
Wednesday afternoon, Emily texted me again, this time letting me know that she had been having pretty bad back pain and irregular contractions all day long. She wasn't too excited about the possibility of actual labor yet, since she had been experiencing this off and on for the past four days! We agreed that she should rest, monitor baby's movements, and drink plenty of water. She would keep me posted about any progress and let me know if I should make my way to the hospital.
Several hours later, Emily texted me saying that things were picking up and they were indeed thinking about heading to the hospital. The timing couldn't have been any better, on my end at least. I was just saying good-bye to my final daycare kiddo, so I called my husband to let him know what was happening and that I would need to bring the girls to him at school. I quickly packed a few snacks, put some essential oils and a diffuser in my bag, and grabbed my camera. Before I could get my hair up in pony tail, Emily texted me one more time, informing me contractions were about 4 minutes apart and they were on their way to the hospital.
It was go time! And I instinctively thought I needed to hurry, which is easier said than done when you have two little girls in tow, one of whom decided to wear her yellow rainboots! Let's just say we had quite the time running through the halls at Daddy's school as we searched first his classroom, then another teacher's classroom at the other end of the school, and finally found him with the Boys to Men Club in the gym -- on the opposite side of the school! I literally dropped the girls off and sprinted back out to my husband's car since he would need mine with the carseats. I knew that I would once more have to battle rush-hour traffic in one of the busiest sections of town yet again. On the way to the school, I had hit every single red light. My luck continued on the way to the hospital, but to make things worse, I got trapped behind a motorist apparently out for a Sunday drive. He wasn't too happy with me trying to coax him to hurry up either, as he slammed on his brakes when it came time for him to turn into his subdivision. He ever so kindly "waved" me on my way and I sped the next mile to the hospital.
I had never been to the hospital for a birth before, but I found the birth building with no problem. Inside, a kind nurse pointed me to the elevators and I made my way to the third floor, where I checked in and walked briskly to Derek and Emily's room. It was 5:10 pm.
I found Emily on the birth ball, already in hospital gown, having a contraction. When it was done, the nurse finished getting the starter in for Emily's IV. Since Derek and Emily wanted a natural childbirth, she wouldn't be needing any medications, drugs, or even IV fluids. The hospital staff was nice to let her just have a saline block, just in case an emergency did arise. This allowed Emily to have freedom to move around and be in the most comfortable position possible. I set my bags in the corner out of the way and excused myself to go to the bathroom. By the time I got back, Emily was already having another contraction! I knew she must be in transition already, and that this baby was not playing around!
In the middle of another contraction, another nurse came it to draw Emily's blood. We all were a little surprised that they needed to take blood at that very moment, seeing as how Emily was having intense contractions, back to back to back. But, the hospital simply had to have her blood type on hand, in case of emergency of course. Emily wanted to know why they didn't have that on record from the last time she delivered a baby at the hospital. I silently wondered the same thing, but thankfully the nurse did her thing and was gone before another contraction came.
At this point the doctor came in to check and see how things were going. She had just finished delivering another baby and jokingly told Emily that a nice, short labor would be nice! Emily smiled and assured the doctor she would do her best to make that happen. The doctor offered to break Emily's water at any point, but left the decision completely up to Emily (and Derek). I was kind of worried at this point that more interventions might take place than what was desired, but I also appreciated that the doctor didn't push the issue at all. She told Emily she was doing awesome and then left!
Emily wanted to move into the shower, as she was having extremely rough back pain. The hot water felt good, and so we all stayed in the shower for quite awhile. I even shut the door to the bathroom in an attempt to finally let Emily get away from all the hustle and bustle of the nurses. I guess my plan didn't work. Apparently, there is no hiding in a hospital. A nurse came in with a clipboard and pen; she needed Emily to sign a consent form! Really? At that very second? Derek and I both told her to wait until Emily was at least done having a contraction, which took a bit as her contractions were double peaking and not allowing for any rest or relief. The nurse waited patiently and finally Emily scratched her name on the line and went right into another contraction!
I'm not sure how long we stayed in the shower, but Emily decided she wanted to try kneeling on the bed to see if that would let her be more comfortable. We made our way back into the main room, where the nurses had been busily (and quietly!) setting up all the birth stuff, as the warmer area was ready and a covered table was at the foot of the bed, hiding all the supplies needed once the baby had arrived. We got Emily up on the bed but needed more pillows. I searched every cabinet and cupboard space in the room and couldn't find a single pillow, so I went out to find a nurse to ask for some more pillows.
The nurse came in with pillows very shortly and with her she brought a new nurseto check on Emily, as it was a shift change. Since Emily was on the bed, the nurse hooked up the Electronic Fetal Monitor to check baby's heartbeat. Emily had a few more contractions, still long, intense, and one right after another. She wanted the doctor to go ahead and break her water, so we discussed the pros and cons and what that would look like. The doctor must have overheard us because no sooner had we agreed that Emily would go ahead with breaking her water, the doctor walked in the room! Derek informed her of the decision and the supplies were gathered. Again, I had never seen someone have their water broken before, so I was learning as I went. I must say it didn't look all that comfortable, but then again being on your back and having someone do an exam of any sort while you are in labor rarely is!
Once her water was broken, Emily tried laboring in a sitting squat position, which was completely uncomfortable for her. She didn't know what she wanted to do or how to get relaxed, so both Derek and I suggested she turn back around and lean on the bed. That helped a little bit and before long Emily was feeling the urge to push. We reminded her to continue breathing deeply and moaning as loudly as she need to in order to avoid any tension in her body. At some point, I plugged in a diffuser with Clary Sage (I read it is supposed to help female hormones and even induce labor). I also put lavender on my hands to rub on Emily's back. I sensed she was getting tired and stressed, and I wanted to help her relax as much as possible as she entered the final stage of labor.
Sure enough, in a matter of minutes (though it seemed longer at the time), the baby was crowning. I could see a head of black hair, then the entire face, and finally the whole baby! Derek and Emily had waited to find out the gender, so the doctor held up little Jax and announced he was indeed a boy. It was 6:33, just over an hour after I had arrived!
Emily got turned around into a sitting position and immediately her newborn son was placed on her chest, where he stayed for the next fifteen or so minutes. Once again I was appreciative of the doctor respecting Derek and Emily's wishes. She waited until the cord had stopped pulsing before she helped Dad cut his son's umbilical cord. The doctor also waited for the placenta to be born on its own, without giving Emily any pitocin to speed the process along. Once the placenta did come, the doctor showed it to us all, explaining how it had worked in the womb to keep baby Jax strong and healthy.
He sure was too -- at two weeks "early" he already weighed in at 7 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 19 and 3/4 inches long! Imagine if he had waited until his due date. But Jax knew he was ready and decided to come long before then. After being weighed and measured, the nurse did the APGAR test, while Dad looked on proudly and talked to his son throughout the entire "exam." Then, the nurse swaddled Jax up and handed him to Dad while Mom finished getting cleaned up and comfortable on the bed. After Emily drank her Bradley cocktail of orange juice, she was ready to hold her baby boy. He started nursing and seemed to be a pro right away! Since everything was going so smoothly, and Emily's mom had arrived, I took a few more pictures before saying good-bye. I would be able to get home in time to feed my own baby girl before she went to bed! (Derek and Emily were "model clients" for sure!)
I am so glad everything went so well last night and that I got to be part of the magical event! I absolutely love being a doula (and childbirth educator) so I can help families welcome their precious little ones to the world! Though my "job" does make me want to have another baby SOON :)
I am pretty sure Derek and Emily are happy too. Even though Jax came early, I am guessing they (and big brother Hayden) think he is the best Christmas present ever!