Birth Doula Blog
The Right People Make it Happen!
One of my most recent births was a toughie. Mom labored for over 50 hours, and I remained by her side for about 30 hours. This particular client was seeking to have a vaginal delivery after a Cesarean, and if you know birth, you know this is tricky territory. Most people face resistance and scare tactics from their provider, but this mama was fully informed and found an OB who truly respected her wishes to go into spontaneous labor. He was all for her having a doula and even had to put a nurse in her place when she attempted to schedule an induction. She knew she did not want an induction due to the cascade of interventions that typically follow. Her hope was also to go unmedicated so she chose to labor at home as long as possible. This woman had done her research!
I thought to myself, "Well, let's see if this OB changes his tune when she's actually in labor."
The day came and as I drove toward the hospital I began to feel worried about this birth. See, I've supported a few VBAC hopefuls and they mostly ended in scheduled repeat C-sections. And one had to get an "emergency" C-section after baby wasn't tolerating her induction. I get it. We are fear-driven mammals and when an OB is sharing with us all of the scary stats, we opt for what we feel is safe. Although. in reality, VBACs are safer for the laboring person than repeat C-sections. I just wanted this VBAC to work. I needed it to work. I had to believe it CAN happen.
During her whole labor, the OB was in and out of the room, checking up on her. And no, I don't mean cervically. He never pushed for a C-section or Pitocin when her labor seemingly stalled. She was free to attempt all things to bring contractions and comfortably requested more time. Toward the end, baby wasn't looking great on the monitor, and her OB had a very calm conversation with her about the possibility of surgery. Even then, she declined. She was firm in her belief that she could do this. I will never forget her asking her OB, "What about the risks to ME?" He honestly couldn't say much. He knew how hard her last birth was and how she needed this to work so she could heal. When she finally was in the home stretch, I saw him look up, and I swear he was saying a little prayer. He wanted this so much for her. There's even a picture of his smiling face as he caught the baby. This man was a saint. He had patience and restored my faith. He did nothing remarkable, honestly. He just let her be and respected her. In a world where OBs manage it all, he did nothing, but it meant everything at the same time. Comments are closed.
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