11.22.12

Blogging about Thanksgiving would not be complete if I didn't include the birth of my friend's baby boy!  With her permission, I'm sharing my epistle of an account ;0) At the end of September or so, Laura mentioned that she had decided for her third child's birth she wanted to try going naturally and felt like she should ask me to be her "doula" for the birth.  Several weeks before I had had the same thought and told her that, even though I had no real training and just the experience from Brie and Alex's births, I'd be honored to be there.  So for the last several months we'd been talking, exchanging emails, prepping for the birth, and in October even did a double date "lamaze class" with our hubbies :0) (Bry and I sharing thoughts, tips, breathing techniques, etc. that we thought would be helpful.).

The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving Laura called (around 9:30?) to tell me that her water had broken...two weeks before her due date.  I took a quick shower then she, Jon and I headed over to St. Mary's Hospital.  By the time she'd passed through triage (3cm) and was finally admitted and assigned a labor & delivery room it was just about midnight with no signs of labor.  The staff at that point didn't want her walking around for fear of the cord prelapsing and suffocating the baby.  She tried bouncing on the medicine ball, but that didn't work.  A few hours later her Doctor came in and said that he was OK with her walking the halls.  The nurse on shift, Nikki (who was so friendly and supportive), got her wireless monitor and IV hooked up and we hit the hall.  Within twenty minutes or so contractions had started which was great!  We ended up walking the halls through most of the night.  There were windows at the end of the hall and it was fun to see the sun rise over the city and to chat with Laura & Jon.  As long as she kept walking the contractions kept coming.  Things weren't too intense yet so I kept my camera close and tried to document little moments here and there.  Little by little they got stronger and she'd lean against the wall railing and breathe as Jon did counter pressure (on her hips and lower back), I did effleurage on her upper back and talked her through each one.  It seemed like it worked well for Laura and I was impressed by how well she did with her breathing then would "resurface" and continue walking and talking between the contractions. 

I want to say by 5AM she had progressed, but wasn't yet to a 5cm which was discouraging to her after the hours of walking.  At that point we went back to her room, the contractions slowed way down (may have even stopped?) and the three of us took cat naps.  

A little after 5:30 we decided to walk the hall again and once again the contractions starting coming and picking up fairly quickly.  We were still walking the halls when the nurses switched shifts...through the doors came Tiffany, the nurse who had delivered Laura's other two children!  We were flabbergasted, especially since she typically only works weekends AND that it was a holiday.  She was able to select Laura as her patient, ended up seeing Laura through til the end, and was such a blessing to have with us!  It was definitely a tender mercy that she was on that particular shift.  

Another tender mercy, that Laura reminded me of, is that the doctor that came in for the day (Doctor Martin) was LDS.  He happened to walk in right as Laura was asking Jon for a priesthood blessing and was able to assist in the blessing.  He was great to work with and ended up delivering Jacob.

At this point I can't quite remember the timing of things (probably because I had only had twenty minutes of sleep), but I seem to remember Laura's contractions really starting to pick up by 9 or 10am.   She was still laboring in the hall, but now Tiffany was out there walking with us, helping with counter pressure and adding her words of encouragement.  It definitely felt like a team! 

By noon or so Laura was checked again and she was only at 6cm.  It was great that she had progressed, but we had all hoped that she'd be farther along, especially after the intensity of her contractions.  Around that time Jon, Laura & I decided that she should try pitocin, and within a half hour the contractions were definitely picking up.  She was leaning against a rocking chair and breathing through each STRONG contraction as it came.  By this time it was especially hard to watch her go through each one....I could tell what pain she was in and remembered the intensity of contractions around that time in my labor.  Tiffany had stepped out of the room so it was just Jon & I trying to encourage her and cheer her on.  I really felt like transition was just around the corner, she had been managing the pain SO well, and wanted to do my part in encouraging a natural birth...I think Jon must have felt similarly because we both told her to keep going, that she was getting so close and that she would make it.  Although I knew how exhausted she must have been and wouldn't have blamed her for getting an epidural at that point.  Tiffany eventually came in to check her, and after laboring that way for over an hour she was still at a 6cm.  Such intense labor with NO progress :0( I think it was around that time that she requested an epidural and I really didn't blame her...she had walked through the night and most of the morning and had been laboring intensely for hours with no progress.

She had to be pumped full of fluids before they could administer the epidural, so she must have labored for at least another 30 minutes or so, the contractions REALLY coming on strong and becoming unbearable.  As soon as the fluids were done Tiffany checked to see where she was at...8cm, 90% effaced (she had been at a 50% since she came in) and the baby was at a +2 station instead of a -3!  She had done an amazing job and had made SO much progress!  The anesthesiologist came in, and I stepped out into the hall.  I'll admit, I kind of had a mini break down at that point and started to cry.  It had been such an emotional journey for me (especially with my own pregnancy hormones going on! ;0)) and I started to pray...why had Laura and I both felt prompted to help her in a natural birth if her labor would be SO long and intense and she'd needed an epidural in the end?  As I sat there, a stream of thoughts came to my mind...it hadn't been a mistake, things hadn't flopped, the Lord was mindful of us and that perhaps if she hadn't attempted to go naturally her body wouldn't have gone into labor like it needed to and could have resulted in a C-section.  (Of course a C-section is not a horrible thing, but it was a wonderful thing that she had avoided it.)  I was so grateful for that gentle reassurance from the Lord.  

Twenty minutes later the anesthesiologist left and I returned to the room.  Within 10 minutes Laura was complete and ready to push!!  Unfortunately her epidural didn't work very well (she could feel LOTS of pressure and some pain, and was to feel and move her legs).  She pushed for about an hour and her sweet little Jacob was born! (as soon as he was born I "changed hats" and grabbed my camera to document the happy occasion :0))  I've given birth to two children, but it was incredible to witness a birth.  And let me tell you that after such a long and rigorous experience it was an especially amazing thing to see him crown, be born...hear his first cry and see him placed on his Mom.  What a sweet finale.  I was so grateful to have been there from start to finish.  (Laura felt so bad that I had been there through the night and into Thanksgiving day, but I really did feel privileged to be present and to help throughout.  Plus, Bry picked me up from the hospital around 3pm, I came home and crashed for an hour on the couch and woke up to a beautiful Thanksgiving feast that Bry & Em had made.  Not too shabby.  Definitely a Thanksgiving never to forget ;0)) 

I need to add is that I felt really blessed to be inspired with ways to aid Laura during the birth...memories from Brie and Alex's births...things that I thought would be helpful to her as well.  Such as pinning her hair back, effleurage, keying her in on her progress at every stage in the game (pushing included), etc. AND it made me SO much more appreciative for the people that assisted me for my kids' births, and reminded me how much their attentiveness and care saw me through both times!

Congrats again, Hintzes!!