I had a great birth last evening! Momma was having her fourth baby, but it had been quite a few years since the last one. That can sometimes make it difficult to predict how quickly (or not) the birth will happen.
She had her water broken to get things started, and took off slowly. Too slow for the doc's preference, but he actually is flexible when it comes to managing labor. He pretty much let me run the show. Since that was the case...........
I gave mom all of her options: non-pharmaceutical interventions for pain relief/labor augmentation, IV pain medications, epidural, or pitocin augmentation. We talked thoroughly over each of her options. She wanted to do *something*, but wasn't sure what to do to help augment things. She definitely didn't want to increase her pain level.
I literally left the ball in her court - which was totally what she needed. SHE needed to be in control of her birth. Not me. Not the doctor.
She s-l-o-w-l-y made progress. 3cm. 4 cm. 6 cm after getting out of the tub and feeling an urge to push.
9cm. Pushing slightly at the peak of the contractions.
All out pushing......time to call the doc for the birth!
A beautiful spontaneous birth of a hefty 8 lb baby, with no lacerations or episiotomy. No pain medications, no epidural, no pitocin.
All on her own time frame.
THIS is what I love about birth!!!!
15 comments:
My wife had several nurses, all like you, and we appreciated the kindness and empowerment greatly. She had all three kids without any medicines...makes me proud of her just typing this. WEll done, AYC!
Have a good weekend.
Awesome story! Thanks for sharing!
A good example of how a great nurse can so positively impact a mother's birth experience! What a good story.
Wonderful!!
I remember with my daughter, I hit transition and groaned through a contraction that I was doubting my choice to go without meds -- she smiled so kindly and said, "That means you're just about there! You know you can do this and we do, too!" Sure enough, fifteen minutes later the doc had me do a "practice" push and the flew into gown and gloves because once I had a ticket for that train, we were on the road! Three contractions later and there was my beauty -- 8lbs 9.5oz and as calmly alert as she is today!
Gotta LOVE great nurses! Thank you!
Had to finally end my lurking and leave a comment. I'm on the track to nursing school (yikes!), and for years I've wanted to be a CVICU RN. Then I found your blog, and now I'm really questioning cardio v. L&D. Also, you have made me excited to have a baby! Actually excited to experience contractions, and pushing directed by me! For that, I cannot thank you enough. Keep up the great work, we need more RN's like you!
You Rock!
Seriously, same way my midwife handled me and I did choose to let my water be broken. I chose not to move from the upright position until she offered to move me...and I chose to let her. I chose to go ahead and push...and she let me. Makes a big difference when we have choices. If I felt coerced into the water breaking or told I had to sit this way or lie back...I would have been very frustrated and would still at this time (6 weeks postpartum).
Choice, that's what women need in birth.
Blessings!
Dawn
I've finally started my preceptorship and am so happy to say I'm in the family birthing center. Although I haven't seen a delivery during my preceptorship, I am loving just being up there taking care of couplets, assisting with the management of acute problems, and everything about it!
Love this story! I bet that woman is still exhilirated at how great the birth went - and what a fantastic nurse she had. Keep up your marvelous approach!
YES! What you do is so empowering for the moms you serve!
I love births like this! There should be many, many like this!
I really wish I had a nurse like you for both of my births. I would have really liked to have had choices rather than them walk into the room with some pain meds and as they are giving them to me say, just something to help the pain. I REALLY didn't want that stuff as it made my head fuzzy and I never really got to experience my births as I was too high the entire time. :(
THANK YOU for being the nurse we all wish we could have!!
fantastic!
ANd then you went home and read and read and read some more....
You need to come and work in New Zealand - all of my births were like this one - all pro choice for the mother -itervention only when necessary - you'd love it !!
I'm guessing the fact that this was her 4th child was a contributing factor. First time moms are not normally given such freedom.
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