World Doula Week: A Doula's Perspective

November 29, 2015

Doulas Don’t Get Holidays Off! I got a lot more than turkey on Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving 2015 will be one that I will never forget! I got a call in the morning from a client who was 39 weeks pregnant, saying she was pretty sure she was in labor. She had been having contractions most of the night and felt that she needed to go to the hospital soon. I got ready and packed my doula bag with the things that I would need to support my client in labor and then I headed to the hospital in Boca Raton, about 30 minutes from my home in Coral Springs.

Upon arrival, I saw my client smiling and excited that she was going to meet her new baby. She chose not to find out the gender and I was excited to know if she would have another boy or another girl. Most of my clients chose to find out the gender prior to delivery, so this was my first “surprise doula baby” and I was sure it was another doula baby GIRL for me. I seem to have more doula baby girls, than doula baby boys!

The labor was progressing slowly, so we walk the halls for a while after being admitted. My client and her husband then decided that she would rather spend early labor at home and go back to the hospital when she felt like she was in active labor. I agreed that it was a great idea! Laboring at your own home can be alot more comfortable for moms, than being stuck in a bed at the hospital. Freedom to walk, eat drink, shower and sleep without interruption is great for early labor!

She labored at her home for a few more hours, while I had a quick Thanksgiving dinner with my family. She kept in touch with me through text and phone calls until she felt like she needed my support.   After some delicious turkey and stuffing, I joined her at her home and realized she was in active labor and it was definitely time to go to the hospital. I drove with her and her husband to the hospital and supported her during some intense contractions during the 30 minute drive from Coral Springs to Boca Raton. I called her midwife to let her know to meet us at the hospital and thankfully she was only 10 minutes away.

We arrived at the hospital right around 7:15pm and she was wheeled up to labor and delivery and told she was over eight centimeters. Minutes later her water broke and she felt the need to push. Her midwife walked in at that moment and she began pushing. I supported my client while she delivered her beautiful Baby BOY  at 7:37pm!  Only 22 mins after arriving at the hospital! No pain medicine, no epidural, no directed pushing, just mom and baby doing what they needed to do!

I was not upset about having to work on Thanksgiving at all! Being a doula means you don’t get holidays off! Babies come when they want, whether it’s on a Monday, a Saturday, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, someone’s birthday or your own birthday. I knew going into this career as a childbirth and postpartum doula that I might miss certain events with my family and that’s okay I understand.  It was an amazing experience. It was a Thanksgiving Day I will never forget!

This blog written by Lisa Raynor , a childbirth and postpartum doula in Coral Springs, FL.  She is also a mom of three boys, a wife, and loves to blog about pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum care and breastfeeding. Lisa attends hospital births, birth center births and home births throughout Broward County and Boca Raton. Call for a FREE consultation today!

www.coralspringsdoula.com

"Pinky Tails" for Ella Fuzzy's Arrival

Thursday, March 5, 2015 i woke up, 6 days past due and i knew things were different. My husband had planned to go to work, and i told him to stay home. it was a full moon, and i would not be making it to saturday or sunday as i had hoped! Being that i was already this late, i had hoped that the baby would hold out a few more days so i could attend my cousin's wedding and see my daughter be a flower girl for the first time! 
My husband took our daughter to the church for rehearsal,  and i had to choose between one last shower, or a mani-pedi before baby time.. i opted for the shower... Who knows when i may get another one, right?! 
I drove myself to the rehearsal dinner, (after covering my new car seats, of course!) While waiting for our food,  which took way too long, especially for a pregnant lady in labor, the young girl next to me asked me when i was due. "Last week," I replied. "I'm in labor right now actually,"  i added. Poor girl, her look of horror was slightly amusing! 
I squeezed my husband's hand and leg through the speeches and finally, after my last meal, we headed home. Half way home, in mid turn and mid contraction , I wondered to myself why i had driven myself? !? Luckily we lived close!
We got my daughter in bed, and my husband fell right to sleep -- me? Not so much!  I lay there, contracting away .. so finally i got up and told my husband to help me get ready, this was happening tonight!  
So, i started getting the last minute details in order; hung a banner, washed dishes.. you know, the important things! While my husband blew up the rest of the pool, the one i had ordered was due to be delivered the next day after realizing the one i had planned on using had a hole! Minor details :)
I called my mom and asked her to come over and help too. Then i called my midwife. i told her my contractions were 5 min apart and she headed over. 
I also called my photographer, but told her to wait and see how far along i was, but by the time my midwife got there i was 10cm and fully effaced! So she headed over too. 
Around 5am my daughter woke up and joined the party. She swore from day 1 that i was having a girl and named her ella fuzzy and said she wanted to wear "pinky tails" when she came.. So, she got on her purple tutu bathing suit and my aunt helped get her hair ready! 
My sister finally got to my house around 7am, my aunt went to pick her up and i heard them taking coffee orders... my husband put in his order, to which i laughed, sorry love, no coffee for you! I can't stand coffee or the smell of it. He said he was tired, i replied he could drink some later, after i finished giving birth :) 
Luckily I had been being fueled by my very own bottle of an all natural sustainable energy antioxidant supplement,  Ningxia Red. I had a whole bottle just for me for labor.. and it came in handy for sure! 
My water had not broken, and it was the one thing I had told my midwife i didnt want done, as i regretted it with my first. So i labored in the pool, my daughter swimming around my belly, kissing me and care free as ever!  
A while later, i started feeling sick to my stomach. .a sign of transition for me.. i went and threw up and went in the shower to rinse off and have the warm water hit my back.. my aunt came to check on us, and asked what i wanted to do.. i said, have this baby!  
My midwife asked them to see if she could break my water.. and i agreed. . I went to lay on the bed to have it broken and then move back to the pool... well, it broke and i knew i wasn't going anywhere!  Within 20 min i was holding my 12 pound 23 inch sweet girl that i got to help pull out of me! I recall my midwife saying that is one Shaquille O'Neal sized baby, and until the measurements were officially taken,  i didn't believe that she could possibly be bigger than my first, 10 pound 21 inches!
My daughter was right there watching it ALL,  it all happened so fast and i had planned on her being at a much different veiw point,  but she was right there, eyes wide open! I felt bad after,  worrying that I scared her, especially after hearing her on the video say she wanted to leave. But then she said she didnt want to leave mama and came and kissed my leg and said a prayer. .. and later ahe said she was happy and sad about it all..  happy she had a sister,  but sad that she thought i was hurt. The next day, she was reenacting the events and had the mama and dada kissing as the mama pushed, then she ran to get some napkins and said she was cleaning up the blood.. lol.. yep, she saw it all, but to her, it was beautiful. . As it is.. birth is beautiful and I would do it all over again if blessed with the chance! 
If not, I welcome the chance to witness the birth of many other sweet babies coming into the world ♡ 
My midwife was amazing throughout my entire pregnancy,  she was with us through 2 prior miscarriages as well and was so supportive and confident in the process.  She made my daughter a special part of my care by having her help with hearing the heartbeat and listening to her stories about ella fuzzy .. it was important to me to have her be a part of welcoming her baby into the world... she was so excited to have a sister, so much that she was mad when she realized her name would not actually be ella fuzzy! 
Our midwife,  Jennifer Mitchell,  did an amazing job making sure I was healthy post labor, as I tend to hemorrhage some. I knew i was in good hands. 
Vallery Grayce was in my arms safe,  latched right away and her cord drained before my husband cut it, just the way we wanted. 
The next morning, i got my daughter's hair ready for the wedding,  then i got a shower and got ready myself... i got the baby dressed in her tiny dress and my mom came to get me, and she decided to have her first dirty diaper! Luckily , it didnt get on her pretty dress :) 
We made the wedding! Got to see the first dance and eat and head home.. and sleep!!!!! 
Here we are, one year later and still loving every laugh, milestone and nursing session! The girls are still loving each other. Time is flying,  but life is good. 

**to see the full slide show with the stunning pictures by Rachelina Marshall Photography, follow the link below! 

http://youtu.be/9bqpqvNfSqE

***To share your birth story with our community, email it to bocabirth@gmail.com! All stories post anonymously, pictures are optional! They do not need to be local stories. Thank you!