As recalled by Holly Wiersma, Doula
At 7:15 on the morning of January 3, 2005, Gayle got up to the bathroom and noticed some bloody show and leaking fluid. After doing some research she was still confused as to what was happening and called her doula, at 8:15. By this time Gayle was experiencing some crampiness and a “period-like feeling” in her lower back. There had been more leaking fluid. It sounded like spontaneous rupture of the membranes and the beginnings of early labor. Gayle decided to call her doctor for confirmation.
When she called the Birth Home, Gayle was directed to come in as soon as she was able. Her status was verified, at 11 am, as released membranes. Since she was Group B Strep positive, it was important that baby be born within the next 24 hours. Gayle was encouraged to walk for a couple of hours and then return to the Birth Home. Gayle, Nichelle and Keila walked the Stoneridge Mall. Gayle was busy on her cell phone tying up the loose ends of her business while she walked through irregular contractions.
Danny had gone into work in the morning, but by noon was back home. He was rounding up the needed items and gathering supplies for the early impending birth. (Gayle’s estimated due date was not till Jan. 25th.)
By early afternoon, back at the Birth Home, Gayle was having contractions every 2-3 minutes. They had become a bit stronger and some were doubling her over. They started in her back and radiated around to the front. At 2:30 a vaginal check showed Gayle was 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced. She was doing “OK” and went out to walk the neighborhood for another couple of hours.
Within a short time, the call was made to the doula… come! Gayle, Danny and Keila walked around Main Street. They got a little to eat, but Gayle promptly threw up her lunch. (Luckily she was able to have it land in a trashcan!) She was breathing well and leaning during the robust contractions.
At 4:40 pm Gayle had another check at the Birth Home. She had progressed to 2 cm and baby had moved very low to 0 station! Keila started the IV and Gayle had her first dose of antibiotics. Gayle used hands and knees positioning for a while and then moved to lying on her side for rest.
The contraction pattern slowed and the midwife came to check on the baby. Unfortunately the midwife stated Gayle wasn’t far enough, along in her labor, to be admitted. She suggested Gayle (and her crew) go to a local hotel to labor and then return at 9 pm for another dose of antibiotics.
After making the arrangements, the group left the Birth Home at 6:30 pm. Keila got the room assignment and Gayle walked all the way from the car to the elevator before having a contraction. (She was worried about making noise in a hotel.) She made it half way to the room before collapsing to the floor in another contraction.
Room 318 was well appointed. Gayle spent a good amount of time in the knee chest position, on the bed, trying to move baby away from her back. Then she moved to her hands and knees for a bit. Danny heated the lavender pillow and laid it beside her. Around 7:40, Gayle made a bathroom trip. She sensed the contractions more in the front when sitting on the potty. She leaned forward against Danny. He held her and offered her encouragements. A few bites of Keila’s banana bread tasted good.
At 8 Gayle moved to kneeling beside the bed with Danny. After a while she stood and leaned into him. Then she leaned over the bed and Danny applied the double hip squeeze. Shortly after, Keila offered a strawberry Popsicle for Gayle’s sustenance. Gayle’s contractions were getting longer and more intense. Just before 9 pm, was another bathroom break. Then Gayle dressed to dash to the car.
Gayle walked very quickly down the halls of the hotel. She did have to stop for one contraction right outside the elevator, next to the Christmas tree. She breathed through the powerful contraction and then got right up and quickly walked out the front door.
Holly, the doula, was the driver back to the Birth Home. Unfortunately between she and Danny there was one missed turn, but very quickly they got their directions straight and returned Gayle to the Birth Home doorsteps. She had handled her tumultuous activity as well as possible, while leaning over the birth ball in the back seat of the vehicle.
At 9:30 another dose of the antibiotic was infused. After a slight delay, the midwife arrived. Gayle continued working through whopper contractions in a hands and knees position. She was feeling a lot of achiness and pain in her back. After a trip to the bathroom she lay on her side.
A check at 11 pm, by Michelle the midwife, showed Gayle had advanced to 6 cm and baby was nearing +1 station! It was great news! Gayle could utilize the birthing tub! As Gayle tried to relax in the tub, Danny declared that she was “much cuter than that girl in the video”!
Gayle used forward leaning positions. Danny kept her supplied with cool water to drink and cool cloths to her face and neck. Counter pressure was the ticket to help her handle the back pain. Occasionally she would feel the “poop pressure”.
At 12:30 am Keila re-joined the group. She relieved the doula and strongly applied counter pressure to Gayle’s back during each contraction. “Rub, rub, rub” were Gayle’s instructions! She used a very strong voice in correlation to each very powerful contraction.
Mashed bananas were the energy food of choice around 1 am. As the contractions reached heightened intensity, Gayle felt like she “would split apart”. Finally at 1:10 a check found Gayle completely dilated and baby was at +2 station! She could begin pushing.
Gayle pushed in the tub on her back for a couple of hours. Her visualization was “squeezing the last bit of icing out of the tube”. At 3 am she moved to a hands and knees position and she began to move the baby even better. At 3:15 she changed to a squatting position and then moved out of the tub. She tried a standing squat, but decided to move to the bed.
Gayle pushed strongly in a variety of positions on the bed… side lying, upright kneeling, using the towel pull and then back to her back with knees pulled up. Finally, after 2 hours and 20 minutes of pushing, at 4:26 am on January 4, 2005, Gayle birthed Logan Samuel Bu (over a totally intact perineum)!
Logan had a loose nuchal cord around his neck, which was easily removed. He made his appearance in an anterior position. Logan had a full head of dark hair on his pointy little head and his eyes were wide open to examine his new world. Logan had healthy Apgar scores of 7 and 8. He weighed in at 6 pounds 2 ounces and was 19 inches long.
At 7:15 on the morning of January 3, 2005, Gayle got up to the bathroom and noticed some bloody show and leaking fluid. After doing some research she was still confused as to what was happening and called her doula, at 8:15. By this time Gayle was experiencing some crampiness and a “period-like feeling” in her lower back. There had been more leaking fluid. It sounded like spontaneous rupture of the membranes and the beginnings of early labor. Gayle decided to call her doctor for confirmation.
When she called the Birth Home, Gayle was directed to come in as soon as she was able. Her status was verified, at 11 am, as released membranes. Since she was Group B Strep positive, it was important that baby be born within the next 24 hours. Gayle was encouraged to walk for a couple of hours and then return to the Birth Home. Gayle, Nichelle and Keila walked the Stoneridge Mall. Gayle was busy on her cell phone tying up the loose ends of her business while she walked through irregular contractions.
Danny had gone into work in the morning, but by noon was back home. He was rounding up the needed items and gathering supplies for the early impending birth. (Gayle’s estimated due date was not till Jan. 25th.)
By early afternoon, back at the Birth Home, Gayle was having contractions every 2-3 minutes. They had become a bit stronger and some were doubling her over. They started in her back and radiated around to the front. At 2:30 a vaginal check showed Gayle was 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced. She was doing “OK” and went out to walk the neighborhood for another couple of hours.
Within a short time, the call was made to the doula… come! Gayle, Danny and Keila walked around Main Street. They got a little to eat, but Gayle promptly threw up her lunch. (Luckily she was able to have it land in a trashcan!) She was breathing well and leaning during the robust contractions.
At 4:40 pm Gayle had another check at the Birth Home. She had progressed to 2 cm and baby had moved very low to 0 station! Keila started the IV and Gayle had her first dose of antibiotics. Gayle used hands and knees positioning for a while and then moved to lying on her side for rest.
The contraction pattern slowed and the midwife came to check on the baby. Unfortunately the midwife stated Gayle wasn’t far enough, along in her labor, to be admitted. She suggested Gayle (and her crew) go to a local hotel to labor and then return at 9 pm for another dose of antibiotics.
After making the arrangements, the group left the Birth Home at 6:30 pm. Keila got the room assignment and Gayle walked all the way from the car to the elevator before having a contraction. (She was worried about making noise in a hotel.) She made it half way to the room before collapsing to the floor in another contraction.
Room 318 was well appointed. Gayle spent a good amount of time in the knee chest position, on the bed, trying to move baby away from her back. Then she moved to her hands and knees for a bit. Danny heated the lavender pillow and laid it beside her. Around 7:40, Gayle made a bathroom trip. She sensed the contractions more in the front when sitting on the potty. She leaned forward against Danny. He held her and offered her encouragements. A few bites of Keila’s banana bread tasted good.
At 8 Gayle moved to kneeling beside the bed with Danny. After a while she stood and leaned into him. Then she leaned over the bed and Danny applied the double hip squeeze. Shortly after, Keila offered a strawberry Popsicle for Gayle’s sustenance. Gayle’s contractions were getting longer and more intense. Just before 9 pm, was another bathroom break. Then Gayle dressed to dash to the car.
Gayle walked very quickly down the halls of the hotel. She did have to stop for one contraction right outside the elevator, next to the Christmas tree. She breathed through the powerful contraction and then got right up and quickly walked out the front door.
Holly, the doula, was the driver back to the Birth Home. Unfortunately between she and Danny there was one missed turn, but very quickly they got their directions straight and returned Gayle to the Birth Home doorsteps. She had handled her tumultuous activity as well as possible, while leaning over the birth ball in the back seat of the vehicle.
At 9:30 another dose of the antibiotic was infused. After a slight delay, the midwife arrived. Gayle continued working through whopper contractions in a hands and knees position. She was feeling a lot of achiness and pain in her back. After a trip to the bathroom she lay on her side.
A check at 11 pm, by Michelle the midwife, showed Gayle had advanced to 6 cm and baby was nearing +1 station! It was great news! Gayle could utilize the birthing tub! As Gayle tried to relax in the tub, Danny declared that she was “much cuter than that girl in the video”!
Gayle used forward leaning positions. Danny kept her supplied with cool water to drink and cool cloths to her face and neck. Counter pressure was the ticket to help her handle the back pain. Occasionally she would feel the “poop pressure”.
At 12:30 am Keila re-joined the group. She relieved the doula and strongly applied counter pressure to Gayle’s back during each contraction. “Rub, rub, rub” were Gayle’s instructions! She used a very strong voice in correlation to each very powerful contraction.
Mashed bananas were the energy food of choice around 1 am. As the contractions reached heightened intensity, Gayle felt like she “would split apart”. Finally at 1:10 a check found Gayle completely dilated and baby was at +2 station! She could begin pushing.
Gayle pushed in the tub on her back for a couple of hours. Her visualization was “squeezing the last bit of icing out of the tube”. At 3 am she moved to a hands and knees position and she began to move the baby even better. At 3:15 she changed to a squatting position and then moved out of the tub. She tried a standing squat, but decided to move to the bed.
Gayle pushed strongly in a variety of positions on the bed… side lying, upright kneeling, using the towel pull and then back to her back with knees pulled up. Finally, after 2 hours and 20 minutes of pushing, at 4:26 am on January 4, 2005, Gayle birthed Logan Samuel Bu (over a totally intact perineum)!
Logan had a loose nuchal cord around his neck, which was easily removed. He made his appearance in an anterior position. Logan had a full head of dark hair on his pointy little head and his eyes were wide open to examine his new world. Logan had healthy Apgar scores of 7 and 8. He weighed in at 6 pounds 2 ounces and was 19 inches long.
1 comments:
Too funny. "Very Retro." He he he. Thanks for the gift.
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