Hello World
Oh what strange summer days.
Life is, as always, strange and unusal. But good for the most part.
Since she posted her version, I'll post my version.
I called Erika at about 10.30am on Thrusday morning, one day after her due date. She had some errands to run and I wanted to accompany her. She said she had a doctor's appointment and was having "cramps" from early in the morning. I knew it sounded like real contractions vs. Braxton-Hicks by the way she described them. (Tightening in waves, all over not just in her belly) She said she was going to go about her business and would call me later. I went out on the town to do my own errands. She called me around 1.30 or so, told me it was confirmed that she was in labor and about 3cm dilated. I told her I would be there soon. I called Nic and bless his soul he gave me a ride to her place. Taylor had already arrived. I'd like to make a note, that Taylor's facial expressions throughout the whole process was... so genuine, so real. The rawest truest of human emotion. It was interesting to see. He looked excited and scared and flabbergasted. But was having a good attitude.
We arrived at the hospital, checked into Triage. She had an exam and an external fetal monitor placed on her to measure the contractions and the heartbeat of little Key. Good heart rate the whole way through. We were looking at the monitor and misread the name of the contraction catagory, it was TOCO, but we read it was Taco. So we decided Taco would be our safe word. Erika's contractions were about 3 minutes apart, lasting a minute and increasing in instensity. We got to the room probably around 3pm. Got settled, unpacked and relaxed (as much as possible) From there on, my timing is off (something I'll have to learn) because in Labor, time has no meaning. Two hours feels like two minutes. The pain and intensity was incresing for her. Taylor and I massaged her hips and legs, which she said were giving her some trouble. She tried getting into the tub, which helped her a lot. I do think however we may have put her in the tub too early, which caused the contractions to feel more intense after. In the tub Erika was her Erika self. Smiling, happy. She's have a contraction and go within herself, come back, smile and joke again. Taylor and I worked tandem to be comic releif and comfort releif too.
She got out of the tub, tried walking around a bit. At this point she was having contractions about a minute apart, still very intense. The pain was becoming less and less manageable with each contraction. The health care providers were doing a vaginal exam every two hours and checking the heart rate every hour. At one point, Erika was on the bed, they were checking the heart rate, but because of her position not having an easy time finding the beat. For one second, the monitor was on, but there was no heartrate. Taylor's face fell. I thought he was going to have a heart-attack. But no. There it is. Still strong.
Now again, my time is weird so forgive me.
I remember that as the contractions were getting stronger, longer and closer together, the pain was overwhelming Erika. She had the traditional speech of "I can't do this" (which almost every laboring woman will say) Taylor and I were encouraging her as much as we could. She got in the tub again, it helped. But once she was out of the tub again, it got worse. After hours and hours she was still only 3 or 4 centimeters. The pain was almost unmanagable. She started blacking out on us. Her eyes would roll into the back of her head. She was looking though everything, I think she lost sight at one point. Then the nausea kicked in. I remember the first time she vomitted she was on the bed. I was reaming into her hips as best I could and Taylor held the bowl she was getting sick into. One look at him told me if he stayed there he wold have joined the puke party. So we switched. He worked her hips, I held the bowl. This was a good example about how Doula and partner work together. Erika was in so much pain. We lost her for a minute in the bathroom, thank the gods we were there to catch her or she could have gotten herself a concussion! Finally, she decided she wanted the epidual. "Give me some fucking taco's" was the code I believe.
She had a few moments of defeat. She seemed to feel like this was the cheap way out. Taylor and her had discussed that they didn't want an epidual. Talyor was pretty addimant about it. When she decided she wanted it, he had a very breif look of unapproval. I pulled him aside and explained to him we had NO idea what the pain felt like, no idea how to help her and if he wanted Erika and baby to be happy and healthy, she would call the shots. He agreed and was fully supportive. I think it was really hard on him (as it must be for all partners) to see the woman he loved in so much pain and powerless to do anything about it. She got the epidural at 5cm. Once it kicked in, labor became fun again. She was smiling, joking, relaxing. Perfect. Her parents came in and were super supportive as well.
Finally around 10pm it became time to push. Man can that lady push. Each time was very effective, she worked with the contractions. Taylor and I held her legs so she could bear down. It was really neat, the nurses, us and her all working together. Slowly but surely he came down the birth canal. Now it became, "Your baby is 2 inches away, your baby is an inch away" They had to rupture the membranes and once that happened things really kicked into high gear. There was meconium present in the fluids, so they warned her they may take him to clean out his lungs. I remember her asking what color his hair was.. Green! :P
She worked her ass off. She pushed strongly and very effectivly. After about two hours of pushing. Keenan Taron Morgan was born at 12.09am. When he came out, Taylor looked at him. The look on his face, was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life. He cut the cord himself. He got all teary and Shaun (Erika's Mum) got all teary so -I- got all teary. After about 20 minutes of checking him out he was placed on Erika's chest. He scored 7 and 9 on his Apgar, which is great. :)
He was breastfeeding within the hour.
I am so very proud of the whole family. Everyone worked together, and did what's best for the baby.
I know Erika felt a little defeated for taking the epidural, but the pain was so intense, she was blacking out, I don't think she could have stayed concious for the important time of pushing.
Erika I am SO proud of you.
I'm so incredibly greatful for sharing on this most sacred moment.
Thank you a thousand fold
So that's it from my point of view.
Alex is here now, so Imma go pay her some mind. :P
Life is, as always, strange and unusal. But good for the most part.
Since she posted her version, I'll post my version.
I called Erika at about 10.30am on Thrusday morning, one day after her due date. She had some errands to run and I wanted to accompany her. She said she had a doctor's appointment and was having "cramps" from early in the morning. I knew it sounded like real contractions vs. Braxton-Hicks by the way she described them. (Tightening in waves, all over not just in her belly) She said she was going to go about her business and would call me later. I went out on the town to do my own errands. She called me around 1.30 or so, told me it was confirmed that she was in labor and about 3cm dilated. I told her I would be there soon. I called Nic and bless his soul he gave me a ride to her place. Taylor had already arrived. I'd like to make a note, that Taylor's facial expressions throughout the whole process was... so genuine, so real. The rawest truest of human emotion. It was interesting to see. He looked excited and scared and flabbergasted. But was having a good attitude.
We arrived at the hospital, checked into Triage. She had an exam and an external fetal monitor placed on her to measure the contractions and the heartbeat of little Key. Good heart rate the whole way through. We were looking at the monitor and misread the name of the contraction catagory, it was TOCO, but we read it was Taco. So we decided Taco would be our safe word. Erika's contractions were about 3 minutes apart, lasting a minute and increasing in instensity. We got to the room probably around 3pm. Got settled, unpacked and relaxed (as much as possible) From there on, my timing is off (something I'll have to learn) because in Labor, time has no meaning. Two hours feels like two minutes. The pain and intensity was incresing for her. Taylor and I massaged her hips and legs, which she said were giving her some trouble. She tried getting into the tub, which helped her a lot. I do think however we may have put her in the tub too early, which caused the contractions to feel more intense after. In the tub Erika was her Erika self. Smiling, happy. She's have a contraction and go within herself, come back, smile and joke again. Taylor and I worked tandem to be comic releif and comfort releif too.
She got out of the tub, tried walking around a bit. At this point she was having contractions about a minute apart, still very intense. The pain was becoming less and less manageable with each contraction. The health care providers were doing a vaginal exam every two hours and checking the heart rate every hour. At one point, Erika was on the bed, they were checking the heart rate, but because of her position not having an easy time finding the beat. For one second, the monitor was on, but there was no heartrate. Taylor's face fell. I thought he was going to have a heart-attack. But no. There it is. Still strong.
Now again, my time is weird so forgive me.
I remember that as the contractions were getting stronger, longer and closer together, the pain was overwhelming Erika. She had the traditional speech of "I can't do this" (which almost every laboring woman will say) Taylor and I were encouraging her as much as we could. She got in the tub again, it helped. But once she was out of the tub again, it got worse. After hours and hours she was still only 3 or 4 centimeters. The pain was almost unmanagable. She started blacking out on us. Her eyes would roll into the back of her head. She was looking though everything, I think she lost sight at one point. Then the nausea kicked in. I remember the first time she vomitted she was on the bed. I was reaming into her hips as best I could and Taylor held the bowl she was getting sick into. One look at him told me if he stayed there he wold have joined the puke party. So we switched. He worked her hips, I held the bowl. This was a good example about how Doula and partner work together. Erika was in so much pain. We lost her for a minute in the bathroom, thank the gods we were there to catch her or she could have gotten herself a concussion! Finally, she decided she wanted the epidual. "Give me some fucking taco's" was the code I believe.
She had a few moments of defeat. She seemed to feel like this was the cheap way out. Taylor and her had discussed that they didn't want an epidual. Talyor was pretty addimant about it. When she decided she wanted it, he had a very breif look of unapproval. I pulled him aside and explained to him we had NO idea what the pain felt like, no idea how to help her and if he wanted Erika and baby to be happy and healthy, she would call the shots. He agreed and was fully supportive. I think it was really hard on him (as it must be for all partners) to see the woman he loved in so much pain and powerless to do anything about it. She got the epidural at 5cm. Once it kicked in, labor became fun again. She was smiling, joking, relaxing. Perfect. Her parents came in and were super supportive as well.
Finally around 10pm it became time to push. Man can that lady push. Each time was very effective, she worked with the contractions. Taylor and I held her legs so she could bear down. It was really neat, the nurses, us and her all working together. Slowly but surely he came down the birth canal. Now it became, "Your baby is 2 inches away, your baby is an inch away" They had to rupture the membranes and once that happened things really kicked into high gear. There was meconium present in the fluids, so they warned her they may take him to clean out his lungs. I remember her asking what color his hair was.. Green! :P
She worked her ass off. She pushed strongly and very effectivly. After about two hours of pushing. Keenan Taron Morgan was born at 12.09am. When he came out, Taylor looked at him. The look on his face, was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life. He cut the cord himself. He got all teary and Shaun (Erika's Mum) got all teary so -I- got all teary. After about 20 minutes of checking him out he was placed on Erika's chest. He scored 7 and 9 on his Apgar, which is great. :)
He was breastfeeding within the hour.
I am so very proud of the whole family. Everyone worked together, and did what's best for the baby.
I know Erika felt a little defeated for taking the epidural, but the pain was so intense, she was blacking out, I don't think she could have stayed concious for the important time of pushing.
Erika I am SO proud of you.
I'm so incredibly greatful for sharing on this most sacred moment.
Thank you a thousand fold
So that's it from my point of view.
Alex is here now, so Imma go pay her some mind. :P