Another Experience of Labor and Delivery

Another experience of labor and delivery

A couple of years ago, a wonderful woman physician in my town passed away.  I had always felt drawn to her daughter, who is a very sweet and wonderful, intelligent scientist, who studies and helps with data to protect our redwood trees, as well as other projects having to do with ecosystems and forests.  I myself have no daughters, and so when about a week ago, this dear woman called to ask if I would be willing to help her go through labor, I was thrilled.
I did not know how it would feel, to go back into the labor room, without being the doctor in the room.  But being a stand-in for her mom was a role I felt I could take on with joy and good will.
We kept in touch by phone as she went through the phase of cervical ripening, and luckily, I was able to be with her as the real work of labor began, and the contractions began to be more intense.  Watching her do the strong and fine work of being a laboring woman was a real joy for me, partly because I was not in charge.  My duty was simply to help her through it, and to be a place-keeper for her mom.  She had had two babies, and she knew how to do labor.
We had an amazing time of it.  Her husband was a great support and coach, and she stood up for most of the active phase of labor.  He did some great sacro-iliac massage.   I have found that this standing and rocking often helps get the baby to come down more effectively than when one is lying down, with some assistance from gravity.  It usually makes the contractions stronger;  which is hard to bear, but she was brave in wanting to make her labor as efficient and successful as possible.  And there is just this marvelous amazing strength of a woman's body with good muscle tone, in good health, doing the work of labor.
When we were getting closer to transition labor, I asked her to get onto her left side, in a tucked crunch position, which I have found helps to get the baby to "turn the corner" in the deep pelvis, although it causes some intense pain inside the left hip.  We only needed 3 contractions, and then she was able to get up and stand again, swaying and rocking, and she could feel how much descent there had been in that interval.  It was a little wierd for me, to not be checking, but surmising from what I knew of labor, and then needing the nurse to once-in-awhile verify the descent of the baby's head.  And her doctor is a good doctor, who was willing to be available as the labor came into the home stretch, waiting for that "urge to push".    The actual pushing time was probably less than 15 minutes, due to her being able to stand until the very end, and she was great at that muscular effort of pushing.  There is nothing in the world more beautiful than a woman doing the work of labor, with such concentrated muscular effort, and the rhythmic flow of it.  She and her husband had picked some wonderful music, much of it from my era, and it blended with the work.  Her mom played the ukelele, and some of these songs were songs she used to play.
The baby came into the world in a swirl of pink skin, and a good clear cry,  The fetal heartbeat had been good throughout labor, and there was a great thick umbilical cord and clear fluid, and a healthy lush placenta.  Her uterus contracted superbly.  There were no lacerations or tears.  It was just symphonically beautiful!    Her first baby had come in a long hard labor, and the second baby had needed time in the NICU for possible infection.  But this baby was just a perfectly lovely labor and delivery!
For me, this was a revisiting of something I have known and loved, for a long long  time.  I think I have delivered at least 10,000 babies in my lifetime;  and still, each one is a beautiful work of art.  I love the way labor is a symphony, each one slightly different, each family a little bit of heaven, as God sends a new baby into the world.   I did not feel sad or depressed to not be the doctor.  It was so wonderful feeling like a grandmother there!  And I did feel like I had her mom with me, being glad I was standing in, for this dear young woman.
Sometimes we have to believe that if we ourselves cannot be there for our children, someone else will carry the load for us.  The human family is an amazing and resilient and blessed gift.  I am really really glad I got to have this exquisite labor and delivery event, to remind me of all the joy I have had in my work.