Sometimes, labors are long, sometimes, labors are short. Sometimes, actually most of the time healthy women carry 8 days over their estimated due dates. Sometime, labors can be 2-4 weeks earlier than expected. Majority of spontaneous labors for healthy moms = water breaking naturally around 8cm dilated. Sometimes, the water breaks first and contractions do not follow. As was the situation for Lauren & Matthew.
They had their final childbirth class in The Bradley Method (r) Monday evening and just a few short days later she woke to water leaking. She did all the things in her power to bring about labor naturally. Often times we can produce our own contractions utilizing a breast pump for stimulation & to help the body release natural oxytocin.
She & Matthew walked & walked trying hard to avoid pitocin, if all possible, but sadly labor contractions did not commence. By evening they went in to get baby checked out bc movement had really slowed down. They made the decision once again to wait it out at home. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning the couple headed in to consider as we had discussed previously adding a low dose minimal dose oxytocin we commonly call pitocin. It was just what Lauren needed to tip her over the early labor edge.
A short 2 hours later and she was rocking & rolling. Matthew text me to come on and just minutes later another text that say wait we want to see if the contractions would pick up. Oh did they. I took it upon myself to rise @ 6am, wake myself up, shower etc., and I hear a text come through. I grabbed my cell and immediately can’t believe my eyes. Matthew had sent me a video clip of Lauren taking labor contractions while clothed & sitting backward on the commode.
His caption read, very serious we are in active first labor now. After viewing the video clip and hearing the push phase noises, I immediately said aloud to myself, “Or Late First & gonna have a baby without me!” I threw myself together and rushed out the door. Upon arriving to Athens Piedmont Hospital formerly known as Athens Regional Hospital, the baby had indeed made its entrance into the world behind clothes doors, well kind of a door, a bathroom door.
Midwife Meredith expressed, wasn’t the first time I’ve had to help catch a baby over the toilet and won’t be the last I’m sure.
I couldn’t believe it and neither could Lauren or Matthew but we all just laughed and I said, “Hey I would never have asked you to uncross your fingers and cross your legs so you could wait on me.
