Silent Labor

It's funny to me that there are actually textbooks about labor and delivery, because for once, I would love to experience a textbook labor. You know, like the ones that say oh, you will have early labor when contractions just start up at about every 15 - 20 minutes apart, then they will progress "closer, stronger, and longer" as another midwife puts it. As that is happening your body works toward bringing that baby out, right? How about no! At least that is not what I have been experiencing lately...I pause to think if I should even continue to write about this, just so I don't have to experience the extreme opposite! Oh well, this is the story of one those silent laborers.

So I had a client come in on December 1...she wanted to check if she was dilating. She had been contracting regularly the night before, lost her mucus plug that morning, and really wanted to know. I went ahead checked her and lo and behold she was 4-5 cm! I was caught off guard. As I checking a strong contraction came on and I asked if she could feel it. Obviously she couldn't since she answered with a "feel what?". This was her second pregnancy/baby. Her first was an induction at the hospital at 40weeks and 2 days with her being 1 cm dilated. She was very happy to hear she was not going have to start labor at 1-2 cm dilated especially since was the first natural labor she would experience. I told her that I thought she was experiencing early labor and would be surprised if she lasted another week before having this baby! Well....she did, much to her dismay, she came back the following week and said that she was doing nothing, but wanted me to check anyway. I told her I would but that it could stim up some Braxton Hicks...here we go...she was 6cm! Again, she was not feeling her contractions. I told her to go home and make sure she was ready to go, because when labor starts, it would not take long before baby would be born. That was a Monday Morning. On Wednesday morning, Melody called me stating that our client had been consistently contracting through the night and was meeting us at the birth center to be checked. Her slightly elevated blood pressure told me she was tired and possibly in early labor...her effacement changed drastically but her dilation was the same. Although, baby was face up, so we went into one of the birth rooms to do some positional changes to get the baby just right, then we sent her home to sleep. After a very long nap, Mama came back ....7 cms! We decided to go have good birth food...so off to Pizza Hut we went. **side note..Melody and I have this tradition that started with being at Pizza Hut and either getting a call for a birth or just going to one afterward and everything going smoothly :) ** The birth team got to eat dinner with the client and her immediate family! She ate her pizza while still contracting. I really intended on sending her home to bed, but something told me that I should keep her close by. Upon palpation, baby seemed to be in a funky position. The last time I did positional changes, it kicked someone into active labor and I really intended for her to go home. But we did the rebozo and positional excercises and sure enough contractions came every three minutes. My Client's husband claimed how she has a high pain tolerance, so I watched for any physical evidence of pain.....nothing. After laying her down, making her walk, contractions persisted. Finally at 1 am, she asked me to break her water. Since she was already 7 cm and knowing she could do this straight into the morning and get exhausted, I conceded. Her water was broken at 1 am, at 2 am she headed straight for the tub (showing physical pain) and baby was born at 2:54 am! Kyleigh Jayde was beautiful, bright-eyed, and very calm. She snuggled on mommy for a bit after Daddy caught her as we all rejoiced in her accomplishing not only a natural, but a water birth! All in a day's work. :)

I really can't complain about my clients who show no signs of labor until 7-8 cms, but I still laugh at the thought of a midwife experiencing a textbook labor and delivery.