I'm finding it hard to put into words the blessings of this last week. The day after Christmas my first granddaughter joined our family. My daughter had chosen to deliver her baby without any medication and in water. As a labor and delivery nurse of 27 yrs I had never experienced a water birth. The hospital I work in has been trying get everything in order to offer water birth as an option for our patients who are low risk. It seemed like it was taking forever for the midwives to gain training and credentials. Staff had been trained but months had passed since the training and most of us were having a hard time remembering even how to set up the water birthing tub. two days prior to my daughters labor starting the midwife had approval to attend the first water birth at our hospital. I had worked 6p to 6a the night before and way woken by my husband saying. Brooke wants you to call her when your awake. she is in labor. She felt it was time to come drop off the 2yr old at our house so the papa and aunties could care for him while the new baby was born. I headed to the hospital at around 5pm to find my daughter swim suit on ready to enter the tub. What a wonderful calming environment. The lights were dimmed and all voices were kept at a whisper while my daughter used her breathing and relaxation techniques to manage through each contraction. It seemed like the water provided such natural support for what ever position felt best and provided a medium for easy position change. She would spend 30-40min in the tub at a time and then out to the bathroom, walking and using the birthing ball. Her focused phrases of "Come on out baby girl and My body knows what to do and is perfectly made to deliver this baby" Midwife June, husband,Doula in training, sister, labor nurse, sister on Skype from North Carolina and myself seemed like such a large number but all were calm and quiet except for words of encouragement and soothing caresses. Her breathing and intensity increased about 845 when her repeated phrases changed I can do this"" I can do this." She agreed to allow June to break her bag of water now that she was 9cm. Intermittent fetal monitoring reassured us throughout the labor that sweet little baby girl was fine. Back into the tub she went to continue her rhythmic breathing and some stronger more intense sounds queuing us all that it would not be much longer. On her hands and knees in the water a second midwife checked to be sure she was fully dilated before she started to push. Within 10 min of pushing the baby's head emerged. The babies shoulders did not immediately come and the midwife instructed her to turn over. with the turn the shoulders delivered. The midwife instructed my daughter to reach down into the water and gently lift the baby on to her chest. Baby opened her eyes to gaze at her mom for the first time. Mom softly stroked her dark hair and baby took her first breaths. All in the room were in awe to witness this incredible moment. Not a dry eye as my daughter cried "I did it" I did it"" Oh how amazing " Her husband hugged her and stroked the babies head. The sister on the computer screen thousands of miles away cried with joy to be in attendance over the Internet.
I was so proud of my daughter. She had set out to deliver her baby without any medication, no IV. I respected her choice although it was not something I had wanted to watch her endure. Her strength and joy is such a blessing. She is an amazing mother. I have had people say there are no prizes for women who deliver their babies without medication. I would argue that if a women has this desire the prize is the satifaction of experiencing the delivery the way they want. As nurses , moms, sisters or friends we should respect the wishes of that individual even if it is harder for us to watch the one we love in pain. My granddaughter is the first water birth to occur at Legacy Mt Hood family birth center. Very amazing blessing how every detail came together.
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