Birth Logs

Herein lies a record of the variety of births as I have attended. All names and other identifying characteristics are omitted for privacy reasons.

Birth 1 - First time birth, both parents present and active in prenatal education. Going in, the intention was to try to birth without any medication. Despite regular changes in position and plenty of movement, labor stalled and birthing person reached a point of fatigue and pain in which they opted for an epidural. Nausea (unrelated to the epidural) was also experienced. Ultimately baby emerged, and was discovered to be OP (aka Sunny Side Up), explaining partially why birth was a bit more difficult or prolonged than initially anticipated. All parties were healthy and happy at the end. Total birth-day doula time spent in hospital: 14 hours.

Birth 2 - First time birth, single birthing person with pre-existing medical issues that led to induction at 38 weeks. Induction started at 8pm on a Monday, doula support requested midday Tuesday. Baby ultimately born Wednesday early afternoon, additional support time spent following birth. Intention was to take pain medication decisions one step at a time, with a hope for an unmedicated birth. Labor was slow to progress, though was far enough along that by the time birthing person requested an epidural or IV pain meds, birth was impending. The choice to try nitrous oxide was made and that helped to ease tension of birthing person and the birth commenced. Lessons learned from this birth - not all hospital staff will be current on requests related to infant interventions. Should there be a request to delay cord-cutting or hold off on eye ointment or vitamin K, ensure everyone present during the birth is aware of these requests and adheres to them. All parties happy and healthy at the end. Total birth-day doula time spent in hospital: 28 hours.

Birth 3 - First time birth, both parents present and active in prenatal education. Concerns around insurance coverage changing soon led to elective induction at 40 weeks 2 days after no spontaneous labor. Birthing partner was solidly supportive, and doula advocacy around not upping pitocin without cause was heeded. Birth ultimately commenced, everyone healthy and happy at the end. Total birth-doula time spent in hospital: 6 hours.

Birth 4 - First time birth, both parents present and active in prenatal education. Baby discovered to be in breech position and inversion attempts were unsuccessful. Elective Caesarean was decided. Birthing couple reported to hospital at 4am, doulas reported in at 5:30am. Procedure scheduled for 7am, and was completed as scheduled, no complications. All parties healthy and happy at end. Baby latched on like a champ. Lesson learned here was that even when doula isn't present at the actual birth (only the birthing partner was allowed in the OR), having doulas present and holding space for you can help to reduce anxiety and worry, plus knowing you have caring people waiting to greet you and the little one immediately following leads to a positive experience. Total birth-doula time spent in hospital: 3 hours.

Birth 5 - Sixth birth for this parent. Single parent, had her best friend as well as her own teen daughter in attendance. Midwife had swept membranes earlier in the day and I was called to attend by the early afternoon. The decision was made to head to the hospital not long after I arrived. Labor began with little discomfort, and would ramp up then slow again. The bathtub was enjoyed and offered relief. Pitocin was agreed to as birthing person was growing exhausted and was ready for everything to be over. Baby's head was positioned a little off-center in the pelvis and resisted being moved, making exit more of a challenge. On-call midwives received the infant and declared baby to be healthy. Immediate latching was attempted and seemed successful. Total doula-time spent on birthing day: 7.5 hours.

Birth 6 - Third birth for this parent, husband attended. Baby's testing scores were lower than ideal at 36.5 weeks, so an elective induction was decided. I accompanied mother during triage and admission and remained a few hours while Cervadil was applied, then headed home to wait for word to return. Upon return, learned Foley had been inserted; it was removed a few hours later. No medications were wanted for this birth, so frequent position changes and nipple stimulation were performed. AROM performed about 24 hrs post-admission, but progress remained elusive. Pitocin began around 10:30pm, epidural administered around 12:20am, baby emerged 8 minutes later after just 3 pushes. Immediate latching was successful but colostrum was slow to emerge, so supplemental formula was requested. Baby and mother both healthy. Total doula-time spent in hospital between admission day and birthing day: 18 hours.

Birth 7 - First time birthing parents, opted for an at-home birth with midwives, with an effort toward a Hypnobirth. Membranes swept by midwife at 41 weeks, 3 days, with labor commencing in the day that followed. I arrived at the home at 7am after membranes ruptured, and attended birthing parent as they rode out the pressure waves in the birthing tub. Labor was spent in silence as birthing person settled into the zone and dove inward with rhythmic movements and breathing. No pain medications required, and birthing person needed only physical comfort and nourishment during labor. Baby emerged while birthing person on hands and knees, both healthy. Four hours post-birth were spent providing supportive care and encouragement. Total doula-time spent in home on birthing day: 13 hours, 15 minutes.

Birth 8 - Second birth for this parent, but previous birth was more than 10 years ago, so it all seemed new again. Partner and mother attended. Membrane swept at a 10am appointment, water broke around midnight that night. I was called into service around 3am and met the family at the hospital. Birthing person had been feeling significant pelvic pressure the last few weeks of pregnancy and the pressure ramped up during labor. Sitting on the CUB helped, as did toilet-sitting. Epidural was requested around 6:30am, giving them a chance to rest and doze between waves. Pressure was still felt, but now without accompanying pain. Baby's HR had a few dips but was brought back within range with a few position changes. Pushing lasted about 90 minutes, and baby emerged just past noon. Latching was immediate. About 90 minutes of post-birth care were provided. Total doula-time spent for the day: 10 hours, 30 minutes.

Birth 9 - Eighth birth for this parent. Partner was unable to attend, so it was just the two of us. Labor pressure was felt only down low, and was largely manageable for much of labor. An epidural was requested and performed as a precaution, as all previous births made use of epidurals as well. The shift from 2cm to 5cm took hours, but the shift from 5cm to complete took perhaps 30 minutes. I suspect that sudden shift was tied to a moment of complete relaxation that included dim lighting and small candles. Pushing was quick, perhaps only 5 pushes, with baby emerging about 8 hours into the hospital time. Prodromal contractions had been occurring for weeks, so it's difficult to pinpoint when true labor began. Total doula-time spent for the day: 8 hrs 45 minutes.

Hospitals attended at:

• Advent Health (75th St): 1

• Home birth: 1

• KU Med Center: 1

• Menorah Medical Center: 2

• St Luke's on the Plaza: 1

• University Health - Lakewood: 2

• University Health - Truman: 1