A Quick Dash to the Finish

After 42 weeks and 1 day, Tara was finally in labor.  She had planned a VBAC after her first birth started with an induction at 42 weeks and ended with a c-section.  Now, with this pregnancy every non-stress test had perfect results.  So she felt good about putting off an induction on Monday.  But, by Wednesday, labor had yet to kick in, despite various self-induction methods.  So after putting it off for days, she finally went to the hospital for an induction that she had wanted to avoid.   This was a little before 6:00 pm.  Due to a heavy client load at the hospital, her doctor wasn’t able to place the catheter immediately that would help dilate her cervix.  And I was just waiting for a call from Amy (Tara’s certified doula) to call with an update.  But we knew she was have some mild contractions even before she went to the hospital.

A little before 8:00 pm.  I called Amy and she said to call back a little later because she had not talked to Tara yet.  But about 45 minutes later she called back and said that Tara’s water just broke on its own and everything looked great but we still didn’t know about her dilation.  Amy hopped in her car and quickly got to the hospital just after 9:00 pm.  She called and said I should come too, and I was ready and quickly raced to the hospital.

I walked rather quickly from the parking deck to the elevators, then tried to calm my energy, mentally focusing on the calming mood Cora showed me how to ease into at the last birth I got invited to.  By the time I picked up the phone to the nurses’ station, I felt very centered and mellow.  I tapped on the door to Tara’s room and slipped into the quiet room.  It was 10:08 pm.

Tara was pushing on her hands and knees, but she soon got on her left side.  Toby quickly showed me what to do with the camera.  Holly was our nurse, so it was great having a friendly face on the medical team.  I had never met their doctor before, but he was there and very quiet and respectful.  Pushing was very effective for her in this side-lying position, but baby Violet’s heart rate was staying in the 80’s and 90’s so the doctor said the baby needed to be out in the next push or he needed to do an episiotomy.  He did make a little clip (which became a 2nd degree tear).

I have never seen a baby born so fast!  In literally a blink of an eye the birth went from crowing to entire baby in the doctor’s hands.  Violet’s cord was wrapped around her left shoulder, which was easily slipped off as she was handed to Tara.  Violet was absolutely perfect.  Her Apgar scores were 9 and 10.  In all the excitement over not only a fast birth, but also the success of a VBAC, I forgot to check the clock.  But the nurse got it.  After 42 weeks and 1 day, Violet had arrived at 10:19 pm.  Her total labor was only about 5 hours long.  She was also a perfectly sized baby at 8 pounds, 3 oz, and 20 inches long.

I snapped as many pictures as possible of everything I could, including Violet with her first foot prints.  My favorite pictures though, are the ones of Tara right after she had Violet; that tearfully joyous look all women have.  That look and sense of accomplishment have become my favorite part of birth.  It’s as if, for one small moment in each mother’s life, God sends all the joy and love He has to that mother’s heart and her tears and smiles are the only way to show it to the world.

After such a long pregnancy, Tara made a quick dash to the finish.  Actually, after doing about 90 mph to get there in time, it seems I did too!