Starting out as a doula I had to convince people that they needed me! Most of them had no idea what, or had even heard of a Doula. Megan was one of these people. I started working at a catering business not long after I had been to training and Megan was the Bakery Manager there. She announced that she was pregnant not long after I started working and I started on her immediately! It took quite awhile but I finally won her over and she and Brian invited me to be a part of their birth team.
Megan has a medical issue that required her to be on special medication throughout her pregnancy. Because of this her doctor wanted to induce labor.
On the morning of the induction, they headed to Baptist Women's at the dreaded hour of 4 AM! (I do not understand that policy at all!) I arrived around five and is was six when they finally hooked her up to the pitocin. They started her out nice and slow and said they would come in every 1/2 hour and up it a little so at 6:30 and 7:00 they did, but she still wasn't having any hard contractions. Then her doctor came in about 7:15 and offered to break her water. We discussed that this could make things move faster, but that the contractions would be a lot more painful. She opted for faster, and the first contraction after he broke her water she gave me look that said, "What have I done?"
So the contractions were coming stronger and pretty regularly. I thought maybe she was struggling with all of us sitting there thinking we were just watching her like she was in the middle of a show. So about 8:00 I asked if maybe she needed to go to the bathroom and she said sure. We let her go in by herself, and she hung out in there for about 40 minutes. She came out and told us she was calling "Uncle!" She couldn't do it anymore and needed and epidural. I suggested we call the nurse in to check her and then make a decision about pain medications. Before this point and leading up to labor she had decided she did not want an epidural. When her nurse came and checked her was and EIGHT! At this point her husband cousin and I were all supporting her through each contraction, and she was truly handling them like a rock star! The nurse and I suggested she try some pain medication in her IV instead of an epidural and see how that helped. The nurse and I shared a look that said, "she's doing great and she's almost done, if we get her the stadol it will get her to a 10 and pushing." SO the nurse left and we kept up our routine for each contraction. The nurse returned and gave her the medicine. (She only gave her a 1/2 dose since she was so close) I remember the nurse and I trying to tell her how amazing she was doing. She didn't believe us, but we could hear the women in the next room screaming as though she was being tortured! Her nurse told her to let her know when she felt like pushing, and Megan told us that she never had the urge to push with her daughter. At this point the doctor had been called and the nurse was hanging out waiting for any sign that it was time.
Megan was really in control with every contraction, her husband and cousin helped sit up and rock, and I was at the end of the bed keeping eye contact and encouraging her, and reminding her that she was almost done. Then it happened, during a contraction, she opened her eyes looked right at me and said, quite forcefully, "AMY, I can't do this!" I looked over at the nurse and told her something is obviously different about that one. She agreed and checked her again, she was complete and ready to start pushing. The rush of helpers and doctor started, and Megan started pushing. And at 9:29 just 2 hours and 15 mins after breaking her water baby Brice was out!
Megan has a medical issue that required her to be on special medication throughout her pregnancy. Because of this her doctor wanted to induce labor.
On the morning of the induction, they headed to Baptist Women's at the dreaded hour of 4 AM! (I do not understand that policy at all!) I arrived around five and is was six when they finally hooked her up to the pitocin. They started her out nice and slow and said they would come in every 1/2 hour and up it a little so at 6:30 and 7:00 they did, but she still wasn't having any hard contractions. Then her doctor came in about 7:15 and offered to break her water. We discussed that this could make things move faster, but that the contractions would be a lot more painful. She opted for faster, and the first contraction after he broke her water she gave me look that said, "What have I done?"
So the contractions were coming stronger and pretty regularly. I thought maybe she was struggling with all of us sitting there thinking we were just watching her like she was in the middle of a show. So about 8:00 I asked if maybe she needed to go to the bathroom and she said sure. We let her go in by herself, and she hung out in there for about 40 minutes. She came out and told us she was calling "Uncle!" She couldn't do it anymore and needed and epidural. I suggested we call the nurse in to check her and then make a decision about pain medications. Before this point and leading up to labor she had decided she did not want an epidural. When her nurse came and checked her was and EIGHT! At this point her husband cousin and I were all supporting her through each contraction, and she was truly handling them like a rock star! The nurse and I suggested she try some pain medication in her IV instead of an epidural and see how that helped. The nurse and I shared a look that said, "she's doing great and she's almost done, if we get her the stadol it will get her to a 10 and pushing." SO the nurse left and we kept up our routine for each contraction. The nurse returned and gave her the medicine. (She only gave her a 1/2 dose since she was so close) I remember the nurse and I trying to tell her how amazing she was doing. She didn't believe us, but we could hear the women in the next room screaming as though she was being tortured! Her nurse told her to let her know when she felt like pushing, and Megan told us that she never had the urge to push with her daughter. At this point the doctor had been called and the nurse was hanging out waiting for any sign that it was time.
Megan was really in control with every contraction, her husband and cousin helped sit up and rock, and I was at the end of the bed keeping eye contact and encouraging her, and reminding her that she was almost done. Then it happened, during a contraction, she opened her eyes looked right at me and said, quite forcefully, "AMY, I can't do this!" I looked over at the nurse and told her something is obviously different about that one. She agreed and checked her again, she was complete and ready to start pushing. The rush of helpers and doctor started, and Megan started pushing. And at 9:29 just 2 hours and 15 mins after breaking her water baby Brice was out!
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