Birth Notes

Our wonderful doula has her own recollection of the birth.  And many of her notes she took in real time.  Very cool to see things from another perspective.  Here is the unedited account of what she sent us:

On Monday March 7th I received a text from Ryan at 11:01 AM stating:  "...Zoe's water broke this morning and we are checked into labor and delivery.  They are about to start the IV antibiotics. Contractions are sporadic."  At 12:17 you texted:  "..Zoe's contractions have picked up.  Do you mind starting the process of coming over?"  I arrived at 1:17 PM.  Zoe took a shower and we did a guided relaxation (baby come scripts).  You and Ryan rested a short bit after this.  

At 2:15 we went out to the deck to get some fresh air and at 2:30 we walked stairs.  We returned to the room at 2:50 and you sat on the birth ball doing circles while they monitored baby (you were off at 3:20).  The midwife chatted with you about using a breastpump so they began more monitoring at 3:35.  She also discussed possibly using pitocin.  At 3:40 you were put on the telemetry monitor and at 4:10 you started using the breastpump.  You stopped briefly at 4:40 and then started up again until 5.  Contractions began to get stronger and you were feeling more crampy.  

At 5:15 I went down to eat dinner and returned at 5:40.  You did some abdominal lifts and lots of walking.  At 6:05 you were checked (you were 4 centimeters, 80 percent effaced, and baby was minus 1).  At 6:10 you decided to go ahead with the pitocin.  At 6:25 there was a shift to stronger contractions and less talking between and you began moaning with each contractions.  At 6:30 they started to administer the pitocin.  Your dinner (pizza) also arrived at this moment!  I remember you saying, "ok, I'm ready to get things going, let's start the pitocin."  The nurse left to get it, you sat up and went from talking in a 'normal' state' to moaning and looking like you were in active labor. It was a big shift in about 10 seconds!  When the nurse came back into the room, you were in active labor.  She hesitated to even start the pitocin but did anyways since the decision had been made but I think her gut was telling her that it was not necessary anymore.  

Anyway, you did not eat any of the pizza but labored on instead.  You got very cold and shaky.  At 7:10 you were up and rocking with full back to back contractions.  At 7:25 they turned off the pitocin.  You were feeling lots of pressure.  At 7:29you sat at the end of the bed with a ball and you started to vocalize and stand with the contractions (I don't know how else to describe this but you began to make the beautiful sounds that only a woman in labor can produce).  At 7:45 you went to the restroom and got checked right after (you were now 5 centimeters).  You decided to go to the tub at this point after some walking and moving around the room. I informed your doctor that your previous labor progressed rather quickly once you felt like pushing so she had the team start setting up the birth tub even though they normally would wait.  

At 8:10 you got into the tub and were unable to stop pushing so you got out by 8:25.  Once back in the room you got checked again (you were now a 7).  There was lots of pressure and things got very intense.  You leaned over and told Ryan that you needed to bite something.  At 8:50 you used some nitrous and kept saying "I can't see you" when we would talk to you. You were complete at 9 and the midwife said "would you like to get into the tub?"  You said "No, I want to have my baby now."  You leaned forward and pushed her out at 9:03!  

I didn't get all the notes I normally get because things (once they got going) went so rapidly, it was difficult to keep my notes going and support you and a few things somehow didn't get into my notes (next time I will not keep my notes on my phone but on scratch paper because that would not have happened!).  I think I got a decent amount though!  You were amazing!