Mama in the City

A blog about raising my family in downtown Vancouver

I Remember Your Birth Story: Part 1

I get to live and experience so many peoples birth stories and it is really a privilege. While I can't share with you the exact details and situations of peoples births I can write fictitious stories that are drawn from my real life experiences as a labor and delivery RN. Here is the first installment. A beautiful uncomplicated natural birth. My ultimate favorite to be part of; unmedicated, lots of movement, trust in your body and support from a partner.

I am the nurse on duty and I see my patient coming down the hallway escorted by her husband. It is her second baby and she is in a good active labor. You don't even need to check her dilation because you can just tell. She is in labor and going to have a baby soon. The pains are rocking her every 3 minutes and she is moving through each of them with courage. Together we move into one of the labor rooms. I am now privy to her personal birth experience and her intimate moments that she will undoubtedly remember forever.

First she is standing and swaying while holding on to her husbands shoulders. Her face buried into his chest as she deeply moans a painful labor cry, it is loud and remarkable. She is in control and is trusting her body; connected but in an 'out of body' sort of way. The pain is deep and ripping but temporary and she remembers from the birth of her daughter that this pain won't last forever and it will end, her body shakes and shivers after each contraction.

The lights are dim and the room is quiet and calm and she moves into the warm shower. Now on hands and knees in the tub, rocking and swaying through each contraction. The pains come every two minutes and there is not much break between the end of one and the start of the next one. She is now crying out and unsure if she can keep doing this. She is lovingly reassured by her partner through his soft words and gentle touch. 'You can do this. You are doing this'. He sweeps his hands down her back and applies steady pressure to her lower back. She continues to cry out with each pain but she knows that she can do this.

Moving from the tub to the bed, the baby is coming. She moves out of the tub and is wrapped in soft warm blankets and sipping sweet cool juice. She curls her toes in pain and feels the baby moving down. The pressure is memorable, out of this world and totally incomparable to anything else. Her water breaks naturally and she feels the overwhelming urge to push and over 8 pushes she births her second baby. He is now crying and is lifted on to her chest where she greets him. 'I am your mother'.

8 comments:

Guest said...

Gorgeous and well written. You made birth sound like this magical amazing this that it is. Can't wait for the next session!!

-Kendra

January 22, 2010 at 2:37 PM  
Koo & Poppet said...

Beautifully written, Andrea. Your empathy with your patients is so apparent and I'll bet very much appreciated.

Can I have my next baby in Vancouver so you can be the nurse on duty? :)

January 23, 2010 at 6:43 PM  
Andrea said...

Oh Andrea this was beautiful...thank you! It brought tears to my eyes as I prepare for my own birth story! So sweet.....

January 26, 2010 at 8:11 PM  
Mama in the City said...

Awe thank you. I am glad that it touched you and am excited to hear YOUR birth story. It is something you will never forget and remember 'almost' every detail.

January 27, 2010 at 3:54 PM  
Mama in the City said...

Yes please! That would be awesome :) hehe

January 27, 2010 at 3:55 PM  
Mama in the City said...

Hi Kendra, I am thinking about my next write up. I have so many peoples birth stories in my memory and they have similarities and many differences too.

January 27, 2010 at 3:56 PM  
MONICA said...

I would like to trade my birth experience for this one please. Oh and can you be my nurse too? I had a nurse from hell and a horrible painful long experience. I wish I could have nice memories about it. Maybe it is still too early to feel those painful memories as happy.

January 28, 2010 at 9:23 AM  
Carla said...

Wow, you captured natural birth exactly! I wish there were more L&D nurses like you! I also wish that many many more women believed in the power of their bodies.

June 14, 2010 at 6:36 PM  

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