Megan’s doula, Robin, was out of town for a few days. Megan’s due date was coming up and as the backup doula I emailed Megan to let her know I was there for her. It was October 22, 2010.
Subject: We’re on call for you….baby! I wrote, Hi Megan! Rosie, your back-up doula here just checking in while Robin is out of town. I am very excited for you now that November and your baby's birthday is just around the corner. I am happy for you. It is great that you have been able to find the resources, both outside resources and inner resources to best prepare you and your family for this baby's birth day. I wish you all your hearts desires and will be praying that the flood gates of heaven pour out a blessing that you cannot imagine. Ahhh love those words, "pour out". Do you need to pour out your heart to someone? Sometimes that needs to happen before labor can start or to help labor progress. Do you need to "pour yourself a warm bath" and soak up relaxation and peace & quiet? Maybe you will pour out words of thanksgiving and gracious loving words during each contraction. The pouring out of tears is common in the days or hours leading up to labor and birth. Tears are very okay so don't feel guilty at all if you have tears...whatever your emotions are they are real. Be real. Whatever you need let your request be made known to God (and to your doctor, doula, and husband). Call me anytime. Birth Day Blessings, Rosie
Little did we know that just a couple of days later on October 25, Megan’s labor would start! In the wee early morning hours her labor started with throwing up. At first we didn’t know if it was the flu or labor because sometimes that is how labor is. Megan went to see her midwife, who confirmed she “could be” in early labor and stripped her membranes. Megan called me Monday morning to let me know that something was happening. She continued with her day in early labor. Megan called me at 3PM. We chatted and everything was perfect. She said contractions were coming every four minutes but she was fine and didn’t need me to come yet. 10 minutes after we hung up Phil called asking me to come. It seems as soon as Megan hung up the phone ‘things’ changed. I got to their place at 4PM. When I walked into Megan and Phillip’s upstairs apartment I was impressed with not only the beauty but also the lovely spirit of their home. I felt like I was in a tree house. I also felt the high energy of a birthing woman. Megan was side lying on her bed and trying to nap in between contractions. Phillip stayed by her side as Megan relaxed and breathed through contractions. All was perfect. I really wasn’t needed after all. “Well let’s see”, I thought to myself, “Maybe I’m here for a reason”. I asked them if they’d eaten and encouraged them to eat, if not for hungers sake then for energy. Birth is work; even relaxing in labor is work. I could see that they could use a walk but the suggestion of a walk around the neighborhood was declined. So Megan walked around the island in the house that was the kitchen, living room, and hallway. It was the beginning of a very long walk.
In a couple of hours Megan was ready to go to the hospital. She checked into Palomar hospital approximately 8PM. She was about 3 centimeters dilated. She continued to receive her contractions, surges, tightening, gracefully, matter-of-factly. She changed positions often and stayed in the moment, doing one thing at a time. One contraction at a time. One wonderful thing about Chloe’s birth is that the hospital staff was very hands off. They left mom and dad alone to have their baby in the most peaceful way. It was as though angels guarded the birth space.
I felt blessed to be present for this S-L-O-W birth. I say this with a skip in my step and a song in my heart. You see, slow birth is misunderstood. People hear a 27 hour birth and think horrible things. Our imagination is a dangerous thing. Megan was able to stay present, in the moment – not looking back, not looking ahead. You see Megan trusted her body to know how to birth. And sure enough, it did! Birth needs time, old father time, honored time, one contraction at a time. That's how babies come. Isn't it interesting that in today’s fast paced society some women become impatient and can't seem to wait 40 weeks, many opting for induction (to be induced). They also seem to be impatient and cannot give their babies 40 hours to be born. This Godly Mama knew better.
Megan walked the hallways of the hospital mostly with Phil, sometimes with her mom or me or all three of us. By 11PM she was five centimeters dilated, 100% effaced and baby was at -1 station. Now it was Tuesday, October 26. Mama Megan was having very active contractions, she was rushing with endorphins, and she shined, actually glowed! Her hormones carried her to the next level, and then the next level of labor so gracefully. She was strong still even when her mom, her husband and her doula were taking turns sleeping. We could not stay awake. We did not have the hormones that ebbed and flowed, giving this new mama super human strength. It reminded me of Matthew 26:40, when Jesus asked Peter, “Couldn’t you keep watch with me for one hour?” At 3AM a new nurse named Maria came on shift and Cheryl went off. At 7AM Megan’s cervix was 9 centimeters dilated! Megan was approaching the second stage of labor, almost completely dilated and near pushing, she walked a lot, in the hospital hallways, trying to help baby past a cervical lip. Did baby have a nuchal hand? Whatever Chloe was doing, her heart rate was perfectly normal and mom trusted the process. Megan’s midwife, who was not on-call, stopped in and verified that Megan was 9.9 centimeters dilated and that it would be okay to have the doc rupture the amniotic bag of waters. Just as they were about to break her waters, the waters released on their own.
At 11AM Megan started pushing. She grunted, nudged, pushed and rested intermittently as her baby descended. One of the most surprising and delightful things for me was that the hospital staff never interfered or interrupted Megan’s labor. They honored her and her birth wishes, her desire for an intervention free, and non-medicated, natural birth. Megan is one of the very few women that I have witnessed, in over 250 births, able to birth like this, having a completely physiological birth in a hospital. She was 9 centimeters dilated for four hours and pushed for four more hours. Chloe was born on Tuesday, October 26, 2010, at 2:45PM, weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces.
I guess God had planned for me to be with Megan and Phil and Chloe after all. It was a powerful blessing to be present for the birth of this Mommy, Daddy, Baby and Grandma. Thank you God! And thank you Megan. May the legend of your birthing prowess and the beauty of your faith be a heritage for your family to pass along for generations to come. God bless your family always.
Love, Rosie Peterson
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