Last night, we had a little excitement. My client who is due in a few days called to say she was having contractions. After a few hours they were still consistent so I decided to make my way over there. By the time I got there, the contractions had slowed down so we just hung out and chatted for a bit. I encouraged her and her husband to try and get some sleep. Around 3 am we all decided that it was not happening tonight so I headed home to catch up on sleep.
The only thing that is predictable about childbirth is that it's unpredictable. Sometimes you think you're in labor and then it stops. Sometimes you think nothing is going and and then two hours later the baby arrives. And everything in between. It's a learning curve for me as a doula and especially for a couple who is having their first child and don't exactly know what to expect.
While we're on the topic of childbirth, I wanted to share some interesting links.
The Midwife Next Door has a good post about electronic monitoring and new research that shows that it is not reliable and can even be harmful as it may not portray the situation accurately....we doulas have known this for a while but it's good to have the medical journals confirm it.
Stand and Deliver shares an empowering birth story of a woman who refused interventions and did what felt right for her, having the birth she wanted. She encourages women to think about what they want and to stand up for those wishes, rather than submitting to medical requests that are not evidence based.
I am always looking for birth-related aricles and links. Please share anything interesting that comes your way. And stay indoors today and try to stay warm!
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