Oh Baby!

On Friday morning (Jan.11), I got a call at about 4:20. The person on the other line said, "My water broke, so what should I do?"
"Are you having contractions?" I asked.
"No, but my husband is in the shower getting ready to go!"
"Go, back to bed, and tell him to go back to bed, call me when you start having contractions."
Luckily this is a very good friend of mine, and I have been her Doula two times before. Her labors were very different, but I was expecting this one to go by pretty fast since it is her third and her second was pretty quick.
Did I say that I expected it to go fast? Yeah... my expectations were not met. I called her at 8:30 after I dropped the kidlets off. She said that she was ready to go, but she still hadn't had any contractions, well, significant contractions, only braxton hicks.
I called again at 10:30...no change.
I called again at 12:30, talked to her husband. He said that about every 45 minutes to an hour she would have a braxton hicks.
I called again at 2:30, and together we decided if there was no change we would head for the hospital at 4:00, because by that time it would be 12 hours since her water broke.
4:00 rolled around, we got all of our kids taken care of and headed up to the hospital. When the nurse ask what time her water broke, my friend said, "Do you want me to tell you the truth?" Of course the nurse said "yes." Then the nurse "checked" her. 40% effaced and 0 dialation!
I ask myself, how in the world did her water break when she isn't even dialated? Wow.
The nurse left to call the doctor. Since the nurse was gone, the three of us (she, her hubby and I) were quickly discussing what was going to happen. I told them guaranteed the docter was going to want to induce with pitocin.
I was right, the nurse said, "He wants to do High Pit." My friend, bless her heart, said, "At least give me a chance to do it my way!" I was SO PROUD of her. So, the nurse left to call the doctor and ask him. Again, while the nurse was gone, we figured out our plan. Tons of walking and nipple stimulation. Unfortunately we knew we could only walk for about 45 minutes at a time since she had to be hooked up to the monitors for at least 20 minutes of every hour. (hospital protocol)
The nurse came back and said that the doctor wanted to talk to my friend. She was so nervous. All was well, he just said that he would let her do whatever she wanted, but he wanted to tell her the risks.
And away we go! We went walking, and walking and walking for about 50 minutes. When we came back the nurse had left, and we got a new one, this one, not quite as supportive, she kept asking my friend if she had ever had pitocin, and my friend kept telling the nurse no, and she didn't want it...HELLO! She obviously was not a big supporter of the "Unmedicated Childbirth." Luckily, she was only there for 4 hours and then we got a new Nurse, an amazing nurse that we loved! At this time, it was about 11:30 and our new nurse "checked" my friend again. 90% effaced, and dialated to a 1!!! My sweet friend was so discouraged, but ready to get going, so we walked and walked and bounced on birth balls and did all kinds of counter pressure, nipple stimulation etc.
This was the absolute strangest labor that I have ever been a doula for. Her contractions were 4- 7 minutes apart, never closer, I think there was one time when there was one 3 and a half minutes. And they were never incredibly painful until after transition. And whenever she would sit or lay down....they stopped completely. So, she spent her entire labor ON HER FEET.
Her transition (which she didn't experience with the first 2- because of determination) was so text book. She wanted an epidural, she was done, she was so tired, she just wanted to be able to sleep. This complaining went on for about 30 minutes. We didn't give in, and neither did our awesome nurse - because she understood how important it was to my friend not to have any medication. After transition, we got the kind of contractions we were looking for. FINALLY! At about 6:00a.m. she was "checked" 100% effaced and a 6+.
The nurse came in and said that the doctor wanted to do and antibiotic IV since it had been so long since her water broke. As a doula, I had to agree with the doc on this one.
We labored a little longer, checked again at about 7:00, a solid 7. She as finally in "Labor land" Laying on the bed contracting about every 4-5 minutes. Hard Labor. And then the doc changed his mind about the antibiotic since she began progressing. However, I think that was mostly the nurse stalling since she knew that no drugs were wanted.
Guess what? Another shift change. A new nurse. I must say, this is the absolute worst time for a shift change. My friend didn't even get to know the nurse that was helping deliver the baby. Anyway, she got a slight urge to push at about 7:30, only slight, so she grunted a little. The nurse checked her, Almost a 10, I ask if the doc could come in and help her get to that point, so the nurse went and got him. He came in, but her body decided to stop contracting. So he left. At about 7:45-48 or so , the nurse said, "If he isn't going to come back in and check you, I am just going to!" She went to check and said, "Um, I'm going to go get Dr. Doe!"
The baby was there, right there, he was officially born at 7:50 a.m. on Saturday January 12, 2008 weighing in at 8 lbs 3 oz and measuring 22 inches long.I am so proud (and a little bit jealous) of my friend. Her hardest, longest labor, but boy did she do an incredible job. She (and her husband and I) was/were at the hospital for 14 hours. She (and her husband and I) labored on her (our) feet for 12 of those 14 hours.
I love listening to peoples comments including Doctors and Nurses. In their eyes she really is a "Wonder Woman!" In my eyes, she is a really great friend, and a woman that loves labor and delivery as much as I do, and will do anything in her power (along with a supportive husband) to make it HER labor and delivery.

AWESOME JOB FRIEND!