Dear Carolyn
There were a couple of reasons why I was not going to read your message.
It came as a text attachment, and I am very wary of attachments; and
because you said it was long. But because *you* wrote it I felt compelled
to open and read. I'm glad I did. Thankyou.
In my practice in the past week there has also been an event which has made
me reflect seriously about streams of thinking. I have been challenged by
the boundaries of normalcy - particularly time. The woman was planning
homebirth; and experienced a slow and frustrating (first) labour that
seemed to be going nowhere. Having tried all the physical and mental
empowerment strategies I know, I suggested to both mother and father that
they close their eyes and rest a while, in preparation for transfer to
hospital. Stretched out in the bathtub, with soft winter light filtering
through the closed louvres, with noone else around, and with me sitting on
the floor with my back up against the bathroom wall, the woman's labour
took on new energy and in a very short time the unmistakable sounds of
pushing were heard. This was about 2pm.
Four hours later, once again with infrequent and quite mild contractions,
we agreed that hospital was the best place to be. There was a wild storm
outside. I would have done anything to stay at home! The woman was not
distressed by labour - in fact she appeared tired but totally unstressed as
we stood at the desk in the birth unit, and introduced ourselves.
In hospital, the doctor, a woman-friendly female GP with experience in
homebirth, came into our partnership with new energy and confidence. Her
words "babies are meant to be pushed, not pulled", were beautiful.
It was about 10.30 pm, when the woman gave birth to a very healthy boy.
More than 8 hours after I suspected full dilatation!
Birth challenges us from many different perspectives. I want to be able to
be 'with woman' whether it's at home or hospital, whether I am taking a
leading role, as the midwife responsible for the birth, or in a little team
of strangers that have been allocated to work in that room. In the
situation I have described, I had become puzzled and concerned by the lack
of activity. Did I slow it all down even further by taking my client out
through that storm? Could I have confidently waited for a couple more
hours? What then? ... (I have many unanswered questions.)
If anyone is interested in further reading on twin births, there is a
wonderful account by Celia Adams and Tim Jacka - "Three births" in the
Birth Story section of my website. www.aitex.com.au/joy.htm
Joy Johnston
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