Jess

fantastic that you are so enthralled. Birth is amazing. I celebrated the first 
birthday of a (now) friend's baby. He was born in water and it was just magic. I can 
think about that birth and feel the elation still there. Great births help keep the 
balance when you witness birth situations which  make your blood boil. 

The first birth I supported at was in the mid 80's. At home very very long and hard 
and a triumph for the woman who was healing from her first birth. Amazing for me for 
the sheer ability of women to endure and to give and give. It was an emotional high 
for me and utterly exhausting. A friend who looked after my young daughter for the 
duration was fantastic - but her help was repaid a while later when I got a call in 
the middle of the night from her, petrified, broken waters at 34 weeks, third child 
and new husband in Mexico. She had not understood my interest in supporting at births 
or the value of it til then.

Do you keep a birth journal? I've found it really helpful to my self-directed learning 
to write up birth stories ASAP after the birth so it's recorded with all the immediate 
intensity and all my own wonderings and musings as well. One woman I supported is now 
using my story/notes of her son's birth in her emotional preparation for her next baby 
due in December. Other than my sister whom I supported at all three chilfdren's births 
- the first one when my son was a week old - this woman is the  first to invite me 
back to share her next birth. And that's  real buzz too.

Margie
doula-to-be-midwife


> >  
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: J Stewart [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> >> Sent: Monday, 14 October 2002 5:57 PM
> >> To: ozmid
> >> Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> Subject: 
> >> 
> >> dear All,
> >>  
> >> I am happy, stoked, proud, thrilled and woohoo-ed to announce 
> that today saw
> >> the arrival of a baby, which coinsided with me assisting at my 
> very first
> >> live birth!
> >>  
> >> i rushed to the hospital at 3am this morning and at 12.40 in 
> the afternoon mr
> >> 9.5pounds reared his [HUGE] head!! i cried!
> >>  
> >> i was able to get really envolved, it was amazing! mum was 
> EXCELLENT! 13hrs
> >> of labour, strong contractions and using only the gas. however, 
> her dialation
> >> seemed to halt around 9cm which was frustrating. but to cut a 
> long story
> >> short, the big beautiful head was born then within minutes the 
> even bigger
> >> shoulders then he was here! im suprised you didnt all hear me 
> singing and
> >> dancing around with joy!
> >>  
> >> mum and bub are fine, student midwife dancing around the room 
> like a crazy
> >> person!
> >>  
> >> just had to share!
> >> take care!!
> >> love [a delirious] Jess
> >> 
> 
> Congratultions MIDWYF Jess... You1ll remember this birth for a 
> long time to
> come. 
> 
> Yes, it gets very frustrating when the birth seems imminent and 
> the action
> stops temporarily .... but big heads have to take time out to 
> mould and move
> forward SLOWLY so that they don1t rip mother1s soft tissues apart.
> Two things you have surely learned from your first birth are 
> patience and
> trust.
> 
> Hope this woman appreciates how much she has contributed to your 
> learning.
> Don1t forget to keep telling her what a wonderful birther she was 
> every time
> you see her.... she just may want to have you (and your 
> enthusiasm) around
> her for her next birth.
> 
> Yours in continuity of care
> Jan Robinsonr next birth.
> 
> Yours in continuity of care
> Jan Robinson



--------------------------------------------------------

Looking for a free email account?
Get one now at http://www.freemail.com.au/

--------------------------------------------------------

Reply via email to