Congratulations Andrea on the births you are sharing with us. I love birth stories in themselves and for what I can learn from them. But what is NBF? Forceps? Vacuum?
Thanks also for your ideas on anterior lips Robyn. More ideas for when women I support are told they have one. Mostly I've heard suggestions that women alternate lying on their sides. And with my own daughter I was told to have an epidural. Margie At Fri, 3 Jan 2003 23:53:50 +1100, Robyn Thompson ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote: > Well done Andrea and well done to the wonderful woman who chose > you to be > with her. > > Your exhaustion is easily identifiable, this is where you really > need the > woman to have the services of a backup midwife in place. I know > it's hard > for you to get someone else but your health and wellbeing is very > important. > You can go off and have a sleep knowing that things are continuing > as you > would like while you rest your mind, body and soul. I find > another midwife > when hospital transfer is necessary is a real blessing because of > my desire > for good continuous documentation. > > Not sure if you are asking for advice but I have offered some > anyway. > > This may be a silly question -Did you try (with her consent) to > push the lip > of cervix back between the pelvic bone and baby's head over several > consecutive contractions, resting for a while then trying again? > a.. Another way to help with an anterior lip take up, is to make > sure the > abdominal axis is vertical often when women have asynclitism they > have an > associated angled/oblique abdominal axis which slows progress. > b.. There is a typical vaginal picture with a persistent lip of > cervix. > There is a good amount of room in the sacral area a definite > sacral hollow, > the baby's head sits to one side of the pelvis and pinches the > cervix which > is most times offset in the left anterior pelvis. The head can > give the > impression that it at the station of pelvic spines when in fact it > is still > above spines. > c.. Another way of trying to move this persistent lip of cervix > to stand > behind the woman, support her abdomen and uterus from under the > lower > segment with your cupped hands and gently hold her abdo and uterus > upward as > she contracts, this can help the cervix that is pinching between > the pelvic > bone and baby's head to slip back. > d.. Hands and knees alternating with stepping left leg on a > chair for a > contraction then right leg on a chair then next contraction then > leaning > back into a supported semi reclining position for the next > contraction can > also be of help. > e.. Walking through a contraction that is step by step by step > supported > by someone each side of her or you in front of her walking > backwards, as she > rests her hands and forearms on your extended forearms and just > keep her > walking right through the contraction and repeat as many times as > you can. > f.. I am sure Wintergreen will have many other suggestions. > Hope this makes sense and that you have recovered with some well > earned > rest. > > Robyn > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Andrea > Quanchi > Sent: Friday, January 03, 2003 11:10 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Christmas Baby > > > I have had three times in my short career as an independent > midwife when I > have had two women due at the same time. The first two I tried to > think of > all the computations of what could happen and have decided to give > that up > as it just wastes energy that could be better used elsewhere. This > week I > have had two due and haven't worried about it and it was much > easier. i have > always told the women concerned that I have someone due and a > little about > each other if they don't know each other or the opportunity to > meet doesn't > arise. They always ask about each other without me bringing it up > and when > questioned post birth are very open and honest about their > feelings about > knowing this. It doesn't seem to worry them as they are sure they > will not > labour together and can usually tell me who will birth first. > I have spoken to many midwives about this issue and the general > consensus > was that if you keep the women informed about your movements and > it is > important to them that you are at their birth they won't labour > when you are > not available. This is invaluable for me and has proved to be true > when I > need to leave town I tell the women that are due and I call them > as soon as > I am available again. I have had one so far who went into labour > not long > after I called her. She told me there was no way she was doing it > while I > was gone. > > I attended a birth yesterday that left me totally exhausted. > Mind you the > Mum's teenage Taxi on New Years Eve contributed to the issue as > well. The > women a primip at 41+2 went into labour spontaneously at 2130 and > laboured > strongly all night. At sometime she developed an oedematous > anterior lip > that refused to budge despite all the things I could think of to > try. She > remained upright and active all night but told me that while > travelling the > 40 min in the car to the hospital where she had chosen to birth ( > a good > reason to birth at home I think) she felt a pinching senstation in > her > pelvis but couldn't find a way to relieve it and despite my having > suggested > it didn't stop and get out or get herself into a hands and knees > position. > I'm wondering wether it developed then because when she was 4-5cm > I could > feel this very oedematous section even then. Eventually she chose > to have an > epidural that gave her several hours rest but she remained able to > stand/ > hands/ knees at will. (One of the few that I have seen work so > effectively). > Despite many hours of patience she decided that she wanted the > baby to be > born and mid afternoon a beautiful baby girl Nell was born by NBF. > I have to > confess that I was relieved when she decided that she was ready > but I wanted > to be sure it was her decision and not because she knew how tired > I was. I > talked to her about it today and she she felt that although that > was a part > of helping her to decide she had had enough and felt she and her > baby were > doing OK at the moment but she wasn't sure how much longer that > was going to > be the case. She felt that her husband and my support was a major > factor in > her being able to keep going and she wanted that support to be > strong till > the end. A difficult situation for me that I need to get my head > around I > guess. Still thank goodness it happens so infrequently. Anyway she > feels > completely empowered by her birth because she feels she was in > control and > even though it didn't end exactly as she planned all the decisons > to change > her plans were hers. And isn't this the whole point. > > And despite the total exhaustion I come home feeling so > privilaged in this > profession I have been lucky enough to have found, > > Andrea Quanchi > > -------------------------------------------------------- Looking for a free email account? Get one now at http://www.freemail.com.au/ --------------------------------------------------------
