Re: [ozmidwifery] BORN IN CAUL

[TinaPettigrew]

Hello fellow ozmiders..... I have pasted below a birth story from my journal of a babe born in the caul.....I have had three women in my time as a mid student, birth their babes in the caul....the first at home thru water.....then this wonderful birth with 'Kirsty' in hospital on the shower floor....and again recently....a wonderful hospital birth...again in the shower.... Cheers Tina Pettigrew. 3rd year B Mid Student ACU Melb ----------------------------- Home tonight from another day of birthing 'with woman'. I started back on placement today - 2/days a week for the next couple of months. ON arriving this morning, the 'board' in birth suite was full with labouring women and/or women who had recently birthed their babes...I was allocated to work with a young woman in 'early' labour. Labour commenced at 2100hrs last night with irregular tightenings and a large bloody show. Kirsty arrived at hospital at 0400hrs this morning...today her EDB...healthy pregnancy. I met 18 yr old Kirsty (not her real name) her ex partner and their little boy (16 month toddler). Kirsty was on the bed leaning over the bean bag. Ex partner, 24 yr old...father of both the children...was present to care for the toddler as they have noone else to support them. Both Kirsty's parents are in jail...her only local family an elderly grandmother...Ex partner also soon to be imprisoned in a few weeks time... Instantly we connected.....the partner was in and out of the room with the small child....so she was all alone....she was frightened and in pain. Her labour with her first babe was 25 hours, epidural, ventouse and 2 degree tear... This labour was beginning to escalate when I arrived 0730 hrs. I offered her words of encouragement.....massage for her low back pain....and finally coaxed her into the shower on the mediball at 0800.....Kirsty was very tired...having been awake all night, and with 16 month old toddler in tow who had not yet slept!!!! Lights dimed in the shower, hot water and rocking on medi ball, midwife student shoes off bear feet, pants rolled up to my knees...working with her, with 16 month toddler under my arm pit wondering what mum was doing....toddler on my knee now (trying to keep him out of the water :-)) partner returns from outside and takes toddler for walk...Kirsty making heaps of birth noise, and needing to rest...lays down on the mat in the shower...hot water running over her...its all quiet and dark, just the sound of running water....by 0900...Kirsty really working hard now...says she's going to die....wants the pain to stop...Partner returns...toddler in tow....Kirsty 'freaks out' with him present now...fearful for him "seeing me in pain" wants him to go. Really distressed and, crying, screaming for me to make it all stop...I stroke her forehead....take her in my arms and cuddle on the shower floor...she ceases to cry...wants a VE to assess her progress before having an epidural. O/VE 6-7cm....won't have gas (says she'll die)....decides no epidural...and has 100mgs of IM pethide, tries some gas with some great words from the midwife who is alittle more assertive with her than me, she eventually refocuses on birthing her baby....membranes still intact...RMO wanting to rupture them....midwife does some fancy foot work with the doctor...no ARM :-)) The next hour is soooo intense...Kirsty's labour is full on now...still in the shower...sucking on the gas...leaning up over her partner who is on the mediball...then at 1015 hours...that incredible birth roar came...a sensation new to Kirsty who felt none of her 2nd stage with babe no 1. with the epidural. Reassuring her "you are safe" its "OK to go with what you are feeling"....Kirsty begins the work of pushing her babe out...over a bean bag now (still in the shower and wasn't I popular with the Div 2 - a wet soggy bean bag!!!) I can see her babes head emerging....as the babes begins to crown...Kirsty instinctively reaches down to touch her babe and reassure herself that she was not "fucking splitting apart"....and gently, ever so gently, she breathes her 3505gm daughter out and into my hands at 1044 hrs....babe born in the caul....membranes still intact that I gently peel away as I pass her thru Kirsty's legs and lay her down beneath her.....she is euphoric...triumphant...!!! Active third stage...1ml IM syntometrine and CCT...EBL 150ml... Babe beautiful breastfeeder....(Kirsty BF babe no. 1 for 11 months)...Perineum intact...no other tears or grazes :-)) Midwife student delighted!! I continue to be amazed at the strengh of 'woman'...this young woman...with the odds stacked against her....a long road ahead of her...but she is a fighter and with strengh beyond words...I continue to learn so much from women like Kirsty...they teach us what it is to be resilient...strong and determined in life. To be present 'with' her today was a true honour and a privilege.