As seen from my doula’s point of view. It’s a bit more graphic than my own version so read at your own risk.

Thank you for having me as your Doula and to be part of this beautiful journey to welcome Cimot into the world. Here is the story of The Journey.

4.07.08

11.27am - Daddy SMSes
Hi Ginny. The surge is now happening every 3 mins but there is still no bowel movement. Is it normal? Baby moving through?

11.31am - Daddy SMSes
No show. She is ok I guess, sometime can sleep in between surge this morning. The pain is more on her back when she lie down.

12.44pm - Daddy SMSes
More show. Pee more often. Surges around 2.5 to 3 mins.

12.47pm - Daddy SMSes
No bowel yet. She currently sit on the ball resting her head on pillows. Tried all fours but not comfortable.

1.26pm - Daddy SMSes
The pain intensify but still no bowel. Do you mind to drop by?

1.29pm - Daddy SMSes
Ok thanks

2.38pm
I arrived at your parent’s flat. Mommy is in the bedroom, and the room is all dark. Mommy is lying on her side and Daddy is giving her pressure on her hips everytime she gets a surge. She reported that they tried several positions but with side lying, she only felt pressure on her back and not both. Mommy is a silent Hypnobirther. In the dark, it was hard to tell when she was having a surge.

I am worried that you were in posterior position and asked to feel her belly, gentling touching and from my experience the labor is indicative of either malpositioning or malpresentaiton. Yet her belly seemed nicely rounded so I suggested laboring standing up placing one leg on a stool to form a right angle to make space in the pelvis, and alternating with the other leg.

3.30pm
Mommy reports that surges are getting more intense. I told her that that is a good sign and that she is coping very well.

She is calm and quiet, signaling Daddy to place pressure on her sacrum whenever a surge comes and Daddy would do so.

As there wasn’t much that I could do at that point, I waited in the living room and took a break. Daddy came out to ask about the bowel movement sensation as a sign of progress.

4.38pm
I went back into the room to check on Mommy, still doing fine in the same position, so I went out again and within a few minutes Daddy called me back.

Mommy was concerned about her progress and asked based on my experience what I thought was happening. I asked her when she would like to go to the hospital and she said she doesn’t know.

I said based on her signs it is good that she has mucus plug and more show coming out. I also take it as a good sign that surges are regular and intense. My concern was that either she was coping very well that I could not sense the intensity from the way she was breathing, which is an indication that she could well be in active labor or she could be in early labor especially with no bowel movement sensation. I reassured her that she would eventually feel the bowel movement sensation and that over time surges would get more intense.

I asked if she could go on all fours for a while on the birth ball. She seemed reluctant at first but decided to give it a go.

I encouraged her to drink something sweet and Daddy went down to buy drinks. She had half a glass of Ribena but felt sick soon after, perhaps too big of a gulp.

After a while her knees hurt so she went back on all lying on her side.

From the shape of her belly, positioning seems good. Perhaps it is just a case of a long early labor.

5.35pm
Mommy expressed fears that she won’t be able to take it anymore if intensity increases. I reassured her that she is doing fine and Daddy is also being very supportive. I suggested that she goes into the shower to freshen up and she was reluctant to do so initially, but eventually went into the shower.

6.01pm
I asked if she found the shower helpful and she said she did.

6.20pm
I went down to get dinner.

6.35pm
Mommy had some porridge in the shower with Daddy feeding her and said she did not want to get out of shower.

7pm
She came out of shower and vomits everything out, during which she found that she prefers to labor standing and leaning over toilet bowl. Daddy said that they might go to the hospital soon because Mommy is not feeling your movements. I called the hospital and room 6 is available. Mommy does not seem to want to leave yet.

7.36pm
Daddy called for a cab.

8pm
We arrived at the hospital.

8.15pm
An internal check showed that she is 5cm dilated with her cervix thinned out. Daddy went on to do admissions.

8.30pm
CTG was removed and Mommy went to the toilet to vomit and sits back on the bed.

9.30pm
Dr. Paul came.

9.56pm
She vomits again.

10.27pm
Mommy reports that surges are getting more intense and opts to go into the tub.

10.50pm
Mommy feels too hot and wants to come out of the tub but to avoid shivering when out of the water, I advised her to stay in the tub and added more cold water to the tub with cold face towels.

11pm
Mommy requested for ice water and nurse came in to check the heart rate. All good.

11.08pm
Mommy came out of tub and went to the toilet.

11.14pm
Mommy starts moaning and obviously prefers to labor standing over the toilet. Now she decides to straddle the toilet seat. It has been a while since I have seen someone labor in the position. Trust one innate’s wisdom to know what to do.

11.30pm
I set up the rest of the room with foam mats but the birthing stools are all missing??!!

5.07.08

12am
Mommy asked for gas and I encouraged her to go back into tub.

12.10am
From the way she moaned during surges, it sounds like she is pushing - probably her waterbag is bulging.

12.57am
I went to notify Nurse Pei Pei when there was heavy show. Mommy said it was pee and I suggested that we check since the last internal check was 5 hours ago. She was 8cm dilated, waters intact and your head position is still high. Surges slow down during CTG run.

1.25am
Waters leaking over toilet bowl.

1.29am
She goes back into the tub.

1.40am
She comes out of the tub and asked for gas because she is tired. I persuaded her to lie on her side on the bed to rest as gas might cause more nausea.

2.22am
She asked for gas again. I persuaded her to have another internal check and to allow Nurse Pei Pei to leave her fingers in during surges to see if she is breathing down correctly. There was an anterior lip and Nurse Pei Pie, as much as she could, pushed it away and reports little remaining. Spontaneous rupture of membranes occurred after Nurse Pei Pei removed her fingers. Mommy got off the bed to labor in the sitting and squatting position.

3.02am
Mommy asked if there is progress and I reported that her vulva was bulging.

3.15am
I suggested standing to labor to see if gravity will help you to descend, still no sign. Mommy goes to the toilet to vomit more water out.

3.39am
Mommy asked for vacuum as she was getting exhausted, so Dr. Paul was called in.

3.50am
Dr. Paul came, vacuum was applied and shortly after, you slipped out into this world at 4am, weighing 3.865kg, with a head circumference of 36cm and 51cm long. You were blissful in Mommy’s arms – Welcome Cimot!

“And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, Speak to Us of Children.

And he said:

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their soul dwell in the house of tomorrow,
Which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the Archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.”

The Prophet – Kahlil Gibran