Unfortunately her bag of water had already broken. This is not a problem exactly, but more a potential problem because it increases the risk of infection. So Ate Kat, the midwife I was working with decided to give our patient some labor tea to speed things up a bit. I'm not really sure what labor tea is exactly except that it comes in a little bottle, you give 15 drops from a dropper, and it looks disgusting. I don't think it tastes as bad as it looks though because nobody makes a face when they take it. Not right away anyways.
Our patient was 5 cms only. Quick OB lesson. The cervix has to dilate to 10 cms in order to deliver the baby. If you try to push anywhere before 10 cms, you will certainly do some damage. So 5 cms means this patient had a way to go. She was quite a quiet girl, very sweet, not too talkative. Ate Kat left me with the reclining patient and I sat with her, took vitals now and then and bobbed absentmindedly on the birthing ball while we waited for something to happen. Ate Kat came back in, gave another dose of labor tea, and left.
All of a sudden, the patient started moaning and breathing deeply. She was having a contraction. Finally, something was happening. Two minutes later, she had another one, stronger this time. In a matter of 5 minutes she was moaning and calling out for her mother. She was making so much noise Ate Kat came back in. She did another IE and this time she was 7cms. Typically if a patient is 7cms I would feel fairly confident that I could go home and eat lunch, (including a mango, which takes a while to enjoy properly), make a little small talk, and come back long before delivery was imminent.
So what Ate Kat did next surprised me. She called the other two midwives and got me to help transfer the client to the delivery table. "But she's only 7cms...?" I wondered out-loud, but the patient was making so much noise I'm sure nobody heard me.
We got her up on the delivery bed and by now she was definitely being much more vocal than any other Philippina I've seen in labor. Ate Kat did another IE.
Ok so just to reiterate, when Ate Kat did the first IE she was 7cms. We moved immediately to the delivery bed, so the second IE was literally less than five minutes later. This time, she was 9cms. But we didn't have time to celebrate. All of a sudden, the patient started grunting. "Ayaw! Ayaw!!!" "Don't!!!!!" We all cried at the time time. We all know you really have to be 10 cms to push. But this lady just knew what had to be done and she did it. She pushed. The baby's head was out. Ate Nonette didn't even have her gloves on yet. Ate Kat was frantically trying to get the supplies out. Resourceful Ate Tina grabbed the baby's head with the mum's dress so it wouldn't fall out on the floor! By the time Ate Nonette had time to put her gloves on, the baby was out. TWO pushes, and she had a baby. And the crazy thing is, she had no tearing whatsoever.
Despite the training, knowledge, and experience between all of us, we were no match for that mum. She listened to her body, and her body wasn't wrong.
I wish more women were as in tune with themselves as this mum was. As I always say, there is SOO a time and place for medical intervention, but that should be the exception. Really, each women has everything they need within themselves.
Our patient was 5 cms only. Quick OB lesson. The cervix has to dilate to 10 cms in order to deliver the baby. If you try to push anywhere before 10 cms, you will certainly do some damage. So 5 cms means this patient had a way to go. She was quite a quiet girl, very sweet, not too talkative. Ate Kat left me with the reclining patient and I sat with her, took vitals now and then and bobbed absentmindedly on the birthing ball while we waited for something to happen. Ate Kat came back in, gave another dose of labor tea, and left.
All of a sudden, the patient started moaning and breathing deeply. She was having a contraction. Finally, something was happening. Two minutes later, she had another one, stronger this time. In a matter of 5 minutes she was moaning and calling out for her mother. She was making so much noise Ate Kat came back in. She did another IE and this time she was 7cms. Typically if a patient is 7cms I would feel fairly confident that I could go home and eat lunch, (including a mango, which takes a while to enjoy properly), make a little small talk, and come back long before delivery was imminent.
So what Ate Kat did next surprised me. She called the other two midwives and got me to help transfer the client to the delivery table. "But she's only 7cms...?" I wondered out-loud, but the patient was making so much noise I'm sure nobody heard me.
We got her up on the delivery bed and by now she was definitely being much more vocal than any other Philippina I've seen in labor. Ate Kat did another IE.
Ok so just to reiterate, when Ate Kat did the first IE she was 7cms. We moved immediately to the delivery bed, so the second IE was literally less than five minutes later. This time, she was 9cms. But we didn't have time to celebrate. All of a sudden, the patient started grunting. "Ayaw! Ayaw!!!" "Don't!!!!!" We all cried at the time time. We all know you really have to be 10 cms to push. But this lady just knew what had to be done and she did it. She pushed. The baby's head was out. Ate Nonette didn't even have her gloves on yet. Ate Kat was frantically trying to get the supplies out. Resourceful Ate Tina grabbed the baby's head with the mum's dress so it wouldn't fall out on the floor! By the time Ate Nonette had time to put her gloves on, the baby was out. TWO pushes, and she had a baby. And the crazy thing is, she had no tearing whatsoever.
Despite the training, knowledge, and experience between all of us, we were no match for that mum. She listened to her body, and her body wasn't wrong.
I wish more women were as in tune with themselves as this mum was. As I always say, there is SOO a time and place for medical intervention, but that should be the exception. Really, each women has everything they need within themselves.
And golly. That's the fastest 7 to 10 cms I've ever seen!
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