Rob and Krista's Story by Crystal Ogle
April 8th, 2004 5:48 pm: I had just gotten off the boat and was in Mukilteo when I got your page. When I called, Krista answered. Cynthia had stripped the membranes, and not too long after leaving the office, contractions started. They were hard and close together, offering very little, sometimes no, relief in between. I could tell by the sound of your voice they were strong active labor contractions, so I headed right back on the boat.
7:30 pm: Cynthia, Debora, and I are all here. Your contractions are 3 minutes apart. Cynthia has checked you and you’re at 4 cm. You have picked a focal point, it’s somewhere out in the view of the front window. You focus, stand leaning on the buffet, and breathe through them. Once in a while one of us will remind you of tension we see, or to drop your shoulders, but other than that, you seem to be coping great. At this point, it hurts to sit, and squatting is out of the question; we just let your body tell us what to do.
8:42 pm: The contractions have hit another level. These are really painful; a certain type of word escapes your mouth to let us know how serious it is …! You are standing and clenching the side of the table, while leaning forward a bit. We suggest trying the birthing ball. We get you comfortable so you can lean forward on the coffee table, while Rob is behind you applying pressure to your back. You are doing a wonderful job at giving much needed feedback. You are very in tune with your body, and you know what it needs.
9:30 pm: Heat seems to be a lot of help, and Rob keeps it on your back in between contractions. We also use this helpful time of “resting” to get you really relaxed. Charisma and I massage your hands, and apply some pressure to them as you breathe through the work your body is doing. Your goal is to get into the tub; you are patiently waiting it out, and decide to be checked. You are now 5 cm, and paper-thin! Great progress, not too much longer before you get the tub!
10:00 pm: Debora suggests changing positions to the bed. We get you comfortable in a side laying position using pillows and heat. Rob snuggles in next to you and we leave to allow you some time alone. You lay there for a good half hour while Rob holds you and whispers into your ear as you breathe through the contractions.
10:40 pm: You made it! Into the tub you go. What a relief it is, you tell us it feels ten times better. It took a while to find a comfortable position, but you end up on your side. You begin to find a rhythm as you nod your head and say ho, ho, ho, ho through the contractions, you are coping beautifully. Rob keeps rhythm with you as you make eye contact. We now switch to cold cloths to keep you comfy, and are constantly rotating them. A popsicle helps to give some energy and in cooling you off.
April 9th, 12:10 am: You tell us you feel scared. The contractions are really intense; they are painful and very close together. You are wondering if you ‘ll be able to handle the transition contractions. My reply is: What makes you think these are not transition contractions …? Not much later, you start to feel some pressure, and a bit like you may need to push. We suggest you begin to grunt rather than push, and help show you how to do that. Cynthia checks you and you’re 7cm.
1:00 am: You’re 8 cm, and begin to push. It’s hard and takes a while to get the hang of how to do it, but after some practice, it comes naturally to you. Keeping your rhythm and letting the contractions build before using the strength of the peak to push with. It’s really hard work! Rob is doing such an awesome job. He has played the perfect role, always tending to your needs before his own.
1:50 am: Cynthia thinks you would make better progress outside of the tub because of scar tissue on your cervix. Some gravity is needed! We head back into the bed and you begin to push on your side as we support your leg. After just five minutes of pushing you have made enough progress for Rob to see the top of Xavier’s head. This puts a grin on his face that won’t leave the rest of the night. We apply hot compresses to you in between contractions.
April 9th, 2004, 3:15am: Baby Xavier is born! Rob did a wonderful job catching
and aiding in the delivery, something I’m sure he’ll never forget. Xavier is lifted
into your arms as you look down into his face for the first time. You look beautiful.
You have that after birth glow about you. You begin to feed him. I love watching
the bond happen. Love beaming off your face, down to his as he suckles at your
breast. How comforting that must feel. He knows he’s home. Once you are ready
for Cynthia to stitch you up , you pass him on to proud papa. Rob gets to hold
him and gaze into his eyes for the first time too. He is overcome with the awe of
watching this miracle happen. He sincerely turns to you and says, “Look at what
you made!” to which you reply, “You made him too!” Then he leans down and
gives you a kiss. Congratulations to you both./p>
