Whew!

I just got home from a 13-hour visit to the hospital. My client was induced at 6:00 yesterday morning but wasn't progressing past 4.5 cm by 10:00 at night. So the doctor did a c-section and baby was here before midnight. It was a little emotional for mom because she didn't have a lot of time to adjust to the idea of a surgical birth. But everything went fine and the baby was safe and healthy.

This was another experience where I wasn't sure what my role should be. There were five support people in the room, including me, the laboring mom's mother, and three friends. :) Once the epidural was introduced, my comfort methods weren't necessary. And once the laboring mother was tethered to her bed by a catheter, epidural, blood pressure cuff, internal monitor, and IV, there wasn't much option for moving around. Basically, we all just sat and waited...

We never once glanced at the birth plan. The scheduled induction wasn't ideal ...it was convenient for out-of-town family members... and then the c-section became unavoidable. I wonder how to tell how serious a mom is about her birth plan, in the future. It almost seems like some moms write these lists of birth preferences disconnected from the reality of their situation. It would be nice for me to be able to set my expectations somewhat.

I've also decided I will ask a few more questions when I interview with potential clients in the future. :) Like, "how many support people do you anticipate having in the delivery room with you?" It might help me to gauge what my level of involvement would be...