It's been a while... Yes, I'm still here. Somehow I made it through my busy July--four births--in only two pieces. In a strange turn of events, one of my mamas went a week over and went in for induction just shortly after I found out another mama (due the next day) was in pretty rip-roarin' labor.
I spent an entire day--one evening till the next--supporting the mother who spontaneously went into labor before it became apparent that medical intervention was necessary. As a doula, it was a grueling day of work. By the time I left the hospital, I was going on 38 hours of being awake with about two hours of sleep broken into half an hour here or there throughout my time there. I was deeply encouraged by the awesome attitude of my doula mama and the teamwork of the staff at this facility. They really went above and beyond what is the standard. I left the birth weary through every atom of my body, but happy because I saw it as a huge victory for this particular family.
Early in the morning, after I'd been at birth A for about six hours, I received a call to head in for birth B. It was an impossibility for me to interrupt care of the first mama, so I called on another amazing doula to attend the birth for me--though my family opted not to take advantage of her services. Mama B gave birth to her sweet baby about four hours later while I was armpit-deep in a tub supporting Mama A.
I mourned the loss of family B's birth experience for several days before coming to grips with the fact that I had done all I could have done, given the circumstances. True enough, when I was able to follow up with them, they had a good birth with great support from a hospital that does not always have the best reputation in the birth world. I am thankful all was well, and that I was just the missing link that luckily didn't throw the whole thing off kilter. It was an odd feeling to be feeling so badly about missing, for somehow failing, that birth when I wanted to feel so thankful for the birth I was able to attend.
So if you are a current client, a prospective client, another birth worker, or someone who stumbled across this blog because you were contacted by your long lost Nigerian relatives, please be aware that I have not yet discovered the way that allows me be in two places at one time or--better yet--clone myself (two of me? That would be ahhhmazing!). Until we have that technology, doula families, please accept my promise that I will do everything in my power to make it to your birth. Should myself or my clone be unable to do so, I will send a back-up, someone I would trust with the birth of my own children.
All along, I've been told that things generally work out when you are scheduling expectant clients (although babies, as it turns out, have a pretty bizarre concept of time and schedules--who knew?!). I've also been told that you will be at the births you are supposed to be at. I've yet to figure out which view is correct. What I have learned from my July, I suppose, in terms of working in the birth field, is that one thing remains certain: Nothing is certain.
I spent an entire day--one evening till the next--supporting the mother who spontaneously went into labor before it became apparent that medical intervention was necessary. As a doula, it was a grueling day of work. By the time I left the hospital, I was going on 38 hours of being awake with about two hours of sleep broken into half an hour here or there throughout my time there. I was deeply encouraged by the awesome attitude of my doula mama and the teamwork of the staff at this facility. They really went above and beyond what is the standard. I left the birth weary through every atom of my body, but happy because I saw it as a huge victory for this particular family.
Early in the morning, after I'd been at birth A for about six hours, I received a call to head in for birth B. It was an impossibility for me to interrupt care of the first mama, so I called on another amazing doula to attend the birth for me--though my family opted not to take advantage of her services. Mama B gave birth to her sweet baby about four hours later while I was armpit-deep in a tub supporting Mama A.
I mourned the loss of family B's birth experience for several days before coming to grips with the fact that I had done all I could have done, given the circumstances. True enough, when I was able to follow up with them, they had a good birth with great support from a hospital that does not always have the best reputation in the birth world. I am thankful all was well, and that I was just the missing link that luckily didn't throw the whole thing off kilter. It was an odd feeling to be feeling so badly about missing, for somehow failing, that birth when I wanted to feel so thankful for the birth I was able to attend.
So if you are a current client, a prospective client, another birth worker, or someone who stumbled across this blog because you were contacted by your long lost Nigerian relatives, please be aware that I have not yet discovered the way that allows me be in two places at one time or--better yet--clone myself (two of me? That would be ahhhmazing!). Until we have that technology, doula families, please accept my promise that I will do everything in my power to make it to your birth. Should myself or my clone be unable to do so, I will send a back-up, someone I would trust with the birth of my own children.
All along, I've been told that things generally work out when you are scheduling expectant clients (although babies, as it turns out, have a pretty bizarre concept of time and schedules--who knew?!). I've also been told that you will be at the births you are supposed to be at. I've yet to figure out which view is correct. What I have learned from my July, I suppose, in terms of working in the birth field, is that one thing remains certain: Nothing is certain.
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