A helping uterus

I received a phone a call from my very calm, cool, and collected client. "My water broke. Things are moving fast. I'm still going to eat and shower though." We both giggled and agreed to meet at the hospital in about an hour.

This would be her 8th delivery. This client has helped 4 other families (6 babies total), grow into bigger families. She is a selfless, loving, inspiring, surrogate.

7 months eariler, I was hired by the "Intended Parents". They wanted her to feel supported and cared for, while also having help with their transition into becoming parents for the very first time. Luckily, they had planned to stay in the area for the last two weeks of pregnancy, and had just arrived the evening before. It was meant to be!

The labor was intense. However, this woman knew that this would be her last birth, and she wanted complete control of her body. She refused vaginal checks, she refused coaching when it came time to push, she refused IV's, meds, and let her instincts take over. She moved, swayed, squatted, and asked for me to apply counter pressure during contractions, and brush her hair in between them. We quickly developed a rhythm that kept her feeling comfortable.

I helped her advocate for herself, and stood in the way when she asked me to. Not everyone would want this type of labor and birth, not everyone asks for me (or needs me to) ask their providers to stop touching them, but in this case, that was exactly what she wanted. That was my role as her doula. To help her achieve the birth she had planned.

My clients in this case were two separate families. One who was closing a chapter in their lives and one who was beginning a new adventure. It was an honor to help them both.

Thank you Kristen, Bert and Aiden for letting me be part of this journey with you. It was one that I shall not forget.