Birth of Tatum
On the 23rd of May Kennedy went in to be induced at 12pm. After slow progress with cytotec they decided to start pitocin at 10:30pm. I arrived to her room at 10pm, where they started taking some laps around the unit. The nurses hung her pit right at 10:30pm and in a very short time she started contracting very intensely. Within the first half hour of starting pit they had to stop, because Kennedy’s body took over, and she was having contractions back to back. To relieve some pain she started bouncing on the birthing ball, and then she took a long walk down the halls. She came into her room to use the restroom, and soon we were hearing the famous, “umm guys.” Her water had broken in the bathroom! Soon her contractions were becoming much more intense, and it was evident she was needing some relief. Kennedy bravely decided to have this baby without any pain relief, so to help her relax I suggested getting in the shower. The warm water seemed to help her immensely. Contractions always become more intense after the waters are gone, but she handled it like the warrior she is. It was evident to everyone in her birthing space that she was in active labor. She was getting very little breaks in between contractions, and with the start of each one her team leaped in to offer a hand, counter pressure, and words of encouragement. Just in time for a much needed moral boost, Kennedy’s parents, and son came in. Jayce brought laughs and perked everyone up. It was very late for a little boy to be awake, but he was content with his Llama Llama and graham crackers. Shortly after family came in She started to complain of nausea and pressure this couple with being 7cm told me she was in transition. This stage by far is the hardest phase of labor. The cervix is finishing opening and the baby is moving down to be born. Another trip to the shower was what she needed. She was roaring through her contractions, and breathing her baby down. She was getting close to pushing, and we could tell it was time to get back into bed. The doctor came in and said she was fully dilated when contracting, and it was baby time. In one contraction 4 pushes this Momma warrior roared her tiny baby earth side, and SURPRISE!! It’s a tiny 6lb 15oz baby GIRL! Tatum Estelle was born May 24th, at 3:48 am.
I always take away something from each birth, and on my drive home my takeaway was women are warriors. With the right support from her birth team a woman can conquer anything. As a birth team member it is our job to advocate for our clients. Sometimes unwittingly labor wards can push women to birth their way, but this is not always the best option for all women.
Milestones to Motherhood 