Epidural Support and Doula Care: Enhancing Your Hospital Birth Experience

Photo of Tara watching my baby while I got to get back on the field! (A little earlier than recommended!)

When I first found out I was pregnant, I was shocked and could not have been more excited. I pictured the birth going the only way I knew - with only a doctor, at the hospital, doing whatever they told me was best. I did not know much about a birth plan or the options that I would have. My husband and I have gone with a more holistic and natural lifestyle the past few years and he asked what I thought

about a home birth or a birth at a birth center. It had never crossed my mind before, but I started to do some research. We went on a tour of a birth center, but it just did not feel right to me. Then I started to research doulas in the area. There was something about Mindful Birth Services that caught my eye, so we scheduled a call with the owner. We asked A LOT of questions, and she was so kind in answering them all. It really seemed like a good fit for us. She said Tara

was available for our due date and she thought she would be a great fit. Boy was she right! We had a call with Tara before committing and she made us feel comfortable about the decision.

Being able to ask Tara anything throughout my pregnancy put my mind at ease. Being a first-time mom, you do not know what to expect and Tara really helped me through the unknowns. When we got closer to my due date, Tara sat down with me, and we made a plan. I wanted it to be in the hospital. I had and still have a lot of trust in my doctor. He also said he had worked with Tara in the past and he liked her a lot. I was dead set against being induced. At first, I was against an epidural, but after learning more about it, I kept it as a possibility but planned on not getting one. By the end of the plan, Tara knew what I wanted and helped me plan out scenarios that I had not thought of. She said she would try everything to help me stick to the plan.

Well like most birth plans, mine did not go quite like I had pictured. Two nights before my due date, I started getting little flutters or super light cramps. It was hardly anything, but I was anxious, so I was up all-night keeping track of the time in between them. It averaged to about nine minutes apart- not enough to wake up my husband or Tara. I eventually fell asleep and got about an hour or two of rest before waking up for the morning. When I woke up the feeling was gone. I told Tara and she said to go about my day but to make sure I got a nap in and to stay hydrated. We went out for breakfast, came home and I took a nap. I woke up around 2pm and had to pee (like I did 100 times a day), but when I went to sit back down, I felt a little burst. So, I stood back up, felt fine, sat back down, and felt it again.

My water had broken.

For the next hour, I felt nothing. I was running around the house making sure I had everything when the contractions came on

hard and fast. I tried to labor at home for as long as possible (I only lasted for about 1.5 hours). I knew it was time, so I told Tara we were heading to the hospital. It took us about 20 minutes to get into the car (Tara told me it would take that long, but I did not believe her - I was wrong!). We got to the hospital a little after 5pm and my contractions were about every 2 minutes. The check in process and getting admitted felt painfully long, but it was only about an hour. I was in a ton of pain while waiting for the results to confirm my water had broken. The triage doctor checked and said I was 5 cm dilated, 90% effaced, -1. The triage doctor said for first time moms, it usually takes about 2 hours for 1cm of dilation. I immediately looked at my husband and said, “I’m

getting that epidural.” I could not imagine getting through another 10 hours. I know most first-time births are long.

I had been mentally preparing for a long labor, but I was not prepared for a short one. It sounds funny to say, but I was

expecting for the pain to be gradual and not that strong the whole time. Thinking I had many hours left of labor made me doubt I could do it. They got me settled in my room where we met up with Tara. Tara started to try to talk me down from the epidural since that was our plan, but I did not give her a chance to. (I can be strong headed when my mind is made up.) We adjusted the

plan, and she walked me through it. The half hour it took to get my blood results for the epidural was intense. Once they finally gave it to me, my pain was completely gone. It was quite amazing. Right after, my nurse checked my cervix and said, “I haven’t done this for a while, but I think you’re 10 cm dilated”. I was shocked and so was everyone else. They had already called my doctor, and he came to check me and confirmed that I was in fact 10cm dilated.

It explained why I was in so much pain - they think I was in the transition stage. I feel fortunate because if they would have checked me before administering the epidural, there was a good chance they would have said I was too far along to get it. All of this

was going on during the Super Bowl! Luckily, it was a boring game (lol!).

There was some concern with my baby’s heartbeat dropping during contractions, but I am so thankful no one freaked out or got me nervous about it. I did not even realize it. The doctor said it was time to push - the nurses wanted to bring the NICU team in just in case, but my doctor said no. Again, I am so so thankful for this because it kept me calm not knowing why they wanted to bring them in. I just assumed it was normal. Not even 30 minutes of pushing and my beautiful baby boy was born! He made the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl exciting. I cried and I am not (or at least was not) a very emotional person. He peed on me and then

ate for 1.5 hours before they took him to get weighed.

I later found out that his heart rate kept dropping because the cord was over his shoulder. During every contraction, it got squeezed against my pelvic bone. My doctor said he was not concerned because he was watching the monitors while the nurses watched the game on the tv behind him (lol!). As long as the heart rate went normal after the contraction, it was fine. Plus, he had the c-section room prepped for any emergency. My little boy was born less than 8 hours after my water had broken.

In hindsight, if I would have known I only had a few hours left before my baby was born, I like to think, I would have been able to make it without an epidural. However, my fear of getting it is gone, and I would get it again. Who knows if I would have been able to push him out in 30 minutes without it. With his cord being wrapped on his shoulder, pushing him out in 30 minutes could have been crucial. I am a strong believer in everything happens for a reason and I am thankful for how everything worked out.

When we first decided to go with a doula, I thought it would just be for our first baby, but after going through the experience, I 100% will have Tara again (if she is willing!). The advice and comfort she provided throughout my pregnancy, birth and postpartum made me thankful for getting a doula. It allowed me and my husband to focus on our baby knowing she was keeping an eye on the other stuff. A lot goes on during the birth and things happen quickly. Having someone there that you trust, who can talk you through decisions and who can explain things that are happening is invaluable.

Thank you to first time mom Katie for sharing your story!

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