Eve was my fourth client and my first one that was a real teen. She was 17 yrs old and a senior in High school. When I went to her home for our first meeting, I had no idea what to expect. What I found was a sweet young religious girl who apparently was sweet talked by the first boy who paid her any mind a few months earlier. He was no longer in the picture and her parents were upset but supportive. Some people in the church she went to were shunning her, but Eve kept her head up.
Eve wanted to have a natural birth and she read everything I gave her. When her due date arrived, she was already at 1 centimeter for about one week and one evening, she called me convinced her water had broke. She was having some contractions but nothing worth worrying about so I told her to call me back in an hour. She apparently didn’t think so and when she could not reach her OB, she decides to go directly to the hospital. She asked me to meet her and her Mom at the hospital at 10:00. Her water was not broken but she did have high blood pressure so she was admitted. She was at three centimeters and resting well, not feeling much pain at all. Unfortunately, she was hooked up to the IV and fetal monitors so they wouldn’t let her out of bed.
It was the first time I really felt hostility from hospital staff. It started with a finger in my face telling me how I won’t be needing “that ball” because she is not getting out of bed. Later, when they asked her Mother and I to leave the room for an exam, I heard the OB say to Eve, “So what is that doula doing for you because all I see is her sitting in the chair.” My client actually was concerned for me which was the last thing I wanted her to worry about. I told her it was nothing that fazed me at all.
After 2 hours, she had progressed to 4 cm. so they gave her staydol to get some rest. She slept well and come around a little bit during contractions. All the while time, I am whispering in her ear to be relaxed and open up for the baby. Encouraging her to let her body open up. Her Mom let us do our thing.
Eve was calm and focused through all the contractions. After about 6 hours, her eyes popped open and she said she feels like the baby is moving down. I alerted the nurse and she said to Eve that she had to be realistic because there was a lot of work ahead since babies don’t “just fall out”. Soon the OB came in and Patrice put her hand between her legs and says “really…the baby is coming!”
The OB between her legs and the baby’s head was already a third of the way out. The OB held the head in while they prepped the area and brought in all the equipment and I am thinking, can’t we just deliver the baby this way one, two, three?
Two pushes and Layla made her entrance into the world. Daughter becomes Mom and Mom becomes Grandmother. It was amazing to see the love within these three generations of women.
Eve continued to be a wonderful loving Mother who adapted to breastfeeding and infant care easily as well as continuing her education to build a life for her and her daughter. Beautiful.