The Birth of Owen Matthew 8/30/22
Katherine and Kyle became parents on August 30, 2022, when they brought their baby boy into the world. (He was a surprise gender but the title of this announcement gives it away!) They attended my childbirth class and gained as much knowledge about the process and how they could partner through every stage to bring their baby earth side. Her due date came and went, but Katherine stayed patient. Then the morning of her 41-week appointment she woke with contractions and bloody mucus. She went to her appointment and NST and got the encouraging news that she was 4 cm dilated, 70% effaced, and baby was at -2 station.
Since Katherine’s intention was to labor without pain medications, she and Kyle decided to return home to labor longer before returning to the hospital. They labored at home another five hours before heading back. Katherine’s contractions were getting stronger, and they were close at 3 minutes, but they weren’t extremely long, lasting about 40 seconds. Still, it felt like the right time. And then, as if to confirm the timing was perfect, Katherine’s water broke right as they parked the car at the hospital.
Once upstairs in labor and delivery, Katherine was dilated 5 cm, 90% effaced, and her baby was at -1 station. She had made some important changes and was moving in the right direction. They set up a hep-loc and I set up some twinkly lights for ambiance. Katherine had her mom present alongside Kyle and she kept the family abreast of updates. Kyle put soothing music on their speaker and after advocating for less monitoring, Katherine set out to walk the halls. It was 9:30 pm.
After her walk, Katherine sought rest in bed. She lay there a bit as well as rested over the CUB. Then she moved to hands and knees on the floor, only to return to the bed where she lunged on hands and knees. During a bathroom trip a contraction caught her on the toilet. It was strong and difficult to breathe through, and Katherine said, “I don’t think I can do this.” So, I recommended the shower next, hoping it would allow her to relax and move into the next stage.
Katherine labored in the shower for a full hour with Kyle by her side. There were tea lights and valor essential oil blend on a washcloth pervading the small space. The shower served Katherine well as a place to reset and move forward. She took another bathroom break and then did some standing dangles holding the rebozo. It was 1:00 am by this time. We pressed a warm heating pad on her lower back to help with the pain she felt there. “I’m done,” Katherine protested. But after we gave her a pep talk, she resumed the work of labor, doing lunges on a chair by the bed.
About 15 minutes later, her midwife came in and asked if she would like an exam. Katherine was curious but she was worried about being disappointed she wasn’t very dilated. We were confident in her lack of confidence, and her midwife came back with a resounding, “You’re dilated 9.5 cm and baby is at 0 station!” Katherine had done so much, and she knew she could see it through.
She labored down on her hands and knees over the CUB in bed, and her body gradually took over by grabbing her breath and forcing a lurch around the baby. Within 30 minutes we were pretty sure Katherine was pushing. There was no insistence on a check. Her body knew what to do. We placed cool cloths on her neck and some peppermint oil nearby for her nausea, but mostly just encouraged Katherine with our belief that she could do it and the affirmations that she WAS doing it. She pushed with her knees in to open her pelvic outlet too, making changes to help her baby come through.
About an hour into pushing, her baby’s head was “right there”, and the delivery cart was uncovered so it was ready to go. Katherine pulled the rebozo tied to the squat bar to push, and she even pushed in the semi-reclined position. She caught a glimpse of her baby’s head in the mirror which was a shock and an encouragement at the same time.
Katherine felt like she wanted to push on her hands and knees so she returned to that position at 5:15 for the last pushes before she would meet her baby. Katherine pushed with her mom and her husband on either side, touching her gently, speaking love and life into her, and loving her. The midwife got dressed in paper clothes 10 minutes later and Katherine continued to push another 20 minutes, and then she did it! Her baby was born at 5:50 am and after glancing between the legs, Kyle announced it was a baby boy. It was Owen Matthew!
Katherine received her son into her arms and she and Kyle looked down in awe. There were tears and such overwhelming love. Katherine couldn’t believe she did it, although everyone else in the room could. After those first couple of moments, we helped Katherine back onto her back in bed where she snuggled her boy through the placenta delivery and a repair. Eventually they would learn that he weighed 7 lb. 13 oz. and measured 21 in. long.
Owen was patient, but when the time came for his first latch, he was ready. It was sweet to watch these new parents help their son to the breast and then quietly watch blissfully as he had his first taste of colostrum. Babies are so smart when given the space and time to follow their instincts. Same as their moms! Katherine and Kyle were such a joy to serve. Their sweet and gentle nature did nothing to diminish the innate power of Katherine’s body and will to give birth. She was stronger than she thought she was. And that feeling will come in handy in parenting a newborn.
