Birth Stories
05 Apr
Sometimes birth events cluster together!

When I initially started helping moms birth their babies, I did not believe in numbers, sequences, patterns .. etc. The more births I attend, the more I am convinced that the energies that we as practitioners bring into a birth, has a potential of making an immense difference in the family’s birth experience.

So, sometimes we see a few difficult labors clustered together … and then a few remarkably easy ones happen.

This time, we had 2 water births clustered together … Yes, we had another amazing water birth yesterday! Yes, both moms had longer labors; yes, both of them decided to go into the water towards the latter part of their labors; and, yes, and most importantly, both of them had a great resilience, attitude and total trust in their own bodies. And oh…, yes, I wore the same green outfit that I wore for the previous water birth ….. hmmmmm, superstition??

Much as I want to write more about this water birth, I will wait for the new mom to tell her story. She told me yesterday, as her contractions were getting stronger, that she has been keeping a diary, and that she wants to write a blog about her baby’s birth. So, keep watching this space for mom’s story ….

What did I learn from this labor? PATIENCE as usual was the key. After 2 days of early labor, and a day and a half of active labor, when mom was at 4 cms dilation, it would have been so easy for everyone (mom, dad and caregivers) to choose interventions/epidural. However, encouraging the mom to look at all the positives, getting her mind off the contractions and verbalizing our belief that she could do it, and that we were all present for her – I believe, helped her get through that phase of her labor. And, barely 2 hours later, she went from 4 cms to complete dilation and was ready to push!

Finally, it is always the mom who has to birth her baby … I say this again and again in our Lamaze classes. We, as caregivers, can provide as much support as the mom needs, but she is the one who is allowing life to pass through her. In that sense, how open she is to the experience (and thereby, the pain) determines the nature of her baby’s birth. For this mother, even at the peak of her contractions, “the pain” was not “pain” – it was “an altered state of consiousness” in her own words, allowing her to focus on her job of bringing her baby into this world.

I could not have put it better.

Wishing everyone wonderful birth experiences …
Dr. Vijaya

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  • Maida
    Dr. Vijaya,
    I am 26 weeks and 5 days pregnant today, I have history of pre-term, miscarriages and complication during pregnancy which puts me high risk. 5 days ago I had an ultrasound for my cervical length, at rest it was 2.68, then just a few days latter I went to OB Triage for contractions, pain and pressure. They submitted an fFN fetal test which came out positive. I was admitted into the hospital so they could stop the contractions and to give me steroids for the baby. the doc said that I had not dialated, there was about 1cm funneling, and thinning. Before I left the hospital I had another cervical length u/s and this time at rest i was at 2.37cm, and 2.23cm barring down. I'm still feeling pressure, my doc has not prescribed bed rest. My question to you is, because my cervix is changing fast what would the probability of pre-term. And what would happen/ the outcome of the baby if he's born this early. P.S the pre-term that I had in the past was at 23 weeks and 4 days, the baby did not survive.

    Thank you,

    Maida
  • Dear Maida,

    First of all, I am so sorry about your previous loss.

    To answer your questions:
    1) Ffn test - Has a very high sensitivity if it is negative. Which means that at least for a week after a negative result, the chances of your going into labor are very less. On the other hand, a positive result does not have the same sensitivity. Which means that you could have a positive result on your Ffn, and still may not go into labor. Having said that, the steroid shots to mature your baby's lungs was probably the right thing to do, because you had a positive Ffn, plus contractions, as well as due to your past history.
    2) Good news - no dilation at this point. 2.23 cm with bearing down, is on the shorter side, but does not need complete bed rest in itself. However, with your complaints of contractions, pressure and pain, it makes sense to follow some kind of modified bed rest, so that you can take some pressure off the cervix. Although no research studies to date have conclusively proved that bed rest prevents further shortening, in practice we do see that it does prolong the time that the mom can carry her baby more towards term.
    3) What is the probability of pre-term - I do not know. Further good follow-up and checks with your OB will show what is happening with your cervical length. Furthermore, if you are on tocolytics, it will reduce your contractions, and that should hopefully stabilize your cervical length as well. You should be drinking plenty of water - at least 4 liters a day. Less water consumption dehydrates the uterus, and it starts becoming irritable, which you do not want.
    4) What could happen if the baby is born this early - Major concern at this point would be the baby's respiratory function. The steroid shots would have helped a bit. And, NICUs are getting better and better at managing preterm infants; so hopefully the infant would make it.

    Finally, I think that if your docs had been that worried about an imminent pre-term birth, or if your contractions/cervical shortening were getting worse, they probably would not have sent you home. As hard as it sounds, try not to get too anxious and relax, and take time off - talk to your baby, tell him/her to remain inside of you safely, meditate, and rest as much as you can.

    Please feel free to write in ....

    Wish you all the best-
    Vijaya
  • Nitesh
    Dr.Vijaya,

    We are so fortunate to have been referred to you.

    You are always a phone call away to all moms to be who trust you; the kind of assurance and support that they receive from you is just amazing and so rare today in India.

    You are letting us know what we should have known by nature. You are helping us discover ourselves. What else can one ask?

    Thank you

    Anusha & Nitesh
  • Hi Anusha and Nitesh,

    Thank you for your kind words.

    I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you both through the last many months.

    See you next week - or sooner if you go into labor :)

    Best-
    Vijaya
  • rose
    hi, Dr i’m 29 weeks and 3 day pregnant and i felt a lot of pressure with pain, i went to emergency room because i didn’t know what was going on.. since i had a misscariage before so when they measure my cervix is at 2.6cm. am i at great risk for premature delivery or misscarry again? they also see the head of the baby is al the way down is it safe or not!!! please reply i’m scared!!

    Reply
  • Hi Rose,

    Sorry I could not respond earlier. I hope you and baby are doing well.

    Cervix at 2.6 cms is not so bad at 29 weeks. It would be prudent to monitor every 20 days or so. Also, modifying your activity levels to short walks, no lifting, no intercourse etc. would be wise at this point.

    I am not sure what they meant by "seeing" head of baby? If the os is closed, and there is no funneling, there is not much to worry about. At 29 weeks, you would expect the head to be down in a cephalic presentation baby. And sometimes, moms feel lot of pressure, even when there is no shortening of the cervix as the baby grows bigger, and all the ligaments and tissues around the pubic bone loosen to make space for the baby. So, you should not have to worry about that. Pubic pain is also common, as there is distraction between the cartilages that comprise this area. A little bit of rest, some heat or ice, and making sure that you keep your knees together when you roll over or come up to sit, will suffice to make this better.

    Please feel free to write if you have any more questions.

    All the best-
    Vijaya
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