Miracle of Birth 2 – Injoy videos, 2002. $295

5 birth stories: epidural, induction, natural, cesarean, twins

http://injoyvideos.com/childbirth/The-Miracle-of-Birth-2-Five-Birth-Stories.html

Julie – Caucasian, with husband. Epidural. 10 minutes

Hadn’t planned on a baby right now. She was a professional bike racer.

“I knew before the birth that I wanted an epidural so I could focus on enjoying the birth”

Labor began 11:30 pm with ctx. She wakes him up with “I think that may have been a ctx”

An hour later, 5 minutes apart, 30-45 seconds. Dr tells her come to hospital

1:30 am - 2 cm. Nurse says if you walk around, baby will drop down further.

Walking, rocking chair, laying down to be monitored

After 6 hours, not quite 4 cm. She’s looking uncomfortable, strained, but not looking like intense labor

Had stadol – light-headed but more relaxed – took edge off.

6:30 am – had epidural. (shows anesthesiologist explaining it, mentions local anesthetic shows animation of insertion. Shows: needle insertion (not close-up), partner giving eye contact and support, shows as it’s taped into place, test dose, then pump. Mentions and shows BP cuff, saturation monitor, continuous EFM. Clear that she’s got a lot of equipment on her.)

She says started feeling effects within 15 minutes: “was that a contraction?” she laughs. Could still feel, but intensity not there. AROM at 7:15

8:45 – 10 cm. Gentle voice for nurse, but coaching her through ten seconds of hard pushing.

On her back, nurse and partner holding legs up, having her hold her breath.

“I could feel contractions – tightening up like I needed to push”

Said it was hard to learn to push

9:30 am. Full perineal view – chalky white, wrinkly head. Dad delivers baby, hands to mom

Slimy girl onto blanket. Weepy, joyful

9:40, 6 pounds, 1 oz. Bright eyed baby. Started breastfeeding right away Great latch picture!

Mom says “I wouldn’t have done anything different. Disadvantages – monitored, hooked up to a lot of things. Limits positions… but for me, advantages outweighed that, because I could enjoy birth a little more.”

Janelle’s summary: makes epidural look easy – who wouldn’t want one after watching this? Otherwise good.

Michanda – African American with husband and labor assistant. Analgesic. 10 minutes

Mom: “I’m excited about the birth… of course, it’s the great unknown. A lot of people have said – just get epidural. I want to do it naturally.”

Dad: “I think I have to step up, and become the labor support person that she needs.” Will have a birth assistant.

2.5 weeks before due date, awakened by ctx. Became closer together, dr recommended going to hospital. Birth attendant met them there.

Mom: “I worked on staying focused and relaxed thru ctx”  Dad: “Great to have birth assistant there – never felt she took my place – I wanted her to take the lead.”

Shows rocking on birth ball, swaying, slow dancing, leaning over while standing, leaning on bed, massage, touch. Talks about birth ball and shows all the ways she used it, and how it helped.

Mom: “It was great to have support, because then I didn’t have to focus on everything that was happening around me. I could focus on what was happening with my body.”

Mom is very inward. Shows lots of rhythm and touch. Doula encouragement. Effleurage.

By early afternoon, intense ctx of transition. Vocalizing – deep tones. Hated lying on her back for monitoring.

Walking down the hallway (she’s walking behind him holding shoulders…. He says it’s something they made up on the fly – nice illustration of spontaneous ritual.)

Told it was OK to make noise, and she did… nice rhythmic moaning noises.

3:00 – intense ctx, little relief between – considered pain meds

IV analgesic – takes mind off pain, sometimes causes disorientation or drowsiness. She says it helped her rest.

3:30 – fully dilated, ready to push. They tell her three long pushes with each ctx. On her back… supposed to be semi-sitting

Perineal view, lots of fluid. Blood

4:03 pm 7 pounds. Dad says he is usually not OK with blood, but was OK here, so tells other dads not to worry about it… says it was one of the most amazing things he’d ever seen.

Nice baby shots, breastfeeding (latch not visible): mom says it’s amazing to breastfeed. Then nice view of latch with baby a few weeks/months later.

Mom says “most challenging part is realizing you’re responsible for another person…. We’re doing things the best that we can for baby.”  Cute baby!

Janelle’s summary: I like it… shows lots of comfort techniques… she’s working hard, but not struggling… shows going inward, and rhythm, shows doula, engaging couple

Tanya – Hispanic single mom, doula, mom, sister. Unmedicated birth. 14 minutes.

Starts in morning with light cramping, builds through day; late at night, doula arrives.

2 am getting uncomfortable, sitting on birth ball, walking around, rocking in rocking chair while looking at baby stuff to remember what she’s laboring for, says that breathing from Lamaze class helped her focus on working with contractions; you see her scrunching eyes, making noises: says she appreciated having mom, sister, and doula: the help of women who care for you and baby  (Great images of supportive women surrounding her with nurturing, and in rhythm with her!)

Slow dance, leaning, massage, mind vacation thinking of baby, drinking water

5:15 am leaning on birth ball, back massage, rocking, making worried noises and worried face, other women encouraging her to make low deep rhythmic noises – still at home

8 am still at home, walking around living room with mom, leaning head into mom’s head, fluttering hands saying “what do I do?” 

Getting heavy duty ctx, irritable, mood swings… there’s always someone with her, being calm and supportive

Can’t sit down… Then dad takes to hospital. 9:40 am arrive at hospital

10 am, check cervix 7 cm.. lying in hospital bed

Bathtub, pouring water over belly – talks about how helpful water was (wearing hospital gown to cover up)

11 am – hear heartbeat on monitor – midwife checks: 10 cm.

Pushes on hands and knees, coached by doula. Pushed 1:45

Semi-sitting pushing. Tired. Then squatting on squat bar. Cool cloths. Making pushing noises

Counted pushing (counting to 10), coaching. Crowning shown.  Then from head view, can see that baby’s head is out while they suction, quietly unloop cord, bring baby out, some red blood.

Baby up onto mom’s belly at 12:10 pm. Cut cord.

Later, breastfeeding… “Breastfeeding right away was so nice…  nice to know have bond, and that she needed me. Proud that I did it naturally. I felt everything emotionally as well as physically, knowing that you could deal with it. It’s manageable as long as you have support.”

Janelle’s summary – good. I like it a lot.

Tu-Duyen – Asian-American couple, with family members. (She speaks Vietnamese, translator for her in post-birth segments). Long labor, cesarean due to malposition. 10 minutes

A week past due date, mild ctx throughout night, so comes to hospital in morning: 2 – 3 cm… admit, but encourage to move around, try bathtub, etc.

Walks halls, working with ctx, effleurage, breathing, pain in lower back: he massages and encourages, tub helped (covered with towel). 2 pm on back in bed, napping.

5 pm. 2 – 3 cm, Pitocin. They say can stop Pitocin if ctx too hard, or could give narcotic or epidural. Shows IV

Hands and knees, back massage. 9 pm. 6cm. baby is lower

Mom looks like in a lot of pain, sighing, massage and support, cool cloths

11 pm – asks for epidural. “15 minute procedure… numbs pain sensations” (only briefly shows tape-up. Do see all equipment on, including O2 mask), She is able to nap

3 am, 10 cm, pushing. Semi-sit, hands and knees, semi-lie

After 2 hard hours of pushing, vacuum (can see it, but not how it attaches to baby)

Baby is not descending. Dr says due to position, mom exhausted. Dr. recommends surgery.

6:30 am Show surgical screen, talk about how he sits by her side, holds her hand… can see incision, and delivery of baby (takes some tugging)  7:05 am healthy 9 lb baby girl.

They check baby, give O2 to help her breathe more easily, dad trims cord

Bring baby to mom still on table. Then goes to nursery with dad while surgery is completed.

Reunite in recovery, breastfeeds right away

When I got home, not depressed about cesarean. Had to do everything slowly… support helped.

Robyn. Caucasian. Multip. Twins (found out a month before EDD)  Unmedicated vaginal birth. 12 min

When got to hospital, early labor, ctx 7 minutes apart, did u/s to check baby’s position

Ctx slowed when arrived at hospital – recommend walking around. Ctx 2 minutes on, two minutes off

4 pm – continuous hands-on support from husband & mother (nice to know mom was there as backup)

Got things for her, lip balm, food, drink.

6 pm – 5 cm. AROM recommended – she didn’t want to, but then decided to.

8:30 pm. Ctx regular and strong. Sitting, talking to babies, walking, breathe into pain, give muscles oxygen, love, and support. Dr. recommends having epidural catheter in place just in case emergency c-s

Anesth: “Not here to force anything on you, but these things are useful”

Mom: “I decided most responsible thing to do was have catheter just in case” No meds though

11:30 pm. Birthing ball was coolest thing ever. Opened up, ctx get hard

Then on back in bed… they asked if she wanted checked, she said yes… 9 cm

12:40 am – taken to OR (routine for twins, to make room for extra staff, and be ready for c-s if needed)

Dad: Hard to get into place to hold her hand, because all these tables and monitors everywhere

Pushing in semi-sitting… one wet slimy baby handed up (1:07 am). Dad is holding, then mom

Then mom keeps pushing. Second delivery also shown, with gush of fluid.

Push two placentas (identicals have one)

In recovery room, she’s holding both, then breastfeeding. Good latch pictures.

Had support of family and friends. Mom came for three weeks, then his mom for 2 weeks

Breastfeeding two at a time, cradled on top of the other.

“It was the perfect birth”