My Story~ Kelly- first time mom and doula

 My Tummy Team Story

So, I heard about the Tummy Team when, as a doula, a good friend and current client told me she was taking the pushing class in order to prepare for the birth of her daughter.  I had been her doula at her first birth and it had taken over three hours and almost every position for her to get her son out.  She wasn’t taking chances this time.   She, however, had some complications and ended up at the hospital.  She was not having the birth she’d wanted or planned and there were some very real dangers involved.  When she was ready to push she had her midwife on one side with forceps and another nurse midwife with a vacuum extractor.  To say things were tense would have been a grave understatement.  But, my friend calmly closed her eyes, focused and in two pushes her daughter was born.  After, seeing her perform that minor miracle, I was sold on Tummy Team.  

I signed up for the pushing classes and did the best I could to get “in shape” for the birth.  I was very faithful in my exercises at first with things waning just before the birth when even getting up to go the bathroom was making me tired.  I could still feel my core when I tightened my muscles and I could relax my pelvic floor at the same time so I felt prepared.  

The one thing I’ve learned as a doula is to prepare, but be prepared for change.  My birth did not go as planned.  When my water broke at home I went to the bathroom and filled the toilet bowl with blood.  I knew there was something seriously wrong so we immediately went to the hospital even though contractions hadn’t started yet.  They checked me and confirmed that my water had broken and that they weren’t sure where the source of the blood was coming from.  I don’t think they wanted to say the words partial placental abruption, but that’s what was going on.  They needed to keep me monitored and we complied.   

My baby was doing great on the monitors so we slept until we were woken later that morning.  The midwife on call suggested that we start pitocin since my water had broken and labor wasn’t active yet.  Around noon I started pit, my doula joined me and we walked around to get things going.  The rest of my laboring was in the tub – seven hours later they got me out to check me and I was 5 cm.  I was pretty exhausted at that point and dehydrated.  I hadn’t eaten for 24 hours and I was beginning to worry about my baby.  I wanted an epidural.  I was advised to walk around, but when I did that I gushed more blood.  I wasn’t bleeding in the water, but I couldn’t go back.  I was a prune.  Literally a prune and body needed time outside the water.  

I got the epidural and rested for a few hours before it was time to push.  My epidural was too heavy.  I couldn’t feel my legs I couldn’t move them.  I was completely numb from the waist down.  I really hadn’t wanted that.  I wanted to be able to feel some, but my former-military (in my opinion) anesthesiologist didn’t understand me when I said I wanted it lowered.  I asked specifically for it to be lowered when I pushed.  She lowered it marginally, but I still felt nothing.  I had to ask for people to tell me when I was having a contraction so I could push with it.  It was very frustrating, especially when people weren’t really keeping track.  

The amazing thing though, was that when I pushed I pushed well.  I pushed so well that I had my eight pound baby girl out within 29 minutes.  I know it would have been less if people had actually kept track of my contractions.  Even though I couldn’t feel my body I relied on my practice and I focused on tightening my core and relaxing my pelvic floor.  I pictured my baby’s head and I pictured my muscles holding her little head in place while I waited for the next contraction to help push her a little further.  

I was so glad to get to this part and be able to push so effectively.  The nurse even mentioned how well I’d done because she was ready to guide me and I said I wanted to use the Tummy Team method.  My baby girl came out healthy and howling.  Her back was covered in red blood.  It wasn’t until later that I realized how precarious our situation was and how blessed we are that my placenta didn’t attach further.  

I really am so grateful I took the pushing course, as a first time mother no less.  I am recommending your classes to every mom I meet.  I know two moms at least, myself and my friend who introduced me to Tummy Team that were able to avoid c-sections because of successful pushing. 

Kelly- new mom of 1.