Long weekend
A week of relaxation is stretching out before me, if I care to ignore the 3 meetings scheuled, one of which would involve taking Amy as it's on Thursday. It's tempting to shun them, but I'm such an inquisitive little busybody that it would be torture, I'll see how I feel on the day.
The weekend was looking as if it would be busy, without being hectic, but then, just as I was thinking Saturday was nearly over my mobile rang, a homebirth. Worse timing, been at work all day, havn't stopped for lunch and then being called out. Lovely couple having their second baby, venue for the birth chosen to be their spare bedroom, complete with mirrored wardrobe doors alond one wall. The atmosphere was soporific, realaxing music gurgling and trilling away, heating on max and lights down low. Labour went on, and on, over 3 hours there was no progess so colleague decided to break the waters, instant progress, feels like pushing, and nothing. Encouraged the Mum to lie on her left side on the sofabed, often helps babies to negotiate the 'curve of carus', and wow, suddenly a shock of long, black hair came into view. At this point I am squeezed between the back of the sofabed and the wall, holding Mum's right leg up, and facing the mirrors, I tried really hard not to look in them, the other midwife is kneeling on the floor, next to the sofabed giving encouragement. The shock of hair didn't move, even with Mum pushing well it just sat there, and then slowly it began to advance, Mum was doing brilliantly breathing baby out and then we saw the cause of the hold-up, the cord was tightly around the neck. No problem, next contraction should see baby born. Come on then, where's the next contraction, nothing, 3 minutes, seemed like forever, and then baby moved, slightly, Mum pushed, baby stayed there, I handed supporting her leg over to her husband and squeezed out from behind the sofa, bodily lifted Mum over a few inches and turned her over, the cause for the third slowdown became clear, baby had it's fist alongside it's neck so it was having trouble getting an arm, plus it's shoulders through, just a little pressure on the arm, plus a good push from Mum and out came a 7lb 4 oz little girl, quick drying off from us and she snuggled up on Mum and began searching for milk, greedy guts!
I got home at midnight, starving hungry, splitting headache, and shattered. Hubby had ordered me an Indian takeaway, I ate half of it and went to bed. Silly, silly action as I spent half the night experiencing indigestion, and still had to be at work for 8.30am. Mid-afternoon I receive a wonderful text message, ' Just to check you havn't forgotten about me today.Me and my cervix are eagerly awaiting your arrival! Plus he in-laws arriving 3.30.' What does that mean? Someone who has gone past their due date on whom I am going to perform a stretch and sweep . I did the S & S but don't hold out much hope for it working, baby is hiding near her tonsils, it needs to come down more and pressurise the cervix. She did say that she was thinking of trying Oil of Evening Primrose, I had never heard of his method, so looked it up and here's what is written:-
'Evening primrose oil is an excellent source of prostaglandins, which we already determined readies your cervix for labor. It can be taken orally as soon as 34 weeks, and can be applied directly to the cervix at full term (36 weeks). The general recommendation is two 500mg capsules per day until week 38, at which time you increase to 3-4 per day. The entire capsule can be inserted vaginally (inserted just before bed, it will dissolve before the first time you wake to use the bathroom), or you can use the oil on your fingers for your perineal massage, then also rub on your cervix (assuming you can reach it). Applying directly to the cervix is optimal, but the beneficial ingredients are absorbed through the external skin or the stomach also.' (maternitycorner.com)
Can't comment on whether it works or not, might mention it to daughter though.