Re: [ozmidwifery] singing in labour
Wow, Lea, what an amazing story. Holly (Bmid student UTS) - Original Message - From: Lea Mason To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2005 9:50 AM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] singing in labour Here is a lovely birth story I read on the MDC forums...it has inspired me to start singing sessions (along with reading about this idea in Birth Reborn)... "I recently attended a birth that was one of the highlights of my career so far. It has really affected me deeply.Mum was having her second baby. Her partner and she believed in birth, believed it would happen, believed she could do it. They wanted fairly minimal care, declined U/S, and took an approach that her body knew best. Those beliefs in themselves were awesome to witness. This family listened and asked really enlightening questions, and for the most part let nature take its path When I was called for labour, things were gentle and sweet. Her first labour was fairly swift, so I called her second midwife to come too. We also had a student whose role was to be a fly on the wall, as the parents wanted an intimate feeling. She laboured beautifully, and every time a contraction came her partner made this amazing sound. He sings operatic bass and so his voice was like a didgeridoo -- low and modulating. She would join his voice with a higher octave, sometimes copying him, sometimes moving up or down. Her contraction would finish, and she'd breathe a nice deep breath, and then she would turn back to us and be PRESENT in the moment ...We did choose to do a vaginal exam at this point because she was feeling that it was different than last time, and felt that she wasn't entering 'labourland'. She was a good 5-6 cm with her cervix totally effaced, and the bag of waters bulging on her cervix. We waited for it to go on its own, knowing that once it did, the baby would be right there. She didn't have any other exams in the labour and birth. A couple of hours later she moved from hands and knees to standing up. She started swaying and wiggling her hips with the contractions, all the while singing her beautiful labour song with her partner. The baby sounded stellar, she was drinking labourade, and all was well. Around 3 we woke up her son, who was almost 2. At first he was stunned and sleepy, not making a peep. Then he started to cry and ask for the comfort of his mum. The mum would finish her contraction, and smile broadly down at him, and lean down to comfort him. We distracted him with some trains, and after awhile he started to laugh at her every time she had a contraction! He would start a big belly laugh every time she had a contraction because she was vocalizing. It really helped to bring him into the birth, and make it happy and joyous instead of totally solemn. At this point in her labour she was starting to sound like she was making love with her partner. I wondered what the neighbour upstairs was thinking because it was obvious they were up -- we could hear their pacing. I hoped the holy feeling would waft up there and soothe them from complaining or something worse. The mum was so strong, so goddess-like, and her voice was an embodiment of her strength. We were in awe just watching her. She was working very hard, she was so strong. She didn't ever complain, or say she couldn't do it. She accepted every contraction and worked through them calmly and with such strength and grace.At once, her water broke. She was standing up being supported by her partner. I reached around her from behind, while the second midwife held a hand at the front. The baby was crowning. Her vocalizations were at a peak now, no stopping, just loud and strong. The baby inched its way out quite slowly. That's what those hip wiggles were about -- those shoulders were big and she wiggled them into place! Her body knew so well what to do. The baby slid out, vigorous and pinking up, with quiet cries. Mum turned around and the baby was passed through her legs -- she was literally hanging from her partner. They sat down and she snuggled that baby close to her, and the baby was transforming beautifully. The older one came over and talked to the baby. Later we weighed the baby: 10 pounds even, and over an intact perineum to boot!Later we heard that the birth was recorded - audio only. I listened to it on our day one visit-- so amazing! You can hear her singing with the contractions, then just quiet murmurings in between, with quiet encouragement from us and her partner, and the lovely laughs from her son as the contraction started again " Lea Mason, AAHCCCertified Bradley® Natural Childbirth Educator & Labo
Re: [ozmidwifery] singing in labour
Here is a lovely birth story I read on the MDC forums...it has inspired me to start singing sessions (along with reading about this idea in Birth Reborn)... "I recently attended a birth that was one of the highlights of my career so far. It has really affected me deeply.Mum was having her second baby. Her partner and she believed in birth, believed it would happen, believed she could do it. They wanted fairly minimal care, declined U/S, and took an approach that her body knew best. Those beliefs in themselves were awesome to witness. This family listened and asked really enlightening questions, and for the most part let nature take its path When I was called for labour, things were gentle and sweet. Her first labour was fairly swift, so I called her second midwife to come too. We also had a student whose role was to be a fly on the wall, as the parents wanted an intimate feeling. She laboured beautifully, and every time a contraction came her partner made this amazing sound. He sings operatic bass and so his voice was like a didgeridoo -- low and modulating. She would join his voice with a higher octave, sometimes copying him, sometimes moving up or down. Her contraction would finish, and she'd breathe a nice deep breath, and then she would turn back to us and be PRESENT in the moment ...We did choose to do a vaginal exam at this point because she was feeling that it was different than last time, and felt that she wasn't entering 'labourland'. She was a good 5-6 cm with her cervix totally effaced, and the bag of waters bulging on her cervix. We waited for it to go on its own, knowing that once it did, the baby would be right there. She didn't have any other exams in the labour and birth. A couple of hours later she moved from hands and knees to standing up. She started swaying and wiggling her hips with the contractions, all the while singing her beautiful labour song with her partner. The baby sounded stellar, she was drinking labourade, and all was well. Around 3 we woke up her son, who was almost 2. At first he was stunned and sleepy, not making a peep. Then he started to cry and ask for the comfort of his mum. The mum would finish her contraction, and smile broadly down at him, and lean down to comfort him. We distracted him with some trains, and after awhile he started to laugh at her every time she had a contraction! He would start a big belly laugh every time she had a contraction because she was vocalizing. It really helped to bring him into the birth, and make it happy and joyous instead of totally solemn. At this point in her labour she was starting to sound like she was making love with her partner. I wondered what the neighbour upstairs was thinking because it was obvious they were up -- we could hear their pacing. I hoped the holy feeling would waft up there and soothe them from complaining or something worse. The mum was so strong, so goddess-like, and her voice was an embodiment of her strength. We were in awe just watching her. She was working very hard, she was so strong. She didn't ever complain, or say she couldn't do it. She accepted every contraction and worked through them calmly and with such strength and grace.At once, her water broke. She was standing up being supported by her partner. I reached around her from behind, while the second midwife held a hand at the front. The baby was crowning. Her vocalizations were at a peak now, no stopping, just loud and strong. The baby inched its way out quite slowly. That's what those hip wiggles were about -- those shoulders were big and she wiggled them into place! Her body knew so well what to do. The baby slid out, vigorous and pinking up, with quiet cries. Mum turned around and the baby was passed through her legs -- she was literally hanging from her partner. They sat down and she snuggled that baby close to her, and the baby was transforming beautifully. The older one came over and talked to the baby. Later we weighed the baby: 10 pounds even, and over an intact perineum to boot!Later we heard that the birth was recorded - audio only. I listened to it on our day one visit-- so amazing! You can hear her singing with the contractions, then just quiet murmurings in between, with quiet encouragement from us and her partner, and the lovely laughs from her son as the contraction started again " Lea Mason, AAHCCCertified Bradley® Natural Childbirth Educator & Labour Support Professionalhttp://www.birthsteps.com.au - Original Message - From: Honey Acharya To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Friday, August 19, 2005 10:19 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] noises woman make in labour Some people also suggest singing!
