Birth D

Induction of labor for post-dates, exact day determined because this patient wanted to be delivered by her midwife. I meet the woman and her family, and learn of her love of her midwife, who also delivered her sister's children. I am thrilled to be a part of it.Still orienting until birth #10, the midwife and I speak with the woman about both of us being at her birth, and she agrees. Epidural in place early, she continues on comfortably through the labor. My orienting midwife actively manages the labor, checking her regularly and encouraging her cervix open in the hopes she will deliver on our shift.Screams come from the room every so often, and each time we check, the sisters are laughing after their screams due to a mouse scurrying in and out of the heating system. They say they are not bothered, and are fine to continue in that room.The father of the soon-to-be-born baby is radiating happiness and smiling from ear to ear the entire day and night. He is laughing along with the sisters, comfortable and thrilled.Many hours after we were to go home, she wants to begin pushing. Her cervix is still present with an anterior lip, though it is soft and easily reduces with her pushing. The baby is not very low, and I know we have a lot of pushing ahead of us. She begins pushing on her side, where we turned her when the anterior lip was more firm, and she is comfortable here for many pushes.The midwife and I are sharing in the work of the labor and birth, and she requests that I start doing things as she would to help the labor move more quickly. She has a trick where she uses one hand to lift the pubic bone, and the other hand to push down on the posterior vaginal wall, with the idea that the baby's head will have more room to pop under the pubic bone. We do this for many pushes, and I continue to speak directly to the woman (while also indirectly speaking with my co-midwife) that first-time births can take some time, and she is doing a great job. Baby sounds wonderful, mother is tired, and I am sending positive vibes to both.Baby is born many pushes later, with a beautiful head indicative of a slow and steady vaginal delivery. A very long baby, as it seemed the body just kept on coming! Straight to mom's arms. Cheers by all.Birth.