Birth PP

The room was quiet, you were focused, and your family was excited. Everything was going beautifully. The nurse and I commented on how peaceful everything felt.Except for all of the interruptions.A Resident walked in to tell me my two other laborers were at 9cm. I asked the nurse to call my back-up. Turns out the Secretary didn't have the number.I encouraged you to keep going. As I saw your baby's head move down considerably, I knew I had an extra minute, if I ran. And run I did. To call my back up. And then I ran again, to get back to you.And I calmly re-entered the room, and prepared for more peace.Except for all of the interruptions.A Nurse, and then an Attending, and then a Resident came in to discuss the other women under my care, their proximity to birth, and where my back-up call might be. We quietly discussed a plan for who would care for whom, and I stayed with you, knowing that there were enough hands for everyone, and the politics and the logistics would work themselves out. Though my frustrations about the scenario, and its handling, were crowding my mind, I pushed them away.The room remained peaceful.Except for all of the interruptions.My back-up stepped in, calmly asked for a quick update, and then left.We resumed peace in the room.You pushed, your baby was born. We all commented on how peaceful everything remained.Except for all of the interruptions.Except, finally, importantly, and beautifully, these were your own interruptions. The ones you had been waiting for. The new cries, the reflexive squirms, the little hand reaches, the strong feet pushing against your tummy, the family calling with exclamations and congratulations, the bursts into tears from your partner and friends, the hugs from the midwife who felt terribly for the rest of the interruptions, and thankful for all of the happy ones.Birth.