Laura
Welcome to the world
Isla Lauretta Wiggers
Born at 12.56pm on the 29.5.2019
Laura, together we prepared for the birth that your heart wanted and also for the birth that may unfold. Laura, you conquered your fears through preparation, knowledge and an awesome birth team didn’t go astray either ♥️
4.15am
Contractions started.
Laura did not have the pleasure of a slow build up the morning of her labour. Baby Isla was ready to make her debut today and she wasn’t going to be wasting any time getting this show started.
Laura’s strong sensations started at 2-3 minutes apart and were lasting between 30-50 seconds.
6.50am
Laura was feeling a lot of discomfort in her lower back, combined with feeling light headed and nauseas.
Over the phone, I advised Laura to take a spoonful of honey to help with the light headiness. I also encouraged her to drop her head lower than her heart and have Jake apply a cool cloth onto the back of her neck. For the back ache, a heat pack usually works well to help reduce pain.
8am
I arrived after a quick detour to Tanya’s house to pick up a copy of the birth plan. I found Laura sitting on the side of the bed, focusing on her breathing and working with her mind to relax and breathe through her sensations to the best of her ability. Jake had been taking good care of her.
8.15am-10am
Laura started to feel unwell, so she moved to the loungeroom and sat down. Luckily, Jake was on the ball and had a container for Laura to throw up in. Laura asked me, “do you think this is it? am I in labour?” There was definitely no mistaking that this was the day we had all been preparing for. “Yes, Laura, you are definitely in labour, and you are doing an amazing job.” We set about creating a relaxing space for Laura; keeping the room warm, the lighting low, playing relaxation music combined with the essential oil clary sage in a diffuser. The diffuser was gently waving its magic, releasing an aroma that is calming and relives tension and anxiety.
8.15-10am continued
Laura found some relief leaning over the birth ball while I massaged her lower back or used heat packs for pain relief.
Laura’s mum, Tanya, arrived to help Jake and I support her as she continued to progress beautifully with strong sensations that were now taking all of her attention (although I’m sure Laura felt there was nothing beautiful about it). Laura’s lower back was continuing to cause her a lot of discomfort, so we helped her get into position for some spinning baby techniques. These techniques help to balance and align her body, incase baby Isla had turned into a posterior position on her descent into the pelvis and needed some extra space to rotate.
Jake, Tanya and I continued to support and encourage Laura as she breathed through one sensation at a time. While leaning over the birth ball, Tanya massaged Laura’s back with clary sage massage oil. I applied acupressure through each sensation and Jake held Laura’s hands and offered her emotional support, water and snacks to help keep her energy levels up. We all endeavored to keep the spirits high, hoping to make a meaningful difference both physically and emotionally, as Laura would need to continue to dig deep to find the necessary strength to birth her precious baby. Laura did say to me after one sensation, “I thought labour was supposed to feel like a spiritual event? It doesn’t feel like one to me?” (I understand you Laura)
Labour and birth often feel like you are running a marathon event. The only difference is, you don’t have a crystal ball to see how long the journey is going to take.
10am
Laura feels a lot of pressure and makes her way to the bathroom, only to discover that the amniotic sac around her baby is leaking. There is some concern, as there is a greenish tint in the amniotic fluid. This leads us to suspect that there is meconium in the amniotic fluid. Most of the time, babies who pass meconium before or during labour are healthy and don’t need any special attention. In saying this, it is definitely a condition that needs to be monitored, as Laura’s baby could come into some breathing difficulties if she is not getting enough oxygen at any stage during labour. This could potentially cause her to take a breath and inhale some of the meconium. We pack the meconium-soaked pad to take with us to show the midwife.
10.20am
The decision has been made to head to the hospital: “Let’s go have a baby.” Laura’s sensations have continued to increase in frequency and intensity. Her lower back and now her tailbone are causing her a lot of grief. We have been using heat packs on her back in between massages, to help manage the pain. Tanya drives her own car and I travel in the front seat with Jake, while Laura has the back seat. We drive from Perth to the LGH and its not the most comfortable of rides when you’re in established labour. Laura copes really well…She is so much stronger and resilient than she may have ever realised. Giving birth can truly be the most empowering experience of a lifetime.
11.05
We make it to the labour ward, hand over Laura’s birth plan and settle into our allocated room. I set up our diffuser and our relaxation music before dimming the lights. Jake ran back down to the car to fetch the meconium stained pad, but by the time he arrived back, the midwives had already confirmed that it was as Laura expected…meconium. Monitoring of the baby would be the best way to make sure baby Isla was happy until she made her debut. Laura found that being on the bed on her knees leaning over the elevated bed head was a position that felt right for her and would also continue to let labour progress. Laura’s labour was moving very quickly and the tailbone pressure was now accompanied by an urge to push.
The attending midwife was not wanting to interfere with Laura’s care as she was waiting for Laura’s midwife, Janet, from the MGP to arrive. Laura was feeling like she could really benefit from some medical pain relief and the thought of an epidural had now crossed her mind.
11.05am
Janet arrives. For Laura to be elidable for an epidural or any other form of medical pain relief, Janet would need permission form Laura to perform a cervical examination.
A cervical examination confirms that Laura is 9cm dilated and only a tiny part of the cervical lip can be felt. Laura has done such an amazing job. She is having strong urges to push, and Janet advises Laura to follow her birthing instincts and to do whatever feels right for her. Laura never mentions wanting pain relief again and just surrenders herself to the birth process and trusts in her own ability to collect the soul of her baby and bring her earth side. We all continue to encourage, love and support Laura through each and every one of her sensations, while making sure she continues to drink and empty her bladder. We hold cool cloths to her forehead after each contraction and offer her sips of water. This is hard work!
Around 12pm
Baby Isla is starting to show signs that she is getting tired and maybe a little stressed. Her heart rate is not recovering as fast as midwife Janet would like it to be after each contraction. Laura asks, “is everything ok?” Janet reassures Laura that she isn’t to worry about the baby as Janet will do the worrying.
12.20pm
Obstetrician Kim and a trainee enter the room to access Laura’s progress and to check mainly on how baby Isla is coping with labour. Laura is 10cm and it is established that Isla needs to be born sooner rather than later. I can see the worry on Tanya and Jakes faces. Laura is calm. The primal part of her brain that helps us to birth our babies is in full swing, mixed with a cocktail of calming and pain reliving hormones. High levels of these hormones can produce an altered state of consciousness that can help you deal with the process of giving birth, even if it is challenging. Laura, you have well and truly got this!
12.35pm
Kim injects some pain relief into Laura’s vagina so that she can perform an internal and turn Isla’s head slightly. This enables Kim to attach a ventouse suction cup onto Isla’s scalp to assist Laura as she pushes baby Isa out. For Laura, this means that she will need to lay onto her back with her hips open and her feet elevated on the foot holds to make ample room in her pelvis.
12.35-12.56pm
Laura now more than ever connects with her heart and her mind to summon all her energy and power to birth her baby. The ventouse can only stay attached to Isla’s scalp for a maximum of two pushes. Laura gets three pushes as the ventouse slips and so one isn’t counted.
I apply acupressure to Laura’s foot at the bottom of the bed, Jake and Tanya support and encourage Laura at the top of the bed.
Laura now has a room full of her very own cheer squad. We sound like we are cheering on an Olympian runner as she hits the lead, heading to the finish line. The enthusiasm of the trainee Obstetrician as he cheers Laura on, still makes me smile when I think about it. Everyone in the room was conscious that it was important for this little girl to make her appearance now. Fear had to be pushed aside, as Laura needed every one of us to be present and strong, continuing to encourage her to birth her baby with this last push.
“Let choice whisper in your ear, and love murmur in your heart. Be ready. Here comes life.” -Maya Anjelou
As Laura pushed and Kim pulled, baby Isla did indeed make her descent through the birth canal and into the world at 12.56pm. A team of pediatric doctors have wandered quietly into the room, ready to receive Isla to make sure that she has her own medical team to assist her if she needs it.
Isla did have the cord around her neck and so the cord was clamped straight away so that her medical team could take her to the baby station. Isla had a good rub down with a towel and was given some oxygen and her airways cleared. 30 seconds went by (which can feel like forever) until we heard the sweetest sound ever…baby Isla giving us her first cry. We could all relax now and rejoice, Isla was here, she was happy and well, ready to be reunited with her mummy, meet her Daddy, Nan Tan and not long after, her Poppy Deano and the most doting Uncle ever, Uncle Lochie. I’m sure those two were circling the hospital in anticipation. The tears of happiness that we all felt started to flow. Isla, your first breathe definitely took ours all away. The emotion and love on Jakes face as he looked over at Laura and their baby daughter still has me well up with tears as I write these words. The same goes as I also remember seeing the relief on Tanya’s face as Isla cried. Here is a first time Nanny but also a Mother. Witnessing for the first time her daughter become a mother and all the worries that she would have been carrying in her heart for the wellbeing of her precious daughter and her grandchild could now fall away.
Isla Lauretta Wiggers
Born on the 29.5.2019
Weight-3606g
Length-50cm
Head Measurement-34cm
Isla, you are just the most precious little girl, laying there on your mummy’s chest as calm as calm can be. You are so alert, your big beautiful eyes looking at us all. I think your more than happy to be here. Welcome to world Miss Isla, we have been waiting for you.
The birth of a baby is one of life’s most wonderous moments. Few experiences compare with this event. Congratulations to Laura and Jake on the arrival of your beautiful baby daughter, Isla Lauretta Wiggers ♥️
Laura you are one of my gorgeous birthing Goddesses. I seem to be a collector of amazing birthing women. There is no luck involved in any of you coming away from your births feeling like you are invincible.
Laura, together we prepared for the birth that your heart wanted and also for the birth that may unfold. Laura, you conquered your fears through preparation, knowledge and an awesome birth team didn’t go astray either ♥️
he power that this brings, shined through on your babies birth day.
Laura, you were able to surrender your body to the birth process.
Surrender to a shift in consciousness that went deep inside your soul.
You were able to surrender yourself to the mystery of what birth could be and where it may take you.
Laura, your birth was intense from the beginning and you never lost control of your awareness or strayed from having the power over your body and your birth choices.
It was an honour and a privilege to witness you use every last inch of your heart and soul to bring your baby daughter earth side. I’m just so proud of you, my heart overflows with love and pride in all that you have achieved♥️♥️♥️
When we own our birth experience and take pride in our journey, we can help other women do the same thing.
I have the most privileged role as a doula. I have the honour to witness not only the birth of a baby but also the birth of a Mother and a Father. Laura and Jake, thank you for choosing me to share in this most special of times with you all.
With all my love, Krista xxx