Logan
Welcome to the world
Harry George Crisp
Born on the 23.09.2020
All my births stories are special. But I have to admit, there is something unique and significant about knowing your client from the time she was born and getting the chance to witness that little girl grow into a young woman and become a newborn mother herself.
It is also an honor that they then trust in me to be their guide as they navigate these unknown waters and prepare to birth their babies: finding their way as new parents.
As you may have already guessed, Logan is one of these young women.
When Logan called me to say that she and her Fiancé, George, were expecting a baby and that they would like me to be their doula, I was very excited.
I have to say, If Logan was a student studying to prepare for birth, she would have received distinctions in all the criteria. I witnessed the passion and commitment of Logan to learn and develop the knowledge and skills she needed to have a positive and supportive birth experience. It made me feel very so proud of her. George was also very supportive and was keen to listen and participate in our birth preparation meetings. Logan’s emails to me could not be answered quickly as they were rich in detail. To supply her with a sufficient response, I would read them carefully and reply once I had gathered all the knowledge.
Logan prepared her mind, body and soul for the day her baby was going to choose to make her debut into the world. Baby Crisp is as organised as her mummy, making her presence known on her estimated due date of the 22nd of September. Logan had been keeping fit with Pilates all through her pregnancy. Additionally, in the weeks leading up to her birth, she was engaging in some Acupuncture and pregnancy massages as well as practicing spinning babies exercises to help prepare her body for labour and birth
Logans Birth
“However, much we know about birth in general, we know about a particular birth. We must let it unfold with its own uniqueness.” -Elizabeth Noble
4th of September. All the nesting and cleaning Logan was doing may not have been for nothing. After experiencing a loss of the mucus plug and contractions through the night, Logan and George decided to make their way to the LGH from Fingal, arriving around 7am.
George messaged me to say they were at the LGH around 7.30am. Then I hear nothing!!
Finally, after a few hours, George puts this anxious doula out her misery and answers one of my calls. Logan is having contractions every three to five minutes and is feeling pretty tired from being awake all night, she has some back pain and is having bouts of nausea vomiting.
My doula tool kit is packed, and I am on my way.
10am I arrive. Logan is a little trooper. She has found herself in an intimate corner of the room next to the bed where she can lean over the bench and breathe through each wave - rocking her hips and trying to keep focused (the tens machine is working well also).
We dim the lights and put on our diffuser and playlist: creating a space where Logan can feel safe and calm.
All the preparation Logan and George have done has been leading up to this day. Logan trusts herself; she trusts that George and I will hold space for her and support her to feel as comfortable as possible as she calmly rides the waves of labour, one breath at a time.
As we are keen to instigate Logan’s labour, we engage in our spinning babies exercises and the 10 lift and tucks that can be very helpful in creating a space to assist baby Crisp into the pelvis. We get to 9 and babies heart rate is a little low, causing our midwife to suggest that we leave it at 9. As it goes, 9 was enough, and Logans labour is established. It also comes to fruition that baby Crisp has a low-lying base heart rate and that is her normal.
The way Logan was surrendering to the birth process clearly displayed how impassioned and readied for birth she was. Logan was able to achieve a constant state of calm and control, which helped labour to progress very smoothly. George and I made sure we were attentive to Logan’s needs and kept up the fluids, while also suggesting position changes and comfort measures, such as positive words of encouragement, to guide her through each wave.
By 11.40am Logans cervix was effaced, thin and had dilated to 5cm.
We had a student midwife with us who was in awe of witnessing a woman labour without fear or medical interventions. Labour takes courage, and that courage is always worth celebrating.
12pm. Logan is on the birth cub and we are actively helping her as she engages in some more spinning baby exercises to make room in the mid pelvis. Logan is very open to any suggestions to help her labour progress.
1pm. Logan is back in her favourite little corner of the room.
The double hip squeezes that I am performing are affective in relieving some of the discomfort she is experiencing through each wave of labour. The intensity of Logan’s contractions is getting stronger. Thank fully, mother nature always give you rest between each wave. Heat packs on Logans tummy also help with relieving some of the pain.
You know you are on your way when each sensation truly takes all of your attention.
We continue with massage, rebozo sifting and all the other comfort measures we have to offer, to keep this birthing goddess as comfortable as we can. Logan already has the right mind frame in knowing that labour is not something that we suffer, but something we actively do and exult in. Birth matters, it brings us into being on many levels.
2pm. Logan has had a lot of back pain through labour and baby seems like she is favoring more of a posterior position. A bath seems inviting and a change of scenery can be helpful too.
Logan looks like a mermaid moving freely and peacefully between sensations - just floating effortlessly in the bath, eyes closed, and the world shut out. The warmth and the feeling of weightlessness is a welcome change of pace.
George and I continue to support Logan with hands on comfort and positive words of encouragement as she continues to ride the waves and sensations of labour. Logan has had shifting feelings of hot and cold through her labour and the nausea is still coming in waves.
Our young student midwife is still star struck at how amazing our little birthing goddess Logan is coping with labour. Unhindered and in her own mystical place within her mind. Where she no longer thinks, she just responds. Logans mind and body become one. The wonderful hormones of labour are dancing around and Logan is whole hardly embracing them. She looks positively beautiful.
“Childbirth is an experience in a woman’s life that holds the power to transform her forever. Passing through these powerful gates-in her own way-remembering all the generations of women that walk with her…. she is never alone. “– Suzanne Arms
4.37pm. Out of the bath and a second cervical check as Logan is making some bearing down sounds.
Baby still seems to be presenting in a Posterior labour Position and Logan is 7-8 cm dilated.
She is feeling some pressure in her bottom and is bearing down through the surges. It will come to fruition later that although Logan, regardless of never experiencing labour before, could feel that baby Crisp wasn’t descending down despite the sensations of feeling the pressure in her bottom and all signs that she was progressing towards birthing her baby in the bath.
7.25pm. Logan decides to get out of the bath. Baby still presenting in a posterior position. Waters rupture. One of our lovely midwifes Eleanor warmly share with us that Logan has won the award for the most towels ever to come out of the bath. 35 to be exact.
8pm. Back onto our spinning baby protocols. Logan is such a trooper. We do side lunges, rebozo sifting, shake the apple tree and all the other exercises that Logan is willing to try, encouraging flexion and decent.
“Birth is the pinnacle where women discover the courage to become mothers “
9.25pm. After affirming all the hard work Logan had already done, we discuss some pain relief options and the pros and cons of each. Then, Logan is able to make an informed decision to receive an epidural so that she could rest. Baby is still sitting quite high and Logans cervix has started to swell due to baby Crisps positioning. The Epidural will hopefully give her body a chance to relax while also giving her baby a chance to nestle down into a better position.
As we know, labour and birth is unpredictable. Having the right support and knowledge of your options makes jumping over the hurdles a lot easier to accept. We now move forward with our new birth plan.
9.50am. A handover of staff and the epidural is organised
11.05pm. Logan is able to have a rest. Logan rests on her side to make sure she is giving baby all the space she can to turn. We rub Logan’s leg to help encourage her pelvic floor to relax. She agrees to some Syntocinon to encourage stronger contractions as epidurals are known to slow down labour.
12.30am. Baby Crisp is showing signs of distress. She isn’t coping well with the Syntocinon and at 12.45am it is turned off.
We have been assigned the most gentle and caring Obstetrician. She comes back to re access the baby’s position and to help Logan and George decide whether or not to continue to labour. She affirms how tirelessly and fearlessly logan has worked thus far.
A cervical check reveals that there has been no change since the last examination. This is because baby Crisp has her head in an awkward position. She isn’t moving it and without strong, even pressure on Logan’s cervix, Logan can’t dilate any further.
Birth does not ask you to be fearless, it asks you to be brave.
Sometimes we have to surrender our heart to knowing that we are going to have to make peace with birth that is now going to unfold. Its more than ok for the tears to flow and to feel disappointed that this is not how you wanted and expected your birth to unfold.
Dr. Alice calmly explains to Logan that she had done everything she could possibly do to give her baby the opportunity to move her head into a more favorable position. All our options have been exhausted. Baby is getting tired and without pressure on the cervix for dilation, Logans body can’t move forward. There is only one birth option left. This little baby will require some extra support to come into the world. Logan agrees to a caesarean section.
Logan you worked so hard, your strength, the love and care you have for your little baby that you are yet to meet and the way you embraced your labour whole-heartedly and fearlessly is a credit to the strong, beautiful and resilient young woman you are and the amazing mother you are about to become. I am so proud of you.
“There is a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong.” -Laura Stavoe Harm.
Go collect the soul of your baby Logan. It’s time to finally bring this little soul earth side. This is the moment you have been waiting for.
“This is how you take the fear out of birth. By honoring and embracing all the many possible variations that birth encompasses. In this way, every birth is a natural birth.
Each of us is part of nature, not separate from it, and nature is always stunning in its variety. Your birth, then is part of the natural world, however it unfolds.”-Lauralyn Curtis
Baby Crisp was born at 1.15am on the 23rd of September 2020. A healthy little baby Weighing 3538grams (7pound,12ounces) and 50cm of perfection.
I patiently and eagerly waited for Logan and George to come back down to the maternity ward. A newborn family of three. As I was soon to learn, this day of surprises was not over yet. As I changed baby Crisp’s nappy per the midwifes request, my eyes popped, and my jaw opened. I looked at Logan, and said “did you know?” Little Miss Crisp was in fact Little Master Crisp. The 20-week ultrasound was not correct. George noticed first that his baby daughter was actually a Son! I think we were all a little star struck. Gosh, what a birth story they will have to tell. Lucky Pink is your colour George.! Though by the next day, the little boys’ clothes were arriving.
Welcome to the world Harry George Pentland Crisp, you are the best surprise ever xxxx
Thank you, Logan and George, for trusting in me and inviting me along to be part of the most memorable day of your lives. It has been truly an honour.
I have also had the privilege of spending time with you Logan, as you find your way as a newborn mother. And just as I knew you would, you are trusting yourself to listen to that little inner voice inside your heart. That’s your soul talking, you can trust it.
You are finding your unique mothering style, embracing motherhood with the same devotion and care that you put into preparing for your birth. You’ve got this !
With love
Krista xxx
Funny moments:
The midwife’s face when she asked me: “how long have you known Logan?”
“Since she was born.”
The look on her face did make me smile.
The bags! It looked like Logan was going away for a weekend vacation to the Bahamas or a deserted Island with all the luggage, medical supplies and enough snacks for a week (of which she ate none of).
All the room in the world and Logan preferred this one little corner of the room that we all squished in to support her.
George’s comment that he had never witnessed Logan being so polite. As much as we said, “you don’t need to say please and thank you all the time and checking on us that we were all ok and had enough to drink and eat.” Logan continued with the best manners I have ever witnessed from a birthing goddess labour.
I have to make mention of this one again. Our midwife Eleanor informing me the cleaners had said that Logan held the record for the most towels ever in a bath. 35 to be exact.
And the grand finale, when all was revealed that Little Miss Crisp was actually a very adorable and handsome little BOY.Congratulations to Pearl, Ross and Master O on the arrival of your precious little baby daughter and sister. Thank you for inviting me to be part of your lives, and to be your guide as you embarked on your special birth journey.