I felt very priveleged to be part of this birth. Thank you Jocelyn and Nathaniel for alowing me to share your photos!
Jocelyn was most comfortable labouring in an upright position. She spent early labour keeping busy with her husband (they went grocery shopping!) and focussing on her comfort. I arrived at around the onset of active labour, and we quickly adopted this stance; we would hold on to each other and sway and moan our way through contractions. Jocelyn commented that she felt my confidence in her ability, and this in turn increased her confidence in herself. We laboured this way until Jocelyn was 8 cm dilated.
Between contactions, we were able to relax, smile and laugh. Jocelyn would also pace the room between contractions. I would shadow her, making sure I was always ready for the next contraction.
Jocelyn’s husband also played an active role in the labour. Here, he’s applying counterpressure to Jocelyn’s back, to ease back ache. Labour support is a very dynamic process, and Nathaniel and I were interchangeable throughout the labour – sometimes I would provide the counterpressure, and sometimes he would. The important thing was that both roles were filled, in order to maintain the ritual we had all created as a team.
At 8 cms, Jocelyn decided to move into the birthing pool. Again, her husband and I both fulfilled unique but crucial roles during this time. Jocelyn gained huge comfort feeling her husband’s arms around her. I was able to provide cool compresses to her forehead, take pictures and keep a constant supply of hot water going into the pool.
A beautiful mom and baby, after the birth!
