My water broke at 5:30 am on June 3rd, 2008, while I was laying in bed not really sleeping. We dropped Sage off at the Lee's house, and we were off to the hospital by about 7:30. This is me 36 1/2 weeks pregnant with the twins minutes before leaving for the hospital on that rainy June morning.
Reese born at 2:34 pm. 5 lb 13 oz.
Mira born 7 minutes later at 2:41 pm. 4 lb 13 oz.
Coby, the proud papa.
Happy family of 5. Coby, Sage, Shalyce, Mira, Reese.Reese and Mira: Your birth story
By Helen Welch, Midwife
I should not even have been on call the Tuesday you were born. It was not my usual day. By my partner midwife was in El Salvador with Medical Teams International and I agreed to cover for her.
Lucky me.
I was tired that day. Not a lot of birth energy. Or so I thought.
I had been on call the Friday before for 24 hrs and again for 12hrs on Sunday. 6 babies born in those hours which is a lot for a midwife. We don’t usually just “show up” for the birth to deliver the baby. We rub backs. We push on hips. We murmur words of encouragement, reassure, instill courage so that the mother herself can give birth. So that she can feel strong and courageous. So that when it is over she knows she has more strength than she ever believed. That the power is hers.
That Tuesday was quiet for the midwifery service but the doctors in the practice were busy so I offered to help out. I heard your mother was in labor with twins and I offered to be the person to assist. We always have 2 providers present at a twin birth in case of an emergency. My job as the assist is to keep track of heartbeats, to use the ultrasound to monitor the position of the second baby and to be the assistant if a cesarean birth becomes necessary.
At about 1:45 pm I received a page to please go to the OR because the “twins are close”.
I entered the OR expecting to see a woman on the OR table, with an epidural (which is the usual for a hospital twin birth these days) waiting for the urge to push. Instead I saw your mother sitting on top of a birth ball beside the OR table rocking rhythmically. She was breathing hard and moaning gently through her contraction. Your father held her hands across the table supporting her. Encouraging her. The nurses, there were two, were trying hard to keep your heartbeats on the monitor. I could hear you were both sounding strong and healthy. I moved towards your Mum and touched her gently after her contraction was done to let her know I was there.
“My name is Helen” I told her. “I am a midwife…”
The word midwife had not even left my lips and she grabbed my arm.
“Don’t leave me “ she implored. “You’re my angel.”
I smiled to myself. I can do this.
So I knelt behind her and placed my hands on her hips pushing inward gently. But firmly... She told me how good that felt. So there I stayed pushing, rubbing her back listening to your heartbeats tick away. Strong and healthy.
I asked for a footstool to sit on to save my aching knees. Once again I was a midwife.
Then Dr P appeared. He told your Mum that he would probably be the one to help her have her babies as the first Dr had to go to the emergency room. He looked at me.
“She is 7 cm” I told him. “I can call you when she is 9 cm or wants to push if you like”
He readily agreed and returned to the clinic where he had many women waiting for him.
At about 2:15 pm your mother had a strong urge to push. I checked her cervix and it was 9cm dilated. I asked the nurse to page Dr P for me to come and told your Mum it would be a great time to climb up onto the bed. “No” was her answer. Your Dad explained that she had given birth to your sister standing and that was best for her. I wasn’t sure what Dr P would think about this but I decided he could deal with it when he arrived. I returned to the work of supporting your Mum and listening to you two to keep you safe.
I placed a hand on each of your Mum’s “sit” bones and asked her to push back into them with the next contraction. As she did so Reese moved quickly down into the birth canal and I could see the vaginal canal open with a head right behind.
I remember feeling a tingle of excitement thinking that probably Dr P would not make it and I would get to catch this first baby girl.
Sure enough, with the next push the top of a hairy head appeared. I asked your mum to push gently and breath to make sure you came slowly. And slowly, oh so slowly, Reese‘s head was born. With the next push her body slipped into my hands. I asked your mum to stand straight and I passed you between your mum’s legs and she and your Dad caught you up and held you as you cried, surprised and bewildered.
Because I knew we had Mira yet to come I clamped your cord as soon as it stopped pulsing and your Dad separated you from your mother by cutting the umbilical cord. You were passed into the warm blankets the nurse was holding.
I looked around expecting to see my MD back up. I was alone apart from the nurses. “He hasn’t replied” the nurse told me when I asked where he was. At that moment another doctor, Dr M, called to see if she was needed. The nurse told her “Helen has delivered the first one”. She asked if she should come over. “Yes” I said emphatically knowing that if Mira did have trouble I would need help.
It was that moment my heart skipped a beat as I realized I was now totally responsible for Mira. Usually we check at that point the position of baby #2 with the ultrasound. When the Mum is lying there is a lot of room for the second baby to change positions to transverse or breech. Your Mum was standing and of course we had gravity on our side. But checking position with the ultrasound was impossible. I carefully checked your mum’s cervix again and it was 9 cm dilated and there was a nice head pushing against a big bubble of water. I breathed a sigh of relief.
At that moment Mira’s heart, which had been strong suddenly dropped to about 70 – 80 beats a minute. This is too low if it stays there for a long time. I wasn’t too worried as I knew she had been doing well before this but I knew it was time for Mira to be born. I told your Mum and Dad to start talking to Mira and tell her to hold on. That we were going to get her out very soon and she just needed to stay strong a little longer. Your Mum placed her hand on her belly and began to rub talking to Mira all the while. Hold on baby I thought. Stay well for me. I knew we had 15 minutes at the most before she would be in serious trouble.
I thought about breaking the bag of water to speed the labor but there was no time. Your Mum had another contraction. I placed my hands on her sit bones again and down she moved squatting into my hands.
A balloon of clear water appeared.
At that moment Dr. M entered the OR. She saw me squatting on the floor, your mother leaning against the bed and a large bag of waters ready to break. She told me later that she hoped no one would ask her to do anything as she had no idea what to do!
Mira‘s Head eased out slowly with the bag of waters still intact around her, and I broke the bag of waters to allow her to take a deep breath but she didn’t yet. Her body slipped into my hands and again I passed her between your Mum’s legs into her waiting hands. Your Mum cradled you and saw you take your first breath bringing pink to your cheeks. We all told her we were so glad she came safely.
Dr M asked your mum to climb onto the bed so she could deliver the placenta. At that moment your mother was so happy she would have done anything.
I stripped you girls naked from your blankets and tucked you into each of your mothers arms close to her so that you could feed.
Your Mother called me her Angel. I do believe in Angels but I do not believe I am one. What I believe is that your mother was strong and powerful in her conviction that she knew best how to give birth. She held true to that even though many told her it would be a risky birth. That is was possibly dangerous. That she should have an epidural. She stayed strong and your Father supported her all the way. The Angels recognized that strength and used me to help her. They put me in the right place so that a midwife with 27 years of experience, who believes in birth, who is not afraid could help your mother do exactly what she needed to do. For that I am so grateful. It was an honor to be present and participate in such a wonderful arrival.
Lucky me.
I was tired that day. Not a lot of birth energy. Or so I thought.
I had been on call the Friday before for 24 hrs and again for 12hrs on Sunday. 6 babies born in those hours which is a lot for a midwife. We don’t usually just “show up” for the birth to deliver the baby. We rub backs. We push on hips. We murmur words of encouragement, reassure, instill courage so that the mother herself can give birth. So that she can feel strong and courageous. So that when it is over she knows she has more strength than she ever believed. That the power is hers.
That Tuesday was quiet for the midwifery service but the doctors in the practice were busy so I offered to help out. I heard your mother was in labor with twins and I offered to be the person to assist. We always have 2 providers present at a twin birth in case of an emergency. My job as the assist is to keep track of heartbeats, to use the ultrasound to monitor the position of the second baby and to be the assistant if a cesarean birth becomes necessary.
At about 1:45 pm I received a page to please go to the OR because the “twins are close”.
I entered the OR expecting to see a woman on the OR table, with an epidural (which is the usual for a hospital twin birth these days) waiting for the urge to push. Instead I saw your mother sitting on top of a birth ball beside the OR table rocking rhythmically. She was breathing hard and moaning gently through her contraction. Your father held her hands across the table supporting her. Encouraging her. The nurses, there were two, were trying hard to keep your heartbeats on the monitor. I could hear you were both sounding strong and healthy. I moved towards your Mum and touched her gently after her contraction was done to let her know I was there.
“My name is Helen” I told her. “I am a midwife…”
The word midwife had not even left my lips and she grabbed my arm.
“Don’t leave me “ she implored. “You’re my angel.”
I smiled to myself. I can do this.
So I knelt behind her and placed my hands on her hips pushing inward gently. But firmly... She told me how good that felt. So there I stayed pushing, rubbing her back listening to your heartbeats tick away. Strong and healthy.
I asked for a footstool to sit on to save my aching knees. Once again I was a midwife.
Then Dr P appeared. He told your Mum that he would probably be the one to help her have her babies as the first Dr had to go to the emergency room. He looked at me.
“She is 7 cm” I told him. “I can call you when she is 9 cm or wants to push if you like”
He readily agreed and returned to the clinic where he had many women waiting for him.
At about 2:15 pm your mother had a strong urge to push. I checked her cervix and it was 9cm dilated. I asked the nurse to page Dr P for me to come and told your Mum it would be a great time to climb up onto the bed. “No” was her answer. Your Dad explained that she had given birth to your sister standing and that was best for her. I wasn’t sure what Dr P would think about this but I decided he could deal with it when he arrived. I returned to the work of supporting your Mum and listening to you two to keep you safe.
I placed a hand on each of your Mum’s “sit” bones and asked her to push back into them with the next contraction. As she did so Reese moved quickly down into the birth canal and I could see the vaginal canal open with a head right behind.
I remember feeling a tingle of excitement thinking that probably Dr P would not make it and I would get to catch this first baby girl.
Sure enough, with the next push the top of a hairy head appeared. I asked your mum to push gently and breath to make sure you came slowly. And slowly, oh so slowly, Reese‘s head was born. With the next push her body slipped into my hands. I asked your mum to stand straight and I passed you between your mum’s legs and she and your Dad caught you up and held you as you cried, surprised and bewildered.
Because I knew we had Mira yet to come I clamped your cord as soon as it stopped pulsing and your Dad separated you from your mother by cutting the umbilical cord. You were passed into the warm blankets the nurse was holding.
I looked around expecting to see my MD back up. I was alone apart from the nurses. “He hasn’t replied” the nurse told me when I asked where he was. At that moment another doctor, Dr M, called to see if she was needed. The nurse told her “Helen has delivered the first one”. She asked if she should come over. “Yes” I said emphatically knowing that if Mira did have trouble I would need help.
It was that moment my heart skipped a beat as I realized I was now totally responsible for Mira. Usually we check at that point the position of baby #2 with the ultrasound. When the Mum is lying there is a lot of room for the second baby to change positions to transverse or breech. Your Mum was standing and of course we had gravity on our side. But checking position with the ultrasound was impossible. I carefully checked your mum’s cervix again and it was 9 cm dilated and there was a nice head pushing against a big bubble of water. I breathed a sigh of relief.
At that moment Mira’s heart, which had been strong suddenly dropped to about 70 – 80 beats a minute. This is too low if it stays there for a long time. I wasn’t too worried as I knew she had been doing well before this but I knew it was time for Mira to be born. I told your Mum and Dad to start talking to Mira and tell her to hold on. That we were going to get her out very soon and she just needed to stay strong a little longer. Your Mum placed her hand on her belly and began to rub talking to Mira all the while. Hold on baby I thought. Stay well for me. I knew we had 15 minutes at the most before she would be in serious trouble.
I thought about breaking the bag of water to speed the labor but there was no time. Your Mum had another contraction. I placed my hands on her sit bones again and down she moved squatting into my hands.
A balloon of clear water appeared.
At that moment Dr. M entered the OR. She saw me squatting on the floor, your mother leaning against the bed and a large bag of waters ready to break. She told me later that she hoped no one would ask her to do anything as she had no idea what to do!
Mira‘s Head eased out slowly with the bag of waters still intact around her, and I broke the bag of waters to allow her to take a deep breath but she didn’t yet. Her body slipped into my hands and again I passed her between your Mum’s legs into her waiting hands. Your Mum cradled you and saw you take your first breath bringing pink to your cheeks. We all told her we were so glad she came safely.
Dr M asked your mum to climb onto the bed so she could deliver the placenta. At that moment your mother was so happy she would have done anything.
I stripped you girls naked from your blankets and tucked you into each of your mothers arms close to her so that you could feed.
Your Mother called me her Angel. I do believe in Angels but I do not believe I am one. What I believe is that your mother was strong and powerful in her conviction that she knew best how to give birth. She held true to that even though many told her it would be a risky birth. That is was possibly dangerous. That she should have an epidural. She stayed strong and your Father supported her all the way. The Angels recognized that strength and used me to help her. They put me in the right place so that a midwife with 27 years of experience, who believes in birth, who is not afraid could help your mother do exactly what she needed to do. For that I am so grateful. It was an honor to be present and participate in such a wonderful arrival.
Helen, C.N.M., M.S.N.
Coby, Shalyce, Helen (midwife), Reese and Mira
