I called in around 5pm, and May was just getting active, not yet needing much assistance. The hospital had called earlier in the day to tell me she was in early labor and requesting a doula. Around 7pm, the nurse, Joanne called and said to come as soon as possible. When I arrived a few minutes later, May was in the tub, had recently been checked, and was at 4cm. She was making sound and starting to get focused. John was right there with her, giving her an ice pack, telling her “You’re pretty” and rubbing her back.

    Her contractions were coming pretty quick and clearly intensifying. I put some pressure on her lower back, pressed on her shoulders, held her hand. She was getting hot in the tub, so we put some cooler water in. By 8:30, she was getting louder, and contractions were lasting longer. Joanne checked her, and she could “stretch her to 6cm.” I helped her breathe in a rhythm and she asked to be guided. We all breathed the rhythm together. I leaned over the edge of the tub with my hand on her sacrum, and the pressure felt good, helped her get through the contractions.

    She mentioned feeling pressure, like she had to poop. Joanne checked her again, “just to be sure the doctor [didn’t] need to rush in.” She didn’t comment and I assumed May was still dilated to 6 cm. It was 9pm. Soon after that, she got out of the tub and laid in the bed awhile. We tried a few positions, lying on her side, squatting, facing back of the bed on her knees... She was very uncomfortable squatting, but I encouraged her to try a few like that, since they were clearly more intense.

    Awhile later, back in the tub, she was starting to comment about not being able to do this much longer, feeling nauseous. Contractions were sometimes right on top of each other. We breathed together, she stayed on top of it. John was incredibly encouraging. I mentioned that transition is like this, that things were getting more intense because progress was happening, things were speeding up, coming to the exciting part. She said that if she was not more dilated, she was getting an epidural, and Joanne checked her and pointed between the 6cm circle and the 8cm circle on her chart, indicating that she was in between. Things were intensifying quickly; she was nauseous, feeling more pressure, still in the tub.

    A little before 11:00pm, Joanne checked her again, and said she was at 8cm. “Eight!” May exclaimed. I thought you said I was at nine when you checked me last! I want an epidural! I can't do this!” With the misunderstanding that she had been at nine when Joanne pointed to the chart earlier, she had been able to handle things, but now she started to panic. We assured her that this is what transition is like, and she can get through it, that things generally speed up at this point, that when she is focused on her breath and not caught in her mind and her worry about numbers and time, she is getting through it all with such incredible strength. I suggested a way that she could not "do this anymore," by getting out of the tub and going to the bathroom, or sitting on the birth ball. She could change her situation now, try something new. Joanne asked her if she could wait half an hour and check back in, rather than rushing off to call the doctor, requesting an epidural. May didn't respond either way, but said she would get out and try sitting on the toilet.

    She did get out of the tub and got to the bathroom, where she and John spent some time alone. When they came out, she stood by the tub and he squeezed her pelvis with contractions, relieving some of the pressure. She was handling things much better, had her second wind, was again with her breath and calmer. By midnight, it seemed like the contractions were coming one right after another, and when the new nurse, Liz, checked her around 1:00, she was almost complete. Liz thought maybe the doctor could stretch her cervix open so she could push the baby through, so she went to call her. By the time she arrived, May was having 5 minute long contractions, totally complete and ready to push. She pushed for maybe half an hour, then baby Lila was born! May said, " "Everyone said I couldn't do it, but I did! I had a completely natural birth!"