Newbie and Not Ashamed!

So, as I mentioned earlier, childbirth is a new experience for me. Oh, I've seen "it" in movies but Hollywood speeds up the process considerably. And all that screaming... That kind of drama is VERY unappreciated and strongly discouraged in my little ward. In fact, a couple weeks ago, I watched a midwife slap a mama for being too dramatic. Because, you know, labor is nothing. Suck it up!

But I digress. My first day in the ward was an education! When my friend and I first arrived, we walked past the waiting...bench (there are no upholstered chairs and magazine racks) and clutching a trash can grunting was a very uncomfortable looking woman. For you seasoned doulas, you know what grunting means! This was of course lost on me, it being my first day, so when she was given a bed and began pushing right away, I was shocked! I think this ruined me because it planted a seed of thought something like this, "Wow! Labor is fast! I can't believe it's over already!" Little did I know... *insert sarcastic laugh*

However, this was a wonderful way to start my blossoming career as a doula. When you walk onto a scene such as this ward, with all its cultural and health implications, you don't know what to expect. To witness a normal, easy, fast labor right out of the shoot was a blessing. This mama was a pro, as it was her third.

So, having one under my belt, I felt more confident moving two beds over to support a first-time mama. She was so scared and each contraction brought panic. I rubbed her back and hips and talked to her about her baby for hours. I tried to get her up to walk but she wasn't having any of it. She was too miserable to leave her bed.

Remember what I said earlier about drama being frowned upon? Well, this sweet lady was getting a little too excited so she was given a muscle relaxant and she conked out for a couple hours. I suppose this was a mercy because when she woke up her contractions came back like a vengeance progressing her labor along nicely.

She squatted to push with my friend and I as support. Only at the last moment did she lay on her back. It was so delightful to watch the determination on her face and to see her responding to our encouragement! Before long she delivered a healthy, beautiful baby girl.

If this wasn't wonderful enough, she grabbed my hand and in her native tongue, told me how thankful she was that I had stayed with her throughout the entire process. When the time came, she gave her baby girl my name! Now that makes for a red-letter first day as a doula-in-training! Needless to say, I was hooked.