Birth Story: Titus James
Titus James
Titus James was born December 30, 2019 to Justin and Joslyn. As soon as Joslyn mentioned having another child, I knew that I was going to be her doula. As expatriates, we form our own families in our new country and depend upon each other. Although the grandparents would travel for the birth of the baby, Joslyn would need familial support throughout the pregnancy.
The first few months of the pregnancy came with tiredness and nausea. The family was enjoying vacation in Athens and I would send Joslyn ideas to help with her digestion issues. During the 4th and 5th month, Joslyn started mentioning that she felt different after eating certain foods. In passing she said, she would not be surprised if she had gestational diabetes because she could only eat salads without feeling ill. After a routine visit, Joslyn was diagnosed with GD and given medication. She quickly learned how to change her diet and monitor her insulin levels. She kept very detailed logs. By week 33, Joslyn was exhausted and she did not have any problems with the doctor suggesting an induction at 38 weeks. At 36 weeks, she was frequently using her birthing ball. She wanted to be ready just in case Titus decided to come before the induction.
On December 29, we went to the hospital for the induction. Joslyn told me that I could wait and come once her contractions began, but I wanted to be there for the entire birth. Around 9 am, the nurses started IV fluid and inserted Cytotec. Joslyn and Justin enjoyed each other’s company for the next few hours. Around 1 pm, Joslyn was beginning to have cramps. She would alternate between walking the halls and resting. Around 5 pm, Joslyn was having contractions. We thought things were really beginning to start moving. After midnight, Joslyn was disappointed that she was measuring at 1 cm dilated. She asked for Panadol, so that she could get some pain relief and a nap. Around 3 am, her water broke and she was seeing a bloody show. Around 5 am, Joslyn agreed to morphine so that she could rest. The morphine lasted for about 3 hours and Joslyn was in active labor. Around 9 am, she was clearly in pain during contractions and 4 cm dilated. I massaged her belly, hips, and back with lavender oil. I used frankincense on her shoulders. The mood of the room was different. Joslyn was concentrating and fighting through pain. The grandmothers had arrived, but did not stay in the room long because they didn’t want to see her in pain. Whenever possible, we would all walk with Joslyn. She was at the point that she thought she would need an epidural. She agreed to receiving an epidural and starting Pitocin when she reached 5cm at noon. Before the nurses could measure Joslyn again, she was having severe contractions. At 1pm, I was applying heat and pressure to her back. The contractions were sharp and it looked like we were dancing as I was supporting her. Her pelvis was working with Titus. She wanted the epidural right then and she was tired of waiting.
However, Titus had other plans. As we were walking to the delivery room, Joslyn said she needed to push. Everyone was rushed into an unprepared room and she was pushing on all 4’s. She was telling the nurses to pull him out. Joslyn thought she was going to have an epidural, but she was having a natural birth. In less than 30 minutes, Joslyn had pushed Titus out with only the assistance of nitrous oxide. She had a second degree tear in the same location as her first child, but everything else was completely normal and healthy.
After a long labor and short delivery, Titus became the fourth member of his family. I witnessed the time, patience, and strength needed for an induction. I learned that if the partner were prepared then the doula would not be needed for the entire time. As well, I learned that comfort measures are the key to a successful labor and delivery. Joslyn was able to labor without the epidural because of massage, mantras, essential oils, and breathing techniques. I will definitely encourage partners to be active participants in learning and applying comfort measures.