As a milso, I have always advertised that I serve birthing mothers whose spouses are deployed. My last certification birth (October 2017) was possibly going to be that situation but ended up not being so. But, then in early February my husband and I were video chatting and he mentioned a buddy of his was about to have a baby and his wife was alone, without her family anywhere nearby. Joshua told him about what I do, so his buddy contacted me a little bit later. Then, a few days after that his wife contacted me. It was a Wednesday and we made our initial appointment/hyper-speed prenatal visit for that Saturday since she was already 38 weeks along. I found childcare for my kids from one of my wonderful neighbors. We met on Saturday for about an hour. I crammed my usual 3 prenatal visits into one 90 minute session. This was the fastest I'd ever been hired. I packed my kids' go bags and my doula bag and put them in the hall closet.
February 11, 2018. 0830. My phone buzzed just before my alarm for church went off. "I'm pretty sure my water broke..." It was go time! I dropped off my kids, picked her up, and we headed to the hospital in Alexandria. We got there and they put us in triage. No contractions yet, but still leaking fluids. Once they confirmed her water had indeed broken, they admitted us and set us up in a room. A slow drip of Pitocin was started to get contractions moving along. Mama did great! She labored out of bed and on the birth ball for about 2 hours before she requested the epidural. We watched the Fixer Upper marathon on HGTV for most of the day. The nurse came in every half hour to change her position with the peanut ball. Then, it was time. We called Daddy on video chat and I held the phone so they could see each other. Mama gave 3 good pushes and Elliana Mae was earthside! I cried, like I always do at my births, but this time it was different. The immense pride and privilege I felt being able to help a fellow milso, to be her battle buddy while our husbands were serving together, overwhelmed my heart.
Each birth is always special to me. I learn more and more with each one I attend. I become a better doula each time. Every one of my doula babies has a special place in my heart. This birth, though, was especially memorable, and I will cherish it always.
"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." ~Luke 2:19
