The story of two ladies endurance

Boy, am I SPENT.

I was called to a birth at 9:30 am on Shabbat, and came home at 7:00 am Sunday morning. It was a very long birth, and I was sick with a stomach bug the whole time. :-/ The 9 hours or so that we spent at home with contractions was better, because at least it was a nice bathroom in a home atmosphere. Unfortunately, though, my stomach was really upset and I couldn't eat or drink because it just felt so icky. But I managed to hide my discomfort enough and give to the laboring mommy what she needed.

Then we got to the hospital, and the labor became harder, just simply by the fact that we were now in the hospital instead of an intimate, quiet home. The young laboring lady was having a very hard time keeping herself "together" with the disappointment that her dilation wasn't as advanced as we'd hoped. When I reminded her how many women (including close friends of hers) would do anything to be in her position at this exact moment, laboring with their first baby, that she was able to change things around for herself. It was still long-- all night. And I had to go have some brisk walks to the icky Soroka bathroom on a frequent basis. Hated that. But then, magic started happening... I saw the first little black curl emerge... the first sign of imminent birth. Love that! The baby was born at 5:30 am. I left dragging (and limping) my tired, drained body at 7:00am, after seeing to her care after birth, and make sure she had at least one good nursing with her new little girl.

I am now spending the rest of the day in bed. My whole body is sore from all the positions that I contorted myself into in order to massage and put pressure where it was needed for the painful contractions. It was lovey to see their couple-hood and togetherness. It was an inspiration for the heart and for the spirit. They got a good thing going. May Hashem bless them with health, courage, and strength as well as long, happy years together.

Today I have a babysitter. Yay!!!!!!! Thank GD for lovely, calm Ravit, our pretty regular babysitter. love her!!!!

Most normal people with regular jobs wouldn't do that; stay for so long when not feeling well. But being a doula is different. In my heart I cannot leave a birth in the middle. It just isn't in me. It can throw the whole thing off for the woman, and my whole being just isn't built that way.

So, between me with the runs, and one lovely barf carefully planned to the last second to be in the bathroom, this baby got brought into the world, one little black curl on her head at a time.

And the mother and father are over-the-moon with awe and shock.

After this business of resting and recovering from this bug, I gotta get on organizing the summer. I don't know when I'll work again. That's just how it is... work will happen when I am ready. Really ready.