This is the story of the day you were born
and the amazing people who helped bring you safely into the world.
A few months ago I got a call from a co-worker, asking me if
I would consider taking on a new doula client. She had heard I had ‘retired’
from doula work but was hoping I would make an exception for her daughter. I don’t seek out doula work anymore but
somehow the really exceptional people find a way to cross my path, and in this
case, Shannon was absolutely an exception.
I arranged a meeting for Shannon and I, we chatted about her
pregnancy, and her past. I immediately felt a connection to her and was instantly
moved by her story and her strength. There is a quiet resolve to her and this
sense that she has been through some stuff in her life, she has risen above it
and is now ready to take on whatever lies ahead. I left the meeting feeling
inspired and a little bit in awe of her calm presence and her excitement for
the future as a mother. I leapt at the chance to be her doula and to see her through
the journey ahead.
As we approached her due date, we started to chat more often
and I got to know her and her partner Evan. Both were so excited to meet their
baby girl!
On September 25th, Shannon messaged me to let me
know that she thought her water might have broken. Then she texted me to say, nope,
false alarm. Midwife had checked her out and felt that labour wasn’t imminent (Shannon
was less than thrilled with the news). I carried on with my day, she carried on
with hers and later that evening she messaged me to say that she was feeling
some contractions. We chatted throughout
the evening and around 9pm the decision was made to have her go into the
hospital for an assessment to see where things were at. Things were not very advanced. This little
babe was having a good time get her mama going and then pretty much saying “just
kidding!!”. Shannon was sent home to have a hot bath and get some sleep. The
midwife and I also headed home for sleep, assuming that we would get a full
night sleep and hopeful that labour would get going the next day.
Wrong again. At about 1am contractions kicked in again, this time with some attitude and the party was definately over for Shannon. I headed over to Shannon’s around 1:40am to see how she was doing and to keep her company. She was coping beautifully, rolling with each contraction as it came and then letting it go, despite the back labour she was experiencing (back labour SUCKS). Evan was right there for whatever she needed and her ADORABLE pup, Cooper was literally glued to her side as she quietly laboured away.
At 4am we checked in with the midwife and asked her to come
over. Contractions were much stronger now and much closer together. Joanna
arrived at around 4:40am and did an assessment of how baby was doing and where
things were at. Baby was happy as a clam in there but when Joanna did an exam
she discovered that what should have felt like a hard little head, felt more
like a soft little baby bum…….it appeared the little peanut had quietly flipped
herself around at some point and was now coming bum first. At 5:15am, we made
the decision to head into the hospital for an ultrasound to confirm her
position and make a plan for next steps.
Shannon was a trooper. This is tough news to hear after you
have laboured all night and her contractions were continuing to get stronger
and she just powered through it. Very shortly after arriving at the hospital
(around 6am), the OB on call was able to confirm that baby girl was in fact,
frank breech (bum first) and suggested the best option was to do a C-section as
soon as possible. Again, Shannon and
Evan just rolled with the news. On the
positive side, the C-section meant the end of the labour was near and Shannon
was going to get to meet her baby girl within the hour.
Shannon’s mom, Niki, arrived at the hospital at 6:30am, just as Shannon was taken into the OR. (Side note, Shannon’s mom is an angel and my new favourite person for showing up with coffee! These all-nighters are getting harder and harder the older I get.) Grandma was sooooo excited to meet her granddaughter!
Shannon’s mom, Niki, arrived at the hospital at 6:30am, just as Shannon was taken into the OR. (Side note, Shannon’s mom is an angel and my new favourite person for showing up with coffee! These all-nighters are getting harder and harder the older I get.) Grandma was sooooo excited to meet her granddaughter!
At 7:03 am, on September 26th, sweet, beautiful,
teeny tiny Mila was born. She may have early aspirations to be a gymnast or
acrobat, as it looks like she had been doing all kinds of fancy moves in the
womb and had managed to get her cord wrapped around her neck 3 times!! Shannon
sailed through her surgery, much like she did her entire pregnancy and labour.
Huge shout outs to Shannon’s amazing midwife Joanna, who came into this quite late in Shannon’s pregnancy
and completed changed everything about Shannon’s experience. The level of
support and care Joanna provided and will continue to provide is top notch.
I am so honored to have been a part of this journey.
Welcome to the world Mila!
xoxo
Seanna
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