So much for the textbook......

Labor is different for every woman, but occasionally, someone really breaks the mold. With permission, I share the story of my client, S.

S is a strong, energetic young woman having her first baby. She and her husband quickly became dear to my heart. Upon her labor beginning, like a good girl, she went for a beautiful walk in the park with her hubby, and called me when the contractions became a little closer. I told her that by listening to her, I did think she was in early labor and that she would be having her baby soon(meaning in the next couple of days). This went on all day. I went to an early morning birth, then had to take my toddler to the doctor, and decided to run over and check on her. She was frustrated. The contractions had been going on all day with no apparent change.

By the time I arrived, there were no clues that she was in active labor. Many times, contractions will slow down or even stop when I show up...then they pick up again. She would casually mention that she was having a contraction between our topics of conversation. With a loving smirk, I told her husband to call me when she stopped talking so much, that we would know then that it was time to get really serious. I also gave her some homeopathics just to see if it would help. After about an hour....I left thinking it would be a while.

I got home and took a much needed hot bath. The baby born that day had pulled me out of bed at 5am. I had also been at a birth the day before that...LOL. I was hoping for a few hours of sleep. But S's husband called me back before my hair was even dry. He said she had not stopped talking....rather...she had begun yelling and cursing and had droppped to her hands and knees on the floor. I told him to ask her what she felt like we needed to do....mamma instincts know. She said we should go to the hospital and out the door I went to meet them there.

Upon arriving, she was still chatty. She did stop talking for a contraction, but I did not see the seriousness and the concentration that I normally see in active labor. Usually, toward delivery, mom will stop talking even in between contractions....other than to say, "water" or "bathroom" or "hurts here." She and hubby didn't even bring the bags in out of the car because they had convinced themselves on the way to the hospital that this might not even be real labor. LOL Imagine all of our surprise when the nurse announced that she was 9cm.

There are always exceptions to the rule and she was one. But, it proves that mamma instincts will always tell you the right thing to do. It was time to go - even though she wasn't exhibiting the textbook signs. And by the way, she never did get quiet and contemplative. She never stopped cracking jokes and smiling. She made it look easy. And she made me stop looking so hard for absolutes.......