Well OMFG I listened to The Midwives Cauldron episode on Labour pauses - Failure to progress or just normal? (https://spotify.link/Ewfpvj7orIb)- An interview with Dr Marina Weckend; and it literally blew my mind 🤯. It was one of those moments where my heart actually sannnnnggg🎤 I mean its 100% a thing, totally a thing but we don't talk about it publicly. Why not? 

 

So anyway your like ‘Shut up Kat what are you screaming about’

 

There are certain stages in Labour/Birth that we all know about, that we educate about however, there are many that are not discussed. One being, what I like to call, ‘The physiological rest and be thankful stage’ 

 

WHAT HAPPENS?

 

During labour its completely normal for your body to say ‘I need a cuppa, I'm gonna take a rest, I'm gonna slow this shit down’. This is normal physiology. This can happen over a few days in early labour, the latent phase. It can happen during established labour, in ANY STAGE. 

 

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?

 

Wellllllll I'm gonna tell ya. There are loads! If you know me, then this next qoute wont shock you. Your probably rolling your eyes as I type🙄 ‘Where your mind goes your body follows’  

Birth in its normal physiological , spontaneous form can 100% be affected by our environment. I've been called a Hippy many times for saying this (which I totally take as a compliment) but its true🤰

 

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ENVIRONMENT?

 

Where your birthing, who your with, whose your care provider, what's the room like, what's the atmosphere, what's the vibe, what's the Birth language??? I could go on……. Thats how important it is! I cant tell you how many times this happened where I cared for women in the NHS😥. 

 

Picture the scene-

Your are at home having regular surges/contractions merrily going along, getting excited, feeling good. As labour progresses everything's getting more powerful, surges getting closer together. You ring your care provider/unit for advice and totally believe your are in labour. Your asked to attend for assesment, you leave your home, all your comforts, you get in the car, cant move, you go to a unit where you've never been, you meet a Midwife for the first time, it doesnt smell like home, bright lights, bla bla bla. Your anxious, having negative thoughts, not comfortable. Labour stops……

 

HELL YEAH, Why the hell wouldn't it? Think of a cat, or any animal, when in labour they go to a safe space, they hide, we are no different. So labour stops. It's that simple. One or 2 things will happen at this stage. If your chosen place of birth is in a Hospital, Birth centre as long as you can make it your own space, get a good connection with your Midwife, labour will restart. It truly will. I would say if you are planning on birthing in a unit then go take a walk around before the big day. Familiarise yourself with the environment. Take things from home with you, your own pillow favourite smell. Most importantly WRITE A BIRTH PLAN. 

 

It happened to me, I'm my own proof.

Story goes- 3rd baby 16 days past my due date bla bla bla (I should add I wasn't a Midwife when I had my baby's). Labour kept stopping and starting, It just would not establish, every time I went in to be ‘Checked’ I'd get sent home……… The actual day I finally laboured I was having irregular surges at home they were powerful, felt completely different. I rang the Birth centre, the Midwife who answered actually said ‘Its you again’🤐. I already didn't want her caring for me. Short story, I arrived consented to a vaginal examination (which I didnt need) her words ‘Your ONLY 2cm’.!!!! My Husband said ‘She's definitely in labour as she hasnt spoken for the past hour’ (I cant shut up when not in labour). Midwife replied ‘I'll be the judge of that, you men don't have a clue, that's why its left to us to birth’.

Que Krazy Kat….. I'm the BIGGEST protector of my favourite human aka My Husband. I was furious felt really anxious and emotional. Guess what, surges stopped…. BUT, only whilst she was in the room. I told her I wasn't going home as I was most definitely going into labour, asked her to run the pool and to leave us alone for a bit. Midwives reply ‘I'll run it, but it will be cold by the time you finally labour. She left us alone, 10 mins later my daughter was on her way, I SHIT YOU NOT!  My Hubby ran to tell the Midwife, she came into the room and my daughter was on the bed, membranes intact, her curly hair swishing away in the amniotic fluid. I turned to her and said ‘My husband told you so’.

Moral of the story? My Husband should have agreed to a homebirth🤣 we still talk about it now 17 years later. 

 

SO IF IT'S A THING, WHY DO WE NOT TALK ABOUT IT? WHY DO WE NOT PREPARE WOMEN FOR IT?

 

Listen to the podcast, particularly 31mins in. It's sad but true. Its ingrained in us Midwives Drs that Labour should follow a certain timeline. In the NHS we even have to input a reason for labour not meeting those time markers into a computer. It infuriates me. Reasons such as

Failure to progress

Delay in 1st stage/2nd stage

Maternal Exhaustion is a particular favourite! No shit sherlock, of course she's exhausted she's birthing a human, her body needs these resting stages. Its Mother Natures way of saying ‘Take a load off, have a snooze, have a bite’. But we don't bloody allow it. The busy bodies see it as a sign to intervene. Ahhhhhhhhh blows my mind!

 

I can remember sitting at the nurses station arguing with a Dr over it. I refused to document failure to progress. I was so angry about it, Mum was labouring beautifully, baby was coping amazingly, still wriggling away during and in between contractions. A HUGE indication that they were coping with this steady paced labour. He wanted me to persuade the couple to have syntocinon (a synthetic hormone used to induce labour) absolutely not would I. They had a birth plan, the Dr discussed her options and she declined. Was happy to wait for her body to start up again. Why do we then have a right to document ‘Failure to progress’. The argument continued, the Dr wrote those horrendous words, I supported the womans choice. Guess what happened????? They birthed a beautiful human 2hrs 36 mins later. In the pool!! 

 

I don't need to tell you what the Drs face was like when I walked past him into the sluice with the Placenta 🤔🙃🙌. What I will say, we remained good friends and he often asked my opinion on cases from then on. See 1 Midwife, opening up a discussion. It can make a difference. Have the convos fellow Midwives. Be there for your families. It's such a boost when you get it right.💫

 

I could go on, I've plenty of stories! 

 

In the podcast (time from 41mins) Dr Marina talks about how the best way to research is to watch Birth in its truest form. I.E Freebirthing, birthing with Independent/Private Midwifery, Homebirth (Meeeeee💫) that spoke to my soul. Just confirmed that I am 100% a better Midwife working this way❤

 

SO WHAT CAN US MIDWIVES DO TO CHANGE IT?

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Speak up, empower our clients to believe in their own bodies, empower their birthing partners to advocate for them. 

 

WHAT CAN WOMEN AND THEIR PARTNERS DO?

 

Plan ahead, get informed, understand and believe in true normal physiology. Invest in CONTINUITY OF CARE. I know paying for care is not feasible for everyone, but if it is INVEST INVEST INVEST. It truly is the gold standard of care❤

 

So if you're here then you've read my whole blog, you may be thinking ‘What the hell is she on about’🤔. Listen to the podcast🤣. It will make complete sense. 

 

Always here for questions

Much❤

Kat