The First Birth I Attended

The first birth I attended was with my sister. She called me believing her contractions were quite real and just getting stronger. I suggested she drink water and take a bath to ensure it was the real deal, after that I left work to meet with her. We timed her contractions and I practiced squeezing her hips, rubbing her back in between contractions and giving her sips of water. She was ready to go in to the hospital after about an hour of this. I continued to assist her through the car ride and through the hospital halls on our way to the labor and delivery floor.

I was hopeful that I was actually being helpful and doing a good job since she was my first ‘customer’ and I wasn’t even fully certified yet so I was just part of her support team. I felt that when I was talking her though her contractions and squeezing her hips, she would calm down and make it through! When she was first checked she was a five! She did an amazing job getting there but was ready for her epidural. After receiving her epidural she was greatly relieved and able to rest before it was time to push. She and her husband decided it would be just them during pushing so I had to wait in the waiting room, which was basically torture for me.

I waited with about zero patience with my parents until an hour later and baby girl was born! After another short wait we finally got to meet the little bundle of joy and see that mom and baby were doing just wonderful!

My first experience was exhilarating and exhausting, but it was just confirmation that I believe I have found my calling! I am highly anxious to finish my doula training and gain my certification and cannot wait to meet more moms and help them through this amazing time in their lives!

I will never forget my sister saying to me after she got her epidural “So you should really think about becoming a doula, because I could never have done that without you.”

~Brooke Elizabeth