Delivery By Choke Hold

In honour of Mother's Day, my sister and our mother who has coached us both through the pains of childbirth. 

Fourteen years ago my sister and I were hanging out watching a movie on a quiet evening.  She was a few weeks out from being due with her second child.  Half way through the movie and after telling her countless times what time it was, I finally clued in..., "OMG YOU ARE IN LABOUR; WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!!"

Off  she went to the hospital for the arrival of the new angel.  Around 3:00 am her then husband called to see if I would come and sit with her for a while.  Things were taking their time and she wasn't doing very well.  I was so excited to be there to experience things with them.  CS was not a happy camper and demanding "DRUGS!".  She wanted an epidural and she wanted it now!  The nurses were trying to hold her off because it was the middle of the night on a Sunday.  Nobody was available to give her one...yes the joys of small town Canadian Hospitals.

Around 6:00 am, our Mother arrived to provide support.  The doctor checked in about the same time.  Upon checking her for progress he said, "You are about 6 cm dialated.  I am going to break your water and then come back later when you are ready to deliver."

So off Dr. C went to a meeting and left us to the task at hand.  Thirty minutes later we realized that this was going a hell of a lot faster than the doctor anticipated.  We called the nurses into the room. 

Two nurses were attending to her, one student nurse and one charge nurse.  In order to provide some releif for the labourous woman, the nurses tried turning my sister on her side.  This action quickly sped up the process for her. 

As she had contraction after contraction, her body tensed and rolled closer to the edge of the bed.  My mother decided that she would kindly put up the guard on the side of the bed to prevent injury if my sister got too close and rolled of the edge.  As our mother bent over to grab the bed guard, CS took hold my my mother by a choke hold around the neck. 

Still laying on her side, the nurses checked her progress and decided there was no time to wait for Dr. C.  Baby was coming now!  Modern Day Child Birthing is so different than in our Mother's time.  No traditional strapping feet to stirrups or old fashion birthing.

So with CS on her side, one nurse on the kneeling on the bed holding legs for delivery the other nurse was poised as Johhny Bench for delivery.  My sister's  husband was sitting in the chair bawling his face off, holding a pillow to block his view, and I was being great observer checking out the baby's head as it made way into the world.  Our ever so understanding mother bent over, holding on for dear life, coughing and sputtering in my sister's chokehold at the head of the bed while CS pushed. 

With every contraction she squeezed my mother's neck.  Choking and gasping for air our mother still managed to continue coaching my sister through the pain.  Thank God, what I am sure seemed like forever to my sister, only took a few minutes, and our little angel entered this world.

Releasing the hold on our mom, my sister was able to relax, the doctor walked through the door and everyone sighed a huge sigh of relief.  Everyone was still alive to talk about it. 

 

PS:  A short time later at my own trip to the doctor, that good Dr. C confessed he had lied to my sister about how far dialated she was prior to breaking her water.  His words to me were, "She was only 3cm dialated, but I was too afraid to get kicked in the head so I told her she was 6cm"  :)