Answered Prayer

Birth 1

So it happened! Milena (fellow student) and I were walking to the cafe from class and she asked me "Hey, what's your workstation?". I told her that I worked at the Health Food store. She then went on to explain that her mother had a birth coming up in the next two weeks and that the pregnant mother had a Doula but that she changed her mind at the last minute. She didn't mind having a student Doula as a replacement. I automatically said, "I will do it". Then I added, of course, you can pray about it lol, and so it was I got my first birth.

You know what let me back up a bit. Before I started my midwifery program, I attended a prerequisite Childbirth Education/ Doula class. After the class, I had the choice to go on an internship to become a certified Doula. As a student its our responsibility to find an internship, most students go out of state to get their births. However, I just moved my life (everything I could fit in my car) to Virginia from Tennessee and I was not excited at the idea that I would have to travel to an unknown state just to get my experience. Although I was willing to go wherever God would have me to go, I just thought that there has to be pregnant women in Virginia that I could be a Doula for. That's when I began praying and sharing with others to pray for me as well. At first the possibility seemed slim, as some would say "if it was that easy to get your births around here all the students would have gotten theirs." They were right I thought, then I resolved that I would ask God to provide, even if I had to go away, then so be it. So when Milena mentioned to me that her mother (a midwife) was looking for a student Doula, I already knew that God was answering my prayers, what were the odds?

That experience was amazing, it started when I got the call from Edna (midwife) Saturday morning. I was about 2 hours away from the birthing mother so it was decided that I would come to Edna's house just so I wouldn’t be far away. Being that this was my first time working with Edna and my first birth, I had a lot of questions and we spent time getting to know each other. As the day seemed to end with no excitement, I should have went to bed earlier but

just as I began to fall asleep I got a wakeup call. Edna says "The Mother needs us it's time to go.” It did not matter how tired I was my adrenaline boosted my energy. Everything was completely new to me so when we got to the house I did not know where to start. I have never met the birthing mother before and to be up close at a very intimate and vulnerable time was new for me. However, eventually things started to fall in place. I learned to be observant. At times I was timing contractions, sometimes walking around the house with mother, sometimes helping mom in the shower, sometimes praying with her and giving her words of encouragement. There were other times when I was helping fill up the birthing tub, massaging her or assisting dad in comfort measures.

A highlight for me was when, we were able to give dad some time to rest and it was just birthing mother, midwife and myself. I was lying next to her and whenever she would have a contraction she would reach for my hand for support and I was there for her. It may seem so simple but pain during labor (although it’s the only pain that’s good for you) still hurts and to know that there is someone there helps the mother get through that process. So it was God who answered my prayers and because she was pregnant way before I knew she existed on this planet I can say "before I called, He answered and while I was yet speaking, He heard." {Is 65:24}.

Blessings!