The Motor Boat Mom

It has been a busy few days at the Birth Inn, and today proves no different! But then, what would one expect with 8 mommies due in March!!
It was nearly 6:30 am and the phone rang. Sure enough, it was a mommy calling. Contractions started at 4:30, and by 6:30 it was time to make plans to get to the Birth Inn. This baby is already showing signs of obedience, today is the actual DUE DATE! We have often discussed that maybe it would be best if we eliminated due dates and instead gave 'due weeks', or 'due windows'

Mom arrived at the Birth Inn around 7:30am and was already dilated to 7. We started drawing the water in the tub because Mommy was sure she wanted an 'aqua-dural' Mommy labored well in the warm water. We left her and dad alone for a bit. From the living room we could hear mom making the sound of a motor boat. "brrrrrr, brrrrrrr, brrrrrrr." My assistants and I looked at each other with questioning looks. We know that every mom finds her own way to relax, but I have to say that the raspberry motorboat sound isn't the normal relaxation sound!
Very soon the motorboat turned to groans and we knew that baby was on the way. This mom had a very long labor with her first baby...over 24 hours actually. Second babies usually come much faster and it is so fun to watch the surprise of the parents when things move so much more quickly with baby 2.
Mom felt so much more comfortable in the jacuzzi tub and things progressed quickly. She decided that a hydrabirth would be wonderful so we prepared as such. It took only a few pushes and the head was out. A quick sweep around the neck revealed no nuchal cord. Baby restituted slightly, light downward pressure on the head....nothing. We asked the mom to quickly get out of the tub and get on her hands and knees on the floor, slight pressure and......nothing. We asked mom to sit on the step of the tub in a semi squat. more downward pressure.....finally, the shoulders emerged. It wasn't shoulder dystocia, but it was a case of snug shoulders!!

Baby boy, 9lbs even and Mommy doing quite well. Later, while relaxing in the Birth Inn living room, Mommy was telling me that she had read a book that proved to be quite helpful. The book talked about the relationship between the jaw muscles and the perineum. she read that if the jaw remains loose, the perineum is able to relax. The suggestion was made to blow air across the lips making a motorboat sound. Looks like it worked!!