This was a second birth for Janet and Gino. Little Gino had been born in the hospital. There
were no problems but it was a typical interventive, managed birth and they wanted something different this time.
Pregnancy was uneventful and little Gino enjoyed helping measure his mom's belly and feel the baby's position. Labor
began slowly during the day and by evening she was having an active labor pattern with every three minute contractions lasting
sixty-plus seconds and demanding her attention. This went on for hours through the evening and into the night. We tried to
put little Gino to bed in his room, he was four, but he would not go for it. However, he slept peacefully next to his mother
as she moaned and worked with her contractions.
Gino weighed 6# 7oz. at birth and I knew
this baby was more than a pound bigger. After hours of good labor with no dilation past 2cm it did cross my mind to question
CPD, whether this baby was too big for his mother's pelvis. She had been mobile and changing positions without relief
or progress. I finally suggested she try a bath.
Little Gino woke up and I was in the living
room reading him a story. Janet was in the tub and Gino was in the bathroom with her. After fifteen to twenty minutes in the
bath, I heard Janet get out and go to the toilet. Then Gino called me in. As I entered the bathroom, Janet looked at me wild-eyed
and said,
"SOMETHINGS GOT TO COME OUT! IT'S JUST GOT TO COME OUT!
And sure enough, there was a big head starting to crown.
She chose to return to her bed
and a short time later, Dominic Rupert made his appearance looking around alertly and weighing in at eight pounds. Janet had
gone from two centimeters to crowning in less than twenty minutes in the water.
