Midwives get calls at every hour of the day and night from women in labor; or their concerned partners. They answer calls during dinner, movies, events, or when they are enjoying a hike in the hills or a swim at the beach. Often, the calls come in the middle of the night. Your midwife will wake out of a dead sleep as she reaches for the phone to answer or the pager to respond.
Your midwife has probably given you a “when to call the midwife” handout. If it is not the mother who calls, it is the concerned partner. The number for the midwife’s cell is activated, and the phone rings. She answers.
The discussions during those phone calls could probably fill a book. Sometimes the call is like an old friend is reaching out. When the midwife asks the mother a question, she answers like they have talked a thousand times. At other times, the phone call is more like an acquaintance is calling. The mother answers questions with apprehension and uncertainty, so the midwife gently coaches her answers.
The phone calls that are like “first contact” are often the most taxing, funny, and apparent that the mother or partner did not read the midwife’s guidelines about when to call. The conversation may go like this:
Midwife: “Hello. So, Mary started having contractions, that’s wonderful! What time did her contractions start?”
Partner: “I don’t know. She just started having them. I was asleep, and then, like, she told me she was having contractions. Hold on.”
At this point, the midwife is listening to the partner shouting across the room, “Hey Mary, what time did your contractions start?” The midwife in this scenario will eventually get Mary on the phone and ask her the questions. They go like this
- When did the contractions start?
- When they started, how far apart were they?
- How far apart are they now?
- How long are they lasting?
- Has your bag of water broken? What time? How much water? What color? Is there any odor?
- Have you had blood show? When and how much?
- Have you had loose stools?
- Did you get a good night’s sleep?
- Are you eating and staying hydrated?
- When did you eat last?
Look at the Clock
When a woman first starts having contractions or her water breaks, it can be exciting and sometimes nerve-racking. She is having a baby and may not be thinking about recording her experience at the moment. The last thing she may think of is looking at the clock.
It is in the mind of a midwife to chart everything. It is not in the mind of most parents to chart everything. But, it is helpful to jot things down as they happen. Scribble times down on a scrap of paper, keep track on a spreadsheet, write it down in a journal, keep track of it on an app. I have seen it all, and they are all good ways. The important thing is to gather enough information to answer the above questions.
Use a Contraction App
They are fantastic, so use one if you are able. A contraction app is designed for timing contractions, and if a mother uses it when her contractions first start, the answer to the question, “When did the contractions start,” is solved. Apps even have the ability to record when the water breaks. If not, jot it down, along with answering all of the questions about water breaking.
Mainly, your midwife wants you to be prepared as possible to answer these questions, so when she talks to you she understands what is happening.
