Transition is one of the hardest times in labor for women, and one of my favorite times to be with laboring women. A woman in transition has been through the majority of her labor journey and is turning the final corner to her finish line, but she usually doesn't know that she is so close.
I feel that women in transition are truly baring their souls and you can see, hear, and sense her inner self. Women are subject to the forces of nature and must release themselves to the transition to motherhood - physically, mentally and emotionally. Some women do this with such beauty and grace that it brings tears to my eyes.
Transition, and the intensity of the sensations and emotions, bring many women to the limits of where they think they can go. Many cry, start to panic, ask for unrealistic things (like to go home and just not be in labor anymore), give up or tell me that they "can't do this anymore." When I hear these words I have a primal response that I have only been able to identify as unconditional love for these laboring women. In that moment, I truly feel as if I am 1) worshiping God by serving Him, 2) bonding with a woman in a spiritual way that only forms during times of intensity such as these, and 3) seeing the majesty and beauty of God's love for us - His creation.
I have learned that women need to know that they are not alone in these intense final moments and that they need reassurance that all they have to do is breathe. I encourage women to breathe deeply, slowly, and calmly; remind them to relax muscles with every long exhale. Giving them assurance that they are safe, they are not alone, and that their body is doing exactly what it was made to do. Almost always this helps the laboring woman focus, relax, and simply breathe to allow her baby to move closer to being in her arms.
I don't have the ability to describe the moment when women move from this transition phase to seeing, touching and holding their baby for the first moment. I wish I could capture it on film every single time because it is by far the most beautiful moment I ever experience. I can't begin to imagine how a woman holding her baby in her arms after that journey feels, but I know it's an awe inspiring moment that she will never forget.
As always, birth is a humbling experience for me as a midwife. I am always amazed by the courage and the beauty of women making this journey to motherhood - whether it is their first child or their ninth. It reminds me that, at times of intense personal stress and struggle, all I have to do is breathe; God is living inside me with His Spirit. I am never alone, I am always safe in His presence, and I trust that He knows what to do.
