() many pregnant women will answer, "The quicker the better! A couple of hours would be fine!" There are certainly some benefits to going from contraction #1 to baby-in-arms in the time it takes to savor a great meal. I've known and been with some women who had these ultra-fast labors (medically known as 'precipitous' births). The assumption that some people make about this one is that shorter = easier, as if your body cleverly found some shortcut to the birthing process. Most women who've had a very fast labor describe it as very intense, though- sometimes breathtakingly intense. One said, "It was like suddenly finding myself riding on the front of a speeding train. All I could do was go where it went and hang on." The challenge with these births is to stay centered despite the quick onset of very intense contractions. The atmosphere in the room during a very fast labor can easily tip from intense into chaotic or panicky- our job is to prevent that. Thankfully, the reason it's so intense is usually that unseen things are working very efficiently.
      The doula's role in this case (after getting to the client's side as quickly as possible!) is to be a deeply grounding, reassuring presence. The laboring woman will likely have strong feelings about what physical position works for her. The doula can support that as much as possible, making her more comfortable with padding for kneeling, easily reached drinks with straws, etc.  After a precipitous birth, the woman may be a bit in shock and disbelief about the whole thing- mentally there can be some catching up to do. Nevertheless, if the birthing mom, partner, and doula have worked together with the attending midwife or OB to create a respectful, responsive birth environment, the family will likely look back on their whirlwind birth with satisfaction and even pride.

So, Was it a Good Birth?
Striking features of a birth such as extreme length or speed, or the decision/need to birth by cesarean, can seem to define the birth to those who weren't there. However, to the laboring mother and her family, the visceral, lived experience is also likely to be remembered in terms of the atmosphere in the room (was it tense? respectful? lonely? nurturing?) and in terms of the decision-making process (respectful? authoritarian? cooperative?). While a woman's image of her ideal birth is not always met, we as doulas can support the family's experience of feeling deeply cared for and truly heard. And whether birth is a long trek, a wild ride, or some other kind of journey, the doula's support can make the journey one that the family remembers with more serenity.

                                                                                                                            Michelle