Nothing Special   »   [go: up one dir, main page]

PDF The Birth Partner A Complete Guide To Childbirth For Dads Partners Doulas and All Other Labor Companions Fifth Edition Simkin Ebook Full Chapter

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 54

The birth partner a complete guide to

childbirth for dads partners doulas and


all other labor companions Fifth Edition
Simkin
Visit to download the full and correct content document:
https://textbookfull.com/product/the-birth-partner-a-complete-guide-to-childbirth-for-da
ds-partners-doulas-and-all-other-labor-companions-fifth-edition-simkin/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Supporting Survivors of Sexual Abuse Through Pregnancy


and Childbirth A Guide for Midwives Doulas and Other
Healthcare Professionals 1st Edition Kicki Hansard

https://textbookfull.com/product/supporting-survivors-of-sexual-
abuse-through-pregnancy-and-childbirth-a-guide-for-midwives-
doulas-and-other-healthcare-professionals-1st-edition-kicki-
hansard/

Understanding Doulas and Childbirth: Women, Love, and


Advocacy 1st Edition Cheryl A. Hunter

https://textbookfull.com/product/understanding-doulas-and-
childbirth-women-love-and-advocacy-1st-edition-cheryl-a-hunter/

Improving Father Daughter Relationships A Guide for


Women and their Dads 1st Edition Nielsen

https://textbookfull.com/product/improving-father-daughter-
relationships-a-guide-for-women-and-their-dads-1st-edition-
nielsen/

The sailing bible the complete guide for all sailors


from novice to experienced skipper Second Edition Evans

https://textbookfull.com/product/the-sailing-bible-the-complete-
guide-for-all-sailors-from-novice-to-experienced-skipper-second-
edition-evans/
The Complete Guide to Astrology Understanding Yourself
Your Signs and Your Birth Chart 1st Edition Louise
Edington

https://textbookfull.com/product/the-complete-guide-to-astrology-
understanding-yourself-your-signs-and-your-birth-chart-1st-
edition-louise-edington/

The Complete Guide to Blender Graphics: Computer


Modeling & Animation, Fifth Edition John M. Blain

https://textbookfull.com/product/the-complete-guide-to-blender-
graphics-computer-modeling-animation-fifth-edition-john-m-blain/

Helping Survivors of Authoritarian Parents Siblings and


Partners A Guide for Professionals 1st Edition Eric
Maisel

https://textbookfull.com/product/helping-survivors-of-
authoritarian-parents-siblings-and-partners-a-guide-for-
professionals-1st-edition-eric-maisel/

Java All in One For Dummies Fifth Edition Doug Lowe

https://textbookfull.com/product/java-all-in-one-for-dummies-
fifth-edition-doug-lowe/

The Filmmaker's Handbook: a Comprehensive Guide for the


Digital Age Fifth Edition Ascher

https://textbookfull.com/product/the-filmmakers-handbook-a-
comprehensive-guide-for-the-digital-age-fifth-edition-ascher/
FIFTH EDITION

THE
BIRTH
PARTNER
A COMPLETE GUIDE TO CHILDBIRTH FOR DADS,
DOULAS, AND OTHER LABOR COMPANIONS

PENNY SIMKIN, P.T.


WITH KATIE ROHS

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 1 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:1
Copyright © 2018 by Penny Simkin
Cover illustration © 2018 by Lola and Bek
This edition first published in 2018 by The Harvard Common Press,
an imprint of The Quarto Group,
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265-D, Beverly, MA 01915, USA.
T (978) 282-9590 F (978) 283-2742 QuartoKnows.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written per-
mission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the
knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by
producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the
contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately
comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred
and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book.

The Harvard Common Press titles are also available at discount for retail, wholesale, promo-
tional, and bulk purchase. For details, contact the Special Sales Manager by email at
specialsales@quarto.com or by mail at The Quarto Group, Attn: Special Sales Manager, 401
Second Avenue North, Suite 310, Minneapolis, MN 55401, USA.

21 20 19 18 17 1 2 3 4 5

ISBN: 978-1-55832-910-2

Digital edition published in 2018


eISBN: 978-1-55832-911-9

Originally found under the following Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data


Simkin, Penny with Katie Rohs
The birth partner : a complete guide to childbirth for dads, doulas, and all other labor compan-
ions / Penny Simkin
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-55832-819-8 (pbk.)
1. Pregnancy. 2. Natural childbirth--Coaching. 3. Labor (Obstetrics)—Complications. 4. Child-
birth. I. Title.
RG525.S5829 2013
618.2—dc23
2013007371

Photographs by Shutterstock (pages 19 and 60) and Patti Ramos (pages 236 and 363)
Cover illustration by Susie So
Drawings by Gayle Isabelle Ford; except pages 115, 174 (top left), 176, 177 (middle), 194, 249
(left), 252, 259, 350, and 378 by Dolly Sundstrom
Cover and text design by Laura H. Couallier, Laura Herrmann Design
Page layout by Tabula Rasa

Printed in China

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 2 11/7/18 6:08 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
Page:2
Dedication
. . . from penny
To the thousands of expectant parents who have taught me so much
while I have taught them;
To the hundreds of women and their loving partners whom I have
been privileged to assist as a doula during childbirth;
Especially to Peter, my husband, father of our children, and my
beloved partner for six decades;
To our four grown children, to whom we could not feel closer and of
whom we could not be prouder, and to their spouses, who enrich our lives;
To our eight grandchildren, whose births I have been privileged to
attend in the role of proud grandmother;
To our three grandchildren-in-law;
To our two great grandsons.

. . . from katie
To each family I have supported in birth, for teaching me as much about
myself as they did the importance of birth;
To my teachers and mentors in birth, especially Penny Simkin, for
inspiring me and challenging me to lean into this work and the rewards
it brings;
To my mother, Molly, who is a doula to so many in her life, and who
taught me the meaning of presence and empathy;
To my father, John, who understands my brain and how it works, and
who is steadfast in his love and support;
To my VBs, Kelli, Amy, Selena, and Beth, for loving me, supporting
me, holding me accountable, and reminding me to laugh;
To my husband, Todd, my partner, my champion, who encourages
and supports me every day;
To Tess and Sam, the children of my heart, for teaching me about
grief, resilience, and the importance of being cared for in birth;
And most importantly, to my children of this life, Hank and Lily, who
are my heart, my breath, and my greatest teachers.

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 3 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:3
Contents
P R E FAC E 8
AC K N OW L E D G M E N T S 13
H OW TO U S E T H I S B O O K 16
A N OT E TO D O U L A S 18

PART ONE Before the Birth 19

1. The Last Weeks of Pregnancy 20


What Kind of Birth Partner Will You Be 21
Getting Ready for Labor 23
Preparing for Life with the Baby 51
On to the Next Step . . . 59

PA R T T WO Labor and Birth 60

2. Getting into Labor 62


The Difference Between Prelabor and Labor 63
How Long Will Labor Last? 66
Signs of Labor 67
If the Bag of Waters Breaks Before Labor Begins 71
“False” Labor, or Prelabor 72
Labor Progresses in Six Ways 74
Timing Contractions 77

3. Moving Through the Stages of Labor 81


Compare Labor to Running a Marathon 82
Prelabor 85
The Dilation, First, Stage 90
Early Labor 92
Getting into Active Labor (3 to 5 Centimeters Dilation) 99
Active Labor 102
Transition 109

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 4 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:4
The Birthing, Second, Stage 116
The Resting Phase 117
The Descent Phase 121
The Crowning and Birth Phase 127
The Placental, Third, Stage 131
The Recovery and Bonding, Fourth, Stage 135
Normal Labor—in a Nutshell 138

4. Comfort Measures for Labor 143


Pain versus Suffering 144
The Three Rs: Relaxation, Rhythm, and Ritual 147
Self-Help Comfort Measures 153
Comfort Aids and Devices 176
Comforting Techniques 187
Taking Care of Yourself 197
Checklist of Comfort Measures for Labor 198

5. Strategies for Challenging Variations in Normal Labor 201


The Take-Charge Routine 202
On-the-Spot Coaching (When You Have Had No
Childbirth Classes) 206
The Very Rapid Labor 207
The Emergency Delivery 209
When Labor Must Start (Labor-Stimulating Measures) 212
The Slow-to-Start Labor 216
Slow Progress in Active Labor and the Birthing Stage—
with or without Back Pain 221
When the Birthing Person Must Labor in Bed 224
A Breech Baby 226
A Previous Disappointing or Traumatic Birth Experience 231
Incompatibility with the Nurse or Caregiver 233

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 5 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
Page:5
PA R T T H R E E The Medical Side of Childbirth 236
Key Questions for Informed Decision-Making 237

6. Tests, Technologies, Interventions, and Procedures 239


Late-Pregnancy Tests 240
Essential Observations During Labor 243
Conditions Influencing the Use of Intervention
During Labor 245
Common Obstetric Interventions 246

7. Complications in Late Pregnancy, Labor, or Afterward 270


Complications for the Pregnant Person 272
Complications with Labor Progress 285
Complications with the Fetus 290
Complications in the Placental Stage 295
Complications with the Newborn 297
After It Is All Over 303

8. Medications for Pain During Labor 304


Management of Normal Labor without Pain Medications 305
What You Both Need to Know About Pain Medications 307
Know How the Birthing Person Feels About Using
Pain Medications 326

9. Cesarean Birth and Vaginal Birth After Cesarean 340


Know the Nonmedical Reasons for Cesarean Birth
and Factors to Consider 341
Know the Medical Reasons for Cesarean Birth 343
Know What to Expect During Cesarean Birth 346
Your Role During and After a Cesarean Birth 353
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) and
Trial of Labor after Cesarean (TOLAC) 356

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 6 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
Page:6
PA R T F O U R After the Birth 363

10. The First Days Postpartum 364


The First Few Hours 364
The First Few Days for the Baby 376
The First Few Days for the Birthing Parent 382
Homecoming 387
After a Home Birth 388
Getting Help and Advice 389
Postpartum Emotions 390
What About Your Feelings 392
Practical Matters at Home 394

11. Getting Started with Feeding Your Baby 400


Reasons for Breast-Feeding/Chest-Feeding 401
Getting Off to a Good Start 403
How to Offer Support Related to Infant Feeding
Early Concerns 405
When to Give the Baby a Bottle 414
Once Breast-Feeding/Chest-Feeding Is Established 416

PA R T I N G WO R D S 417
R ECO M M E N D E D R E S O U RC E S 418
INDEX 428

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 7 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
Page:7
Preface

I
’d like to explain what led me to write this book, now in
its fifth edition. The first edition was published in 1989, after I
learned some truths about what it means to give birth and what
it means to be a birth partner who deeply loves the person giving
birth. One of these truths is this: how one gives birth matters to one’s
self-confidence and self-esteem, to the baby’s long-term health, and to
one’s relationships with their partner, baby, and other loved ones.
This is as true today, with this fifth edition, as it was in 1989 and for
generations (even millennia) before.
Here’s another very important truth: how a person is cared for and
supported during birth is a major influence, not only in how they give
birth but also in how they feel about the birth for years to come. Yet,
medical care before and during childbirth focuses almost exclusively on
the physical safety of the baby and birthing person and places little
emphasis on their emotional well-being, relationship with the partner,
and readiness to parent. Such matters are given low priority in our very
expensive health care system, which is beset by nursing shortages, pres-
sure to increase the use of medical and surgical interventions while
increasing efficiency, reduction of psychosocial support services, threats
of malpractice lawsuits, and other factors that work against personal-
ized, flexible, family-centered care.
I learned the importance of emotional care during labor when, in
the late 1980s, I conducted a study of people’s long-term memories of
their experiences giving birth to their first child. These people had
attended childbirth classes I taught between 1968 and 1974. They had
sent me their birth stories shortly after giving birth. For my study, I con-
tacted some of those people fifteen to twenty years later and asked them
two things: to write their birth stories again as they remembered them
and to rate their satisfaction as they looked back on their childbirth
experiences.

8 |

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 8 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:8
In comparing the two stories from each person, I was astounded at
how clearly they remembered their birth experiences and how consis-
tent they were with their original stories, despite the intervening years!
As we did not have copy machines in those days and they had not written
their stories for themselves after the births, I possessed the only stories
(which I photocopied and returned to them at the end of the study!). I
then interviewed each person and discovered they had detailed memo-
ries of their doctors and nurses (there were no midwives practicing in
my area at that time). Everyone vividly remembered specific things done
and said to them. Many could quote the exact words! Some actually wept
as they recalled some of these things—either with joy over the kindness
and care they received or with sadness or anger over being treated dis-
respectfully or thoughtlessly.
Briefly, those who felt they had been well cared for by the profes-
sional staff reported the highest satisfaction, even if the labors had been
long or complicated. Those who felt they had been treated disrespect-
fully or ignored reported the least satisfaction. Also, those who reported
a great sense of accomplishment in giving birth were the most satisfied.
They felt they had been in control and that the birth experience had
been good for their self-esteem. The less satisfied women did not have
these positive feelings.
The presence of husbands or other loved ones was unusual because,
at the time, it was not customary for men, or even female relatives, to
attend childbirth classes or the births of their babies. In fact, my classes
were part of two emerging radical trends: unmedicated natural child-
birth and the presence of husbands (with the marriage certificate to
prove it!) to attend the births of their babies and assist their wives in
giving natural births. The classes encouraged men to take the role of
“coach” for the birthing person, and most played as active a role as they
were allowed, although they were often required to leave the labor or
delivery room for long periods.
The women’s memories of their husbands were also clear and
detailed. Here are quotations from some of the women:
“He was the only reason I got through it.”
“It was one of the finer moments in our life and relationship.”
“He was more patient and took it more seriously than I expected.”

| 9

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 9 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:9
“He’s a competitor. He was my coach. It was a very big deal for him.”
“It hurt him to see me in pain.”
“He could feel me tense immediately.”
“He was there 100 percent.”
“He was apprehensive, but wanted to be there.”
I learned from that study that birthing persons need and appreciate
loving, familiar people to stay with them, help them, and share the
birth—one of life’s most meaningful moments. The kind of professional
care and emotional support they receive during labor largely influences
how they look back on the birth experience—with satisfaction and ful-
fillment or with disappointment, sadness, and even anger. I realized, in
this age of high-tech, high-pressure obstetrics, it is unrealistic to expect
busy nurses, doctors, and even hospital-based midwives to provide con-
tinuous individualized emotional and physical comfort throughout
labor and birth, along with all their other clinical responsibilities and
other laboring patients.
The conclusions from my study (published in 1991 and 1992 in two
parts, titled Just Another Day in a Woman’s Life?) have been confirmed
time and again by other studies of long-term memories of one’s birthing
experience. During the hundreds of births I have attended as a doula
and with the thousands of expectant parents who have attended my
childbirth classes, I have always been guided by the question, “How will
they remember this?” That study prompted me to write the first edition
of this book. I wanted to help partners feel more knowledgeable and
confident in their support role, so their laboring loved ones would
always appreciate the help.
This study helped convince me that laboring people, as well as their
partners, need trained doulas to provide continuous emotional support,
reassurance, and comfort throughout childbirth. I developed a training
program for doulas in 1988, and with other doula advocates, founded
the Seattle-based Pacific Association for Labor Support (now called
PALS Doulas) and in 1992, with pediatrician/researchers, Marshall
Klaus and John Kennell, psychotherapist Phyllis Klaus, and health
administrator Annie Kennedy, founded the international organization
Doulas of North America, now DONA International. Our goal was to

10 | PREFACE

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 10 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:10
ensure childbearing women get the kind of care they need and their
partners the kind of practical guidance and tools they need during this
challenging and unforgettable time. Extensive published research (by
Klaus, Kennell, and many others) has demonstrated that the doula fills
a gap in maternity care and provides benefits in medical outcomes as
well as fulfillment and satisfaction as the mother or parents define it.
(See Recommended Resources, page 418, for more on the benefits of
doulas at birth.)
When it was time to publish the third edition of The Birth Partner, we
realized the book had become popular with birth doulas. I decided to
add extensive material for and about the doula’s role during and after
birth, to guide doulas and also inform parents on how doulas and part-
ners work together with hospital staff to provide excellent support to the
childbearing woman.

About the Fifth Edition


This fifth edition builds on the previous editions with updated informa-
tion, added comfort measures, and new illustrations. The two major
purposes in writing this book have not changed: to give readers—birth
partners, doulas, pregnant people, and others—clarity, confidence,
excitement, and joy about the upcoming birth of a very special child and
to ensure that laboring people are not left in the care of strangers, with
loved ones standing by, feeling anxious, uncomfortable, and uncertain
of ways to be helpful.
Typically today, childbearing people are cared for by maternity pro-
fessionals whom they hardly know or have never met. During the span
of one labor, with shifts and breaks and the staff’s need to look after
more than one patient at a time, the laboring person will meet and
adjust to numerous different professionals. This model, “care by strang-
ers,” has evolved from a need by hospitals to maintain efficiency and
contain runaway costs, but sadly often results in families feeling disap-
pointed, or even traumatized, after childbirth. While unexpected
complications and extra-challenging labors cannot always be prevented,
if a person is cared for with respect and kindness during such times,
they are less likely to have these negative feelings and their emotional

PREFACE | 11

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 11 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:11
recovery is smoother and faster. Being attended by known and trusted
caregivers and support people helps. Therefore, I hope to improve the
chances that each laboring person will receive continuous attention,
respect, and nurturing from those who accompany them in labor. I want
every birthing person to be able to look back on their birth experience
with the feeling of being well cared for, no matter how the labor and
birth proceeded.

Introducing Katie Rohs as


Coauthor for the Fifth Edition
I asked Katie Rohs to join me as coauthor in updating and adding new
content for this fifth edition. As an experienced childbirth educator, a
sought-after doula, an independent thinker, and an emerging leader in
our field, Katie provides the fresh perspective of one who is closer to the
action than I. As I age and step back from direct “in-the-trenches”
involvement as a doula, I rely on Katie and other colleagues to challenge
me and keep me up to date. Katie began working in my office in 2012
while parenting her busy twins and starting her career as a doula and
childbirth educator. That was serendipitous. Both of us, as active child-
birth educators, find our students—expectant parents—are also
valuable teachers. Their needs motivate, guide, and inform us.
Katie is the person who championed the use of inclusive gender-neutral
language to address the needs and interests of nontraditional families
not addressed in previous editions—our nonbinary families—the les-
bian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities. We
hope this book ignores no one taking part in childbearing—directly or
indirectly. As our society shifts toward acceptance and celebration of
multiple family configurations, our language falls short of the inclusive-
ness needed to address everyone’s needs. New words and new definitions
of old words reflect the fluid nature and meaning of “gender.” The lan-
guage of this edition reflects where we are in 2018. A future edition may
reflect more shifting as we are in the midst of rapid change.

—Penny Simkin

12 | PREFACE

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 12 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:12
Acknowledgments

W
e have had our share of support throughout the
process of revising this book. We want to thank the
following extraordinary people who have made it possible
for us to accomplish this in the midst of our busy lives:
Two people in Penny’s office have been extremely helpful: Kathy
Wilson has kept the office running smoothly, kept track of finances,
paid the bills, handled sales and shipping, and supported Penny’s birth
classes, all while continuing her own career as a childbirth and parent-
ing educator; Dolly Sundstrom, who has many talents, provided new
drawings for this edition, helped with updating our Recommended
Resources (page 418), and kept Penny’s library up to date, all while
attending university to become a clinical psychologist. Both brighten
the office with their competence and good cheer!
Penny’s colleagues and friends at the Simkin Center for Allied Birth
Vocations at Bastyr University have challenged her to provide more cul-
turally sensitive education. She is particularly grateful to Annie Kennedy,
Carrie Kenner, Sharon Muza, Teri Shilling, Kim James, and Laurie Levy.
The Pacific Association for Labor Support, DONA International,
and Great Starts Birth and Family Education, a program of Parent Trust
for Washington Children, share our values and play an important role
in our professional lives, as we follow our passion. Thanks especially to
Linda McDaniels, associate director of Parent Trust, for her continuing
support and inspiration.
We also want to acknowledge our dedicated and talented fellow
board members of PATTCh (Prevention and Treatment of Traumatic
Childbirth), who recognize the alarming incidence of traumatic birth
and join us in seeking ways to prevent it and to treat its potential nega-
tive emotional aftermath when it occurs. Our current board, Leslie
Butterfield, Annie Kennedy, Phyllis Klaus, Kathy McGrath, Suzanne
Swanson, Onion Medina Carillo, Mora Oommen, Sharon Storton, and
Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, have come together with us in this cause,
which is also one of the causes of this book.

| 13

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 13 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:13
Lisa Hanson, Ph.D., C.N.M., F.A.C.N.M., a wonderful new friend and
professor of Midwifery at Marquette University, and Ruth Ancheta, a
wonderful old friend, both coauthors with Penny on The Labor Progress
Handbook. Ruth also holds the copyright for many of the illustrations in
both The Labor Progress Handbook and The Birth Partner and donated them
for both books.
Phyllis Klaus, dear friend, mentor, and psychotherapist extraordi-
naire, and Penny’s coauthor of When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding
and Healing the Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women.
Shanna Dela Cruz, the artist who drew most of the illustrations in
this and previous editions, has been fastidious and reliable. We admire
her simplicity, accuracy, and individuation of the people in the illustra-
tions. Dolly Sundstrom has contributed the fine illustrations that are
new to this edition.
Joy MacTavish, M.A., I.B.C.L.C., R.L.C., a lactation consultant,
updated chapter 11 and assisted with appropriate gender-neutral lan-
guage. We are very grateful.
Kim James, I.C.C.E., L.C.C.E., B.D.T. (DONA), birth and parenting
instructor at Parent Trust for Washington Children, Swedish Doula Pro-
gram, birth doula skills instructor at Simkin Center for Allied Birth
Vocations Bastyr University, for allowing us to use the language about
selecting a doula from her website: Doulamatch.net.
Childbirth Graphics, producers of teaching materials for expectant
and new parents, has allowed me to use some of their classic drawings.
Molly Kirkpatrick for being Penny’s Elder Doula and Katie’s Mother
Doula.
The birth partners, members of our childbirth classes, who gener-
ously shared their personal thoughts for the beginnings of each chapter,
have added poignancy and realism to the text.
Bess Simkin, Eva Caldera, Eduardo Caldera, Matt Connell, and Sky
Stewart, who read parts of the book and generously provided feedback
on readability and appropriateness of the gender-neutral language.
Their constructive feedback and encouragement of our attempts to make
this book accessible and meaningful to all are very meaningful to us.
Katie thanks Todd, her partner and husband of sixteen years for hold-
ing down the fort while she attends families in labor and teaches classes

14 | ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 14 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:14
in the evenings and weekends, for being the best #DoulaHusband, and
for seeing Katie as an author, long before Katie believed she could do it.
Most importantly, Penny wants to thank Peter, who has been her
loving, patient, and accepting partner and husband for six decades,
patiently and attentively listening and giving feedback as she has strug-
gled with phrases and concepts throughout the labor and birth of this
book and others.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 15

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 15 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:15
How to Use This Book

T
he Birth Partner is intended to be both a useful guide to
prepare you for your role as birth partner and a quick refer-
ence during labor. It will be most helpful if you can read the
entire book before labor. Then, if there is time, you may
want to review parts of it during labor.
There may be times during labor when you need immediate help
and want to find something quickly in this book. Anticipating which
information you may need on the spot, we have printed such topics with
a dark orange background so they will stand out as you fan through the
pages. Fan the pages of the book and find those with dark edges. These
sections are as follows:

Chapter 1
Supplies to Take to the Hospital or Birth Center (page 33)
Supplies for a Home Birth (page 35)

Chapter 2
Signs of Labor (page 68)
If the Bag of Waters Breaks Before Labor Begins (page 71)
Timing Contractions (page 77)
Early Labor Record (page 79)

Chapter 3
When Do You Go to the Hospital or Settle in for a Home Birth? (page 95)
Normal Labor—in a Nutshell (page 138)

16 |

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 16 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:16
Chapter 4
Positions and Movements for Labor and Birth (page 169)
Checklist of Comfort Measures for Labor (page 198)

Chapter 5
The Take-Charge Routine (page 202)
On-the-Spot Coaching (page 206)
The Emergency Delivery (page 209)
Slow Progress in Active Labor and the Birthing Stage—
with or without Back Pain (page 221)
Incompatibility with the Nurse or Caregiver (page 233)

Chapter 7
Prolapsed Cord (page 290)

Chapter 8
When Are Pain Medications Used? (page 331)

Chapter 9
Know What to Expect During Cesarean Birth (page 346)

Please also refer to Recommended Resources (see page 418) to find other
recommended publications and online resources, including some videos.

| 17

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 17 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:17
A Note to Doulas
This book includes much information on the doula’s role before, during,
and after birth. Doulas use it as a reference and a guide regarding their
role during labor and also how they interact with the birth partner, the
laboring person, and the clinical care providers. Both Katie and Penny
are experienced doulas (Penny now retired) and strongly believe the
doula’s role is uniquely different from the roles of loved ones and part-
ners, nurses, midwives, and doctors, even though the roles overlap.
Doulas’ training is focused on physical comfort measures and ways to
enhance labor progress. Their training also includes extensive discus-
sion of the emotional shifts that laboring people experience throughout
their labors and how to attune themselves to the changing moods and
movements of the laboring person. It may be that doulas reduce stress
and fear in laboring people. Those emotions increase stress hormones,
which are known to impair labor progress through most of labor. Doulas
help people feel safe and less afraid or anxious. They also guide and
reassure partners. This nonclinical care can improve clinical outcomes
(such as lower cesarean rates, shorter labors, fewer requests for pain
medication, greater satisfaction with the birth, and fewer newborns who
need extra nursing care).
This book explains the birth process to birth partners and pregnant
people and explains the role of the doula throughout the process.

18 |

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 18 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:18
t
par

one

BEFORE THE BIRTH


Your role as birth partner begins before the pregnant person is in
labor. During the last weeks of pregnancy, you can learn about labor,
encourage the pregnant person to continue good health habits, help
with last-minute preparations for the baby and for labor itself, and figure
out the role you will play as birth partner.
This is also the time for you both to make many important decisions
about the birth and to discuss them with the caregiver. If you attend
childbirth classes and go to prenatal checkups, you will not only become
informed, but also meet the doctors or midwives and become more com-
fortable in your role. You can also get advice and reassurance about
anything causing anxiety or uncertainty for either of you.
During these last weeks, you can prepare for your role through intro-
spection, discussions with the pregnant person, gathering information,
and practicing comfort measures.

| 19

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 19 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:19
chapter

THE LAST WEEKS


OF PREGNANCY
As the third trimester went on, I had a growing sense of wonder. The big day
was coming when I would finally meet my daughter. I felt her kicks and saw
Janna’s belly bump around when we spoke or laughed. But, who was she?
What would she be like? I couldn’t wait to meet her. My spouse knew she
wanted to have the baby naturally. I was worried. I thought, “Why? We have
hospitals and medicines to provide comfort. Why turn it away?” She told me
she just wanted the right to try. This changed my thinking forever. I would not
be a roadblock because she should have the right to try to do what her body was
designed to do.
— scott, first-time father

E
arly in pregnancy, it seems that nine months are forever and
there is plenty of time to do everything that has to be done.
It is all too easy, especially for busy people, to postpone “getting
into” the pregnancy. Now, suddenly, the baby is almost due.
Time has flown by. As the pregnant person’s birth partner, you realize
you are being counted on you to help them through childbirth. Do you
feel ready? Can you help? What do you know about labor? Do you know
what to do when? What should you do now to get ready for the baby? The
last months of pregnancy are a perfect time to learn these things, but
you had better start right away—a month or two before the due date is
truly the “last minute,” especially as many babies arrive early. This first

20 |

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 20 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:20
chapter is basically a checklist of things to do before labor starts, to help
ensure the two of you will work well together during labor and birth.

What Kind of Birth Partner Will You Be?


Birth partners come in all shapes and sizes, and they help the laboring
person in any number of ways. Most often, the birth partner is the baby’s
father or co-parent and/or the pregnant person’s husband, wife, life
partner, or lover. The birth partner may also be the pregnant person’s
mother, sister, or friend.
A doula is another kind of birth partner, one becoming more popu-
lar in North America. The number of doulas is increasing rapidly,
especially in cities, although doulas are still in short supply in some
areas. Sometimes, the doula is the pregnant person’s only birth partner,
but more often, the doula helps both the laboring person and birth
partner. The doula is an experienced guide and support person to the
pregnant person or expectant couple. (See the description of the dou-
la’s role on pages 25 through 28.) In this book, you will learn how doulas
can help you and the pregnant person in the variety of labor situations
you may encounter.
The role played by the birth partner varies according to many per-
sonal factors and the nature of the partner’s relationship with the
pregnant person. What role will you play? What role does the pregnant
person want you to play? How much effort do the two of you want to put
into learning about childbirth and practicing comfort measures? How
actively does the pregnant person want to participate in decision-making,
in managing labor pain, in helping the labor progress well, and in deliv-
ering the baby? Does the pregnant person prefer a more natural birth or
a more medical birth?
If natural birth, both of you should acquire a basic understanding of
childbirth, learn the techniques for managing pain, and plan realisti-
cally for the challenges of labor. You should expect birth to be
challenging, demanding, and also fulfilling and also feel capable of
meeting the challenges with help, guidance, and encouragement from
the medical and support teams. The pregnant person should plan to
rely more on inner strength, coping skills, and the support team and less
on drugs and procedures to get through labor and give birth.

| 21

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 21 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:21
If the pregnant person prefers or needs (because of health concerns)
a more medical birth, they will need to rely more on the doctor or mid-
wife to make decisions, to use drugs and procedures to control the
progress and pain of labor, and to deliver the baby.

How Will You Feel?


For a realistic idea of the situations and feelings you may encounter as a
birth partner, ask yourself these questions. How will I feel if or when the
pregnant person:
Asks me to take time off to go to prenatal appointments together?
Tells me we are signed up for 12 to 18 hours of childbirth classes?
Asks me to read this book or others?
Wakes up moaning every 10 to 20 minutes during the night thinking
it’s labor, and I am very tired?
Has a gush of water from the vagina followed immediately by long,
painful contractions in the abdomen?
Does not accept my suggestions for relaxation or coping?
Needs my help with every contraction, but I am tired or hungry?
Asks me if we should go to the hospital?
Makes distressing sounds I have never heard?
Expresses discouragement (“This is so hard,” “I can’t keep on,” “How
much longer?” “Don’t make me do this”)?
Clings to me and says, “Help me!”?
Vomits or needs to vomit?
Is in pain and begins to cry, grimaces, and becomes very tense?
Criticizes me (“Not like that,” “Don’t touch me,” “Don’t breathe in my
face,” “Don’t leave me”)?
Needs me to press hard on their back with every contraction, until my
arms ache?
Tells me, “I want an epidural.”?

22 | PA RT O N E : B E F O R E T H E B I RT H

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 22 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:22
Has a labor that goes on for 12, 18, or 24 hours and still no baby, and I
am so tired I can’t keep my eyes open, but they need me?
Is told a cesarean will be necessary?
Hears the caregiver say, “Look here! The baby’s head is starting to
come . . . ?”
Feels and sees the baby slide out, wrinkled, soaking wet, streaked with
blood, and crying lustily?
Asks if I want to cut the cord?

Hands me the little, squirming, bundled baby to hold and cuddle?


Looks at me and says, “I couldn’t have done it without you.”?
Although no answer is right or wrong, your role as birth partner is
affected by the pregnant person’s preferred approach to labor and birth
and your comfort with those choices. Does the pregnant person have
thoughts about what they want and need from you? Do you feel able and
eager to meet those needs?
All these questions may be impossible to answer right now. But keep
them in mind as you read this book and start discussing them with the
pregnant person. Start imagining them in labor and the challenges you
may face as the birth partner.
Use the exercise “How Will You Feel?” as a reality check. This book
will help you prepare for such situations and plan good strategies to
handle them. By the time labor begins, you should have a much clearer
and more confident picture of yourself as birth partner.

Getting Ready for Labor


If you haven’t already done the things described in the following pages,
try to do so a few weeks before the due date or at least before labor starts.

Visit the Pregnant Person’s Caregiver


(Doctor or Midwife)
If you have not yet met the caregiver, this visit may be more important
than you think—for both you and the caregiver. Even a brief meeting

1 : THE L AST WEEKS OF PREGNANCY | 23

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 23 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:23
helps establish for the caregiver that you are an important person in the
pregnant person’s life. Although a substitute caregiver (another partner
in the group practice) may actually attend the birth, this meeting still
provides you the opportunity to ask questions, get a feel for what doctors
and midwives do, and play a more active role.

Visit the Hospital or Out-of-Hospital Birth Center


Take a tour of the hospital maternity area—triage (the room where
people go when they first arrive in labor) is usually where a nurse decides
whether to admit patients to the hospital, birthing rooms, waiting room,
nursery, kitchen, and postpartum rooms. You’ll see much of the equip-
ment used during labor. They do not usually visit operating rooms
(where cesareans are done) on the tour but may show slides and describe
them. You can find out when tours are available by calling the hospital.
Sometimes, a tour is included in childbirth classes, or you can attend a
regularly scheduled tour. Ask your caregiver how to make arrangements.
This is a good time to ask questions about the hospital’s usual way of
doing things and any choices they offer for labor management.
Birth centers are smaller and have fewer rooms than hospitals: labor,
birth, and the first hours afterward are spent in the same room. Birth
centers also have fewer protocols and less equipment, but it is still
important to visit and learn the usual practices in the birth center.
On the way to the tour, figure out your route to the hospital or birth
center and how long it takes to get there (during both rush hour and
slower traffic times). At the hospital, learn which entrances to use during
the day and at night (you may have to use the main entrance during the
day and the emergency entrance at night). Entrances to out-of-hospital
birth centers are seldom staffed around the clock and are usually locked
at night. You arrange to meet your midwife there when you call her to
announce labor.
If the pregnant person is planning to give birth at home or in a birth
center, be sure to tour the backup hospital so you won’t be confused if a
transfer becomes necessary during labor.

24 | PA RT O N E : B E F O R E T H E B I RT H

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 24 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:24
Preregister at the Hospital
If you’re having a hospital birth, you should preregister, which involves
obtaining, reading, and signing pre-admission forms and a medical con-
sent form. By registering in advance, you save time and avoid confusion
when you arrive with the pregnant person in labor.

Consider Having a Doula


Help You Both During Labor
Why consider a doula? Childbirth is intense, demanding, unpredictable,
and painful, and it can last for a few hours to 24, 36, or even more. Even if
you are well prepared, you and the pregnant person may find it difficult
to apply your classroom learning in the real situation. If you are not well
prepared, all the challenges of labor are baffling and anxiety producing.
Of course, you will have a nurse and a doctor or midwife who are
likely to be kind and caring, but they will probably be very busy with the
clinical aspects of the birth, which are their highest priority. Hospital
nurses and midwives rarely remain in the room throughout labor, as
they have duties outside the room and are often taking care of more
than one laboring patient at a time. They work in shifts, so over the
course of labor, several different professionals are likely to be involved
in each laboring person’s care. Doctors rely on the nurses to manage the
labor, with phone reports as necessary, and they may briefly visit from
time to time and will come if problems arise during labor. And, of
course, they are there for the birth.
One of the most positive developments in maternity care is the addi-
tion of the birth doula, who guides and supports women and their
partners continuously through labor and birth. The doula usually meets
with you in advance, is on call for you, arrives at your home or the hos-
pital when you need her, and remains with you continuously, with few
breaks, until after the baby is born. The doula is trained and experi-
enced in providing emotional support, physical comfort, and nonclinical
advice. They draw on their knowledge and experience as they reassure,
encourage, comfort, and empathize with the laboring person. The
doula also works with the partner, guiding and assisting you on how to
help, suggesting when to use particular positions, the bath or shower,
and specific comfort measures.

1 : THE L AST WEEKS OF PREGNANCY | 25

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 25 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:25
A doula cannot and does not take over your role as the birth partner
because you know the birthing person better and love them and the
baby as no one else does. But there are many times when the person
giving birth needs more than one helper in labor, and the partner needs
reassurance, advice, and help, too.
Besides helping the laboring person, a doula can help you in these ways:
• Guide you in applying the information you learned in childbirth
class to the more stressful and unpredictable labor situation.
• Relieve you so you can get a meal, a nap, or just a break during a long
or all-night labor.
• Bring beverages, hot packs, or ice for the laboring person so you do
not have to leave to do so.
• Reassure you if you are worried about the laboring person’s well-being.
The doula’s experience provides perspective, which can keep you
from misinterpreting normal reactions to labor as signs that some-
thing is wrong or that the laboring person is not coping well.
• Help you understand what the laboring person might be feeling and
interpret the signs of labor progress to you.
• Provide support and help you participate more confidently, if you do
not feel comfortable as the laboring person’s only constant source of
support, by making sure the laboring person’s needs are met.

26 | PA RT O N E : B E F O R E T H E B I RT H

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 26 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:26
• By getting to know the two of you before the birth, the doula can dis-
cover your priorities, fears, and concerns and help develop strategies
to deal with them.
• Photograph or videotape the two of you during labor and birth or all
three (or more!) of you afterward. Check hospital policies on this.
Doulas do not make decisions for you or project personal preferences
on you, but rather help you get the information you need to make good
decisions. A doula’s goal is to help the laboring person have a satisfying
birth as they define it.
One partner described the doula this way: “She was like my big sister—
ready, willing, and able to help me do the best job I could. She showed me
how to rub Mary’s back, reminded us to try the lunge (see page 170), and
got me a bagel when I was really hungry. She kept encouraging us. She
seemed so confident. A lot of the time, both she and I were helping Mary.
I was holding her during the contractions, and our doula was pressing on
Mary’s back and helping her breathe in rhythm. Our doula even gave me
a shoulder rub in the middle of the night. She never left except to go to
the bathroom. Without her, the birth wouldn’t have been as great for both
Mary and me. The doula helped me do a better job.”
Numerous scientific trials have compared birth outcomes of women
who had doulas and those who did not. In very “high-tech” hospitals
with high cesarean and induction rates, women attended by doulas had
fewer forceps and vacuum-extractor deliveries and fewer cesareans.
They did not need to use as much pain medication. Also, women
attended by a doula were more likely to report birth experiences that
were satisfying versus those who did not have a doula. Although a doula
cannot guarantee a normal or an easy labor, statistics show that having
a doula results in less need for major labor interventions. Chapter 3
describes what doulas do to help during each phase of labor.
There are many organizations that train and certify birth doulas,
with different methods of training and requirements for certification.
When choosing your doula, it’s important to consider the doula’s train-
ing. DoulaMatch.net has a comprehensive guide to evaluating
doula-certifying organizations, which can help guide your selection.
We agree with DoulaMatch.net’s suggestions for choosing a doula
trained by a high-quality training organization. They are reprinted here

1 : THE L AST WEEKS OF PREGNANCY | 27

301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition_001-200.indd 27 11/7/18 5:51 pm


Title: 301891 - Birth Partner 5th Edition
PMS 130U Page:27
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
[“God’s blessing on his heart that made this:” sayd one, “specially
for reuiuing our auncient liberties. And I pray God it may take such
place with the magistrates, that they may ratifie our olde freedome.”
“Amen,” sayd another: “for that shall bee a meane both to stay and
vpholde themselues from falling, and also to preserue many kinde,
true, zealous, and well meaning mindes from slaughter and infamy. If
king Richarde and his counsailours had allowed, or at the least but
winked at some such wits, what great commodities might they haue
taken thereby? First, they should haue knowen what the people
misliked and grudged at, (which no one of their flatterers either
woulde or durst haue tolde them) and so mought haue found meane,
eyther by amendment (which is best) or by some other pollicy to
haue stayed the people’s grudge: the forerunner commonly of ruler’s
destruction.[1750] Vox populi, vox Dei, in this case is not so famous a
prouerbe, as true: the experience of all times doe[1751] approue it.
They should also haue bene warned of their owne sinnes, which call
continually for God’s vengeaunce, which neuer faileth to fall on their
neckes sodainly and horribly, vnles it bee stayed with hearty
repentaunce. These weighty commodities mought they haue taken
by Collingbourn’s vaine rime. But, as all thinges worke to the best in
them that bee good, so best thinges heape vp mischiefe in the
wicked, and all to hasten their vtter destruction. For after this poore
wretche’s lamentable persecution (the common rewarde of best
endeuours) strait followed the fatall[1752] destruction both of this
tyrant, and of his tormentours. Which I wishe might bee so set forth,
that they might bee a warning for euer, to all in authority, to beware
howe they vsurpe or abuse theyr offices.” “I haue here,” quoth[1753] I,
“king Richard’s tragedy.” “Reade it, wee pray you:” quoth[1754] they.
“With a good will,” quoth[1755] I. “For the better vnderstanding
whereof, imagine that you see him tormented with Diues in the
deepe pit of hell, and thence howling this which followeth.”]
[How Richarde Plantagenet Duke of
Glocester murdered his brother’s
children, vsurping the crowne, and in
the third yeare of his raigne was most
worthely depriued of life and
kingdome, in Bosworth plaine, by
Henry Earle of Richmond after called
King Henry the vij. the 22 of August
1485.[1756]
1.

What heart so hard, but doth abhorre to heare


The rufull raigne of me the third Richard?
King vnkindly calde, though I the crown did weare,
Who entred by rigour, but right did not regard,
By tyranny proceding in killing king Edward,
Fift of that name, right heyr vnto the crowne,
With Richard his brother, princes of renowne.

2.

Of trust they were committed vnto my gouernaunce,


But trust turned to treason, too truly it was tryed,
Both agaynst nature, duty, and alleigaunce,
For through my procurement most shamefully they dyed:
Desire of a kingdom forgetteth all kinred,
As after by discourse it shalbe shewed here,
How cruely these innocents in prison murdered[1757]
were.

3.

The lords and commons all with one assent,


Protectour made me both of land and king,
But I therewith, alas, was not content:
For minding mischife I ment another thing,
Which to confusion in short time did mee bring:
For I, desirous to rule and raigne alone,
Sought crowne and kingdom, yet title had I none.

4.

To all peeres and princes a president I may bee,


The like to beware how they do enterprise,
And learne theyr wretched falles by my fact to foresee,
Which rufull stand bewayling my chaunce before theyr
eyes,
As one cleane bereft of all felicityes:
For right through might I cruelly defaced,
But might helped right and mee agayne displaced.

5.

Alas, that euer prince should thus his honour stayne


With the bloud of innocents, most shamefull to be tolde:
For these two noble impes I caused to be slaine,
Of yeares not full ripe as yet to rule and raigne:
For which I was abhorred both of yong and olde,
But as the deede was odious in sight of God and man,
So shame and destruction in the end I wan.

6.

Both God, nature, duty, alleigaunce all forgot,


This vile and haynous act vnnaturally conspyred:[1758]
Which horrible deede done, alas, alas, God wot,
Such terrours mee tormented, and my sprites[1759] fired
As vnto such a murder and shamefull deede required,
Such broyle dayly felt I breeding in my brest,
Whereby, more and more, increased mine vnrest.

7.

My brother’s children were right heyres vnto the crowne,


Whom nature rather bound to defend then destroy,
But I not regarding theyr right nor my renowne,
My whole care and study to this end did employe,
The crowne to obtayne, and them both to put downe:
Wherein I God offended, prouoking iust his ire,
For this my attempt and most wicked desire.

8.

To cursed[1760] Cayn compare my carefull case,


Which did vniustly slay his brother iust Abel:
And did not I in rage make run that rufull race
My brother duke of Clarence? whose deth I shame to tel,
For that it was so straunge as it was horrible:
For sure he drenched was, and yet no water neare,
Which straunge is to bee tolde, to all that shall it heare.

9.

The but hee was not whereat I did shoote,


But yet he stoode betweene the marke and mee,
For had he liu’d,[1761] for mee it was no boote
To tempt[1762] the thing that by no meanes could bee,
For I third was then of my brethren three:
But yet I thought the elder being gone,
Then needes must I beare the stroke alone.
10.

Desire of rule made mee, alas, to rewe,


My fatall fall I could it not foresee,
Puft vp in pride, so hawty then I grewe,
That none my peere I thought now could bee,
Disdayning such as were of high degree:
Thus dayly rising, and pulling other downe,
At last I shot how to win the crowne.

11.

And dayly deuising which was the best way


And meane, how I might my nephues both deuour:
I secretly then sent, without furder delay,
To Brackinbury, then lieutenaunt of the tower,
Requesting him by letters to helpe vnto his power,
For to accomplish this my desire and will,
And that hee would secretly my brother’s children kill.

12.

He aunswered playnly with a flat nay,


Saying that to dye hee would not doe that deede:
But finding then a profer to my[1763] pray,
“Well worth a friend (quoth[1764] I) yet in time of neede:”
Iames Tyrrill hight his name, whom with all speede,
I sent agayne to Brackinbury, as you heard before,
Commaunding him deliuer the keyes of euery dore.

13.

The keyes hee rendred,[1765] but partaker would not be


Of that flagitious fact. O, happy man, I say:
As you haue heard before, he rather chose to dye,
Then on those sely lambes his violent hands to lay:
His conscience him pricked his prince to betraye,
O constant minde, that wouldst not condiscend,
Thee may I prayse, and my selfe discommend.

14.

What though hee refused, yet bee sure you may,


That other were as ready to take in hand that[1766] thing,
Which watched and wayted as duely for their pray,
As euer did the cat for the mouse taking,
And how they might their purpose best to passe bring:
Where Tyrrill hee thought good to haue no bloud shed,
Becast them to kill by smothering in their bed.

15.

The wolues at hand were redy to deuoure


The seely lambes in bed, wheras they laye,
Abiding death, and looking for the howre,
For well they wist, they could not scape away:
Ah, woe is mee, that did them thus betray,
In assigning this vile deede to bee done,
By Miles Forrest and wicked Ihon Dighton.

16.

Who priuely into their chamber stale,


In secret wise somwhat before midnight,
And gan the bed together tug and hale,
Bewrapping them, alas, in wofull[1767] plight,
Keping them downe, by force, by power, and might,
With haling, tugging, turmoyling, turnde[1768] and tost,
Tyll they of force were forced yeeld the ghost.

17.

Which when I heard, my hart I felt was eased


Of grudge, of griefe, and inward deadly payne,
But with this deede the nobles were displeased,
And sayde: “O God, shall such a tyrant raygne,
That hath so cruelly his brother’s children slayne?”
Which bruit once blowen in the people’s ears,
Their doloure was such, that they brast out in tears.

18.

But what thing may suffise vnto the gredy[1769] man,


The more hee baths in bloud, the bloudier hee is alway:
By proofe I do this speake, which best declare it can,
Which onely was the cause of this prince’s decay:
The wolfe was neuer gredier then I was of my pray:
But who so vseth murder, full well affirme I dare,
With murder shall bee quit, ere hee thereof beware.

19.

And marke the sequel of this begone mischiefe:


Which shortly after was cause of my decay,
For high and low conceiued such a griefe
And hate agaynst mee, which sought, day by day,
All wayes and meanes that possible they may,
On mee to bee reuenged for this sinne,
For cruelly murdering vnnaturally my kyn.

20.

Not only kyn, but king, the truth to say,


Whom vnkindely of kingdome I bereft,
His lyfe from him, I also raught[1770] away,
With his brother’s, which to my charge was[1771] left:
Of ambition beholde the worke and weft,
Prouoking mee to do this haynous treason,
And murder them, agaynst all right and reason.

21.

After whose death thus wrought by violence,


The lords not lyking this vnnaturall deede,
Began on mee to haue greate diffidence,
Such brinning hate gan in their harts to breede,
Which made mee doubt, and sore my daunger dreede:
Which doubt and dreede proued not in vayne,
By that ensude, alas, vnto my payne.

22.

For I supposing all things were as I wished,


When I had brought these sely[1772] babes to bane,
But yet in that my purpose far I missed:
For as the moone doth chaunge after the wane,
So chaunged the hearts of such as I had tane
To bee most true, to troubles did mee tourne:
Such rage and rancoure in boyling brests doth[1773]
burne.

23.

And sodainly a bruit abroade was blowne,


That Buckingham the duke, both sterne and stout,
In field was ready, with diuers to mee knowne,
To giue mee battayle if I durst come out:
Which daunted mee and put mee in greate doubt,
For that I had no army then prepared:
But after that, I litle for it cared.

24.

But yet remembring, that oft a litle sparke


Suffred doth growe vnto a greate flame,
I thought it wisdome wisly for to warke,
Mustred then men in euery place I came:
And marched forward dayly with the same,
Directly towards the towne of Salisbury,
Where I gat knowledge of the duke’s army.
25.

And as I passed ouer Salisburie downe,


The rumour ran the duke was fled and gone,
His hoast dispersed besides Shrewesbury towne,
And hee dismaied was left there post alone,
Bewailing his chaunce and making great mone:
Towards whome I hasted with all expedition,
Making due search and diligent inquisition.

26.

But at the fyrst I could not of him heare,


For hee was scaped by secrete bywayes,
Unto the house of Humfrey Banastaire,
Whome hee had much preferred in his dayes,
And was good lorde to him, in all assaies:
Which hee full ill[1774] requited in the end,
When hee was driuen to seeke a trusty frend.

27.

For so it happened to his mishap, alas,


When I no knowledge of the duke could heare:
A proclamation, by my commaundement, was
Published and cryed throughout euery shyre,
That whoso could tell where the duke were,
A thousand marke shoulde haue for his payne:
What thing so hard but mony can obtayne?

28.

But were it for mony, meede, or dreede,


That Banastaire thus betrayed his ghest,
Diuers haue diuersly deuined of this deede,
Some deeme the worst, and some iudge the best,
The doubt not dissolued, nor playnly exprest:
But of the duke’s death hee doubtless was cause,
Which dyed without iudgement, or order of lawes.

29.

Loe, this noble duke I brought thus vnto bane,


Whose doings I doubted and had in greate dread,
At Banastaire’s house I made him to bee tane,
And without iudgement be shortned by the head,
By the shriue of Shropshyre to Salisburie led,
In the market place vpon the scaffolde newe,
Where all the beholders did much his death rewe.

30.

And after this done I brake vp my hoaste,


Greatly applauded with this heauy hap,[1775]
And forthwith I sent to euery sea cost,
To foresee all mischieues and stop euery gap,
Before they shoud chaunce or[1776] light in my lap,
Geuing them in charge to haue good regarde
The sea cost to keepe, with good watch and warde.

31.

Dyrecting my letters vnto euery shriue,


With strait commaundement vnder our name,
To suffer no man in their partes to aryue,
Nor to passe forth out of the same,
As they tendred our fauour, and voyde would our blame,
Doing therein theyr payne and industry,
With diligent care and vigilant eye.

32.

And thus setting things in order as you heare,


To preuent mischieues that might then betyde,
I thought my selfe sure, and out of all feare,
And for other things began to prouide:
To Nottingham castle straight did I ryde,
Where I was not very long space,
Straunge tydings came, which did mee sore amaze.

33.

Reported it was, and that for certainty,


The earle[1777] of Richmond landed was in Wales
At Milford hauen, with an huge army,
Dismissing his nauy which were many sayles:
Which, at the fyrst, I thought flying tales,
But in the end did otherwise proue,
Which not a little did mee vexe and moue.

34.

Thus fauning fortune gan on mee to frowne,


And cast on mee her scornfull lowring looke:
Then gan I feare the fall of my renowne,
My heart it faynted, my sinowes sore they shooke,
This heauy hap a scourge for sinne I tooke:
Yet did I not then vtterly dispayre,
Hoping storms past the weather shoulde bee fayre.

35.

And then with all speede possible I might,


I caused them muster throughout euery shyre,
Determining with the earle spedely to fyght,
Before that his power much encreased were,
By such as to him great fauour did beare:
Which were no small number, by true report made,
Dayly repayring him for to ayde.

36.

Dyrecting my letters to diuers noble men,


With earnest request their power to prepare
To Notingham castle, where, as I lay then,
To ayde and assist mee in this waighty affayre:
Where straite to my presence did then repayre,
Ihon duke of Northfolke, his eldest sonne also,
With th’earle of Northumberland and many other mo.

37.

And thus being furnisht with men and munition,


Forwarde wee marched in order of battayle ray,
Making by scouts euery way inquisition,
In what place the earle with his campe lay:
Towards whom dyrectly wee tooke then our way,
Euermore mynding to seeke our most auayle,
In place conuenient to gieue to him battayle.

38.

So long wee laboured, at last our armies met


On Bosworth playne, besides Lecester towne,
Where sure I thought the garland for to get,
And purchase peace, or els to lose my crowne:
But fickle fortune, alas, on mee did frowne,
For when I was enchamped in the fielde,
Where most I trusted I soonest was begylde.

39.

The brand of malice thus kindling in my brest


Of deadly hate which I to him did beare,
Pricked mee forward, and bad mee not desist,
But boldly fight, and take at all no feare,
To wyn the field, and the earle to conquere:
Thus hoping glory greate to gayne and get,
Myne army then in order did I set.

40.
Betyde mee lyfe or death I desperatly ran,
And ioyned mee in battayle with this earle so stoute,
But fortune so him fauoured that hee the battayle wan,
With force and great power I was beset about:
Which when I did beholde, in midst of the whole route,
With dint of sword I cast mee on him to be reuenged,
Where in the midst of them my wretched life I ended.

41.

My body was hurried and tugged like a dog,


On horsebacke all naked and bare as I was borne:
My heade, hands, and feete, downe hanging lyke a hog,
With dirte and bloud besprent, my corpes all to torne,
Cursing the day that euer I was borne:
With greuous woundes bemangled, moste horrible to
see,
So sore they did abhorre this my vile cruelty.

42.

Loe, heare you may behold the due and iust rewarde
Of tyranny and treason, which God doth most detest:
For if vnto my duety I had taken regarde,
I might haue liued still in honour with the best,
And had I not attempt the thing that I ought leste:
But desyre to rule, alas, did mee so blinde,
Which caused mee to doe agaynst nature and kynde.

43.

Ah, cursed caytife, why did I climbe so hye,


Which was the cause of this my balefull thrall:
For still I thirsted for the regall dignitye,
But hasty rising threatneth sodayne fall:
Content your selues with your estates all,
And seeke not right by wrong to suppresse,
For God hath promist ech wrong to redresse.
44.

See here the fine and fatall fall of mee,


And guerdon due for this my wretched deede,
Which to all princes a miroir now may bee,
That shall this tragicall story after reede,
Wishing them all by mee to take heede,
And suffer right to rule as it is reason:
For tyme tryeth out both truth and also treason.

F. Seg.[1778]]
[When I had read this, we had much talke about it. For it was
thought not vehement enough for so violent a man as king Richard
had bene. The matter was well enough liked of some, but the meetre
was misliked almost of all. And when diuers therefore would not
allowe it, “What,” quoth[1779] one, “you know not wherevpon you
sticke: els you would not so much mislike this because of the
vncertaine meeter. The cumlines called by the rhetoricians decorum,
is specially to bee obserued in all thinges. Seing than that king
Richard neuer kept measure in any of his doings, seeing also hee
speaketh in hell, whereas is no order: it were against that[1780]
decorum of his personage, to vse either good meetre or order. And
therefore if his oration were farre worse, in my opinion it were more
fit for him. Mars and the muses did neuer agree. Neither is to be
suffered, that their milde sacred arte should seeme to proceede from
so cruell and prophane a mouth as his: seeing they themselues doe
vtterly abhorre it. And although wee read of Nero, that hee was
excellent both in musicke and in versifying, yet doe not I remember
that euer I sawe any song or verse of his making: Minerua iustly
prouiding, that no monument should remayne of any such vniust
vsurpation. And therefore let this passe euen as it is, which the writer
I know both could and would amend in many places, saue for
keeping the decorum, which he purposely hath obserued herein.” “In
deede,” quoth[1781] I, “as you say: it is not meete that so disorderly
and vnnaturall a man as king Richard was, should obserue any
metricall order in his talke: which notwithstanding in many places of
his oration is very well kepte: it shall passe therefore euen as it is,
though too good for so euill[1782] a person.”[1783] Then they willed
mee to reade the blacke Smith. “With a good will,” quoth I: “but first
you must imagin that you see him standing on a ladder ouer shrined
with the Tyburne, a meete stage for all such rebelles and traytours:
and there stoutly saying as followeth.”]
The wilfvll fall of the blacke Smith,
and the foolishe ende of the Lorde
Awdeley, in Iune, Anno 1496.[1784]
1.

Who is more bolde then is the blinde beard?[1785]


Where is more craft than in the clouted shone?
Who catch more harme than such as nothing feard?[1786]
Where is more guile then where mistrust in[1787] none?
No plaisters helpe before the griefe be knowen,
So seemes by mee who could no wisdome lere,
Untill such time I bought my wit too deare.

2.

Who, being boystrous, stout, and braynlesse bolde,


Puft vp with pride, with fire and furyes fret,
Incenst with tales so rude and playnly tolde,
Wherein deceit with double knot was knit,
I trapped was as seely fishe in net,
Who swift in swimming, not doubtfull of[1788] deceit,
Is caught in gin wherein is layde no bayt.

3.

Such force and vertue hath this dolefull playnt,


Set forth with sighes and teares of crocodile,
Who seemes in sight as simple as a saynt,
Hath layde a bayte the wareles to begyle,
And as they wepe they worke deceit the while,
Whose rufull cheare the rulers so relent,
To worke in haste that they at last repent.

4.

Take heede therefore ye rulers of the land,


Be blinde in sight, and stop your other eare:
In sentence slow, till skill the truth hath scand,
In all your doomes both loue and hate forbeare,
So shall your iudgement iust and right appeare:
It was a southfast sentence long agoe,
That hasty men shall neuer lacke much woe.

5.

Is it not truth? Baldwine, what sayest thou?


Say on thy minde: I pray thee muse no more:
Me thinke thou star’st and look’st[1789] I wot not howe,
As though thou neuer saw’st[1790] a man before:
Belike thou musest why I teach this lore,
Els what I am, that here so bouldly[1791] dare,
Among the prease of princes to compare.

6.

Though I bee bolde I pray the blame not mee,


Like as men sowe, such corne nedes must they reape,
And nature hath so planted in[1792] eche degree,
That crabs like crabs will kindly crall and crepe:
The suttle foxe vnlike the sely shepe:
It is according to my education,
Forward to prease in rout and congregation.

7.

Behold my coate burnt with the sparkes of fire,


My lether apron fylde with the[1793] horse shoe nayles,
Beholde my hammer and my pinsers here,
Beholde my lookes, a marke that seldom fayles,
My cheekes declare I was not fed with quayles,
My face, my cloathes, my tooles, with all my fashion,
Declare full well a prince of rude creation.

8.

A prince I sayde, a prince, I say agayne,


Though not by byrth, by crafty vsurpation:
Who doubts but some men princehood do obtayne,
By open force, and wrongfull domination?
Yet while they rule are had in reputation:
Euen so by mee, the while I wrought my feate
I was a prince, at least in my conceyte.

9.

I dare the bolder take on mee the name,


Because of him whom here I leade in hand,
Tychet lord Awdley, a lorde of byrth[1794] and fame,
Which with his strength and powre serude in my band,
I was a prince while that I was so mande:
His butterfly still vnderneath my shielde
Displayed was, from Welles to Blackeheath fielde.

10.

But now beholde hee doth bewayle the same:


Thus after wits theyr rashnes do depraue:
Beholde dismayde hee dare not speake for shame,
He lookes like one that late came from the graue,
Or one that came forth of Trophonius caue,
For that in wit hee had so litle pith,
As he a lord to serue a traytour smith.

11.
Such is the courage of the noble hart,
Which doth despise the vile and baser sort,
Hee may not touch that sauers of the cart,
Him listeth not with ech jacke lout to sport,
Hee lets him passe for payring of his porte:
The iolly egles catch not litle flees,
The courtly silkes match seelde with homely frees.

12.

But surely, Baldwine, if I were allowde


To say the troth, I could somewhat declare:
But clarkes will say: “This smith doth waxe to prowde,
Thus in precepts of wisedome to compare:”
But smiths must speake that clarkes for feare ne dare:
It is a thing that all men may lament,
When clarkes keepe close the truth lest they be shent.

13.

The hostler, barber, miller, and the smith,


Heare of the sawes of such as wisdom ken,
And learne some wit, although they want the pith
That clarkes pretend: and yet, both now and then,
The greatest clarkes proue not the wisest men:
It is not right that men forbid should bee
To speake the truth, all were hee bond or free.

14.

And for because I [haue] vsed to fret and fome,


Not passing greatly whom I should displease,
I dare be bolde a while to play the mome,
Out of my sacke some other’s faults to lease,
And let mine[1795] owne behinde my backe to peyse:
For hee that hath his owne before his eye,
Shall not so quicke another’s fault espye.
15.

I say was neuer no such wofull case,


As is when honour doth it selfe abuse:
The noble man that vertue doth embrace,
Represseth pride, and humblenes doth vse,
By wisdome workes, and rashnes doth refuse:
His wanton will and lust that bridle can
In deede, is gentill, both to God and man.

16.

But where the nobles want both wit and grace,


Regarde no rede, care not but for theyr lust,
Oppresse the poore, set will in reason’s place,
And in theyr wordes and doomes bee found vniust,
Wealth goeth to wracke till all lye in the dust:
There fortune frownes, and spite begins[1796] to growe,
Till high, and lowe, and all be ouerthrowe.

17.

Then sith that vertue hath so good rewarde,


And after vice so duly wayteth shame,
How hapth that princes haue no more regarde,
Theyr tender youth with vertue to enflame?
For lacke whereof theyr wit and will is lame,
Infect with folly, prone to lust and pryde,
Not knowing how themselues or theyrs to guyde.

18.

Whereby it hapneth to the wanton wight,


As to a ship vpon the stormy seas,
Which lacking sterne to guide it selfe aright,
From shore to shore the winde and tyde to[1797] teese,
Fynding no place to rest or take his ease,
Till at the last it sinke vpon the sande:

You might also like