[Birth Stories] Four Days After Her Water Broke and Still No Labor – Now What?!

What do you do when your water breaks and FOUR days later, there’s little sign of labor? For Sivan Dirks this meant almost drinking a castor oil smoothie! Instead, she leaned into the holistic and intuitive tools she’d gathered over her previous – and varied! – birth experiences, to have her most connected and physiologic birth yet. She shares with Adriana her three experiences which include a belly-birth breech preemie and two fast VBACs. They also talk about the importance of being intentional in your birth preparation to strike a balance between informed choices and a heart-centered approach.

Related resources*:

• Choices in Childbirth website
• Spinning Babies website
• Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor’s Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting, by Dr. Sarah Buckley

Related Birthful episodes:

• Why Choosing The Right Care Provider Is Crucial For Your Pregnancy
• Eight Questions To Ask Your Care Provider (Especially In Your Second Trimester!)
• The Problem With Due Date
• How Long Should You Wait to Clamp the Cord?
• Family-Centered Cesareans
• Straight Talk About The Effects Of Electronic Fetal Monitoring On You And Your Baby
• Why The Golden Hour Matters For You
• Why The Golden Hour Matters For Your Baby
• How To Protect The Golden Hour
• The Baby’s Birth Experience
• Newborn Sugar Levels And Breastfeeding
• The Purpose of Childbirth Pain
• Understanding Acupuncture From A Physiological Lens (And Why You Shouldn’t Fear The Needles!)
• Helping Your Mammalian Body (And Baby!) Have An Easier And More Connected Birth
• Third Stage of Labor
• Is Homebirth For You?

Image description: Sivan Dirks, a white-presenting woman with dark hair, presses her cheek against her newborn baby’s. who is wearing a cap and swaddle, following her cesarean birth

About Sivan Dirks

Sivan Dirks a medicine woman who fell head over heels in love with everything pre- through post-natal support. Why!? Because she’s a mama of three beautiful humans who have sparked and initiated again and again her deep curiosity about this life-altering journey and the tremendous power it holds.

Drawing from her personal experience of having three very different births (one at a hospital, one at a birth center, and one at home) Sivan knows that an empowered positive birth experience is more than just good luck. It is a deep inner process that is nourished by conscious birth preparation and a dedicated support team who believe in your power and vision.

Sivan is the founder/owner of Rose City Baby, her acupuncture practice, and Wise Mama Collective, a group of dedicated practitioners who are committed to supporting families with the most personalized holistic health care in Portland, Oregon.

As an experienced birthkeeper with over ten years of clinical practice and an acupuncturist specializing in perinatal care, Sivan has had the honor and pleasure of helping many families navigate this important transformative time, and ease the transition with confidence and compassion.

Connect with Sivan on her website or Instagram @rosecitypdx