The Birth Pit Crew

I thought today that that midwives and assistants can be like the pit crew at birth. At first this idea may not seem very hands-off but hear me out. If you have ever watched a car race you might already see where I am headed with this. I watched a lot of car races as a kid because of my dad's love of the sport, ready? Here we go:

The focus of the race itself and of the pit crew's focus is always the car/driver duo. For midwives it is the mother/baby duo.  If the car enters the pit, the pit crew is amazing, tires are changed, and all sorts of other wonders that I have no idea about take place in seconds. It can be much that way with birth. The mother labors and labors, sometimes the "crew" needs to lend a hand. Get some water, offer encouragement, rub her back, prepare some food, change the chux pad, and clean up the birth room before anyone knows what hit them.  If there is a crisis, the crew can spring into action but only if she needs more. No respectable pit crew would overhaul the engine in the middle of the race if all was well. No pit crew would detain the driver for even a second longer than necessary; to do so could cost him the race.

So it is with labor. Midwives who let women be and who are there for whatever is necessary and nothing more are an asset and not a hindrance. One of the greatest aspects of the pit crew is that they are sharp, on their toes, dedicated, and ready at a moments notice...but there are no stars in the pit crew. It is never about them.

The biggest (and best) difference between birth and this pit crew/race comparison is that there should be a lack of race mentality at a birth along with a lack of race anxiety. While giving birth may be victorious it should be without competition and certainly without time records to beat. So, it is an imperfect analogy and I am not sure if this is my original thought. Hey...I like it anyway!