When you hear birthing story, what's the first thing that comes to mind?
For most of us, we probably imagine the typical modern day birthing process. Hospital. Epidural. Lying in the hospital bed. Eating ice chips. Watching the contractions on the monitor, etc, etc. While this may be true, you will not be reading that today. You may find my story to be intense or completely normal. It really just depends on what normal is to you. Personally, I believe that each and every birthing experience is unique regardless of where, when and how you get through it. Birthing a human is an amazing event.
My most recent and extraordinary birthing story happened this past summer.
This pregnancy was rough and I had quite a few small concerns. My largest concern was that when I went into labor I wouldn't make it to the hospital in time. We lived 35 minutes from the hospital. I discussed this fear with my midwives but I couldn't stop thinking about it.This was my sixth child and my previous labors were pretty fast. I had been told that with each new baby the labors would be quicker. Especially in the second stage of labor.
Sometime in June I started to experience prodromal labor. That continued off and on throughout the month and into July, even surpassing the due date of July 24th. It was warm, windy and I'd been having cramps periodically throughout the day. I did what I normally do and that's brush them off. After all, this couldn't be the real thing? My mother in law had been calling everyday in July to check on me to see if I had progressed any. She even stayed a few nights, almost certain I would have the baby any day. One evening I decided I wanted to get out of the house for a change of scenery and to walk a bit. The cramps were coming sporadically but like I said, I thought nothing of it.
I finally decided that maybe driving up to my favorite store and walking around would take my mind off of the confusing feelings I'd been having. After walking around Hobby Lobby for a little while I decided to head over to Lowes. While I was there I noticed my cramps were getting more intense and closer together. Knowing that they'd subside when I lay down, I decided it would be best to just head home and rest. On the way out, my mother in law called to check on me and I ended up in the curtain aisle and not the exit. After spending 20 minutes deciding if I wanted to buy some curtains, I left empty handed.
I know you're probably thinking why even mention this. Well... during pregnancy, some decisions seem to be harder to make then others. Like purchasing curtains. These particular curtains happened to be on clearance and there were just enough panels available for what I needed. Since my mother-in-law was on the phone with me during this tough decision she gave me a bit of advice. She simply stated that I would either
1- Buy the curtains and be happy with the decision I made 2- Buy the curtains, regret it and then just return them or 3- I would walk out empty handed and regret not buying them.
You must know what my decision was since I'm telling you about it now. It's been two months and I'm still thinking about these curtains. Sigh
When I arrived home, Rob and the older children were up playing cards. My cramps were still present and coming frequently. I decide to play cards to try to get my mind off of it since I believed this was just another prodromal episode. After a few games the cramps became more intense to the point where I just wanted to go lay down. And that's exactly what I did.With my headphones in and the sound of relaxing Christian affirmations I started practicing my breathing techniques.Wondering if the real thing was coming soon. All of a sudden my water broke and when I say it broke, that's an understatement. It poured out of me like a running faucet and it was nonstop. It literally scared me. I immediately yelled for Rob and told him to get a towel and the car ready. Thankfully, our oldest child was home and was able to watch the kids until my mother in law arrived. From the second my water broke, the contractions started immediately and the fear began to sink in. Was I going to make it to the hospital? The last two times my water broke I had a baby within the hour. I couldn't help but think we wouldn't make it. After calling the midwife to meet us at the hospital I begged Rob to drive as fast as he could. We were 30 minutes away and we had a work zone to go through on the interstate. There was no way around it and the speed limit was 55. He assured me that it wasn't a good idea and then went on to explain that if we're pulled over we definitely wouldn't make it to the hospital. He was right. I just continued to breath through my contractions and prayed we'd get through fast and ticket-less. Once we were out of the work-zone and the speed limit sign read 70, I demanded him to drive 80. I was not trying to have this butter-bean in the car, on the side of the road, in the dark.
We arrived to the hospital around 11:30 and pulled up to the Emergency room. Rob gets out to find a wheelchair and quickly realizes that he is in the wrong area. Sigh. These doors were for employees and medical personnel only. This is why a hospital tour should be a priority. Thankfully an EMT gladly pointed him in the direction to the other doors. So we pull up to the entrance and he runs inside to get a wheelchair. I'm breathing through the contractions that were now less then five minutes apart. Two men were standing right next to the door and could clearly see I was in labor. When Rob came back with the wheelchair, I hopped on it gripping the towel around me. My dress was soaked and the water continued to leak. As he wheeled me through the main doors, one of the men looked at me and said "Good Luck." I thanked him because at that moment I surely needed it. The front desk was fifteen feet away and I was so thankful that we had made it. The lady at the desk was either having a bad day or she just didn't like me. Let's be real here though. She didn't have a care in the world that I was about to give birth to a baby any second.
The waiting room was full, some people were even standing and all eyes were on me. The woman at the desk asked me for my name and birth date and stated that she had to register me in the computer. After I breathed through a contraction I told her my name, date of birth, that my midwife was meeting me upstairs and that labor and delivery was expecting me any minute. Immediately after, I began breathing heavily through another contraction. Instead of just taking me upstairs she asked me again for my name and birth-date with a straight face and no emotion. Again I told her my name and date of birth and then yelled " I NEED TO GET UPSTAIRS NOW UNLESS YOU WANT TO DELIVER THIS BABY!THEY KNOW I'M COMING! JUST GET ME UPSTAIRS PLEASE!" Again, fear sank in because I thought I wouldn't make it to the room. The woman at the desk just turned around and walked away. Second later a technician took me upstairs. As she was rolling me upstairs my husband was moving the car to the parking garage because he was told the car would get towed if he left it.
As I arrived to the labor and delivery unit I was greeted by a very nice receptionist and my labor and delivery nurse who didn't waste a second getting me back to the room. I remember repeating to her that I had very fast labors and that I needed an IV placed as soon as possible. The IV was for an antibiotic and fluids since I was anemic and have low blood pressure. The nurse didn't even have time to place one. Once we arrived she called for a resident since the midwife had not arrived yet. As she was getting the IV kit out Rob arrived to the room. It was 11:51p.m. Little did we know that we were about to meet our baby
6 minutes later.
The resident came quickly and helped me get my wet soaked underwear off. Then she asked me to lay down so she could check me. I told her I couldn't lay flat so she tried checking me as I laid partially on my side. I was in a tremendous amount of pain at this point and I could barely remain still. She looked at me and said "You're about 6 cm." I couldn't believe it. There was no way. This baby was coming any minute. I had to be dilated further? " I looked back at her frantically and said "I need some nitrous then." She looked at the L&D nurse with an " Oh no!" stare. I will never forget the expression she made. All three of us new it was too late for that. I didn't even have my IV yet and the nurse couldn't even pull up my information in the chart because I was registered in the Emergency Room. It didn't even matter at this point. As soon as she finished checking me she said "Let me know when you feel the urge to push." I remembered the midwife arriving somewhere around this time and she began setting up equipment on a table. I frantically said "I need to push now." They tried to get me to lay down while putting pads on the bed but I just couldn't lay down. The pain was so intense and I didn't want to move. Holding on to the rail as tight as I could I began screaming. This baby was coming any second. The midwife ran over to me and just crouched on her knees. I remember it as if she were running to home base and sliding to the plate........ It was that fast. Liberty's head popped out and thankfully my midwife was there to grab her and rotate her shoulders out of me. I was definitely not prepared to have a baby standing up. Once she was out they handed her directly to me. The pain immediately disappeared and I was holding my beautiful, healthy, baby girl in my arms. The clock read 11:57. I couldn't believe it. No IV, NO medication and Zero complications. I literally walked in, delivered the baby and probably could've walked right out.
The midwife and the nurses called me Super Woman for the rest of the night.
I sure did feel really good about the experience and I was grateful that it happened the way it did. The nurses repeatedly apologized for the rude woman downstairs and they encouraged me to file a complaint. I was so full of love with my new baby girl that I just spent the next hour and a half just laying in this bed, skin to skin with my baby and husband by my side. It was so perfect!
I still can't help to think what would've happened if the lady in the emergency room would've made us wait any longer to go upstairs. My husband probably would've missed the birth and I may have ended up having the baby in the elevator or the hallway. That would've been a wild story! However, Im thankful and blessed that we made it up to the room and that my baby girl is as healthy as can be!
Thanks for reading and if you enjoyed my story please leave me a comment in the box below. I would love to hear about your birthing stories as well.
