Disclaimer: It's a birth story folks. There's discussion of birth related medical situations. I had a baby and this story isn't really edited for the comfort of all. Proceed with caution if queasy.
Maggie was due May 20th. I had a midwife appointment that week and was dilated to a four; I'd had a few random contractions but nothing serious. The midwife group I was working with had four midwives. Three of the four I was more than happy to have catch my baby, the last one I didn't want anywhere near me. I'd had appointments with her early on and she always made me feel like she wasn't really sure what was going on. I'd ask her a question and she'd ask me for the answer. It was unnerving. All this to say that at my appointment I discovered the midwife I had been successfully avoiding was scheduled to be on call for the upcoming holiday weekend. So, I really wanted this baby to come before Friday 11:59pm when the uncertain midwife started her on call weekend.
My midwife scheduled me for a non-stress after the weekend in case Maggie didn't show by then and she tried to suggest getting induced so I could avoid uncertain midwife. I was firmly against being induced but pretty nervous that this baby was going to wait for the weekend (like i knew she was mischief before she got here) so I agreed to a 'gentle strip' that day and to come back the next day (Thursday) for a check and membrane strip.
So, Wednesday I was at a 4 and had a gentle strip. I then went for a walk up Provo canyon with my two neighbor friends and assorted children. I had some cramping, a couple of contractions later on that day but nothing more.
Thursday (40 weeks, 1 day) I came back and was still at a 4 and had another strip. Nothing. All day nothing.
Friday (40 weeks, 2 days) my appointment was with the uncertain midwife. Gah. I probably should have just skipped it. But, it made me more certain that ever I didn't want her in the delivery room. Anyway, her strip was beyond less than gentle. I was fuming when I left. I'm actually still fuming about it a year later. <insert low grade expletive>
Anyway, we had no plans for the day so I decided to take Jo to the mall after lunch. She loved the indoor park there and I wanted her to enjoy her last days as a solo kid. I remember having one contraction at the park but it was manageable.
I should add at this juncture that I was in labour with Jo for almost 26 hours. I'd heard that second labours go faster - sometimes cutting the time in half. So, 13 hours I figured. Plenty of time to get everything situated and get to the hospital. Adam's Mom was going to come and get Jo - they're 30 minutes away so no big deal to wait for her once things got going. Adam worked a 12 minute bike ride away. The hospital was 11 blocks away. No concerns at all. Adam's Mom had actually called earlier to see if she should pick up Jo as she was passing through town and I'd turned her down. In hindsight, my Jo labour started at a 1 - I was barely dilated with her. Though in my defense, no one ever said to me "Laura, you are halfway done with this labour already bear that in mind when it starts" I mean, my midwife had told me to come in when it started but she didn't make it sound urgent or anything.
I was laying on my bed (air mattress in the living room - best pregnancy idea ever) reading to Jo when I got a call from the Census Bureau. I've been participating in an in-depth census program and this was a follow up call to make sure my last census interview had been satisfactory. Just as I was telling the census customer service center that everything was fine I had a contraction that was not messing around. It was so painful, sudden and intense that I had to get up off the bed and do some funky breathing in the ear of the rep. I got off that call and remember thinking "well, Adam will be here soon I better get the tracking app going, maybe we will have a baby after all today." Adam had left work at 5 and by the time he got home around 5:20 I think I had properly freaked Jo out. She had gone to get her doctors kit and was trying to give me a check up.
Adam arrived home and my biggest concern was Jo - I wasn't able to do anything but focus on my contractions so I really couldn't manage her and them. He offered to take her to get something to eat while we waited for his Mom to come and pick her up. So I sent them off to eat. (In hindsight I would not have done that again, timing contractions is something I'm not capable of during labour and so we had no idea what we were dealing with. If someone else had been there to time them maybe I or they would have figured out what we were dealing with sooner) While they were gone I was trying everything that had worked the last time to help with pain and nothing was even close. This time though, thankfully, I was at least able to sit down. I'm thanking my frequent chiropractor visits for that one - during my Jo labour I'd been unable to handle a contraction seated, it was the least helpful thing I'd tried and that's putting it lightly. I remember throwing up and texting my sister to tell her that. Add 'text' to the list of things I don't do well when in labour because I'm not sure I ever told her I was dealing with the real thing at this point. Adam's Mom arrived with cousin Emma and I sent them outside to wait for Jo and Adam. I was past being able to talk or think very well. I have no memory of Jo heading out with them. Then Adam was home and started trying to get our stuff together to get to the hospital. I do remember telling him I didn't think I could do it this time - I might need an epidural. The pain was so much worse than I remembered that I was absolutely positive I couldn't make it through 13 hours of it. He said we could definitely do that and I told him I didn't want to pay for it. (Scottish cheapness) I also remember Adam checking my contraction timer app and we just had nothing to go on - not enough contractions or timing to make a pattern. Next I decided I need to go to the loo. So I headed for our tiny bathroom and decided to also try the tub - it had been wonderful last time. I got in and had the worst contraction yet and also the distinct need to push. I really thought I was going to die in the tub. What the what I thought? I've only been in labour for maybe 90 minutes at this point? Adam came back from doing something somewhere else and I told him "I think I need to push." To which he sagely responded "Well then get out of the tub, we are going to the hospital" and then I tried to talk him out of it. Because labour Laura verges on insanity. The hilarity of trying to get a labouring Laura dressed and off to the hospital is the type of thing you'd see in a movie and think 'doesn't happen in real life.'
Anyway, Adam finally got me in the car (sitting on a towel) and we headed to the hospital. I remember approaching the stop sign and thinking "he's going to stop! WHAT??? WHY???' and then one of the lights on the way to the hospital was red and I had a contraction while sitting there. Every time I stopped at that red light after that I had flashbacks. Sitting in a car strapped in by a seatbelt may be the worst way to have a contraction ever.
We pulled up to the hospital door and I remember looking at the clock in the car - 7:19pm. We walked into the women's unit and Adam gestured at me in response to the "can we help you?" query. Some double doors were opened, I made a beeline for a nurse standing next to the triage desk (I assume), grabbed her arm and said "I need to push." She tried to tell me not to push and to get me to a bed but I was no use to anyone - I grabbed hold of the wall and pushed. Which is when my water broke. People were shouting (it seemed to me) "get her to a bed" someone else "get the bed to her!" The contraction ended, the bed was wheeled out into the hall and I was perfectly capable of climbing onto it between contractions. I was wheeled into triage, someone asking me "who's your doctor?" somebody else says "get Jennifer" and I say "Jennifer's my doctor." Handy that, my second favorite midwife is down the hall delivering someone else. Next thing I know, we are in triage and I'm saying "where's get my husband" and nurses are reassuring me he'll make it. In comes Adam - they'd had trouble finding my info despite me triple checking my registration in the weeks leading up - the old Sheridan Bliss vs Bliss problem. Not far behind him is the midwife - she puts on gloves, asks them to pull the curtain so I can't be seen from the hall (I hadn't even noticed) and tells me I can push on the next contraction. So I do. And when it ends I announce "That's all I can do" to which Jennifer says "No, you need to do more, she's halfway out." Well, in that case! They passed her to me and I told her "There you are! I've been waiting for you!"
Babies with lips. It's how we roll.
Two hours old staring at her first visitor
Definitely don't do texting and real labour well. I would have actually got my arse in gear if I had believed you!
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