Tuesday, November 1, 1994

The phone rang around 5am. Good news! My cousin C gave birth to a whopper of a baby boy at 4:30am.

I will be so happy, and relieved, when my little one finally decides to make an appearance.

I'm ready!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

6:45am - My eyes pop open to a hard and crampy contraction. I have to go potty. But I can't move til this contraction eases-up.

Breathe.

Breathe.

Breathe.

Ahhh!

Now to the potty. (TMI?!)

Lost mucus plug.


Thoughts running through my head...

*He is getting ready to go to work. Will tell him to be by the phone, just incase.
I need to get the girls ready and off to school.*



Wash hands.

I feel something warm running down my legs. Oh no! I'm I wetting myself?

Back on the potty.

GUSH!!!!!

Whoa! My water just broke.

I hollar for him. *You can't go to work today...my water just broke!*


I get myself cleaned-up. He's on the phone...calling everyone.

I need to call J, my midwife to tell her.


She says, *Are you sure?*

*Yes, J, I'm sure. It's running down my legs :)*

She chuckles and says, *Ok, then head to the hospital.*


So, I shower.

Grab the bag, a few towels for the *water*, and Chelsea's picture...I need her with me.

Drop the girls off at my SIL's. She does a frenchbraid in my hair, gives me hug and well wishes, and prayers that all goes well.

And we are off to the hospital 45 minutes away...Contractions are settling in at 2 minutes apart and 1 minute long. 1 minute break inbetween each one. Still bearable. I can do this!

We arrive at the hospital L&D around 8:45am. Nurse Robin is there :)

She looks up and says, *You're not scheduled for a NST are you?*


*No. My water broke - so reserve yourself today...I want you to be with me.*



Tended to by Nurse Diana, whom I do not remember ever meeting before -

Vitals checked:

BP - ok


Weight - Well this is it. I gained a grand total of 35 lbs. Not bad for a Banana Split diet. :)

Exam - 1cm. Contracting every 2 minutes at 1 minute long. + Amniotic Fluid. *Yes, Mrs. P, you're in LABOR.* (I knew that!)


My mind was trying to wrap around this. I still have 9cm to go. I want to do this NATURAL, NO DRUGS.


I opt for the tub to try to relax ... with the agreement that they will check FHB every 10 minutes.

No arguement there!


I'm not watching the time. Too busy getting thru the contractions.

But at some point I had to go potty.


He and J help me out of the tub and to the toilet.

J checks me again. 4-5 cm.


I can't move to get back to the tub.


Something has happend.

The contractions are strong and forceful. It's difficult to stay focused.

J is massaging my back and hips, cooling me with a cold rag, feeding me ice chips.

He is sitting in front of me, reaching around to stroke my back.


More contractions. Harder. Stronger.

A deep groan escapes me.

J asked if I felt like to push? I am so zoned I can't answer her verbally.

She checks me again.

In 30 minutes I went from 4-5cm to 9cm.

So that was TRANSITION?!


Ok, off the potty and into the bed. On the way to the bed another contraction over takes me and my knees giveout. He is trying to hold me up as J dives under me, just incase this little one shoots out.


Alls well.


They get me to the bed and all goes calm and peaceful.

The LULL before the actual pushing begins.

So there I lay, holding onto the handgrips, (I'm sure my knuckles were white). Waiting. Unsure of what is happening. Just waiting.

(I really wanted to deliver in the squat position, but my legs were like mush.)



Then it starts up again. Not painful contractions, but oh, so forceful.

13 minutes of the PUSHING stage.

Nurse Robin is snapping pictures and checking the video camera.


6 1/2 hours of labor from start to finish. No drugs. No time for drugs or an epidural if I did choose to go that route.

November 1 @ 1:23pm my baby is born.

Alive!

J says, *Here she is!* And plops her on my belly.

Through my tears I say, *It's a girl?*

Laughing, she says, *Oh, let me check.* ... *Yes, it's a girl!*

Thank you, Lord for this Special Blessing!


So this little baby girl is laying on my belly, just looking at me.

I look down at her and a tidal wave of pure love crashes over me.

Here I was, for 9 months, wondering how I was going to love this new little one as much as I love Chelsea.

I didn't have to divide my love between my children ... Love multiplys!!! My friend was right. She told me it would happen, and it did.

So, this little girl is very pudgy and squishy. Must have been all those banana splits.

She has patches of red hair.

Irish temper???

J takes her so they can cut the cord.

Oh, she did not like that. She cried. Her first cry. Music to my ears.

She is back on my belly and we are covered with a nice warm blanket.

I talk. She looks at me. She knows my voice. Amazing!


Nurse D tries to put my baby to my breast, but I stop her. We are going to let this little one find it on her own.

She asks J if she should give me some Pitocin to help deliver the placenta. J says *No.*

Maybe Nurse D was in a hurry?! Wanted things to move along alittle quicker?!

That's what I like about a midwife (not all, but most) ... she was not rushing my body to do what it would do naturally. If intervention was needed, she would opt for it. NOT just because she had other plans she wanted to be getting to.

But things were going along as they should.

Soon enough after baby birth, I deliver the placenta. No Pitocin needed.

It is determined that I need stitches. (11 of them)


Me and My Special Blessing are tended to with utmost care.

They even called the kitchen to send up some food.

I was so hungry. The last I ate was supper the night before. The ice chips I ate during labor were not filling at all.


After a while she finds my breast, on her own.

We were given precious bonding time.

Then she was weighed and measured. 8lbs 12.7 oz & 20 inches of absolutely pure incredible life-altering love.

Footprints, eye-ointment.


J gave her a nice warm bath...laughing because putting a baby back into the warm water makes them return to the position they were in while in-utero. My little one was all-sprawled-out. J says I must have a huge pelvis that she would be able to sprawl-out like that.


After a while, Grammy S came in to visit. My cousin R came to visit (sister of cousin C who had baby this morning)

Then I remembered ... Nurse Joanna wanted to be called so she could be with us for the birth. Ooops! I was a bit preoccupied to remember to call her.

I was told she would be on shift tomorrow.

I hope she isn't upset with me.



When he calls the family to let everyone know that *Evelyn Nicole* has arrived, Granny is happy. Her namesake is alive and well. She raised her hands and said her Thank You to God.

She will not be with us for long.


Hospice even commented to my sister that they were amazed that she was still hanging-on.


My sister told them that she had 2 great-grandbabies to be born and she is probably waiting for them to arrive.

Here, they were born the same day, 9 hours apart, in the same hospital.



At my request, the staff was informed that my little one is to remain in my room at all times...she will not be going to the nursery.

That evening, I made a few calls myself. One of them to the bereavement group coordinator to give her the wonderful news ... Chelsea's has baby sister ... alive and healthy!