*DISCLAIMER: This post switches between present and past tense a few times. Annoying, I know, but I'm not going to fix it.
First of all, sorry to everyone I didn't even tell you I was pregnant. Truth is, I was pregnant...and now I'm not because I had a baby :)
For me, it was a long 8 months. It wasn't an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. It was just an unhappy pregnancy, so when I finally hit the 36-week mark and the depression lifted, I was feeling so good emotionally that my physical discomforts weren't bothering me so much. However, everyone around me seemed to be ready for me to have this baby which in turn made me anxious to have him. Between weeks 36 and 38 I had quite a few contractions, just none that were consistent or prolonged. Then at 38 weeks, they stopped entirely.
President's Day was over the weekend of my 39-week mark and since Fred was home we decided to go to the park and run hoping it might start my contractions again. Unfortunately, after shuffling through 3 miles I only succeeded in straining all my pelvic muscles without so much as a hint of contractions. I resigned to wait out the week to my due date on Friday. The next day I had an appointment and my doctor put me on the induction list for the following Wednesday. Bummer. I was hoping to have the whole "rush to the hospital" experience.
Enter My Friend's Idea
Back at week 37, my friend told me I should hook myself up to a breast pump and bounce up and down on a yoga ball to start my contractions again. Sounds lovely, I know; which is why I never did it. Then on Friday (my due date), I stopped by another friend's house and she gave me a breast pump at the suggestion of my previously mentioned mutual friend. We had a mandatory residency get-together that night (a costume party I had planned on not attending because I'd hoped to have a baby already) so I spent the day putting together a costume for Fred.
Everyone at the party asked me when I was going to have the baby and all the other mandatory questions that seem to accompany finding out someone is 40 weeks pregnant. We made it through the party then headed home where I decided to try the suggestion of the breast pump minus the yoga ball. The thing is, I've never used a breast pump before and for some reason, the way I'd attached it, all it did was squeeze the heck out of my skin. It was entirely too painful and after 1 minute I called it quits.
The Day After My Due Date - 21 February (Happy Birthday Anna)
The next morning Fred and I walked to the park with the girls and played for a while, walked home, and then did a bunch of deep cleaning projects I'd been putting off. After lunch, Charlotte went to the neighbor's to play while Fred and I planned a menu and shopping list for the following week. When Hazel woke up from her nap Fred decided to take her to the store for a grocery run. It was 3:45 when they left and I went upstairs to try the pump one more time. I decided to put Vaseline on the pump which made all the difference. At 3:55, just 5 minutes after attaching the pump I had my first contraction and decided to turn the pump off. 2 minutes later I had another contraction. I decided I would shower and then call Fred to let him know that I thought the pump would work to start my labor. 2 minutes later I had another contraction. I washed my hair, pausing for another contraction, and thought, maybe I should have called Fred first.
My contractions were all 2 minutes apart and getting increasingly stronger, but this small part of me thought that as soon as I called Fred they would subside. I decided to call as soon as I turned the water off in the shower. I called. No answer. Weird. Fred always answers. I called again. No answer. I sit through another contraction. I call again. No answer. O.K. Code in our house is 3 phone calls means emergency, answer your phone. I called two more times. No answer. No answer. Now I'm a little annoyed, sitting in my towel having contractions and I decide to get Rebecca involved. I went to my door and called to her.
"Rebecca, can you call Winco and have them page Fred?"
"And say what?"
"To call me."
I close my door and wait for another contraction. I call Fred. No answer. I sit on the couch in our room. Weird noise and a small burst of water. Awesome. I decide I should at least get dressed. I know at least that I'll be admitted now regardless of whether my contractions stop or not. At this point, Charlotte comes home from the neighbor's house and is playing in the room with Rebecca.
"Did you call Winco?" I shout out my door.
"Yes. Do you want me to try them again?"
"No."
I call Fred. No answer. Seriously, Fred?
"I think you're going to have to take me in," I call out. A look of slight distress from Rebecca as she stands up quickly.
"OK. What do I do?"
"Get a towel and put it on the seat in the car. And a trash can, cuz I think I might throw up."
"Okay, do you want me to take Charlotte back to Julie's?"
"No. She was over there all afternoon. Maybe I can call Amy." Wait for another contraction.
"Umm, Julie won't mind. I don't think we have time to go to Amy's."
Finish contraction. "Yeah. Go ahead and take her to Julie's."
I call Fred. No answer. Annoyance level elevates.
Rebecca gets back. I'm on the floor dealing with another contraction.
"Rebecca, use my phone and call Matt (a fellow resident and close family friend). Ask him to call the hospital to let them know I'm on the way."
We head to the car while Rebecca calls. She says that at this point I was super white and she was afraid I was going to pass out. I laid down in the front seat and turned on my side a little. Side note about Rebecca: she is a notoriously slow driver. We pulled carefully out onto the road and I say to her, "I know you don't like to speed, but could you try and get there fast?" Miraculously Rebecca drove between 5 and 10 miles over the speed limit the whole way and we hit only one red light which changed to green just as we stopped for it. We made it to the hospital in 7 minutes arriving just before 5 o'clock, 1 hour after my first contraction.
The following is a montage of my thoughts on the way to the hospital in no particular order.
Holy cow this hurts.
Why the heck is Fred not answering his phone?
I am NOT holding Rebecca's hand while I push this baby out.
And yes, I'm getting an epidural.
I cannot believe I'm about to give birth to Fred's son while he's picking out milk at the grocery store.
Fred doesn't even know I'm in labor!
As we pull up to the base there is no guard outside to check IDs. I fake curse in my head as I see the guard lolly-gagging to his post. When we pull up to the guard post Rebecca says to him, "We need to hurry, she's having a baby" at which point I think he practically threw her ID back to her and waved us through.
"I don't know where to go exactly."
"Drive to the emergency room entrance."
We drive up to the ER entrance and Rebecca asks, "Now what?"
"Turn off the car and help me get out."
I wait for a contraction to finish, she helps me out and I walk as fast as I can knowing I've got 90 seconds before the next contraction. It hits me right as I get through the second set of automatic doors. I decided to lay down on the floor.
"You can't lay down right here," Rebecca says.
"Oh yes, I can!"
A family walks in past me with two little kids. I hear the mom tell her children to look away.
Rebecca then went into the reception area and calmly said, "My sister is having a baby out in the hallway." So a couple of guys come out with a wheelchair, set me in it, and take me in the elevator to L&D. When we arrived there were three nurses standing there ready to admit me but they all looked at each other and said, this isn't the girl we were expecting. Thankfully I looked enough in labor that they took me directly to the room that was prepared.
I laid down on the bed while someone went to find my chart. My contractions were basically 45 seconds apart at this point. The bed was surrounded by people asking me questions, some of which I just chose to ignore as I breathed through the pain. I turned to the lady entering info into the computer. "Can I get an epidural?" I asked.
"We're going to check you in just a second." Around 5:05 she puts on a glove, does the check and then announces, "Okay, you're at an 8 and 90% effaced."
Oh man, I groan in my head, I've missed my epidural.
She sees the look on my face and says, "Don't worry, we'll still call anesthesia and see what we can do." But I know better. The time has passed.
Just then one of the nurses pokes her head in and says over the commotion, "You're husband is on his way. He's doing 95 on 215." Matt had apparently gotten a hold of him finally as he was getting on the freeway to go home from the store.
The baby's heartbeat drops and they turn me on my side away from the door. I feel like I'm bearing all to the entrance of my room. They slip an oxygen mask on me and start putting an IV in my hand. All of a sudden I hear a familiar voice. It's Ed from Fred's class. And his voice is coming from behind me. Awesome. Could this get any weirder?
"Hey, Jari. So, I'm on call today with Dr. Doris." My heart sinks. (You'd have to know Ed and Dr. Doris to understand my feelings at this point. Both competent doctors, but not MY kind of doctors.) "We're going to take good care of you and the baby. So, umm, just let me know if you need anything."
Fred, you're in so much trouble! Hurry and get here quick!
I think around this time I heard Rebecca again. She said something like, "I'm back and Fred is coming right behind me. He's almost here."
At approximately 5:13 Fred rushed in with Hazel in tow. I was completely unaware of her at the time with all the adults around my bed. Rebecca said she stood there in silence just watching. Fred asked Rebecca to take her home and apparently for the rest of the night she just kept saying, "Mommy's sick." Poor thing. Well, as soon as Fred saw Dr. Doris in the room and found out my doctor was still on his way to the hospital he immediately put on gloves. We had been asked several times previously if Fred was going to deliver the baby and each time we said no, Fred was going to be husband/father. But nothing about this delivery was going the way I had seen it panning out. They got Fred up to speed on what was going on with me. Around 5:17 I get checked again and am complete +3. It's go-time. But no one seems to be getting ready to catch the baby. Fred is still talking to nurses and techs.
What the heck is going on?!??!!! I thought they said I was complete. Why am I not pushing yet? What are they waiting for?!
Overwhelming pressure sensation.
"Fred, I need to push now."
Everyone takes me seriously- probably because I'm serious.
It's 5:20. Fred says, "okay" then sits down. Apparently, they were trying to see if I could wait until my doctor arrived. NOPE.
With the next contraction, he tells me to push. I push and feel the baby move quickly down the birth canal. Immediately everyone in the room seems to say, "Whoa!" or "Stop." I guess his head was slightly sideways and he had a compound hand (hand up by his cheek). I pushed one more time and at 5:21, an hour and 26 minutes after my first contraction, and only a minute after starting to push, Zachary Grant Nielson was born.
15 minutes later my doctor came in.
First of all, sorry to everyone I didn't even tell you I was pregnant. Truth is, I was pregnant...and now I'm not because I had a baby :)
President's Day was over the weekend of my 39-week mark and since Fred was home we decided to go to the park and run hoping it might start my contractions again. Unfortunately, after shuffling through 3 miles I only succeeded in straining all my pelvic muscles without so much as a hint of contractions. I resigned to wait out the week to my due date on Friday. The next day I had an appointment and my doctor put me on the induction list for the following Wednesday. Bummer. I was hoping to have the whole "rush to the hospital" experience.
Enter My Friend's Idea
Back at week 37, my friend told me I should hook myself up to a breast pump and bounce up and down on a yoga ball to start my contractions again. Sounds lovely, I know; which is why I never did it. Then on Friday (my due date), I stopped by another friend's house and she gave me a breast pump at the suggestion of my previously mentioned mutual friend. We had a mandatory residency get-together that night (a costume party I had planned on not attending because I'd hoped to have a baby already) so I spent the day putting together a costume for Fred.
*In case you can't tell, he's Esqueleto from Nacho Libre when they go to the party.
Everyone at the party asked me when I was going to have the baby and all the other mandatory questions that seem to accompany finding out someone is 40 weeks pregnant. We made it through the party then headed home where I decided to try the suggestion of the breast pump minus the yoga ball. The thing is, I've never used a breast pump before and for some reason, the way I'd attached it, all it did was squeeze the heck out of my skin. It was entirely too painful and after 1 minute I called it quits.
The Day After My Due Date - 21 February (Happy Birthday Anna)
The next morning Fred and I walked to the park with the girls and played for a while, walked home, and then did a bunch of deep cleaning projects I'd been putting off. After lunch, Charlotte went to the neighbor's to play while Fred and I planned a menu and shopping list for the following week. When Hazel woke up from her nap Fred decided to take her to the store for a grocery run. It was 3:45 when they left and I went upstairs to try the pump one more time. I decided to put Vaseline on the pump which made all the difference. At 3:55, just 5 minutes after attaching the pump I had my first contraction and decided to turn the pump off. 2 minutes later I had another contraction. I decided I would shower and then call Fred to let him know that I thought the pump would work to start my labor. 2 minutes later I had another contraction. I washed my hair, pausing for another contraction, and thought, maybe I should have called Fred first.
My contractions were all 2 minutes apart and getting increasingly stronger, but this small part of me thought that as soon as I called Fred they would subside. I decided to call as soon as I turned the water off in the shower. I called. No answer. Weird. Fred always answers. I called again. No answer. I sit through another contraction. I call again. No answer. O.K. Code in our house is 3 phone calls means emergency, answer your phone. I called two more times. No answer. No answer. Now I'm a little annoyed, sitting in my towel having contractions and I decide to get Rebecca involved. I went to my door and called to her.
"Rebecca, can you call Winco and have them page Fred?"
"And say what?"
"To call me."
I close my door and wait for another contraction. I call Fred. No answer. I sit on the couch in our room. Weird noise and a small burst of water. Awesome. I decide I should at least get dressed. I know at least that I'll be admitted now regardless of whether my contractions stop or not. At this point, Charlotte comes home from the neighbor's house and is playing in the room with Rebecca.
"Did you call Winco?" I shout out my door.
"Yes. Do you want me to try them again?"
"No."
I call Fred. No answer. Seriously, Fred?
"I think you're going to have to take me in," I call out. A look of slight distress from Rebecca as she stands up quickly.
"OK. What do I do?"
"Get a towel and put it on the seat in the car. And a trash can, cuz I think I might throw up."
"Okay, do you want me to take Charlotte back to Julie's?"
"No. She was over there all afternoon. Maybe I can call Amy." Wait for another contraction.
"Umm, Julie won't mind. I don't think we have time to go to Amy's."
Finish contraction. "Yeah. Go ahead and take her to Julie's."
I call Fred. No answer. Annoyance level elevates.
Rebecca gets back. I'm on the floor dealing with another contraction.
"Rebecca, use my phone and call Matt (a fellow resident and close family friend). Ask him to call the hospital to let them know I'm on the way."
We head to the car while Rebecca calls. She says that at this point I was super white and she was afraid I was going to pass out. I laid down in the front seat and turned on my side a little. Side note about Rebecca: she is a notoriously slow driver. We pulled carefully out onto the road and I say to her, "I know you don't like to speed, but could you try and get there fast?" Miraculously Rebecca drove between 5 and 10 miles over the speed limit the whole way and we hit only one red light which changed to green just as we stopped for it. We made it to the hospital in 7 minutes arriving just before 5 o'clock, 1 hour after my first contraction.
The following is a montage of my thoughts on the way to the hospital in no particular order.
Holy cow this hurts.
Why the heck is Fred not answering his phone?
I am NOT holding Rebecca's hand while I push this baby out.
And yes, I'm getting an epidural.
I cannot believe I'm about to give birth to Fred's son while he's picking out milk at the grocery store.
Fred doesn't even know I'm in labor!
As we pull up to the base there is no guard outside to check IDs. I fake curse in my head as I see the guard lolly-gagging to his post. When we pull up to the guard post Rebecca says to him, "We need to hurry, she's having a baby" at which point I think he practically threw her ID back to her and waved us through.
"I don't know where to go exactly."
"Drive to the emergency room entrance."
We drive up to the ER entrance and Rebecca asks, "Now what?"
"Turn off the car and help me get out."
I wait for a contraction to finish, she helps me out and I walk as fast as I can knowing I've got 90 seconds before the next contraction. It hits me right as I get through the second set of automatic doors. I decided to lay down on the floor.
"You can't lay down right here," Rebecca says.
"Oh yes, I can!"
A family walks in past me with two little kids. I hear the mom tell her children to look away.
Rebecca then went into the reception area and calmly said, "My sister is having a baby out in the hallway." So a couple of guys come out with a wheelchair, set me in it, and take me in the elevator to L&D. When we arrived there were three nurses standing there ready to admit me but they all looked at each other and said, this isn't the girl we were expecting. Thankfully I looked enough in labor that they took me directly to the room that was prepared.
I laid down on the bed while someone went to find my chart. My contractions were basically 45 seconds apart at this point. The bed was surrounded by people asking me questions, some of which I just chose to ignore as I breathed through the pain. I turned to the lady entering info into the computer. "Can I get an epidural?" I asked.
"We're going to check you in just a second." Around 5:05 she puts on a glove, does the check and then announces, "Okay, you're at an 8 and 90% effaced."
Oh man, I groan in my head, I've missed my epidural.
She sees the look on my face and says, "Don't worry, we'll still call anesthesia and see what we can do." But I know better. The time has passed.
Just then one of the nurses pokes her head in and says over the commotion, "You're husband is on his way. He's doing 95 on 215." Matt had apparently gotten a hold of him finally as he was getting on the freeway to go home from the store.
The baby's heartbeat drops and they turn me on my side away from the door. I feel like I'm bearing all to the entrance of my room. They slip an oxygen mask on me and start putting an IV in my hand. All of a sudden I hear a familiar voice. It's Ed from Fred's class. And his voice is coming from behind me. Awesome. Could this get any weirder?
"Hey, Jari. So, I'm on call today with Dr. Doris." My heart sinks. (You'd have to know Ed and Dr. Doris to understand my feelings at this point. Both competent doctors, but not MY kind of doctors.) "We're going to take good care of you and the baby. So, umm, just let me know if you need anything."
Fred, you're in so much trouble! Hurry and get here quick!
I think around this time I heard Rebecca again. She said something like, "I'm back and Fred is coming right behind me. He's almost here."
At approximately 5:13 Fred rushed in with Hazel in tow. I was completely unaware of her at the time with all the adults around my bed. Rebecca said she stood there in silence just watching. Fred asked Rebecca to take her home and apparently for the rest of the night she just kept saying, "Mommy's sick." Poor thing. Well, as soon as Fred saw Dr. Doris in the room and found out my doctor was still on his way to the hospital he immediately put on gloves. We had been asked several times previously if Fred was going to deliver the baby and each time we said no, Fred was going to be husband/father. But nothing about this delivery was going the way I had seen it panning out. They got Fred up to speed on what was going on with me. Around 5:17 I get checked again and am complete +3. It's go-time. But no one seems to be getting ready to catch the baby. Fred is still talking to nurses and techs.
What the heck is going on?!??!!! I thought they said I was complete. Why am I not pushing yet? What are they waiting for?!
Overwhelming pressure sensation.
"Fred, I need to push now."
Everyone takes me seriously- probably because I'm serious.
It's 5:20. Fred says, "okay" then sits down. Apparently, they were trying to see if I could wait until my doctor arrived. NOPE.
With the next contraction, he tells me to push. I push and feel the baby move quickly down the birth canal. Immediately everyone in the room seems to say, "Whoa!" or "Stop." I guess his head was slightly sideways and he had a compound hand (hand up by his cheek). I pushed one more time and at 5:21, an hour and 26 minutes after my first contraction, and only a minute after starting to push, Zachary Grant Nielson was born.
15 minutes later my doctor came in.
Comments
I'm glad you made it to the hospital! Congratulations for making it through the Pains of Hell, and also for an adorable baby boy!
I am so happy that Fred made it! I'm hoping that my next one is fast like that. You natural birth was way better than mine. And about 1/4 of the time too. It did make for a pretty good story. What was the reason Fred never answered his phone?