Quinn Sadie - How She Got Here

I cannot sufficiently express to you..there are no words to describe it..the utter joy I feel..that I
NEVER HAVE TO DO THAT AGAIN.
Our family is COMPLETE. Completely whole. Completely done. Completely wonderful. Completely complete.
(How's that for tempting fate?)

I wasn't induced early with this pregnancy like I was with my others due to being "too healthy". Screw that. All this wondering and waiting for some dramatic Wow!-I'm-in-labour!-grab-the-bags-let's-go! moment is over rated. Give me a date. Let me be in control.

Wednesday night I jumped on the trampoline with Elly. Quincey had forbade it when I suggested it as a self induction technique so I waited until he wasn't home. I didn't last very long because jumping on a trampoline when you are 9+ months pregnant is actually quite painful. Go figure.

Thursday mid-morning as I'm at our warehouse picking up supplies to move into our new store I get a few contractions. Painful? Not really, but by my fourth kid I'm pretty familiar with the difference between the practice contractions you get throughout pregnancy and the "real" ones that you get in labour.

I'm intrigued, though not convinced that "this is it". I decide - just for fun - to try and time them. Yes, there's an app for that. I hand Charlie my iphone (she had wanted to come to work with me that day) and tell her to press the button when I say so. She's THRILLED to be involved.

We don't stop, though, and keep doing what we were there to do. I swing by Quincey's office and let him know what's up. He wants to go to the hospital. I laugh. I'm not even in any real pain yet, and according to my app these contractions are sporatic and infrequent. I'm still not willing to admit that today is THE day.

Charlie and I head to the store and drop off the supplies. I tell my team that I'm not staying, though, because I'm "not feeling well". Still in partial denial and not willing to admit to anyone that I may be in (or approaching) labour.

Charlie wants to go to Red Robin for lunch. Just the two of us. I figure, why not.
We enjoyed ourselves and kept timing the contractions (which were still not too painful) although I realized I had no appetite.

Back at home I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I feel guilty about laying in bed. I'm not in enough pain. I could still be doing something. I decide to go for a walk. Off we go, Charlie and I iphone app in hand.

Walk walk walk walk walk. Contractions. They'll come a few in a row at 3 minutes apart. Then 30 minutes and nothing. At this stage I'm still thinking that the hospital will send me home. Not regular enough..not strong enough. Blah blah blah. I am not going to L&D until I'm CERTAIN that I'm in full on labour.

We went home, but I still didn't know what to do with myself. Quincey had been calling me all day. Now? Now? How 'bout now? NO. NOT YET. DON'T CALL ME, I'LL CALL YOU. was always my response.

I have a shower. He calls again. NOOOO. But by the time I'm dried off and dressed things have changed. Yes, that quickly. Suddenly I'm having contractions less than 2 minutes apart that are bringing me to tears. I call Quincey. NO ANSWER. You have GOT to be kidding me! No worries, though. He quickly calls right back. He's in his van headed home.

I get some last minute things together. It's not, but it seeeeems to be taking forever for him to get here now that I'm having so much pain. I call him. Huuurrrry.

The last thing I hear as I'm walking out the door is Charlie asking my mom, "Why is she crying?" and mom saying, "because it hurts."

At the hospital the case room is packed. We get the last bed. My contractions are no more than a minute apart and I can't get through them without crying and moaning. I am the only patient in the case room in this type of pain. All the other beds are chatting away.
Why don't they just take me to a room??

The nurse checks me and is surprised to find that I am 6cms dilated already.
"So that's why you're in so much pain!"
Yes..like I told you when I checked in....I'M IN LABOUR.

Fast forward through some intense labour to finally getting my epidural and my husband passing out in the process. I'm not sure they see that very often in L&D..a FOURTH time Dad passing out during labour. So I'm getting my epi. I'm sitting on the edge of the bed leaning into him. I'm in transition. Things are not going well. I've lost track of how many times they've tried to get the line in, but we've since counted the holes in my back and it was SIX tries.
So like I said, I'm sitting on the side of the bed and leaning into Q. All of the sudden, Quincey's weight shifts dramatically and he is now leaning into me.
"Are you OK?" I ask him.
"yup" is his response.
Then his weight shifts suddenly again onto me. I can't see anything because I'm literally holding him up with my head and shoulders, but I can hear the nurse rushing over and saying, "Sit down! Sit down!"
She flops him to the bench behind him, holds me up, and voila..the epi is in.
I look up at him and he looks like he has just stepped out of the shower. He's soaking wet.
I felt bad for him for a split second, but then suggested maybe he tries sitting in MY seat and seeing how he holds up then.

Before you know it, the baby is out.
I announce that I feel the baby coming then tell the nurse, "Did I mention that my babies just kind of slide out?"
"That's my cue!" she says as she rushes out to grab the doctor.

At 8:30pm July 22nd exactly 2 1/2 hours after arriving at the hospital baby girl Quinn Sadie arrived weighing 7lbs 3ozs and 20 inches long.

Comments

[Pat]

Quite the story and a lovely baby - well worth the effort.

[Mickey]

That was an exciting labour and delivery! Wow your Mom hadn't told me
all that! Arriving at hospital in transition is pretty dramatic and hard on you.
Glad it all turned out so beautifully in the end. She's a beauty & you are looking
so well! Take care.

[Mary Bourne]

I just wanna hold her!

[Trina]

Thanks for sharing! I love hearing birth stories. Validates why I never let Robert anywhere near me when I was having my epidurals. He had to sit on the other side of the room with his back turned while leaning over every time.

[Amy]

Congrats again Sara!! I love picture number one, that to me is the BEST picture!! :-D She is beautiful... :-D Great Story lol.. I hope this pregnancy goes as smooth lol... Oh I don't think I told you we are having baby number 2 :-D....

[Wendy Oler]

Congratulations Sara and family! What a beautiful baby - love the hair! I hope all is going well now that you've got her home.

[Mike]

Avril passed out when I had my gall bladder removed.