Birth Story

May 11, 2009: approximately 4:00 a.m.
I'm laying on my left side and feel a cramp that starts at my belly button and radiates around my belly (on both sides) to my spine. "Is this a contraction?" I wonder. I look at the clock. I go back to sleep.

approximately 4:15 a.m.
The same feeling happens again. I look at the clock. Exactly 15 minutes later. I take a mental note. If this starts happening consistently, I'll know something's up. I go back to sleep.

approximately 4:30 a.m.
The same feeling happens AGAIN. I look at the clock. Another 15 minutes! Wow. This could be something. These don't feel like the Braxton Hicks I've been having. I start to get excited, but stop myself. It's probably nothing. I go back to sleep.

approximately 4:45 a.m.
The same feeling YET AGAIN. I'm thinking this is it. But it's not even 5 a.m. yet. It's soooo early in the morning. I hate to wake Duncan. I continue laying in bed, my mind racing now, trying to figure out what I should do. I realize that we don't have a hospital bag packed yet. I decide to at least wait until the 5:00 hour to wake Duncan.

approximately 5:00 a.m.
I gently rock Duncan and say, "Honey? I think I've been having contractions. I'd feel a lot better if we go ahead and get up and pack a hospital bag." My amazing husband gets up calmly, finds my packing list and we start packing before the sun rises. He also starts writing down my contractions and taking notes.

I have 12 contractions in the next 2 hours. Some are short, some are longer. Some are intense, some are weak. Most are in the front, a few I feel in my back. All the while we are packing, turning on cartoons for Rachel, talking about our options. I call my parents and tell them this might be it. Unbeknownst to me, they start packing.

Finally, Duncan looks at me with eyebrows raised as if to say, "Well?" I say, "Let's go."

He calls his parents and they're on their way. David follows Sandy to the car mechanic, then takes her to our house. David goes on to work and Sandy & Rachel stay at the house. Duncan and I head to the hospital.

As we pull into the parking lot, I have another contraction, but it's been 20 minutes since my last one. Convinced that this is false labor, we go up to the maternity ward without the bags. I'm just sure they're going to send me back home. I'm ready to be mortified.

A nurse takes me into a room, has me change into a hospital gown, and hooks me up to a fetal heartbeat monitor and a contractions monitor. We wait. We watch the computer screen. We look at each other with anxious smiles.

After about 10 minutes, the nurse comes in and says, "Oh yeah, you're a keeper." We call Sandy and tell her we're staying. We call my parents. My mom says, "We're walking out the door."

approximately 9:00 a.m.
Dr. Gapp measures me. I'm at 3 cm. He breaks my water.

approximately 9:15 a.m.
The nurse puts the blood pressure band and my heartbeat monitor on me. Then she starts working on putting in my IV. Another nurse sits down to ask me questions in order to fill out paperwork. I have a nurse on either side and Duncan at my feet and a contraction is coming. The paperwork nurse asks, "When was your last bowel movement?" as the IV nurse is stabbing me and I'm trying to breathe through a contraction. "I don't know," I manage to whisper as I think, "You've GOT to be kidding me!"

Then the IV nurse says, "WOW! That's the best vein I've ever seen!" She proceeds to dramatically praise my blood vessel. Duncan and I realize that the reason why she's going overboard is because my vein gushed blood everywhere! The warm liquid I felt running down my hand and dripping from my fingertips was not spilling saline. It was my BLOOD. Evidently I left a nice puddle under my hand.

approximately 12:00 p.m.
The anesthesiologist comes in. We realize I still have my bra on. The nurse didn't have me take it off when I first came in because we didn't know if I was staying. It takes quite a bit of maneuvering (with all my monitors and tubes) to get the thing off. We are finally successful and I assume the position. WORST. PAIN. EVER. It starts off just the same as last time... a little prick, some discomfort... but then WOW. Duncan is standing in front of me and I cling to his shirt. My head is resting on his chest and tears stream down my face. I try not to make too much noise, but I can't hold in the moaning. The nurse and the doctor tell me, "Not much more, not much longer," and I bank on it. When the doctor is finally done, I hope that my pain doesn't get any worse than that. Duncan voices this wish too, for he is now woozy.

approximately 12:30 p.m.
They give me pitocin because my contractions have slowed. We watch the contractions come and go on the monitor, and check Baby Jack's heart rate with each one, and I feel nothing.

approximately 1:30 p.m.
The nurse checks me and she says I am 4 cm dilated. We realize later that she was probably mistaken.

approximately 2:30 p.m.
Dr. Gapp checks me and says I'm at 10 cm! He says I can start pushing whenever I want! HOLY COW! We were not prepared for this! I dilated 6 cm in ONE HOUR? Unlikely. We are shocked and I am panicked. My parents are still a half hour away. Dr. Gapp says we can wait a half hour. He'll go check in at the clinic and then come back and I'll start pushing.

I call my mom to see where she is. She says my dad is going 85 down the Pennyrile Parkway (that has a speed limit of 70). Go Dad, Go!!!

approximately 2:58 p.m.
Mom walks in. Dr. Gapp comes in right behind her.

3:00 p.m.
I start pushing. It seems harder this time around. I ask Duncan to push on my back as I am pushing. Between pushes, I really have to lay back and recoup. When they tell me to push, I sit up, imagine pushing as hard as I can through my bottom, grunt and PUUUUSH with all my might. The doctor says, "Harder. Harder." I want to scream, "IMPOSSIBLE!!!" I manage to squeak out, "PUSH, Duncan!" and I feel his helpful support in my back.

Jack's head comes out. Dr. Gapp tells me to look. I lean forward and see my baby's head! Dr. Gapp tells me to push one more time.

May 11, 2009: 3:11 p.m.
Jack Alexander Cavanah is born. We find out later he is 10 pounds, 8 ounces and 21 inches. Dr. Gapp lays him on me. He holds the scissors out for Duncan and Dunc cuts the umbilical cord. I forget to count fingers and toes this time and just make sure Jack has a penis. Yes, it's definitely a boy. :) Dad tells me later that he heard Baby Jack crying from the other side of the door.

The nurses take Jack to the warmer and Duncan starts shooting video. Dr. Gapp continues to work on me as I bask in the glory of Motherhood Squared. Then several things happen at once. I see the nurses jump, I feel a splat on my right foot, I hear a collective gasp. Dr. Gapp remains calm and doesn't stop working, but I see blood on my sock and blood on the floor wayyyy over where the nurses were standing and realize something strange happened. "I've never seen THAT happen before!" one nurse exclaims. "What happened?" I think. I am quickly filled in. Evidently I shot my placenta out, with a whole lot of blood. Duncan tells me later that the placenta hit the back of the bag that was under me and ricocheted into it. Blood was sprayed in a (NO KIDDING) 6 foot radius. It soaked Dr. Gapp's leg and got a couple of the nurses. They clean up the floor pretty well, but when my dad is able to come in, he spots some near the opposite wall. Perhaps I will be a story those nurses will tell for years to come.

When I've related this event to a couple of choice others, I've been asked, "Weren't you scared? Didn't you think you were in danger?" I honestly didn't! I think it's because Dr. Gapp just kept going as if nothing remarkable happened.

I am able to hold, nurse and adore my son for a while before the nurses have to take him away. We are now parents of two. A girl and a boy. A perfect family of four. Let the fun begin!