The Story

Ok...now that I've had some sleep (little, but some) I want to write this down before I forget. I'm sure this will get long and I'll try to avoid anything too graphic. Keep in mind the bulk of the story happend over a 2.5 hour period. Here goes!

Monday evening around dinner time I began having some stronger contractions that stayed around 10 minutes apart. I'd been having contractions off and on for over a week. Nothing terrible and definitely manageable. I had a slight feeling these could progress into the real thing. I decided to pack up the last of my suitcase and get some things in order just in case. By the time we went to bed around 10 they were still happening, but I was able to fall asleep.

At 2am I awoke to even stronger contractions that had moved to my lower back. I knew this was the real thing and started timing them. Still 10 minutes apart and not getting stronger. Keenan woke up and we decided that once they moved to 5 minutes apart we'd get our things together and call our friends to come stay with Ari.

Around 3am I was getting antsy so I decided to get out of bed, wet and re-braid my hair and get everything ready to go. I asked Keenan if he wanted to get up with me or stay in bed and rest. (Keenan's note: I thought to myself "mmm...sleep. Oh wait. That's probably a bad idea.") He decided to get up. As I was braiding my hair, the contractions were getting closer and stronger and I know I felt her starting to make the decent. Between contractions I was perfectly fine.

At 3:30am Keenan tried to call our friends. No answer. Ok. Try again. No answer. Oh crap. What do we do? Contractions are getting stronger and closer. One more time...they answer! They say it'll be 10-15 minutes. Oh crap! I look up as I'm hunched over our living room chair breathing through a contraction to see our friend at the door. We give him brief instructions and head out the door around 4am.

As we're driving to the hospital, I'm really feeling the pain and the traffic lights were not cooperating - at 4am! About 2 miles from the hospital I realize I'm going through transition as I roll down the window to keep from getting sick in the car.

I have a contraction as we pull into the parking lot around 4:15am and I tell Keenan as soon as it's over, grab the suitcase and move quickly with me into the ER (the only open door this time of day). Once in the lobby Keenan gets me a wheel chair and I sit down. The ER nurses start giving me the 3rd degree. "Are you having a baby?" "Yes!" "Are you in labor or did your doctor tell you to come in?" "I'm in labor." "Did your water break?" "No." "Are you having contractions?" "Yes." "How close are they?" "2-3 minutes apart" "Ok...Just a minute." They pick up the phone I'm assuming to call the doctor to see if they should send me to labor and delivery. "Ok...my water just broke." "Ok. Nevermind. You're having a baby." (to myself "Really?!?") The orderly calmly comes over and starts wheeling me away asking the same (dumb) questions.

On the way up to Labor and Delivery (on the 2nd floor), I have a couple of contractions. Each time I clench onto the wheelchair the orderly asks "is that a contraction?" Ugh. We pull into the elevator and he presses the 2. Nothing happens and the door's still open. He presses it again. Still nothing. Presses the door close button. Nothing. He pulls on the door to get it to close. I think "I'm not having a baby in the elevator! That door better open back up!" It does. Phew!

We wheel up to a bed in L&D and the nurses start asking me all kinds of questions. I have a contraction. When it's over I get into the hospital gown and slump into the bed. They check me and I'm fully dialated and at a +1. They quickly wheel me to a room. I ask "is there time for an epidural?" "Uh, no. It's too late for that." I start panicing knowing I'm going to have to do this au natural. Before this day I had told myself and Keenan that I wanted to at least try it without drugs, but now that I had no choice I was scared to death.

Once in the room, the next couple of contractions were excruciating and I was in full panic mode. The nurses tried to calm me down and get me to breathe through the contractions. I settled down a little by the time I felt the pressure and urge to push. The doctor had barely made it through the door when I was ready to push. 3 or 4 contractions later, Keira was born - a mere 16 minutes after arriving at the ER! I have never felt so much physical relief in my life!

As they moved us up to the mom and baby floor, the nurse told Keenan "did you see that? Next time you'll be doing that at home!" She also told me that next time we should head to the hospital when I feel the first twinge :)

Hind sight being 20/20, and had we known how quickly it would go, we would have left sooner. Also, now that it's over, I realize that it really wasn't as bad as I was imagining. Yes, it was bad and painful, but I did it!