As the long, hot, sweltering summer progressed I was excited to be nearing the end of my pregnancy and be joined by a little girl. So as the morning of August 16th came around, all my husband and I wanted was to escape the heat and retreat to the family cabin in the mountain. To be safe we decided to take some extras things, you know, just in case! We arrived at the cabin at around 10:30 in the morning and enjoyed the cool mountain air and slow lazy pace. After a lunch of Cheetos and a Hot Dog I decided to lay down on the couch and enjoy some entertainment that only John Wayne's War Wagon can supply. At 2:15 I asked Jake to help me wallow out of the nest I had created for myself on the couch so that I could venture out to the outhouse; yes I said Outhouse! I must have had a strange look on my face, because Jake asked me what was wrong and I told him "I think my water broke." He laughed it off, "Yeah right!"
As I stepped outside, my water not only broke, it exploded, sending a raging river down my huge prego capri pants. I was both laughing and crying when Jake, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and two dogs came running to my rescue and found me standing in a puddle. I then went and changed into another set of clothes that were quickly also soaked, wrapped myself in three towels, and waddled to the truck.
As I stepped outside, my water not only broke, it exploded, sending a raging river down my huge prego capri pants. I was both laughing and crying when Jake, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and two dogs came running to my rescue and found me standing in a puddle. I then went and changed into another set of clothes that were quickly also soaked, wrapped myself in three towels, and waddled to the truck.
We only had to stop at a nearby lodge to run in and use the phone (cell phones are a no-go) so that Jake could call my parents and tell them they should head to Sheridan ASAP, then we started our exodus off of the mountain. The Sheridan Hospital is about an hour and a half from the cabin . . . I don't think it took us that long. On the way down the mountain I was timing my contractions, they didn't even start until about 2:45 and I thought they were about 10 minutes apart, I was wrong.
As we pulled into the hospital Jake and my father-in-law went dashing for a wheelchair, and I started waddling toward the door in my soggy sweat pants and towels. What a sight! After being admitted I was wheeled into a delivery room and began the ordeal of being hooked up to all of the monitors. I was informed that my contractions were 1-2 minutes apart and I was dilated to a 4. I guess that adrenaline is the first epidural.
Jake and I had taken a birthing class; you know the one were they tell you that if you would like you can sit in a nice warm jetted tub, or go for a walk, or read a book, or take a nap, yeah . . . well there wasn't time.
As we pulled into the hospital Jake and my father-in-law went dashing for a wheelchair, and I started waddling toward the door in my soggy sweat pants and towels. What a sight! After being admitted I was wheeled into a delivery room and began the ordeal of being hooked up to all of the monitors. I was informed that my contractions were 1-2 minutes apart and I was dilated to a 4. I guess that adrenaline is the first epidural.
Jake and I had taken a birthing class; you know the one were they tell you that if you would like you can sit in a nice warm jetted tub, or go for a walk, or read a book, or take a nap, yeah . . . well there wasn't time.
At 6 PM I was dilated to a 6 and at 7 PM an 8. I tried to progressed though my labor gracefully, but with contractions that were less than 20 seconds from the end of one to the start of another and were 90 seconds long, I must admit that I was pleading for an epidural. By 7:30 I had received my epidural and all the medication needed to combat the Strep B virus.
All I needed was the Doctor; apparently he thought that my first birth would take a little longer. He wasn't the only one! At least I had the best nurse, Gina. She could have delivered the baby without a hitch, and I would have been more than happy to let her at the time. She was wonderful.
By 8 PM I was dilated to a 10 and completely effaced, the Dr. arrived at 8:15. After 10 minutes of pushing our perfect baby girl was born! What an exciting, hurried and exhausting afternoon!
DeliveringTale by mother, Jill. Read more of Jill on her blog.
