Fast forwarding about 5 months through the fatigue and nausea that defines my pregnancies, I could feel that this baby was bigger than the others at the same age. Being a VBAC patient, I might fudge don'ttellmydoctor my dates so that I lower my risk of being induced, but even knowing that, her April 5th/1st due date was pushing it. I felt like she would be early, especially given that Jeremy was scheduled to be on call the last week of March, and on call is what he was for the birth of both older kids.
On March 13, we celebrated Hunter's 7th birthday! Oh how times flies. The following weekend was busy with maternity photos scheduled, our annual trek to the daffodil fields, and some work at our new land. My running had been on the pitiful side for most of my pregnancy, but I was actually enjoying my walks-with-a-bit-of-jogging, doing an hour-ish on most days of the week; otherwise I rode my trainer while ignoring my power meter. Saturday I got my walk in early so we could do some pictures then go to dinner...at the restaurant we went to for my last meal before delivering Josie...
At just shy of 38 weeks, if you're being lenient, early on Sunday morning of St. Patrick's Day, I was up in the middle of the night, and as usual while pregnant, unable to quickly go back to sleep. I was tossing about, not getting comfortable, and I didn't want to wake my bed buddy, Josie, so I was lying across the bottom of the bed. Having juuuuust started to doze off, I was startled by a thump. Surely, I thought, that was not my water breaking, but just one of those dreams that seems truly real. I lay really still for a while, in denial, until finally I decided to check to see if... yes, my water broke a little. I got back in bed thinking this is too early, still not believing it was real. A contraction made me notice it, and then another. I thought I better check the clock at this point, and when I realized I was having contractions 5 minutes apart, I knew something was going on. It was 3:38 am.
Jeremy had his alarm set for 4, and when he woke up, I quickly stopped him from getting up and told him he couldn't go out to work at our new land, I just *might* be in labor, and if not, well, I was really tired from not sleeping much. His mom was scheduled to move to the plot in two days, and he had a few things to get finished up before then. I wasn't convinced that contractions this far apart (they started closer with Josie) were anything to get excited over, but I went to get a few things packed while he called his mom, who lived 7 hours away. Around 5, I decided to actually time my contractions to see if this was "for real," and found that it was, indeed.
Next on the agenda was texting my doula, Cora. She didn't answer within the minute, and I started worrying she wouldn't hear her phone, it being Sunday morning at 5am. Then she called with the news that she had just finished with a delivery at the same hospital, and she would be there with everything ready! Jenny and Tim got the next text, but I ended up calling Tim when they didn't respond. We needed someone to be able to come stay at our house with the older kids, or they would be drug to the hospital with us. I still have my last minute packing list that includes "kids clothes." No time for apostrophes! Luckily I got in touch with Tim; he was coming up and waking Jenny, our designated birth photographer. Somehow I managed to get enough stuff together and talk to enough people through my contractions, as my mom can testify to, and we left for the hospital around 5:45.
Apparently we were arriving at the hospital around 5:59 when Jeremy sneakily took my picture as we pulled into the parking garage. But honestly, I wouldn't have noticed if he had told me anyway, with my contractions being pretty close together by then. Cora was waiting with a wheelchair right at the entrance to the skywalk, apparently remembering Josie's birth, where it took me hours (so it seemed) to make it 5 feet down that corridor. She whisked me over to L and D, where the front desk stopped Jeremy so he could fill out paperwork as Cora told them to not keep him long; this baby was coming soon. At this point it was finally becoming more clear to me that I was not going to be in labor for many more hours, and as Cora said, I would get to meet my baby in just a few minutes. "A few minutes" seemed to be a huge exaggeration to me at the time, but doulas know labor.
My room was ready when I got there, and it seemed nurses were all over the place. Immediately I got my clothing situated and up onto the bed, where my dilation was checked. At "8-9 centimeters," I was momentarily disappointed, thinking I'd be complete, or almost, just as my first check had been with Josie. Cora told me to do what I felt I needed to do, which meant to push if I felt like I could. Some of the details are fuzzy already, since that is why women will go through this more than once a lifetime, but I remember Cora telling me to listen to what Dr. Hutch was saying. He was the laborist at the hospital at the time, and I had heard great things about him. However, I couldn't see him, since I was on hands and knees, and I hadn't tuned into his voice until then or even known he was there. He coached me along, letting me know when the best time to push would be and when to hold off, all the while standing back, very casually observing. Jeremy was standing nearby, as was Cora, but otherwise I was oblivious to my surroundings. I pushed, decided I couldn't do it, realized I had no choice, pushed some more, chomped down and bent a wire on my braces (so much for all the Hypnobirthing techniques I studied), pulled an intercostal muscle (that still hurts 5 months later), heard a little sound from the baby, and then she was born! I rolled over and was immediately handed my precious and perfect Coral Ethelyn June.
I held my sweet Coral while her cord was cut by Jeremy, she started nursing, and I recounted how HARD that had been, since of course I had forgotten so much since Josie's birth. "I felt like I was pushing the entire time we were at the hospital until she was born!" I told Jeremy, "It seemed much longer than with Josie!" Only then did I realize that I WAS pushing almost the whole time we were at the hospital, since we got there around 6 and she was born at 6:20. Next I looked around the room for my "birth photographer," Jenny, who hadn't quiiiiite made it in time. She got there about 15 minutes too late, but given the early hour, we couldn't blame her. The kids at home had slept until after their sister was born, so they woke to the surprise and excitement that she was here early.
My great aunt Ethelyn, one of my favorite people of all time, always told us not to name a poor baby after her (when we threatened it). Having delivered loads of babies in her house-call-making days as a general practice doctor, there are more than a few named after her already, but none in the family. I think she would be tickled to have this sweet baby as her namesake.
We sure love her so!
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