Disclaimer: This is the story of our baby’s arrival – feel free to stop reading if you want. I’ll try not to be too graphic, but what is okay for me, may not be okay for you! You have been warned! I also need to apologize because it will be mostly text – more pictures will come soon! I promise.
Because of my false labor episode I was a little leery to believe any contractions were actual labor because I had believed I was in actual labor before! On Friday morning, July 15, I woke up and told the kids that we were going to clean and organize their rooms and the playroom. They were REALLY excited – NOT. Anyway, I was feeling pretty good with quite a bit of energy considering I was 39 weeks pregnant. I ate breakfast and got in the shower. Then, I started having contractions. I didn’t pay much attention to them at first. I kept thinking, I have a lot to do today! So I just kept going. I did some laundry and cleaned up my bedroom. About 10:00, Leonard called from work.
I told him that I thought I was in labor. “Really? Should I come home?” He asked. I told him to give me an hour and I would pay closer attention to the contractions and then call him back. After an hour of trying to get a few more things done, now I was having to stop every few minutes because I couldn’t complete tasks while I was having a contraction. I had timed them to be about 3-4 minutes apart and about 1-2 minutes long. Needless to say, I wasn’t getting much done because I had to stop so frequently!
I called Neil and Kay to see if they were home. They didn’t answer so I sent Kaydra over to see if they were outside. She came back and said the door was locked and no one was home. I called our babysitter, Rebekah who lives just down the road. She was home and could come anytime. I told her to come about 12:00. That would give Len time to get home from work. I called Len back and told him to come get me. He got home at 11:30, made some lunch for the kids and we headed for the hospital.
I was checked in and taken to Labor and Delivery. We were pleasantly surprised to find Leonard’s cousin, Sara was the charge nurse and helped us get settled. They got me hooked up to the monitor and found I was 4-5 centimeters at about 12:30. We were in actual labor and we could stay! I continued to have contractions, Leonard sat back to read a magazine, and they asked me questions and started my IV. The nurse that took care of me was Shirleen. I graduated from nursing school with her 11 years ago! It was fun to see her again and I knew she would take good care of us. I remember her asking, “Are you hurting?” and I answered, “Only every few minutes!” Between contractions I felt pretty good, in fact, I took time to braid my hair between one of them so that it wouldn’t be in the way! Shirleen started my IV and started the antibiotic that I needed and talked to me about pain control. I told them I didn’t want an epidural. I have had them with all three of my other kids and with Miranda I felt I had some complications so I wanted to avoid one if I could. They thought I was crazy, I think. They kept telling me that I wouldn’t be able to change my mind and saying, “are you sure you don’t want anything?!” I told Leonard, I feel like they are trying to talk me out of it. He just said, “Do what you want, Brooke”. I kept having contractions.
Then, about 1:30 I had a really hard contraction and I remember hearing Timberlyn’s heart rate drop. I said, “She didn’t like that one, did she?” As the contraction went away, Timberlyn’s heart rate stayed down around 105 (It had been about 145). Then it kept going down until it hit about 70 and all the sudden we had the cavalry in our room. About four nurses came in to see what was going on. They started giving me directions, “Turn on your left side, now turn on your right side, now turn on your hands and knees.” When I turned on my hands and knees we lost the baby’s heart rate completely. The last we heard, it was 60.
One nurse put oxygen on me, one nurse was still trying to find the baby’s heartbeat, one nurse broke my water and put an internal heart monitor on Timberlyn’s head, and another nurse called anesthesia to come into the room. When the nurse anesthetist got there (he was fast) he said, “We’re going to have to put you to sleep, if we go.” GO? Where? To C-section!!! Then Shirleen said, “Listen Brooke, her heart is coming back up.” With the internal monitor on you could hear her heart much better. It was still low but it was coming up. Eventually it got back up to 140-150. With the next contraction it didn’t go down again and for the rest of the delivery it was good – thank heavens! After delivery we looked back at the monitor and found that her heart rate was low or couldn’t be found at all for 8 minutes!
After all the commotion, they said I was now 8cm. Leonard came to stand by my bed and I started crying a little. It was really scary when I couldn’t hear the baby and I realized how much I loved this little girl already. Now the contractions were coming hard and fast. Sometimes right on top of each other. When they broke my water, they found “thick meconium” in the fluid. That meant that they wanted a pediatrician in the room when she was born, just in case she had trouble breathing and so they could suck out her lungs before they let her cry. They called the OB doctor and told him I was about ready and they called the pediatrician and told her to come too. My doctor, Dr. Penney, walked in about 1:50. He got in his scrubs, I told him I had to push and he said I had to wait because I wasn’t quite ready yet. They were also waiting for the pediatrician.
I can’t ever remember a time when I was in so much pain. I thought my epidural had worn off with one of my deliveries before, but now I know that it was still working because when there is no epidural, the pain is intense! At least it was for me. I think I nearly broke Leonard’s fingers from squeezing his hand. I remember saying, “I’m done!” and Leonard kinda laughing and telling me all I have left to do is push her out! I also remember the doctor saying that Labor and Delivery is the most exciting place to work! Everyone else in the hospital doesn’t know what they are missing! I remember thinking, “Glad someone’s having a good time!”
Finally the Peds doctor arrived and they let me push. Two and a half pushes later, Timberlyn was born at 2:10 p.m. Leonard cut the cord and they whisked her to the warmer where the doctor sucked out her lungs and then let her cry. That first cry is such a relief to hear. Her APGAR scores were 8 and 9. Leonard took this picture
They checked her out and declared her healthy, wrapped her up and brought her to me. It’s so amazing to hold a newborn baby in your arms that only minutes before was inside you. Words cannot describe what I feel in that moment.
I remember saying to Leonard, “No one even knows we’re here!” We had arrived less then two hours before! It was SO FAST!! Shirleen said, “Brooke, an hour ago you were braiding your hair!” It was the craziest two hours of my life, I think. I am so happy that she is here safe and sound. The whole family is smitten! We love you Timberlyn!
