Labor and Delivery

It all started with a friendly game of Settlers of Catan...

Saturday night, June 21st- Tim and I were over at Nick and Carrie's for a swim, a homemade chicken dinner, some Settlers and a movie. Needless to say, it was a late night. At 1:30a.m. I woke up, after falling asleep in the middle of the movie, and decided that it was time to go home. This was the first night that I stayed up later than 11:30p.m., knowing that I needed to be rested in case I went into labor the next day. The one time I break my own rule...

After being asleep in my own bed for only an hour, I woke up to some mild contractions. And then at 4:30. And again at 7:30. Tim and I had planned on making breakfast for his mom and dad for Father's Day, and we were expecting them to show up at 9:30 that morning so we could eat together and go to church. 9:30 rolled around and we were still in bed when we heard knocking at the door. We scrambled to get breakfast together- Tim made the sausage and potatoes while I worked the omelet and waffle station. All the while, my contractions were coming on harder- but not hard enough to ruin perfectly good breakfast plans. When it was time to go to church, I decided that it would be better for me to stay home and take a long nap.

1:30p.m. The crew was back from church, and I was feeling good enough for a board game (you guessed it- Settlers again). About an hour into the game, my contractions were getting strong, and I needed to take a break. Needless to say, we never got to finish the game.

For the next 8 hours or so, Tim held my hand through each contraction. By 9:30p.m., the contractions were strong and pretty close together, so Tim called the hospital.

"Don't come in yet."

More contractions. Tim called the hospital.

"Have her take a shower."

More contractions.

"I don't know if I will be able to do it naturally," I told Tim, exhausted, and not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

"This is your marathon," he said. "Remember that you're doing it for the baby-you can do it."

By 11:00p.m., we were all packed and ready for the 30 minute drive to Saint Elizabeth's Hospital in Red Bluff. My brother Phil, Heather and their kids had just made it up from Middletown, so Heather hopped in the van with Tim's parents, and Tim and I threw our bags in the Camry. Phil stayed back with the kids.

The ride was dark and quiet as I gripped my red water bottle during each contraction. The minutes flew by, and we were at the hospital before I knew it. Tim and I waddled into the ER- I remember it being cold and fairly quiet. A lone woman sat in the corner, turning her attention from the TV to me, as I leaned over a side table and breathed through the pain.

Once Tim finished answering some questions at the check-in counter, I was promptly wheeled off to a labor room to see my first of many nurses.

"Wow, you're already at 6 centimeters," she said.

"Six? Six! I can do it," I thought to myself.

"You're planning on a water birth, I see."

"Yes," I replied, with my new found confidence.

"What is your pain level now?"

"Hmmm, seven," I replied, thinking that it didn't hurt as bad as I had expected.

"Pain level tolerable before drugs? 10?"

"Yeah, no drugs." - Now I was committed.

Over the next hour, I labored with my husband and nurse by my side- Heather, Jan and Bob anxiously waiting in a different room.

And then the nurse discovered the meconium. Meconium is what they call a baby's first poop. It is supposed to come out once she's born, but Daphne had pooped inside the womb-maybe because she was 10 days overdue.

"You won't be allowed to do the water birth," the nurse told me. She went on to explain how the baby's lungs needed to be suctioned once her head emerged, and that a respiratory therapist and pediatrician would be standing by to check her immediately after delivery.

"Whatever is safest for the baby," we agreed.

3:00 It was time to start pushing and I was taken to a separate delivery room where I invited Heather and Jan to watch. Three hours went by before Daphne came out. Her lungs were suctioned and her first cry was a success. Fortunately we did not need the respiratory therapist or the pediatrician. Praise God!

John 16:21

A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.

Happy to be out



Our family of three



Tim hyped up on coffee



Heather nursing me back to health



Proud daddy




Heather holding Daphne



Carter visiting his new cousin



Happy grandparents