Potter's Birth Story

                                                               Potter’s Birth Story
                                                     Sunday, September 11, 2016

First, let me say that while this was a crazy, scary-at-times, unexpected birth story, I wouldn’t have changed one detail.  If this story is any indication of what life with Potter will be like, we are going to have quite an amazing journey with him in our lives!

Before I get to the actual birth day, let me go back to earlier in the week.  Knowing a little of the back story certainly helps you see how God had a hand in every step of this birth!

Thursday, September 8^th:  We had our last pre-baby meeting with our doula, Rebekah (we hired her with the intent of a natural birth).  Before she left, she mentioned that her doula friend had to deliver a baby on her own the week before (doulas aren’t meant to deliver babies on their own!).  After we joked about how scary that would be (but how it would never happen to us), Rebekah asked us to show her where our towels were just in case something similar ever happened to us! 

Friday, September 9^th:  I had my weekly appointment with Dr. Banks.  (I was 36 weeks, 5 days along).  Since Cooper had a conference in Austin the following week, I asked her to check and see if I was dilated at all.  If there was any indication the baby was coming within the week, Cooper wouldn’t go out of town. Luckily, I was only dilated to 2 cm (like I was the week before), so it didn’t seem like he would arrive any time soon.  

Saturday, September 10^th:  It was a busy day!  First, we had breakfast in downtown Denton, went to an auto show on the square, and even went to the fire station for their Open House.  Later that day, Austin Marimba was playing at a carnival in Coppell, so we ventured out to see them play.  I felt great and even told some friends that I felt so good that I didn’t anticipate this baby coming for weeks! I did drink a cup of Red Raspberry Leaf tea that afternoon...I think that may have been a catalyst to my labor.

Sunday, September 11^th:  It all started while I was getting ready for church.  Slight contractions were making me pause while I was putting on makeup, drying my hair, and on the car ride to church.  In fact, on the way to church, I decided to download a contractions app on my phone so I could start tracking them.  During the worship and sermon, every 8-9 minutes, I’d track another contraction on my phone.  No big deal, though…I could sing, sit, stand, talk through them all, so I didn’t worry about it.  Afterwards at lunch I continued to feel them, but went about my day.  In between eating chips and salsa, I Googled "prodromal labor" and decided that's what these contractions really were.  (thanks a lot Google... boy were you wrong!) 

Once we got home, we all took naps (little did I know that would be my last uninterrupted sleep for a long time).  Again, the contractions would still make me pause and interrupt my day a bit, but nothing extreme.  When Conway woke from his nap, I went to get him out of his crib, and he touched my belly and was talking to the baby (very unusual for him!). 

About 4:00, contractions were getting a bit stronger.  Every so often, I’d have to get on all fours to make it through one.  But, they were anywhere from 30 seconds-45 seconds long, and very sporadic, so I still didn’t think much about it.  I did tell Cooper to go to the store since I figured I’d have to go see the Doc on Monday and he was going out of town.  Cooper ran to the store, and started grilling burgers for supper.  While he was grilling, I decided to take a bath to see if that would lessen the contractions.  It didn’t.

Finally, Cooper convinced me to text our doula and just give her a heads up.  At 5:27 I sent her a text and told her what was going on and that I thought it was prodromal labor.  She told me to keep her updated and to try to rest and stay hydrated.  I also called the on-call doc (with Cooper’s urging).  She called me back at 6:00 and the doctor asked me how painful the contractions were (I told her 6 or 7).  She said within the hour if they got worse, to go to the hospital.  I texted my mom and told her what was going on… I also told her she was officially on-call and keep her phone handy.  The plan was once I was in labor, she or Alison would come and watch Conway when we went to the hospital.

Within the hour, the contractions were getting stronger.  So strong that I was on all fours to manage the pain.  (Cooper was still grilling burgers… I mean, it was still false labor, right!?)   Once Cooper was done grilling, I had moved onto our bedroom floor, now on all fours permanently.  I realized now (with Cooper’s urging) that this was actual labor. At one point, I did tell Cooper that this was the point in Conway’s birth that I asked for an epidural and it was probably good I wasn’t at the hospital.  He told me that I didn’t seem to be as in much pain as I was when I asked for the epidural (he may have been fibbing, or maybe I was just managing my pain much better this time, or maybe he was right…all I knew was that it was starting to hurt!)

 I tried calling Mom to have her come watch Conway, but she didn’t answer…so Cooper told Alison to head this way since we’d likely head to the hospital within a few hours. 

At 7:08, Cooper made the executive decision to call Rebekah, the doula, and ask her to come to the house.  I think he knew before I did that this was more than just false labor.  By the grace of God, she was in Denton finishing up dinner with her husband and made it here within 15 minutes.  By the time she got here about 7:25, I was still on all fours and contractions were still a bit sporadic and I could talk through them, but they were getting more intense.  Rebekah tried to do some pain management techniques with me, but being on all fours was the only thing that made me feel better.  Cooper secretly asked Rebekah if this was real labor, and she told him it was and to start packing the hospital bag (I’d half-packed it a few days earlier).  He put on some John Mayer for an impromptu "birthing playlist".  I remember the song "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" playing... an ironic song to listen to during a natural labor!

7:45 rolls around and Alison arrives to watch Conway.  Conway was so calm during the whole thing-he had no clue what was happening.  (I’m not so sure Alison didn’t really know the full extent of what was happening either!)  By the time she arrived, Cooper was loading up the car, I’m still on the floor, and we are about to head to the hospital.  Before we get up to leave, I go use the restroom (it’s about 7:55 by now).  The second I sit down, my water breaks…a lot. (luckily over the toilet!).  The moment I stand up, I know this baby is about to come… It felt as if I had to have a bowel movement…times a million!  I look up at Rebekah, and I tell her this baby is coming soon.  She can’t see anything, so asks me if I can feel his head.  Sure enough, I reach down and can feel what I assume is his head.  She quickly helps me to the bed and yells at Cooper to call 911.  (he was still putting stuff in the car).  As Cooper calls 911, he yells at Alison to say a prayer, Rebekah finds some towels and lays me on my side.  I don’t even remember pushing to get baby’s head out.  It was like I laid down, and then automatically out came his head! 

Cooper is in the background with 911 on the phone.  He is so frustrated because the man is asking him questions like “how old is your wife” and “do you have clean towels you can grab” while he is telling him that baby is crowning and we are having a baby at that moment!  Then, the 911 operator tells him he has to answer another call!  I felt like the baby’s head was out for such a long time (I’m sure it was not long at all!)  Rebekah tells me I have to push out the remainder of his body.  I remember at some point her saying a much-needed prayer over all of us.   After pushing just once (I think…it may have been twice), he was here!  Rebekah tells Cooper to note the time-8:04 pm- and she is able to see that he is breathing and has a healthy umbilical cord.  Phew! 

Rebekah places this perfect little baby on my chest (I had at some point pulled my shirt up over my head to get it out of the way I guess).  Less than three minutes later, the EMTs arrive.  All five of them. In my bedroom.  With everything exposed.  I guess they’ve seen it all before.

Yup. That's a "what!?!, I-just-had-a-baby-at-my-house" face.

 

They check me.  They check the baby and cut the umbilical cord.  Everyone is fine.  So fine, in fact, that when I got the EMT report, they noted my blood pressure was perfect!  It’s crazy how your body just knows what to do when it’s time.  Cooper is told to take the baby (who still has no name) inside the ambulance while they load me onto the gurney.  Alison and Conway come in the room to see me off.  (Sister-of-the-Year Award goes to Alison who cleaned up our room/bathroom while we were at the hospital!)

 

In the ambulance, all I can say (repeatedly) is “I just had a baby!”  While I’m definitely still in shock, I am also definitely on a “birth high”.   They’ve wrapped the baby up in what looks like a huge piece of foil that they’d wrap a burrito in at Chipotle and we are off to the hospital.  In the ambulance the EMTs keep telling me not to push (mind you, the umbilical cord is still attached to the placenta inside of me).  The last thing they want me to do is deliver the placenta in the ambulance.  When the EMTs learn we don’t have a name for the baby, they start suggesting some for us.  “Freedom” and “Patrick” (for “Patriot” since it was 9/11) were both on their list. 

We make it to the hospital, take a picture with all the EMTs, and my doctor was on site within minutes.  I deliver the placenta with my doctor (who is joking with me that she can’t believe I didn’t make it to the hospital in time), and all is good. 

Alison has Conway at home, my mom finally answers a text from Alison (that said “baby is here!”) and she is on her way, and Cooper’s parents are already driving up from Houston.  I finally get some skin-to-skin time (much later than I’d hoped…but who expected me to have the baby at home and be escorted to the hospital by ambulance?!), and baby is able to start nursing soon afterwards.

The next day, Cooper and I realize we really have to name this baby.  “Potter” was one of our finalists (his favorite choice, my second choice).  Cooper tells me that I can make the final decision.  After realizing how God was right by my side through everything the night before, I just knew Potter was his name (after Isaiah 64:8  “Yet you, Lord, are our Father.  We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand”).  Plus, he looked like a “Potter” already. 

I realized the day before I went into labor, I’d written an entry in a prayer journal Alison had given me.  I’d asked God to “help me deal with any pain I have in labor.  Help me rely on You during those tough hours, minutes, and seconds. I ask that you help give me strength, focus, endurance, and purpose with each contraction.  Help take my fears away and turn them into trusting You.  Help me remember each moment leads me to meeting ‘Kiki’” (Conway’s nickname for baby).  I’d also included 1 Timothy 2:15 “But women will be saved through childbearing-if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.”  It was amazing to look back and see just how much God was watching over us.  Even though this birth didn’t go anything like we’d planned it, it didn’t matter because He was in control.  I wouldn’t have changed a thing about it.  And, I was so incredibly blessed to have this experience not only with Potter but this spiritual experience with God as He stood by my side through each moment. 

*Edited to add:  For those wondering:

-No, it's not cheaper to have a unplanned home birth.  Ambulance rides aren't cheap!  I'm so thankful even the ambulance was covered by my health-cost sharing group (grateful for Samaritan Ministries International!)

-Hiring a doula (and in particular, our doula) was well worth it (and arguably life-saving in our case), especially if you desire a natural birth

-Yes, we bought new towels and sheets.  And, thankfully we'd purchased a really nice mattress pad a few years ago.  Saved us from buying a new mattress.