(So, I have barely had time to post his birth story the past few days… Quite indicative of my life this time last year!)
Wednesday, June 20, 2007:
Garrett woke up early and went to my mum’s house, which is about 50 minutes away, to finish painting her room. I slept in, but woke up feeling “not so good”.
When I got up, I decided that it was going to be a lazy kind of day, filled with TV watching, no shower, and potato chips for breakfast. I skipped putting the dishes in the dishwasher, skipped the load of laundry that was waiting, and skipped the counters that needed a desperate wipe-down. I stayed in my pajamas and crawled back into bed. I assumed I would have time later to clean everything up before Garrett got home.
I clearly remember watching a marathon of “My So-Called Life” DVD’s. What a great show!
Around 11am, I was feeling strange. I felt sick, but not sick. I felt that something was not right. It was time for a nap. A nap was in my future, so under the covers I went.
11:30am: I woke up suddenly from my nap with a feeling of urgency. I stood up and my water broke! I was stunned. I didn’t know what to do. I uttered a few uncouth words and I turned in circles. I recalled my readings in “What To Expect” about having to deliver a baby within 24 hours of your water breaking. Was I about to have my baby? Was there even a choice in the matter? What about Garrett? What about the fact that I haven’t showered yet?
I called Garrett. I asked him what to do. He told me to go to the hospital. Duh.
So, what did I do? Well, I took a shower, shaved my legs, got dressed, loaded the dishwasher, let Reggie outside, fed Reggie, cleaned the counters, made the bed, dusted the coffee table, packed my bag, checked the camera for batteries, ate some gum, drove to Wendy’s, grabbed a Value Meal #2 which consisted of a Double Cheeseburger, Medium Fries, and a Sprite, drove to the hospital, waited for Garrett in the waiting room, and FINALLY headed to labor and delivery. LOL!
1pm: I got checked into the hospital and they had the gall to ask me if I was “sure” that I was in labor. I told them that unless I had mistakenly peed myself… I was pretty sure I was having a baby. My doctor came in (who I can’t stand) and demanded that I go on pitocin. I cried and cried about that, but I realized that it was necessary. However, when he tried to talk me into getting an epidural, I drew the line. Nope. No meds for me, sorry dude. I was under the impression that he didn’t want to “deal” with me and would have preferred me to be medicated.
3pm: Up until this point, I had no pain, no contractions that were felt. I suppose that 3pm was the magic time because the contractions and pain came on FULL FORCE. Wow. I had always heard that labor was a pain unlike any other. No kidding. I have to give credit to Garrett at this point. He was a fantastic labor coach. He reminded me that breathing was better than screaming. Oh right.
8pm: My doctor went home for the night. He told me that there was no way I would have a baby until at least the next day. Bye!
9pm: HOLY COW! GET THE DOCTOR IN HERE RIGHT NOW BEFORE I KILL SOMEONE! I AM HAVING THE BABY!
“No, you’re fine”, the nurses told me.
So, I argued with various medical professionals for several minutes before someone decides that they ought to check me out. Some Nurses Assistant comes in to check me… “Wow”, she said, “You are going to have this baby, right now!” Really? Really? Get out of town! Who would’ve thunk it?
9:10pm “You need to hold the baby in until the doctor can get here”, the crazy nurses said.
“What do you mean, hold him in? How do you hold a baby in? I am NOT holding this baby in! Ethan is coming whether the doctor is here or not. Get the doctor here NOW!” I said calmly. LOL.
“Don’t worry, the doctor should be here in about 20 minutes.” the idiotic nurse said. Haha.
9:20pm Me “trying not to push”. The doctor walks in. He tells me that he is sorry he is “late”… he was at dinner with his family. Me sending him a voodoo doll full of pins through my mind. He was wearing a weird striped button down shirt from 1992. Him telling me that he doesn’t believe me that I am in labor. Me laughing. Him checking me, realizing that Ethan’s head was out. Him freaking out. Him getting his gloves on, telling me that the baby is coming. Push, Push, Push.
9:22pm Ethan entered the world. He was blue, not breathing. The cord was wrapped around his tiny, fragile neck two times. He wasn’t alive. At first, I was so relieved to have him out, but once I realized that there were no cries, I got scared. I saw about 15 people rushing into our room, stating they were from the NICU. I forgot all about my pain, forgot all about my relief. What was wrong with my baby?
Garrett never got to cut the cord. I remember seeing the look of horror on my doctor’s face as he cut the cord and handed Ethan off to the NICU nurses. The nurses whisked him away and set forth on resuscitating him. I cried and cried, yelling for them to tell me what was going on. No one told me.
Ethan’s Agpar scores were bad. His first round was a mere 2. His next round was a lowly 4. His last check was only a 5. Poor thing. I told Garrett that it was the first and only test he would ever fail.
Over the few hours after Ethan was born, he stopped breathing again and had to be resuscitated again. His temperature fluctuated, his sugar levels were all over the charts, his lungs were touchy. He just wasn’t ready for the world just yet.
Ethan ended up in the hospital for 4 days. On top of everything else, he ended up with Jaundice, apparently fairly common. Little baby boy had to be put into the jaundice killing machine for 24 hours straight. He looked like he was in a science fiction movie, goggles and all.
The day we finally got to take him home was the happiest day of my entire life. He was mine.
Our baby was so precious. We cried and stared at him in disbelief. We still look at him that way. Ethan is our baby boy and he has brought such joy and happiness into our lives. I don’t think that either of us ever thought that we would feel this way.
Happy Birthday Ethan. Thanks for giving us new meaning and new life. You make us so proud.
Hayley
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Wow. I was holding my breath during several parts of your story. It is amazing! I am very impressed that you delivered Ethan naturally. When I was contracting I was begging for the epidural, so you are one tough cookie. I knew Ethan was born early, but I didn’t know about his rocky start in life. Thank God for modern medicine! LOL about everything you did before you headed to the hospital! Thanks for finishing the story!
That is quite a story Hayley! Wow! You’d never know Ethan was a preemie. Happy 1st Birthday to the both of you!
I was holding my breath too! I am so glad Ethan made it through- he knew how much he’d be loved, adored and cared for by his wonderful parents. Happy Birthday, Ethan, and congratulations to you Hayley and Garrett!
I remember bringing our first home and we just sat there looking at him thinking…..ok what next? Great birth story!
OMG! I didn’t know all that about Ethan’s birth. I’m so glad everthing turned out great for you and him. You wouldn’t even know he was born early. He is such a cutie. I’m sad we didn’t get to make it to the party but it sounds like it was a great success.
OMG… I couldnt stop laughing about all the things you did before doing to the hospital after your water broke!!! But, then of course, here I am tears down… It bring me back so many memories that I try not to think about… NICU was a scary experience and I had to live it three times…
He is lucky to have the parents he has!!! Way to go!!