Ethan's Story, Part V

May 24th, 2000

I am sitting in the recliner talking to my sister, Kim, on the phone. My due date is approaching and she is asking all sorts of questions. One of those questions was the ever personal "have you lost your plug?". Ummm, I don't think so. "Well, aren't you looking?". Sure, but half the time when I get up in the middle of the night, I leave the light off and I am not taking a flashlight to look.

Kim and I finish our conversation and I have to pee- imagine that at 9 months prego! Guess what I see? Yep. So, I called Kim back. "I lost my plug". Kim starts screaming in the phone and announcing it to all in her office---"My sister just lost her plug! The baby is coming soon!". Thanks for the announcement sis.

I had a nail appointment that day. So, I go to see Robin and I start having contractions. Robin was so cute making my nails and toes pretty for delivery day. I would put my head on the table with a contraction and she would announce it to the other technician's. Pretty nails in tow, I headed to JCPenney. I remembered that I still didn't have a nursing bra. I was still having contractions, but nothing regularly. I went home and unpacked the hospital bag and packed it again. I called Scott at work to tell him to stay close just in case.

My contractions were picking up a steady pace by 7pm. I didn't want to rush to the hospital before needing to be there and one of my biggest fears was getting to the hospital and being told to go home. Plus, it was Thursday which meant that Friends and Whose Line is it Anyway was on TV. I was not letting a little bit of early labor interfere with my weekly dose of comedy! I was on the couch on all fours rocking and breathing through the contractions and laughing in between. Scott was so funny- asking me if it was time multiple times. Not yet, maybe after the shows.

We got to the hospital around 10pm. Contractions were on top of each other now. We had to enter through the ER and I remember a little boy in the waiting room asking his mom what was wrong with me and she said, "She's going to have a baby". Then, I thought "Oh my gosh, I AM going to have a baby!"

I was checked in. It was a slow night in L&D. I was hooked up to the monitor and given the first of many 'checks'. It is true about what they say about checking your modesty at the door when you have a baby. I am expecting to be at least 4 cm and fully effaced. Nope. TWO CENTIMETERS, NOT EFFACED, -2 STATION!!! My fear was coming true. They are going to send me home!

Luckily, since it was slow, the nurses said to walk around and they would check me again in an hour. We walked, we rocked, we chatted with nurses, we rocked some more. Next check...FOUR CENTIMETERS, 80% EFFACED, 0 STATION!!! "Mrs. Faulkner, you are not going anywhere without a baby". Oh my gosh, this is really happening!

We did the same thing for the next hour. We discussed doing a water birth. I loved the idea of being in the water. I really did not want any drugs and something about the water seemed so calming. We were going to be moved to a larger room so that the tub could be set up. Before then, I was checked again. SIX CENTIMETERS, FULLY EFFACED, +2 STATION. As soon as the nurse was done checking me, my water broke. And then the REAL contractions kicked in. Oh my gosh- the previous contractions were NOTHING compared to post-water breaking contractions. My nurse came in and said "Honey, you are not going to get through this breathing like that". "WELL TELL ME HOW THEN", I snapped. After she showed me how to breathe, it was night and day. The contractions were so manageable through breathing.

Before the tub was set up, the shower was offered. We rolled up some towels for my knees and I got in the shower. Scott kept the warm water beating down on my back while also rubbing my lower back. I made sure to keep my palms flat against the shower wall instead of clinching them. I remembered our childbirth class nurse saying how when you tense up a part of your body, labor reacts in a defensive manner and it becomes harder. I was offered pain meds and I ignored the offers. I really did not want to be loopy for this occasion!

As things got intense, I was seeing lots of blood in the shower and the moans from me were getting louder. I was only in the shower about 20 minutes when I was checked again..."WE NEED TO GET YOU IN THE BED, YOUR BABY IS RIGHT THERE!"

***To Be Continued...***