At 38 weeks pregnant, I had been given the go-ahead by my OB to travel to Lexington, Kentucky for the graduation of my sister. She was graduating with her doctorate in Physical Therapy and that was NOT something I wanted to miss. Before I left the OB office, they gave me a copy of my chart. I remember my doctor said, “If I give it to you, you won’t need it. If I don’t, you’ll need it.” That was fine and dandy with me – I didn’t want to need it.
After about a six-hour drive, we arrived in Lexington at about 10pm. The drive had been okay, but my back was bothering me – I thought because of sitting in the back seat. We were all pooped, so we pretty much went straight to bed after getting to the hotel…after Annie calmed down from the “this hotel is awesome and I’m pretty stinking excited syndrome.”
Sometime between 3 and 4am (I never looked at the clock), I woke up to a “POP” feeling. Uh oh. I knew that feeling. It had happened to me with Annie. Seriously, God? I mean, SERIOUSLY?
Then I did something any self-respecting woman would do – I put my hand in between my legs and pressed for all I was worth – hoping to make it to the bathroom without getting water everywhere. I mostly made it…only I was wet and I deposited the rest in the toilet. Then I just sat there for the longest time, staring at the wall. “I’m at a hotel…in Lexington, Kentucky…and I don’t have my bottom spray.”
Then I tried to convince myself I had imagined the whole thing. I looked over at my pants. Nope. Those are not a figment of my imagination. So I cleaned up, put on new clothes and went back to bed. I laid there and stared at Barry, using my powers of telepathy to get him to wake up. It worked.
Whisper – “Honey, my water broke.” Wide-eyed Barry – “Okay.” Then we discussed what to do – go back to bed…because I knew I had a while before contractions started. So, I tried to get tired…I stared at the ceiling – then I felt another gush and had to go to the bathroom again…and that’s when the period-like cramps started. I knew I couldn’t wait to go home….we had to go now.
I woke my mom – she woke my dad – Annie stayed asleep. We formed a plan. I wanted them to all stay there for graduation and instead let me take my sister’s car home…but Jamey was asleep and like any self-respecting college student, she turned her phone on silent when sleeping. Go figure. So Barry, me, Annie, and my mom left for home…leaving my dad there for graduation and to come home with my sister.
The ride home wasn’t bad – I could handle the period cramps pretty easy. However, I did make Barry stop for food. I remember thinking, “If I don’t get a biscuit RIGHT NOW, someone is not going to make it home.” Sometimes a girl just needs a biscuit. Can I get a witness?!
When we arrived home, mom was emotional because of missing Jamey’s graduation and so was I…it was a big deal and I missed it. Mom took Annie home to her house and I spent the next hour beating myself up and crying for missing something that big – I was emailing Brandy the whole time, getting advice and comfort…I told her I felt like a total bum.
About an hour later, the contractions started…and I knew that there was no way I could have labored in the car for 6 hours – I was blessed to make it home in time to do most of my work there. At Brandy’s advice, I used my breast pump to really get contractions started. It worked…like some kind of dynamite, they came. It HURT. So, I decided I’d had enough of that…I just let contractions go on their own…but they sorta puttered out.
Barry and I worked around the house, finishing Andrew’s room and getting ready for what was to come. My contractions came back, so we started to walk the neighborhood. Brandy came over and took Barry’s spot walking with me. Brandy was a God-send. She calmed me and gave me the boost I needed to know that I could do this. She rubbed my back with massage oil…painted my toenails…made me eat. Not sure what I did without her with Annie’s birth.
Barry was free to focus on me and help me get through each contraction. When I used the breast pump, the contractions felt like an oncoming train. I labored at home for several hours, and then at about 6pm when I was unable to make a decision, Barry decided it was time for us to leave for the hospital.
hehe, I had that same shirt! In purple, too. Wore them almost the whole pregnancy and then nursing!
Hi Stacy, hope you and your little one are doing well. I would like to say thank you so much for always replying to my emails, that is so nice! I made homemade yogurt last week and I am just wondering how long it lasts and does it get kind of liquidy (is that a word?) at the top? It was not as thick as store bought but the kids and I loved it, it made great smoothies! Thanks again, Andrea
Yes, it is thinner than store bought because it doesn’t have the thickeners added to it. Liquid will gather on the top and I just pour it off…that liquid is helping the yogurt at bottom get thicker. It’s whey – which you can actually keep and use in bread in place of water. 🙂
My water broke on it’s own 3 days before I was due (at 4am, on my father’s birthday, the day after our only car had been in a wreck and was towed to a collision place and we hadn’t had a chance to make a contingency plan (we were going to call friends in the morning in case I went into labor- guess not!). Contractions started less than an hour after my water broke, on our way to the hospital! Things went pretty fast- we had a baby before noon- and that was our first, so I’m a little nervous about the next baby coming before we can get there!
I have long labors – Andy’s labor was longer than Annie’s – almost 24 hours. Count your blessings. 😉 And DRIVE FAST. Ha!
Oh, we were very glad for a quick labor- though since we didn’t know our neighbors enough at the time to rouse them at 4am, we ended up calling for an ambulance. 4 hours of sleep (after hubby had walked half way home- 6 miles- in the dark january chill before being able to get some friends to pick him up and bring him home) was not enough for us to think of another way to get to the hospital. I had tested positive for strep B, so I was kind of freaking out about the possibility of not getting to the hospital in time. I’ll probably be more chill with the next baby 🙂
Otherwise, at least 4am on a saturday morning is a good time to be on the way to the hospital- there is NO ONE else on the road!
My mom had 1 labor that was so quick it was an accidental VBAC. Quick labors seem to run in the family!
What a blessing! 🙂 And yes, the second one is much more relaxed.
And now the rest of the story….
🙂
Can’t wait to read the second part tomorrow! I think little Andrew is the cutest little guy! He is so handsome!
Thank you! A mama always thinks that, so it’s nice to hear it from others. 🙂 🙂
Can’t wait to hear the rest of his birth story!! What an exciting time for both you and your sister! It’s hard to miss your sister’s graduation….but if you have to do it that’s the best reason I can think of!
At least I didn’t miss the wedding!!
Wait….there’s a wedding??? This story just keeps getting better!
LOL My sister got married the next weekend…when Andy was 6 days old. I was the matron of honor. 😉
I missed my father’s wedding (he was getting re-married) due to waking up to my water breaking that morning. The reception was ending about the time she was born. If I didn’t go to my dad’s wedding, at least I had a GOOD excuse! We laugh about it now, but, like you, I tried everything to convince myself it wasn’t happening and that I could make the wedding 2 hours away. Thankfully, common sense finally took over and I called my doctor instead.
Babies have their own plan. 🙂 When they’re ready, there isn’t much we can do to stop them.
WOw! How crazy, glad you made it home and to the place you wanted to give birth! Can’t wait to read the rest!
I couldn’t stand the thought of giving birth up there without my stuff. LOL 🙂
Ahhh!! I can’t believe you stopped there! Oh, wait. You’re a new mommy. I take it all back. Post the rest of the story-whenever. Rest all you can :~)
🙂 It’s coming tomorrow, no worries!
WOW! 6 Hrs. I would have had that kid in the car. I went from water breaking on it’s own, to full blown contractions, to 10cm in like 3 hrs both times. Glad you made it home in time. Sorry about your sister’s graduation. I’m sure she totally understands.
🙂 It seems I’m going to have a pattern of early water breaking and long labors. I knew from Annie’s birth that I could make the trip.
You NEVER know! – it could be all different with any one of your labors. I have so many personal friends with several children – they all have at least one that was different!
Well, that would be nice! 🙂 I’d like to go into labor before my water breaks at least once. 😉
Like she said, you just never know 🙂
Amen to that!
…on the edge of my seat. I was just wondering if/when you’d post Andrews birth story. We’re working on trying to conceive #1 and already I cant read enough about birth stories etc!
Aren’t birth stories fun? 🙂 I love them! You might want to check out Birth Without Fear….great stories posted there! http://birthwithoutfearblog.com/