The Birth...

For those that would like to know how and why Jethro Timothy was born on the floor of the Emergency Department... Here is the story: Please don't read on if you don't want to know birthing details!

I had a midwife appointment at the hospital at 8.45am on Friday 17th. At my appointment the previous week they had offered me a 'strip and stretch' because basically I was 'over it'(being pregnant that is). The 'offer' of the strip and stretch took me by surprise and I turned it down (I didn't even know what it was! And for those that don't either - its best NOT to know!) I spent a lot of time thinking about the 'strip and stretch' and decided I would ask them to do it at my next appointment. Matt was also strongly encouraging me, because he didn't want another week of me complaining about being pregnant... For some reason I just knew that I would be pregnant for another week!

The midwife did the strip and stretch and told me I was already 2cm dilated and my cervix was 'ripe'. She also told me that most women who have a strip and stretch in the morning end up back in the birthing suite during the late shift. However she also said that if nothing has happened by Sunday I should come and visit her on her afternoon shift at the birth suite and she would do it again (No thank you! If it didn't work, there was no way I was going back to do that a second time!).

I left the hospital quite excited expecting that I would have the baby by dinner time that night! I spent the entire day feeling uncomfortable (and in hindsight I guess I must have been having contractions) and progressively feeling anxious about the whole birthing process. I tried to have a sleep but I couldn't so I kept myself busy by making pikelets, picking up a few things at the supermarket and running some errands. I took a swim in the pool and tried to relax.

After the kids had their lunch time sleep we packed them up ready to spend a night with our friends, Camille and Jason. We fed the kids and had a typical Friday night curry - although I was feeling tired and wasn't up to eating. Any kind of contraction feeling stopped completely once we arrived at the Duggan's. I assumed that the baby wasn't going to come after all! After dinner we decided to take the boys home and sleep them in their own beds.

We put the boys to bed and I took myself off to bed as well. It was a typical night. I was up and down with a couple of the boys and by midnight I couldn't get back to sleep. I was feeling more and more anxious and I thought I could feel the baby's head snuggling further down the birth canal. I seriously thought that if I get out of bed my waters might break so I decided I would just stay in bed! At 1.45am I was felt an unmistakable contraction. I decided to remain in bed. At 1.55am I felt another one and by 2.05am I decided I needed to get out of bed. I walked aimlessly around the house pondering my options and at 2.10am after another contraction I decided that it was time to wake up Matt and get myself to the hospital.

I rang the hospital at 2.15am and explained my story: 'I'm not having any regular contractions but its my fourth and I really think I need to get to the hospital. My waters haven't broken but I am loosing a bit more blood and mucus but that's probably because of the strip and stretch I had today'. Her response was: 'Well... because its your fourth, you should probably come down and we'll check you out'.

At 2.15am I rang Caitlin to see if she could come over and mind the boys for us. She said she would be there in 10mins. Within 20mins my contractions were stronger and I was wondering if I should call an ambulance?! Matt didn't appear to be moving fast enough and we were still waiting for Caitlin to arrive! [Matt: I was moving quite fast in my opinion]. By 2.35 I was walking around the front yard having contractions leaning on the letterbox. Matt came out rather amused to tell me that I should be quiet because I had just set the dogs off in the neighbourhood with my rather primal noises!

Caitlin arrived at 2.40am and we got in the car to leave... By this stage I was snapping at Matt to hurry up and telling him to drive faster!
[Matt: I was driving 100km/h in a 60 zone all the way to the hospital!]
I felt like we got every red light down Duckworth street and I was yelling at Matt in between contractions to drive faster [Matt: we got nearly every light green].

I had more contractions in the car [Matt: 2.42 then 2.45, 2.47, 2.49 before arriving at 2.50 - hence the speed...] Anyway, after Matt parked in the emergency carpark, I piled out and bee-lined for the after hours access door. Then another contraction forced me to all fours outside emergency. I was then met by a very concerned police officer and a passer-by who forced me to my feet mid-contraction ($@^#@& I was not impressed! Men!) and dragged me into the emergency department, despite my efforts to explain that I should be going to the after hours access door and up the lifts to the Birth Suite. [Matt: carrying bags and thankful that the policeman had insisted on the emergency doors, as I wasn't confident of convincing Rach of that necessity - she was rather focussed!].

I was shoved into a wheelchair and rolled through the double doors, before yelling that I needn't to PUSH! Matt must have appeared at this point because I heard him from behind saying 'Oh, No! don't do that!'. [Matt: I had actually caught up as Rach was having her contraction and yelling at the policeman for standing her upright. I then followed closely trying to suppress a chuckle as those in the emergency room stopped mid-action/sentence and stared at the noisy passing scene gobsmacked. When Rach said she had to push, the scurrying nurses suddenly made Rach the centre of all attention, and at least 4 materialised around the wheelchair holding hands, patting arms and talking to her].

There was a guy with blood-shot eyes and messed up face dripping with blood lying on a bench seat just inside the emergency doors. I recall him trying to talk to me as I tried to pull myself out of the wheelchair for a second time with another contraction. I'm pretty sure he was the reason why the police were waiting outside the Emergency Department! By this stage I think I was yelling the emergency department down! A nurse calmly sat in front of me, locked eyes and tried to get me to calm down and to B-R-E-A-T-H-E!! I was wishing that everyone would just leave me alone and let me have this baby! The next moment I hear someone on the phone talking with midwives saying there is a lady saying she needs to push, followed by two midwives in hand with towels, another wheelchair and other necessary birthing equipment such as vitamin K injections, scissors etc. [Matt: the guy lying on the bench was clearly drunk, but despite his bloodied complexion and small pool of his blood on the floor, he seemed quite up for a chat. The nurse took one look at him and told him to "lie there and shutup!" I remember feeling vaguely concerned for the poor fellow. During all this two midwives arrived huffing and puffing from running down to emergency].

I am then wheeled into another room in Emergency and everyone is frantically trying to position themselves for the arrival of my baby. Matt says to the midwife, "I guess we're having the baby here!" I'm pretty sure the midwife's response was "Oh yeah, we certainly are..." By this stage I could hear Matt laughing in the background (although he thought I couldn't hear him!). [Matt: well it was a bit comical, with the quick drive but being told to drive faster, the policemen out front, the stupified waiting room faces, the drunk bleeding guy, the red-faced midwives, the yelling and the general manic rush created by my gentle wife. She was in good hands so no need to worry.].

With another 2 contractions leaning against a hospital bed Jethro was born and for the first time I looked down to see him slip out into the arms of the midwives. I was exhausted, my legs were shaking and the first thing I said was "I'm glad I'm never doing this again!".

I was given the vitamin K injection, they wrapped Jethro in towels, placed me back into a wheelchair with sheets to cover me up and wheeled me up to the assessment room in the birth suite where I continued to birth the placenta. I lay on the bed feeding Jethro, still in shock. Weighing 9lb 4oz I felt justified in why I had felt so tired the week prior to the delivery. Matt sat in a chair beside me with a big grin on his face stating, "Well, that was easy! Up at 2.10 and baby at 3.01. Excellent". [Matt: well it was.... for me! Most efficient. No back rubs, showers, wet clothes, back rubs, exhortations, talking, showers, back rubs, more talking, or broken fingers. I was quite happy with the whole affair! Only downside was no time for happy gas. Love that stuff.].

A week later Matt was back in emergency with Zach who was having a prolonged Asthma attack that Redipred and Ventolin wasn't fixing. He mentioned the birth the previous week to the response "oh, that was you!!!" Quite the talk of the hospital for a week or so it seems.