… It was a warm summer night in Medford,
Oregon and I was very pregnant, but for once I wasn’t trying to induce labor as
I had been everyday previous that night for the past two weeks. Kyle and I were
at a friend’s that lived in our apartment complex having a movie night. We had
finished watching “Lockout” and were about halfway through “Man On a Ledge” and
I was laying on the floor on my side with my feet on Kyle’s lap. It was about
ten to midnight when I started noticing something leaking a little and when you’re
pregnant things tend to leak, among other strange things, but after a few
minutes I decided to go to the bathroom. I hadn’t taken two steps when [GUSH]
and a sprint to the bathroom. Needless to say my water had broken!
Kyle literately
ran back to our apartment to get me a dry pair of pants while I just sat there
smiling like a fool. I was so excited. Then I called my midwife, Amy
Hendrickson, and she told me to come in to the birth center (I was a little
disappointed that I couldn’t finish the movie, but just a little). Kyle packed
up the car and installed your car seat and we were off!
I still hadn’t had any
contractions yet and we arrived a few minutes before Amy, so we walked around
the parking lot while we waited and that brought on a couple mild contractions.
When Amy got there we went inside, Amy checked me and sure enough broken water
and 4 centimeters dilated, now I wanted to sleep so I could get some rest
before active labor kicked in.
Too bad that didn’t happen, it all started
progressing very quickly and before I knew I was working and breathing through
each rush. I remember my friend TC getting there to be my doula and making me
laugh. I remember standing with my arms around Kyle’s neck through
contractions. “You’re beautiful.” I remember Kyle and I were in the shower when
I was suddenly in transition and it got really intense. I remember they finally
let me get in the nice warm tub, where I wanted to have Mav to be born. Then it
was pushing time. I can’t do this... no, I can do this. I am a strong woman. I
am a strong woman.
I was given an oxygen mask because Mav’s heart rate kept
dropping and I was told to take deep breaths. “Breath for your baby!” “You’re
doing great!” Heart rate still dropping. I remember getting mad when they told
me I had to get out of the tub. On to the birthing stool. Still dropping. On to
the bed. On my back. “I can see his head!” Dropping. On my side. Dropping. All
fours. Dropping. Called an ambulance for an emergency transfer. “Don’t push”
they tell me, “breath through it.” So much intense pain, breath through it?
Baby is not getting enough oxygen! Breath. Ambulance? Breath. Emergency?
Breath. C-section? Breath. Freaking out inside. Breath. Smallest gurney of my
life. Every movement brings on a contraction. Breath… breath… breath. IV.
Breath. “You can push now.” Deep breath and puuush! Doctor: “You’re going to
have this baby vaginally.” Relief. Push. Dropping. Breath. Push. Dropping.
Vacuum. Breath. Push. Head. Push. Shoulders. Ouch. Slip. Cry. Here, he’s here! 8:38
a.m. “Look at your baby!” Hi baby. My eyes hurt. His head is shaped funny. Hi.
Hi, Maverick. Perfect. Love.
