Work had been really frustrating lately and I had been thinking "If I have this baby early, I can get out of here for 6 months". I had just been to the doctor on Tuesday and he said "If you went into labor now, I wouldn’t try to stop it".

My water broke at work on Friday April 17th, 1998. I just hung up the phone, and felt a small gush. I went to the washroom, then came back and sat at my desk. I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t due for at least 3 more weeks. Finally I got up and put my coat on. "I’m going home" I said to my co-worker. She said "Its only 3:30". I said "I know, but I think my water just broke". She looked kind of surprised and said "Let us know what happens". I left work, and drove myself home. I wasn’t having any pains. My mind was racing. I couldn’t reach dh at work because he is always at a different job site. We were going to get a beeper, but hadn’t picked it up yet. I didn’t think this could really be labor. We had only completed 2 childbirth education classes. I didn’t even know how to breath properly. I called the doctors office when I got home (his office is across the street from where I work, so I should have called from work). His nurse told me to go to the hospital (of course!), my doctor was already there. I called my best friend Barb and told her what was going on. She said she would drive Darren to the hospital when he got home. I left a note for Darren; "I have gone to the hospital. My water broke at work. Don’t panic, I’m doing that for both of us. Love Natalie". Then I drove myself to the hospital. I forgot to pack a bag though. I guess I still thought this wasn’t the real thing.

At the hospital, they hooked me up to a monitor, and asked if I had any labor pains. I felt like I had to have a bowl movement all the time, but it wasn’t painful. They said they would check me into the maternity ward if labor pains didn’t start. And if they hadn’t started by morning they would induce. That scared me! I was afraid inducing would be more painful.

I called Darren from labor & delivery, there was no answer, so I left a message. I told him there was no rush, and to get cleaned up and have something to eat before he came up. I figured it was going to be a long night. I called Barb and told her to make sure Darren got cleaned up and ate something. I knew he would just rush up to the hospital in his work clothes otherwise. I also got her to call my parents.

Around 6:00 pm, Darren and Barb showed up. Darren had not eaten but Barb had made him shower and change before she would drive him up to the hospital. He was panicking a bit but after he saw that I was ok he calmed down.

They moved me from labor & delivery to the maternity ward around 8:00 pm. I had a semi-private room, but there was no one else in the room. My parents had showed up, so I told Darren to go with Mom and Dad to get some supper. I was glad to be alone for awhile. I tried to rest, but I felt like I had to use the bathroom, so I kept getting up to go. I finally realized that the pressure I was feeling was probably labor pains. By the time Darren, Mom, and Dad showed up the pains were getting worse. The nurse said to walk around, so Darren and I walked around the ward, for awhile. Finally someone check me around 10:00 pm. I don’t remember how much I was dilated, but finally they sent me back to L&D.

After we got back to L&D, I got in the shower. Darren sprayed hot water on my back while I sat on a large beach ball thing. It really help to relieve the pain (which was all in my back) but I couldn’t stay in there forever. I tried lying done for awhile, but couldn’t get comfortable. Darren fell asleep in a chair and started snoring. The doctor was in and checked my cervix, but not too often because they were afraid of the possibility of infection. The nurse showed me how to breath, but it didn’t help much. Around 3:00 am, I woke up Darren "Your supposed to be helping me, and here you are sleeping while I’m in pain!" He just looked at me like he didn’t know what to do! Finally I went out to the nurses station. "I would like something for the pain." I said. They gave me some "Numorph" (sp). This reduced the pain but I could still feel it a little. By morning (7:00am?), it had worn off and the pains were getting worse, so I got an epidural. The anethesiologist (sp) had a little trouble, but finally got it in. After that there was no pain, I couldn’t feel anything below my nipples! I really liked her a lot, lol (the anethesiologist) I was dilated 4 cm. At some point they had put an iv in with Pitocin. By about noon I was dilated to 7 or 8 centimeters, but not effaced. Later on, the nurse told me it was time to push. We woke Darren up to help. (yes he was sleeping again). The poor man said his neck was sore! We push for a long time. It was hard because I couldn’t feel anything. I never had the urge to push. The nurse could see the crown of the baby’s head, but we weren’t getting anywhere.

Around 4:00 pm the doctor came in to talk to me. He had been in and out all night. L&D was very busy that night. We talked about having a c-section because there was no progression. He said the baby was facing the wrong way and was caught up on my cervix. He also said the longer I labored the more chance of infection and more stress on the baby. By this time I was ready to get things over with anyway! Darren really woke up then. The doctor said Darren could come in too, but he had to stay up by my head for sanitary reasons. That was fine with him! By that time the epidural was wearing off, so I got some more of that before going into the operating room.

After we got in the OR things went really fast! The anetheseologist and nurses explained what was going to happen. I didn’t feel any pain, just a pressure on my belly. When the baby was out, the nurse handed him to Darren. "Its a boy, Nat!" he said. I think I said "That’s nice" or something like that, then they put him on my chest. I asked if he was ok, and why was he purple like that? The nurse said this was normal. His head was shaped like a cone from all that pushing. The poor thing! Then I started to feel nauseous. They took Quentin to the nursery to check him out, and the doctor sewed and stapled me up. The nausea passed and I started to feel really cold! I couldn’t stop shaking. The put me in recovery and laid warm blankets on me. I remember Darren coming in to see if I was ok. I thought I would never be warm again. I guess I must have been in shock. The nurses told Darren he could go, so I was left all alone.

Darren went out to tell everyone there that we had a boy. My parents and some friends and been out there all night! He showed them the baby in the nursery, but that one wasn’t ours! Lol. We found out after that Quentin had to be put in NICU and given a glucose iv, because of low blood sugar. He also had jaundice quite bad and had to have light therapy for 2 days. Because I was nursing I got to stay in the hospital too. 8 days later we took him home, and our lives haven’t been the same since!

I can’t say that my birth experience was very positive , but the results were worth every second.

Natalie