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I’ve desired to gather my-Eden-birth-thoughts for sometime now.  With all this 9-1-1 call recording  hype, it’s been a perfect  opportunity.   While we are working at blogging the audio of the call ( at your requests), I’m going to take a few posts this week to share my memories and the words I asked the birth-witnesses to record.   Such a special gift.

Disclaimer:  the following posts may be a bit long, graphic, contain birth details, or be repetitive.  Reader beware.  Their purpose is to never forget the glory and magnificent hand of the Lord my God.  May they be recorded for sweet Eden Grace and our family for the years to come.

Here’s a link to Eden’s pregnancy posts:  The Sport of Labor,  Dear Eden Grace, Dear Pink Brothers, Showers of Blessings,  Believing God- Will You Pray?,   and Fully Cooked Fully Encouraged.

Oh, and my birth-story-junkie-friends out there, I know you’ll stick with me through this series of posts!

Eden’s birth, according to Mommy…

First contraction to birth (~ 11-16 total contractions) … 45 minutes…..   a friend’s driveway…. in my mini-van …..

Last night, I clicked “publish” for my post “fully-cooked,  fully encouraged” at 11:29pm.

I instantly had one of my first contractions of the day.  (I was productive and nested a lot!)  …. I had eaten pizza at 9:45pm, and thought “oh, that didn’t agree with me”….  and I went to the bathroom and had a BM  (don’t you love details?)

It took about 4 contractions to make it to the other side of the house to Irv in our bedroom.   I tried to lay down.

Irv woke up to my noises, and I said “I don’t want to go to the hospital and have them send me home.”

Then another contraction started, I said … “I am going to the hospital now and I don’t care if they have to send me home.”

2 total contractions in my bed.    I couldn’t stay lying down.  I stood up,  and my entire body was shaking…. (I torqued the bassinet out of place as I was bracing myself  as I shook with tremors.)

All I could think of was… “Transition? Already?”   I knew we had to get to the van.

As I worked my way out of the bedroom – Irv called Nancy the neighbor to come over to stay with the kids… she was fast!  He also called Julie McO to tell her to head to the hospital as she was going to observe.

At 12:02 we had made it  to the kitchen, a stopping point to make it to the van.  I had another contraction.  Here Irv placed the call to the doula (registered as 12:02).   I  was afraid to be alone in the van, so Irv also called Julie McO back and told her we would come pick her up at he house, as she lives down the road – so she could drive us to the hospital, as I didn’t have to be alone in the van again in intense labor.

I had two more contractions in the mud-room, on my way out the door.   One more contraction outside van, as I attempted to climb into the second row captains seat.  I couldn’t sit or kneel.  I stood and bent over the back of the seat, bracing myself with my arms.

As we exited our driveway and headed down our road,  I started having the need to have another BM … and I did!    I had no control over it, a bearing down sensation … without purposefully bearing down!   I recognized this feeling, and told Irv to call the McO’s, have Tammy (mother of 7) to come out of the house, wait in her driveway and call 911 for an ambulance to meet us there.   At this moment, I knew the baby was going to born very soon, and not at the hospital.   (In hindsight, I would have loved to just stay at my house, turn the van around, wake up the big boys, and give birth at my home… yet I embrace God’s perfect plan and loved my birth!)

The ride down the road was intense.  It was like a long constant contraction and the baby was going down the birth canal.  I couldn’t get comfortable, and my upper body was tense as I held onto the seat top to brace myself as Irv drove speedily down our country roads.

I got out of the van in their driveway so Irv could take the seats out of the second row.   I could barely move to go anywhere.  I had one  long contraction against the van in their driveway.

Everything was burning …. I somehow got my underwear off  (in their driveway!),  put my had down “there”, and was able to completely cup the baby’s head in my hand… she was probably out to her eyebrows I imagine.

I laid back into the van….  sliding in onto one side, trying not to sit on her head …   and did the panting thing I just read in the book 2 nights ago…. don’t push, pant. don’t push pant … ( in the “What to do in case of an emergency birth” chapter!)

Irv and Tammy delivered the baby.

About 10 years ago in my PA training, I delivered about 30 babies.   Tonight,  despite the pain I was experiencing,  I felt like I was instructing someone on how to birth a baby.   I was vocal in giving directions to others.   It was like I was two people – the person giving birth and the person giving directions, watching from a viewing point.   Strange.   From preparing the van to lay down, the pillows, blankets, telling Irv to check for a neck cord, not pushing, panting,  declining the shoe lace,  checking for meconium (there was a bunch),  guarding my cord,  delivering my own  placenta in the ambulance as we pulled into Highland, etc….  it is surreal ….

Only about 12-15 minutes of intense pain.

Eden came out completely encompassed in the amniotic sac…. still  intact.  Being born “in the caul”.

The cord was around her neck,  so Irv had to take it off.   When he tried, the bag of water broke easily….

We got her to cry,  they gave her to me….  it was awesome.

911 was on the phone —  they report that time of birth was 00:14 ,  June 3rd.   That’s when 911 noted they heard the cry, so I guess she was born a tad before that as it seemed to take a bit of time for her to cry…

The ambulance man said his pager came through at 12:13, and then they headed towards the McO house.  I think we had 10 -15 minutes after her birth before they arrived.

911 had Irv take his shoe lace off his shoe… I didn’t want to use it… stubborn as I am!   When the ambulance came, we clamped it with the kit I knew they would have.   Irv got to cut the cord with a scalpel.  Too cool.

Honest, it was scary as I worried about her.  It was cold outside.   Her color was very pale in the ambulance as she was choking on mucous and quiet.  I just kept asking Irv to make her cry,  he did a great job!

I’m so proud of him.  He was such a great protector,  encourager,  and listener.    I love him so much!   I am thankful he listened to my interpretations of what my body was doing – even when I couldn’t believe it!   What an awesome privilege to deliver your own baby…

The Lord knew it all, and I am so thankful for all the details….

I praise the Lord for His provisions and answers to the many prayers….

Oh, and this was a success.   I feel like a HUGE not-failure at labor!   Thank you Jesus!

Note – I’m glad I was wearing a skirt!

When I published my last post at 11:29pm -   I ended with:   “For now, I am sticking to my Au-naturale plan.  No lovey-dovey.  No “recipes”.  No castor oil.  No stimulations.  Goodnight sweet friends…”

Who would have thought, 45 minutes later, I’d be holding my sweet little princess!

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