It was six days past due date and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not the Bear or a mouse.
The hospital bags were packed tidy and near, in hopes that Baby Brother soon would be here.
I awoke with discomfort at ten minutes to three, with cramping contractions and a strong urge to wee…
Do you really want me to keep this up? I think that’s enough.
As the story continues, at a few minutes before 3 am, on the 24th of February to be precise, Hero Hubs came to join me in the bathroom, and we started timing contractions. They were all over the show and inconsistent, so we thought we probably had a decent amount of time and didn’t need to be in a rush.
Based on how long and laborious the Bear’s labour was, we’d planned on showering and slowly making our way to the hospital. {Big mistake.} I decided to skip the shower because it felt like things were beginning to pick up, so I washed my face and started to put on make up and HH shaved and showered. I attempted to time contractions with the stop watch and lap function on his phone, but I was a little too frantic to do so when they arrived… another ten minutes, and they were suddenly coming hard and fast.
My dear husband returned from the shower to find me stressed and in the middle of a contraction. I’d only managed to put on foundation. He encouraged me to count to thirty (a technique which seems to help with the passing of each contraction because the pain usually peaks and won’t get worse after thirty seconds) and I promptly replied by telling him I couldn’t count to thirty. I may have interjected an expletive at this point, but we can’t be sure.
I think there is a special dispensation of grace for the things that might come out of ladies’ mouths whilst in labour. But the use of the expletive, along with the end of makeup application, confirmed for HH that this was actually labour and not a false alarm.
As the contractions continued, things began to get serious. I couldn’t walk around to go and get things together — they were coming so close together and so strong, I constantly felt the urge to go back to the bathroom and sit down. HH alerted Agnes that I was in labour and, being instructed to get dressed, I pulled on a black dress for some reason.
I made my way downstairs and suddenly the waters of life were a-flowing — I hurried to the loo again and by this time was beginning to feel back pain and lots of pressure. I felt like I’d soon be wanting to push, which made me panicky. Everything was happening way faster than we expected and I was not sure what to do. The contractions were so strong I was crying out in pain, even though I really wanted to be quiet and not wake the Bear.
Having gathered everything up, HH came downstairs to find me in a frantic state:
“This baby is coming!”
I heard myself exclaim, and in the back of my mind I heard my Mom saying the same thing to the nurses a little less than three decades ago as she arrived at the hospital. {I was born seven minutes later.}
I interject here to say I am not a feminist. I am very thankful when men choose to take charge in hectic situations, like they did when the Titanic was sinking and mostly women and children survived. (James Cameron got it all wrong.) Let’s resume.
Hero Hubs took charge. He instructed Agnes to help me back upstairs so that I could lay down on our bed. I got there and he was right behind me. He checked to see if the baby was crowning. He’d thought through the amount of time it would take an ambulance to arrive to deliver the baby or get me to the hospital, and decided that it would be faster to get in the car and go. I thought about the distance to Mr. Potato Head, our oddly-shaped car sitting in the parking garage downstairs.
The baby wasn’t crowning. “Let’s go to the hospital. I can get you there fast honey. If you feel the urge to push, just don’t. Let’s go now.”
The next thing I remember we were back downstairs, HH and Agnes having gathered up the hospital bags, my purse, our camera, etc., and me standing by the door with a towel to catch the water. By this point contractions were predictable: coming fast, enduring, painful.
I looked at Agnes and said, “This is like a TV birth. This is just crazy.”
We rushed to the elevator — well, HH and Agnes rushed and I got there as quickly as I could. I remember feeling badly that Agnes was carrying so much and I wasn’t carrying anything. In a moment we were in the parking garage and the bags were in. I stared at the car because I was leaking and didn’t want to get in. HH hurried me into the passenger seat and we were out of the gate and on our way.
I was sitting on a couple of towels, but I could still feel the waters moving — baptizing Mr. Potato Head’s floor in front of the passenger seat. Fortunately it was more of a christening.
We were on the road, and I was in prayer. The last contractions before we left home were so strong I wanted to push at the end of them, so I began to pray that the next contraction would pass me by, without me feeling that incredibly strong urge to push and having to simultaneously somehow stop myself. I was thinking about the Passover and the Israelites in Egypt and praying “Lord please let this pass me by. Lord, please let this pass me by.” ad infinitum.
God met me in the passenger seat of Mr. Potato Head, and the first contraction I should’ve had, based on how far apart they were coming, passed me by. I was quiet and at peace and kept praying as we turned onto the N2.
A few minutes later we neared our exit and the next contraction came. HH counted to thirty as we rounded the off ramp — Potato’s tires squealed with excitement. The contraction was painful but I didn’t feel the need to push. I was thankful.
We left home at 4:04 am, and the twenty kilometre trip should’ve taken about as many minutes, but we arrived in the parking lot at 4:12. Average speed: 150 kilometres (100 miles) per hour.
We screeched into a closed reception area and circled around to the Emergency Room entrance. The gentleman standing guard outside immediately knew what was happening and coded something into a keypad, and suddenly four people were there to help me out of the car and into a wheelchair. I didn’t want to sit in the wheelchair because I was so wet and leaky but someone had brought a blanket and so I sat down.
While HH backed into a parking space and grabbed our bags, I was wheeled through to the labour ward as fast as the orderly could go. Another contraction came and I asked him to count to thirty for me. He laughed and obliged me by gently counting as we sped through the halls. While I grimaced under the pressure, I worried about my dear Hubs being able to find me.
A moment later, I was wheeled into the delivery room and I remember looking around as I crossed the threshold, taking a deep breath and thinking, “This is where I’m going to have this baby.” I was happy about that.
Another moment passed and I was up on the bed with two midwives in attendance when HH rushed in and dropped our bags. My black dress was a convenient choice: there was no time for pain medicine or changing clothes or anything else. The baby was crowning and there was only time to push.
I don’t remember another contraction. I don’t remember having a moment to breathe. I just remember giving three good pushes. With the first, Blake’s head was out, and the umbilical cord needed to be loosed from around his neck. With the second, the shoulders were stuck for a moment. With the third, the shoulders followed, and in an indescribable feeling — familiar from the Bear’s delivery and like no other — pain and joy meet, life flows and you suddenly know: This is a beginning. This is life. This is amazing. Ouch, hallelujah.
At 4:21 am — nine minutes after Mr. Potato Head pulled into the hospital parking lot — Blake’s life on the outside began.
For a million reasons which I hope to share on another day, six days past his due date at four in the morning was absolutely perfect timing.
xCC
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Amazing to be the father of this little boy! I hope no law enforcement officers frequent your blog 🙂
How we managed a route with no speed cameras is beyond me…well planned, HH!
Ok, want the honest truth Mr C – how much did you secretly enjoy the chance to do the high speed emergency car race to the hospital? 😉
Honestly…I am pretty proud of my 150 km/h average speed 🙂 It’s kinda scary to be driving as fast as you possibly feel is safe knowing that your wife is in the passenger seat about to give birth. It definitely was the widest awake I have ever been at 4 in the morning!
Wowwee! You are a champ!! I wouldn’t mind such a short delivery even with all the TV-birth like drama. Mine were 12 hrs and 7 hrs. SO happy you are all settled in and that he has such a lovely name.
I have to say…although it was challenging at the time, I much prefer sprinting to long distance — on land, in the pool, and in labour! I was really thankful I didn’t have a marathon labour like the Bear’s this time, with hours and hours of contractions leading up to the pushing. Praise the Lord for good timing! 🙂
I’m glad you made it to hospital & that there were hopefully less people about for Mr Potato Head to accidentally run over in his mad rush to take his precious load to hospital – a number of my friends have had impromptu home births in the middle of the night.
Rule of thumb: If your female partner can’t hold a conversation or walk during contractions TAKE HER TO THE HOSPITAL NOW!!! 🙂
Simpsons actually have a birth kit (I don’t know the exact word, but its the one I’ll use) the midwives keep at the reception to grab for the numerous times babies are born in the car park there. Usually for when a husband runs in shouting ‘my wife’s in the backseat of our car – help!’ This happens about once a week in most maternity hospitals. 🙂
I’m so glad they didn’t pull out the birth kit for me! Hooray for making it in to the hospital, Blake!
Oh Caroline your posts always make me cry! Especially this one. What a beautiful, event-filled birth. Blake is a handsome little guy. Hope all is well and you are soaking in every minute!
Thanks Ashley! I wasn’t expecting this to be a tear-jerker but I’m glad you enjoyed it! We definitely have a story to tell this precious boy when he grows up! I am definitely soaking in the new-baby-delight! So GREAT!
That was awesome! I’m a little surprised it even took up that much space to write it considering how short it all was! I got a little teary reading it. 🙂
Love love!
Thanks, sister! I can’t wait to introduce you to your newest nephew! Love you!!
laughed & cried at your wonderful details….am also taking notes, since baby boy hasn’t made an appearance and the middle of the night, inconsistent contractions have been happening all week. a dress rather than jeans sounds more comfortable anyways!!
so happy for you guys Caroline…God’s blessings on your life are abundant and the joy he’s bringing you is just a return of the joy you’ve brought others!
I have to say the dress was incredibly convenient in the frantic situation — I had not planned that at all, but it worked out quite well! They might’ve been cutting clothes off of me while I was writhing with contractions otherwise! Thanks for the warm wishes and sweet words, Christina. I hope your little one arrives soon — and in God’s perfect timing! 😉
Dresses & Skirts are great for TV show style births!! (though I noticed on TV soaps – namely Home & Away where a huge number of births seem to happen on the side of the road, during a cyclone or in the middle of the bush) they always seem to already have their knickers off when they give birth!
I think for any potential future pregnancies, a dress will be my going into labour standby. Very handy! 🙂
That was very exciting. I am glad you gave up on the make up. When I read that you were trying to put on make up at 3am while in labor, I was like, ‘What!?” Definitely perfect timing. You made it to the hospital, but didn’t spend hours languishing there, waiting for delivery, being poked and prodded.
It’s hilarious, isn’t it? I think I’m such a creature of habit, in the midst of a stressful situation I just began doing what came naturally in preparation for leaving home… I may have also been thinking about how awful the pictures were after the Bear’s marathon birthing session! I am really, really glad this one was a sprint!
Wonderful wonderful wonderful. And so glad Mark got a legit excuse to drive that fast. 😉
Even though I was in pain, it was really exciting! 😀 I’m pretty sure even though he was stressed he enjoyed putting the pedal to the metal.
Congrats that story also made me laugh and cry. God’s timing is always perfect.
Thanks, Suzanne! I laughed and cried too! 🙂
I can’t believe you tried to put on make-up!!!! So happy for you!! Glad everything went well! Lots of love from NC-USA!!
Julie Reed
Thanks Julie! It was 3 am … make-up made sense at the time. 🙂 I wanted pretty after-labour photos. Who knew I wouldn’t even have time to break a sweat? Hope you and Brian are doing great!!
Yea Caroline!!! I’m so excited for you guys and really happy you actually made it to the hospital. Great story! Hope you are all doing wonderful!
Thanks so much, Misti! I am really glad we made it, too! We are doing great — I hope you and Branch are, too! xoxo
I have waited ALL day for this story!!! I saw it in my RSS this morning and then my computer died!!! AND it killed me not to read it!!! What a BRILLIANT birth day, a little man who makes his own drama!!! Gotta love how they are all so very different right from the very stat!!! You look brilliant in the photo – for the dead of night and just finished with being nine months pregnant!!! Just incredible!!! Lovely, dramatic and beautiful!!! Lots of love to you guys!!!
this gave me chills, brought tears to my eyes and made me INCREDIBLY happy. congratulations and blessings!
So glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much!
Oh friend, I was holding on to every last word–so glad you made it in the hospital just in time! 🙂 Whooo!!!!!!
Thanks, Amanda! I’m pretty darn glad we made it, too! 😀
Once again, Miss Caroline, you have made me cry at work! What a beautifully written story, scripted by our Heavenly father. Gosh I feel very proud of Mark for some reason too, even though I know it was you who did all the hard work. God is so good and so faithfull to us through every trial and experience of life. I look forward to meeting the mighty Blake.xx
Sorry for turning on the waterworks while you’re at the office, sweet Lorna! I am glad you enjoyed the story. It really was amazing and really felt like such perfect timing. I am proud of Mark, too! I’m so glad he took charge when I was a little on the frantic side!! We look forward to introducing you to Blake!! How soon can ya get here? 😉
This is AMAZING!!! I think this sounds like a great way to have a birth… 🙂 Hehe! Fast and Quick! Like a drive thru or something 😉
Congratulations to you all again Caroline! I also laughed and cried with you at Blake’s birth story! Wow! Praise the Lord for HIS timing and safety for y’all! Love ya!
I loved this post and for some reason it made me tear up! I love the birth of a new life be it spiritual or natural!
Great story! I love hearing these types of stories. They never cease to amaze me! Congrats, Mamma!
Thank you, Natasha! It is a story I am happy to tell!! xoxo
Oh Caroline! Wow! That was so beautiful to read. You are very blessed to have Mark (but I know you know that). I am so happy for you! You have an abundance of blessings! Besos!
Thanks, Maria! It really was an exciting way to make an entrance, for sure! I hope you and your beautiful girlie are well! xoxoxoxo
Woo, as always you can tell a story. I had a marathon birth with my Bear and it actually gives me hope that my next one, whenever God ordains that, maybe won’t be two days and 16 hours in the hospital worth. Welcome to the world Blake!
Love,
Char
PS… I’d really like to see pictures of Mr.Potato head sometime:)
AsherBear’s birth was a long one, too — so I was really surprised that this one came so quickly. For some reason I just expected it to be really similar (which is why I almost didn’t make it to the hospital in time!) Thanks for the warm welcome! Love you, Char! xoxo
P.S. You can see some pictures of Mr. Potato Head from the day he went a’wanderin right here: https://www.carolinecollie.com/2010/06/travelling-tuesday-potatoes-do-roam/ (This is the reason he’s called Mr. Potato Head: https://www.carolinecollie.com/2009/09/faith-like-mr-potato-head/)
There. Are. No. Words.
🙂
I sometimes feel that way, too. 🙂 Yay!
Oh my! Just read this post today (from the link on Agnes’s post!) What a lovely way to start a life — he came on His terms!!!