Noah's Birth Story
Noah Luke
Arrived Dec. 30, 1995 3:50 a.m.
8 lb 12.9 oz
20 1/2 inches
But historically speaking, my second pregnancy was a memorable one. On June 29, 1995....just one day after we had heard the heartbeat at my 15 week checkup....my family and I were involved in an interstate car accident. Our car was totalled, my 3 1/2 year-old daughter was totally unhurt, my husband received whiplash and some bruises and seatbelt burns, and I sustained a scalp laceration, broken ring finger, and severe lacerations to one arm. Miraculously, the baby survived. Then later that summer, we lived through Hurricanes Erin and Opal. I kept getting the idea that this baby inside of me must be destined for something wonderful to have come through so much even before making his entrance into the world.
Since this was my second child, I had high hopes for an early baby. This was not to be. Noah was due on Dec. 21....it came and went. I was having no contractions to speak of. I saw my doctor the day after Christmas and he said if I didn't deliver before New Year's Day, that he would use prostaglandin gel on my cervix that day. By the 29th, I was going crazy....my best friend (who is a doula) was in town from across the country and I really wanted her to be with me for the birth of this baby; but she would be leaving early New Year's Day. Fortunately, it didn't take much to convince my doctor to gel my cervix that day around noon. I didn't really notice any effects from the Prepadyl, and went to bed at 12:30 that night in tears....just knowing that I wouldn't have my friend present for the birth.
An hour and 45 minutes later, I woke up
with a very painful contraction.... they continued for another 15-20 min at 5 min. apart. I
got out of bed around 2:30 and came here to the computer to check mail (anything to
keep occupied ). BTW, that little clock on Win95's taskbar comes in handy when you're in
labor! By 2:45 they were coming every 2 min and my back was really hurting; I kept going
to the bathroom and checking for show, or any indication I was getting somewhere, but no
go. Finally, I woke up my husband shortly before 3. Then I called my best friend to tell her
what was going on. Because I wasn't having any show, and I was able to talk through the 2
contractions I had while on the phone with her, we were thinking I was having back labor
from a posterior baby. She promised to shower and come right over, though. That
sounded like a great idea, so I tried laboring in the shower for 10-15 min, but the
contractions started coming one on top of the other. After I got out of the shower, my
water broke (about 3:30 a.m.). My husband asked if I wanted to go on to the hospital (only
a mile and a half away), but I said, "No, I want to wait for Kim!". Kim got there in time to
find me on my hands and knees in the bathroom floor trying not to push. When I couldn't
resist it any longer, she realized that I really was ready....only took one good push for her
to see the head, at which she yelled to dh "I see the head, Brian" and he immediately called
911. He made it back into the bathroom in time to help her coach me through 3-4 more
pushes, and out Noah came. Dh had to slip into nurse mode, though.....Noah needed a
little rubdown to get going. The ambulance arrived less than a minute after Noah did (we
live a mile and a half from the base hospital). No tearing, thanks to my friend's perineal
massage during that quick delivery (she is an experienced doula, and midwife wanna-be.....
this was her *first* delivery, though; she is usually on the other end with the mom!). We didn't notice until afterwards, but Emily, my firstborn, woke up during all of the excitement....she watched the birth from the doorway of the bathroom. Later, at the hospital, she told me, "Mama, you were loud...you were killin' my ears!" *LOL*. What a memory for her! To top it all off, Noah was born on her 4th birthday. She tells everyone that he was the first present she got.
My
experience was so wonderful, even though unplanned, that I want all of my future babies
to be delivered at home, too!
