Friday, September 2nd, started out like just another Friday. We were all greatly anticpating Finley's arrival and wondered if this would be the day. I made it to a staff meeting in the morning, but other than that tried to stay close to home. Took care of some small maintance at the church and then headed to youth around 5. Andrea was having some contractions, but she had said that everyday for a week or more now, so didn't think much about it. She got a message to me about 9:30 PM that she was having contactions for a few hours and that they were now about 5 mins apart and asked me to come home. We made contact with the midwife and she said to get in the bath and see if that slowed anything down. It did not, by about 11:30 or so the midwife had made it to the house. Andrea was progressing well 3 cm, at 5 cm they decided to break her water at about 2:30 AM. The midwife told me that if she wasn't pushing by 4:30 there would be reason for concern. Let me insert here that I guess there was a little concern on all our parts just because of age, the normal size of our babies, the fact that we were overdue, and it had been 9 years since her body last did this. So there was a little worry and probably even a little fear. OK so I felt like the midwife was just prepping me in case something happened later. By around 5 o'clock her contractions stalled. They didn't go away, just slowed down and became a little less intense. The midwife encouraged to rest awhile and that we would give it an hour and see where we were. Sandy (our Midwife) showed me the chart of Andrea's file and it said by 6:00 she should be 10 cm or else there is a problem and we need to go to hospital. She checked at 6:30 and Andrea was stalled at 8 cm and Finleys head had still not dropped to were it needed to be.
We were not anticipating a trip to the hospital, but we did have to have a back up plan for our midwife. There is free government health care here, but anyone and everyone who can should stay far away. So for our back up plan we choose a govenment ran maternity hospital about 30 minutes away, it was cheap and it was the closest one. We had made 2 trips prior to this one, just to get set up and registered incase we needed to come back. We had been less than a week ago just to get a scan for Finley and make sure she was ok.
So, we were not even packed for this trip, so we quickly packed a bag for mommy and baby. Sandy said there was something keeping Finley from dropping, could be she had a big head and just needed a little more time and some better contractions to force her down. So the plan was to go to hospital, take some medicine that would cause some stronger contractions and see if that would be enough to force Finley down, and if not than we would Ceasar (C-section) by lunch.
Meanwhile Andrea's contractions are picking up again every 3-4 minutes and they are goodies. She's trying to pack, I am packing for Finley, figuring out the kids, etc, etc. its close to 7AM now and we've all been up all night. Andrea and I would drive and meet the midwife there. Aunty Lou takes the other kids and we head out. So now Andrea is having hum dinger contractions in the car and not a happy camper at all. At some point I don't know exactly when, but she knew something was wrong. She was screaming and crying out to God to get her through this and watching every minute click off the clock as we drove. 7:31 we arrive at the hospital. I run in and get a wheel chair, come out get Andrea in. Wheel her in side and the security guy says sorry no wheelchairs for moms in labor in case the give birth in chair she will have to walk. Nice. I park the car walk back in and we head up to the delivery rooms. I don't really know how to describe these hospitals or even comare them to anything at home. They are old buildings in pretty bad shape. Bad paint job, bad maintance, bad smells, etc. The trip prior when we went for a scan one whole hallway smelled like a butcher shop to me. Not good for a hospital.
We get to the delivery room and Sandy is there making up the bed. Andreas has passed transition and have serious contractions and a lot of pain. Luckily there were lots of screaming women there. You pass through a set of double doors with cloudy circle windows in each door. Looks like the face of a robot. Each delivery ward had a set of these doors off the main hallway, but once through the double doors you could look right or left into the delivery rooms on either side. It was like an old ER. Nurses passed though non stop with just a curtain between us and them, which was usually left open most of the time. I noticed immediatley blood spots on the floor. Not like old spots that would come out, but recent spots that just had not been cleaned. Nice, hopefully Andrea didn't see that. Now she has a urge to push. Sandy is gone trying to find a doctor and our file. The nurse tells her not to push while she straps(literally two large velco straps) two heart beat monitors to Andrea's belly. Hlfe dressed half not, exposed to all who walk by the other side of the curtain (andrea, not me). She knows something wrong and wants the Ceasar now or needs something to keep from pushing. Sandy comes back and I say listen forget the natural birth, lets do the ceasar now. She says the theater (operating room) is backed up for at least an hour maybe three and cant find a doctor to see her to give medicine. Andrea says she needs to push, Sandy says then push as we quickly try to get off whats remaining of her clothes in preparation. We put her in a gown that in a million years old and stained Andrea would have never put on if she had noticed or cared at all. Much like the floor there were stains of previous people who wore this gown. At the time it didn't matter. Andrea wasted no time and got to the business of getting this baby out. Sandy checked out Andrea and said Finley had dropped and was coming out right here right now. One or two contactions later I could see the head. From crowning to head out was one contraction. Sandy was quite, too quite. I could see the back of Finleys head and she was purple, too purple. Andrea asked what was wrong and I said nothing keep pushing. Sandy worked frantic to get her out and with one more contraction she was out. Laying there on the bed in a ball, face down. Sandy is screaming for help. There is a moment that passes. I don't even check to see if its a for sure a girl, is she alive is she moving anything. No sound....Time stops, stands still.....Brown water, blood everywhere, marconioum. Still purple. It's been 9 years, I struggle to remember whats normal. Sandy is screaming for suction, finally a nurse comes and gets that going. I keep watching. Something, anything....finally I see her little fingers straighten and then make a fist again. Signs of life. Breathe. Suction.....Andrea is asking for her, Sandy says wait. More suction. Finally, small sounds, gurggling almost. Still purple, but starting to fade. A sigh of relief. Baby is ok, place her on mom, starting to get pink, little more noise. Clamp the cord....cut....Group of 8 doctors peak in during rounds. Sandy gives them the low down
Sandy tells us that in addition to the marconium in the plecenta (not good) she was so wrapped up in the cord that that was what was keeping her from dropping during labor. She was literally bungie jumping with the cord. The contractions would push her down, and the cord would pull her back up. Something in the car ride gave her enough cord to finally drop, but also caused her to become strangled on delivery. Which as bad as it sounds actually helped. Had she come out and opened her mouth to inhale she would have inhaled the marconium which is very very bad. But the cord that caused her not to breathe also gave Sandy time to suction out all the marconium from her mouth and nose before she inhaled. In same fashion as her big sister, she likes to have her hand up near her face, which is cute for pictures, but not for delivery.
Andrea says did anyone check to make sure she was a girl and Sandy double check and say yes. We all gestimate a time of delivery at 7:55. I say guess because when Andrea asked what time she was born. Sandy and I looked at each other, looked at the clock, it said 8:10, so we guessed about 7:55. Just for perspective of time we arrived at the hospital parking lot at 7:31 and had Finley 24 mins later. By 8:30 or so I think we were walking out the front door, before they came and admited us and therefore charged us. So no addmition, no charge. The security tags on momma and baby were hand written. We phone the kids tell them not to come the hospital, Finley is born and we are on our way home. Great job Sandy, great job Tootsie (Andrea) , welcome home Finny Bean
Here are a few picks I grabbed while at the hospital. Pretty rushed, but i tried to capture the moment once we figured out eveything was ok. Notice the hand. Thats how she came out.
I don't exactly know why this could not have taken place at home. We literally drove 30 minutes, delivered, and drove home. God knows and had a plan and a purpose and He is good all the time and Finley is here. So, the End
(left blood and sheets on floor from previous patients)
Thanks so much for your prayers. This is the story from my side of the belly. Now maybe Andrea can tell hers from her side of the belly.
Blessings
Shelby
PS I don't like to write and hate to proof read and edit so sorry for any mistakes; spelling, grammar, etc.
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