Victoria Couldn't Wait Till Her Parents Got To The Hospital, She Made Them Take A Detour
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Well I guess I should start by saying that it mine was a pretty normal pregnancy. For my first pregnancy I guess I was a little scared about labor and delivery, no one would tell me anything because they didn't want to scare me, which of course made it worse. I found out that I was pregnant in May 2002. Actually I found out that I was two months pregnant.
My husband, Tony, didnt take the news to well. We weren't going to have kids for another couple of years, oops. Tony and I went for my regular doctor's visits. When we went for the ultrasound, we found out that we were having a girl -- The first girl grandchild on either side of our family!
I was due in December. My whole family fiqured that I would have her on Friday the 13th, but my due dates weren't until the 29th and 31st of the month.
My last doctor's visit was on December 30. Tony and I went in at 1:30, and my doctor told me that everything was still the same as last week and that I should go and make an appointment to come in a week. I didn't want to -- I was in tears when I booked my next visit. Tony felt bad for me and took me out for lunch.
Before we even ordered our meals, I started having contractions. I hadn't had too many false labor pains, and since the doctor told me to come back in a week, I didn't think too much of it.
When we got home, my back hurt something awful, so I ran myself a warm bath. I'd had back pains through the whole prgnancy, so again, I didn't worry too much.
My mom called while I was in the bath so I got out to talk to her. She couldn't figure out why every 10-15 mins I was saying, "Ow, ow, ow." Then when I saying it every 2-3 minutes, she asked me if I was having contractions. I said, "Yeah, so?" She told me I should go to the hospital. Because of what doctor had said I didn't want to go and have them send me home and tell me to come back tomorrow. She finally talked me into going. (Now the fun starts!)
When we got to the hospital, both of the elevators were out, so I had to climb four flights of stairs. When I got upstairs, they stuck me in a room and hooked up monitors to me to gauge my contrations and watch the baby's heartbeat.
It was about 3:30 when we got there and the hospital called the doctor. The doctor finally got to me at about 5:30 to 6:00. I don't really remember, I was resting comfortably between contractions.
Now remember it is the Christmas holidays. The doctor checked me and told me I was 3 cm and that the membrane was almost completly gone. (He couldn't figure out why this afternoon at 1:30 I was only at 1 cm and the membrane was all there.) Anyways he was unsure about delivering her there because the doctor who did c-sections was on vacation, even though my pregnancy was good and there was no reason to expect a c-section, he didn't want to risk it. So he sent me to Ottawa to have the baby.
Before I left in my mothers car, not an ambulance, they gave me a shot of demerol, to "numb" the pain. And back down four flights of stairs. This was at 6:30.
We followed Tony to our house so we could drop off our truck and pick up my bag of stuff. Then we were off to Ottawa. Now I really don't remember most of the drive, but to explain to you the "poor little lamb" bit, my brother's girlfriend bought the baby a stuffed little lamb at the first hospital and gave it to me before we left. I remember beating on the poor little thing the whole way to Ottawa... oops, did I say Ottawa? I meant Renfrew.
About the time we were hitting the Renfrew exit signs I told mom that it was time to push. It was about 7:30-8:00. So she pulled into the next exit and found the Renfrew Victoria Hospital. When we pulled in, Tony got out to go and find a nurse to tell them what was going on. I was in a wheelchair and to the delivery room before I could count to 10.
I don't remember too, too much, just that my back hurt really badly. They got a doctor and Tony explained to them what had happened and then the doctor checked me and told me I could push.
I never thought that pushing could feel so good. Nothing hurt then not my back, not my stomach, not nothing, it was great. So I guess I pushed for about an hour, maybe a little more before the doctor told me to stop. The baby's head hadn't turned all the way, so he said that we would suction the baby out. Now that was the weirdest feeling in the world. He told me to push (down) while he pushed the suction thing up. Anyway I wouldn't recommend it if you don't have to. It took about half an hour to get it on right.
Then at 9:33 on December 30, 2002, Victoria Faye was born! She weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces, and was 22 1/2 inches long.
Three days later Victoria and I went home to see daddy and the rest of the family. Because she wasn't born in town no one really came to visit me but my mom and Tony. We still joke that Vickie picked her own hospital, we had her name picked out since before the first ultrasound.
What advice would you give to other expectant mothers?
Well first things first don't have a baby in the Christmas holidays if you don't have to! Too much trouble. Also: Your doctor doesn't know everything.
