The day my baby became a mother.
November 8th just before lunch I had just sent Tara to run some errands for me while I watched the boys and Tanya called and said that she thought she was in labor, as a mom I asked her questions to see how far along the labor was, decided it would be best to have her with me and since Tara was in town she went over to get her. After a little while Tanya called the midwives to see if they wanted her to come in and be checked, which they did. So off went Tara and Tanya with directions to call me if it was time. The call came but it was to tell me that she wasn’t far enough to stay, so they were going to the mall for something to eat and walk. After a short stay at the mall they went back to the midwife center where it still wasn’t time so home they came.
The contractions got more painful and closer together. Mark arrived and off they went once again to the midwife center and the rest of us followed, Tanya thought that I drove fast, I think Mark broke speed records, since they got there and Nancy had checked her by the time we got there.
It’s hard to watch your child in pain and you know there is nothing you can do to help but just try to keep her comfortable. Tanya walked and walked and got in the tub, while in the tub she was texting her friends, keeping everyone informed on what was going on. Gabby, Tanya’s best friend and part of the family, was at work and was to get off at 1:00 a.m. Tanya talked to her and told her she didn’t think that Colleen was going to wait for her to get there, so Gabby left work and arrived around 10:00 p.m. and she helped Tanya swing her hips as they walked and walked around the building, trying to get Colleen in position. Then Tanya wanted to get back in the tub, contractions were getting to the point of unbearable and it was time to start pushing. Tanya couldn’t push hard enough, so Nancy suggested that someone get in the tub with her, well before anyone could volunteer, Gabby had her clothes off and was in the tub, I have never seen anyone get undressed so fast. After a short stay in the tub things weren’t moving along so it was decided to get out and on the bed. Mark had one leg and I had the other and Tanya pushed for hours. Colleen’s little head would crown and as soon as she stopped pushing she went back out of sight. Finally, I know my baby was tired and just wanted to get her out, with the last bit of strength she had she pushed and oh my Colleen came flying out and landed on the bed. After Nancy started checking her out and gave her a little oxygen and she was in her mommy’s arms. Tara said did anyone look at the time that Colleen was born, that’s when it was called 1:54 a.m. on November 9th 2010.
Of course everyone in the room was crying and her dad who had been in one of the other rooms finally came in to see our newest grandbaby. She was so small and beautiful, with all her fingers and toes.
I am and always will be so proud of what a great mom Tanya has become.
Showing posts with label Delivery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Delivery. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Colleen's Birth Story - Mark's aka Dada POV
The Princess’ Arrival
November 8, 2011
Ahh, the birth of a child, a TRUE GIFT FROM GOD. So there we were with the due date coming closer and closer, as in the projected date was TODAY. Was I excited? Yea. As usual I had a ton of other stuff going on this day as well. Range training with a client in the morning and Court at night. Funny thing, when Mark Jr. was born it was the same thing.
So there I was at the range with a client working on the intricate skills of fine tuning a rifle and matching it up to its owner, the Paw in Law was there as well, Tanya was taking the day off to rest and had her mom and sister close by for assistance and of course she okayed me working, said she’d let me know if anything happened. All was okay.
Tanya gave me text and let me know she was going in to do a checkup and Tara was taking her so Randy and I started to finish up our range work, just in case. Tanya ended up texting me back letting me know she was not quite dilated enough and that the Midwife suggested she do some walking. She and Tara left for the Mall (go figure). I wrapped up my stuff and drove down to meet them at the Mall. At about 2pm we went back to the Midwife for another checkup. Still not time…..
We got back home and I got ready for court. Debated about cancelling at the last minute but Tanya said it was good, she would call me if she needed me so away I went to court. As it would have it, I completed my last court case when Tanya sent me a text letting me know “it was time”. I left court and went to her parent’s house (where she was) and away we all went caravanning to the Midwife Center.
Upon arrival it was business as usual, get chart, take vitals, get settled into the room and WAIT. Tanya was dilated enough to stay until Colleen was born and the Born on date was projected to be November 8 so all was on schedule, it was now around 8:30 pm. The girls were working on laps around the office since that seemed to make Tanya more comfortable. Randy and I just did what seemed natural – STAY out of the WAY of extremely Hormonal and Emotional women. Oh yea, I did frequently ask if there was anything I could do to help, or can I get you something, and I did sit with her and rub her back and neck, but for the most part, I tried to help without getting in the way. Randy and I opted to sit in the hall and munch on deer jerky and wait and wait and wait.
Tanya had invited her best friend Gabby to come be a part of the blessing and she did arrive. After some time Tanya got into the Hot Tub to help her relax and hopefully help the baby get more into the correct delivery position. The midwife came in and broke her water which brought on more discomfort. The midwife suggested that maybe someone consider getting in the tub with her to support her from behind. I was already behind her supporting her head and thought to myself, yea I’ll do that. Before I could even get up and think about getting in Gabby was down to her skivvies and in the water- talk about no bashfulness – I saw another side of Gabby I had never seen before, and I was impressed. No not for the reason one would think (ha ha get your mind out of the gutter, we’re having a baby here) No I was thoroughly impressed that without any thought or concerns Gabby would do anything needed for HER FRIEND. Yep, Gabby scored MEGA points with me on this night. I even told her so. You see Gabby and I are on absolute opposing preverbal poles. She is an extremely far left liberal and I am a hard core Conservative so we always discuss politics anytime we are in a room together (which drives Tanya nuts by the way) BUT for her, regardless of our political differences of opinions, to step up to the plate like that for a friend of hers says volumes about her dedication to the people she cares for. THAT’S what REAL friends do, and for that, we can continue to agree to disagree about politics BUT if you mess with her You HAVE to go through ME first and I ain’t no pushover. KUDO’s Gabby.
Now back to Colleen’s arrival. After a while, and many laps around the office, the time finally came. Our little girl was ready to enter our world. Tanya was of course in pain and wanting her to come on but Colleen had other plans. She wanted to play a little hide and seek and peek- a- boo for a while. She’d stick her little head out, look around, then decide to go hide again. Tanya was clearly in pain but she absolutely refused to take any meds. She did refer to me with numerous comments about how this was somehow all my fault and of course she also made a few comments about how she wanted to open up a can of whoop ass on me (paraphrasing to keep it PG rated) but I have to give her credit, 19 hours of labor with no meds proves to me she tough. Finally the moment came, Colleen Elizabeth Rich entered our world (she was late, Princesses must always arrive fashionably late, so she missed her due date by 1 hour and 54 minutes) and has made us the happiest parents on the planet. Tanya made sure she was all okay; she counted her fingers and toes 3 times then made me count and recount. Yep everything was good. After all of the emotional congrats from everyone and the little girl getting all of her medical checks squared away, I cut the cord and so begins the next journey.
I am proud of my family, my son, my wife and my daughter. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am proud of my extended family, my in-laws and sister in law for they are all great and we have all grown together over time and yes I am proud of Gabby for she has shown everyone what a TRUE FRIEND is. Each day I look at my family and I am reminded that all of this is truly a blessing from GOD and I thank him for that. Stay tuned for more to come, for as we celebrate Colleens first birthday we can now move to the next chapter, the growing years, and reflect on all that makes our world go around.
To read more of Colleen's birth stories...
Tanya's (aka Mama) POV
Gabrielle's POV
November 8, 2011
Ahh, the birth of a child, a TRUE GIFT FROM GOD. So there we were with the due date coming closer and closer, as in the projected date was TODAY. Was I excited? Yea. As usual I had a ton of other stuff going on this day as well. Range training with a client in the morning and Court at night. Funny thing, when Mark Jr. was born it was the same thing.
So there I was at the range with a client working on the intricate skills of fine tuning a rifle and matching it up to its owner, the Paw in Law was there as well, Tanya was taking the day off to rest and had her mom and sister close by for assistance and of course she okayed me working, said she’d let me know if anything happened. All was okay.
Tanya gave me text and let me know she was going in to do a checkup and Tara was taking her so Randy and I started to finish up our range work, just in case. Tanya ended up texting me back letting me know she was not quite dilated enough and that the Midwife suggested she do some walking. She and Tara left for the Mall (go figure). I wrapped up my stuff and drove down to meet them at the Mall. At about 2pm we went back to the Midwife for another checkup. Still not time…..
We got back home and I got ready for court. Debated about cancelling at the last minute but Tanya said it was good, she would call me if she needed me so away I went to court. As it would have it, I completed my last court case when Tanya sent me a text letting me know “it was time”. I left court and went to her parent’s house (where she was) and away we all went caravanning to the Midwife Center.
Upon arrival it was business as usual, get chart, take vitals, get settled into the room and WAIT. Tanya was dilated enough to stay until Colleen was born and the Born on date was projected to be November 8 so all was on schedule, it was now around 8:30 pm. The girls were working on laps around the office since that seemed to make Tanya more comfortable. Randy and I just did what seemed natural – STAY out of the WAY of extremely Hormonal and Emotional women. Oh yea, I did frequently ask if there was anything I could do to help, or can I get you something, and I did sit with her and rub her back and neck, but for the most part, I tried to help without getting in the way. Randy and I opted to sit in the hall and munch on deer jerky and wait and wait and wait.
Tanya had invited her best friend Gabby to come be a part of the blessing and she did arrive. After some time Tanya got into the Hot Tub to help her relax and hopefully help the baby get more into the correct delivery position. The midwife came in and broke her water which brought on more discomfort. The midwife suggested that maybe someone consider getting in the tub with her to support her from behind. I was already behind her supporting her head and thought to myself, yea I’ll do that. Before I could even get up and think about getting in Gabby was down to her skivvies and in the water- talk about no bashfulness – I saw another side of Gabby I had never seen before, and I was impressed. No not for the reason one would think (ha ha get your mind out of the gutter, we’re having a baby here) No I was thoroughly impressed that without any thought or concerns Gabby would do anything needed for HER FRIEND. Yep, Gabby scored MEGA points with me on this night. I even told her so. You see Gabby and I are on absolute opposing preverbal poles. She is an extremely far left liberal and I am a hard core Conservative so we always discuss politics anytime we are in a room together (which drives Tanya nuts by the way) BUT for her, regardless of our political differences of opinions, to step up to the plate like that for a friend of hers says volumes about her dedication to the people she cares for. THAT’S what REAL friends do, and for that, we can continue to agree to disagree about politics BUT if you mess with her You HAVE to go through ME first and I ain’t no pushover. KUDO’s Gabby.
Now back to Colleen’s arrival. After a while, and many laps around the office, the time finally came. Our little girl was ready to enter our world. Tanya was of course in pain and wanting her to come on but Colleen had other plans. She wanted to play a little hide and seek and peek- a- boo for a while. She’d stick her little head out, look around, then decide to go hide again. Tanya was clearly in pain but she absolutely refused to take any meds. She did refer to me with numerous comments about how this was somehow all my fault and of course she also made a few comments about how she wanted to open up a can of whoop ass on me (paraphrasing to keep it PG rated) but I have to give her credit, 19 hours of labor with no meds proves to me she tough. Finally the moment came, Colleen Elizabeth Rich entered our world (she was late, Princesses must always arrive fashionably late, so she missed her due date by 1 hour and 54 minutes) and has made us the happiest parents on the planet. Tanya made sure she was all okay; she counted her fingers and toes 3 times then made me count and recount. Yep everything was good. After all of the emotional congrats from everyone and the little girl getting all of her medical checks squared away, I cut the cord and so begins the next journey.
I am proud of my family, my son, my wife and my daughter. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am proud of my extended family, my in-laws and sister in law for they are all great and we have all grown together over time and yes I am proud of Gabby for she has shown everyone what a TRUE FRIEND is. Each day I look at my family and I am reminded that all of this is truly a blessing from GOD and I thank him for that. Stay tuned for more to come, for as we celebrate Colleens first birthday we can now move to the next chapter, the growing years, and reflect on all that makes our world go around.
To read more of Colleen's birth stories...
Tanya's (aka Mama) POV
Gabrielle's POV
Colleen's Birth Story - Gabrielle's POV
Tonight I got to be in the room when one of my best friends gave birth. I want to write down everything now, while it’s still fresh in my mind.
Tanya texted me early this afternoon to tell me I was on call, and that she was headed to the Midwife Clinic. At the time I was hanging out with my old friend Angel, who is in town this week showing off her new baby. So it was really a day of babies. I kept in contact with Tanya all day. She actually went back home for a while because she wasn’t dilated enough, so I headed to work at 4:30 like usual. When I talked to her on my first break she was in the middle of contractions and headed back to the Clinic. I had a feeling I’d be leaving work early (thank goodness for flextime!). I told her to keep me updated and let me know when I should leave. I called again right before my lunch break and spoke with her sister, Tara, who told me Tanya was in the tub and hard labor was going to happen at some point and she’d call me when I needed to come.
Tanya texted me a little after 9:30 and told me Colleen wasn’t going to make it ‘til 1:00 (which is when I was scheduled to get off work). I told her I’d leave work at 10:00, and I did. I asked her if she wanted me to bring her anything, and she requested popsicles. Of course all of the grocery stores in the vicinity close really early, so there was nothing open. I felt bad to get there empty handed - I actually knocked on the window of Food Lion in Pooler and looked really tragic but they weren’t impressed. They were closed. So I drove to the Clinic. Sped a bit ;).
I had to call for directions on how to turn into the building - you have to drive in by the KFC, go around another building, and you’ll find yourself there. Tara was nice enough to let me in. Tanya was up walking around, trying to encourage Colleen to come out more quickly. Tanya’s mom was there, along with Tara’s 2 twin baby boys, Tanya’s dad, and her husband, Mark. The men were hiding in a room in the back, somewhat overwhelmed. Tanya was in good spirits even though she was having really painful contractions like 5 minutes apart. I ate some deer jerky & grapes (snacks were provided, haha) and walked around with Tanya. The building is in a square shape with a hallway going all the way around, so we were sashaying because she had to get her hips moving. We were sort of dancing and Tara was taking an endless amount of pictures.
Tanya was really starting to suffer and went to lay down for a while. I rubbed the small of her back with some warming lubricant while her mom rubbed her back. She was kneeling on the bed by now to try to move the baby in a better position. Then after a bathroom break and plenty more contractions, she got into the jacuzzi tub, where she planned to give birth. (Sidenote: midwife clinics are so the way to go - why does anyone go to a hospital unless they have to?!) The midwife thought she looked really uncomfortable the way she was sitting, which she did, and said someone should get in the tub with her and support her. I volunteered, stripped down to my bra and underwear, and dove in, if you will. Keep in mind Tanya is totally naked at this point, and her husband Mark is in the room, along with her mom, her sister, and one or both of her sister’s babies. It is absolutely mind-boggling how pregnancy makes being naked totally okay.
So I got in the tub and Tanya sat in front of me, her back to my stomach. And I held her hand and supported her arms while she pushed. There were fluids floating around (the midwife fished them out with a little fishing net, I swear to god) and Tanya was so miserable. I felt so awful for her. She was just in so much pain, she was delirious. She kept snapping at poor Mark who was really trying his best. She just couldn’t let go & couldn’t relax & let the baby come so she kind of took it out on him (but I don’t think he took it too personally). She squeezed my fingers pretty hard and my arms kind of went numb for a while but I wasn’t moving for anything. The midwife checked the baby’s heart rate very regularly (until the nurse came and then she took over) and was concerned when it was slowing a little. She had Tanya sit up some which helped a little but the decision was finally made to move her to the bed.
After we both got out of the tub, I changed into some dry underwear, threw on a robe, and came back into the room. Tanya was on the bed with her mom on one side and Mark on the other, with Tara and I as observers and occasional procurers of water and cold cloths. Tanya was straight up in some misery. She had been crying in the tub and wanting the baby to come out, but the midwife super calmly told her Colleen was taking her time and this was her first baby so she was blazing the trail. I may have made a really lame Oregon Trail reference here. This midwife, by the way, was so reassuring. She has been running this clinic for literally 23 years, and she was calm and chill and you could tell she’d help women giver birth literally hundreds of times. My cousin is a midwife in Germany and she came and did an internship with her like 10 years ago and the midwife remembered her, it was neat :).
So now comes the for real pushing part. She had been doing some pushing in the tub, but due to positioning it just wasn’t working for her. So when she’s on the bed she’s now pushing with every contraction and yelling & moaning a little bit (but not as much as I expected - I would have been cursing a blue streak). I’d been texting Scott & Ramsey all night with updates and of course when I was in the tub I was not texting, so when I finally checked my phone I’d gotten 3 super impatient texts from Scott demanding updates ;). I told him “sorry in labor!” and then sent him updates in between each contraction. They were coming almost constantly at this point.
Watching the head try to peek its way out has got to be one of the most exciting things I’ve ever witnessed. Like, Tanya had been walking around for 9 months getting bigger & bigger, and I went to her shower, and I felt Colleen’s limbs from the outside, but now she was seriously busting loose! I kept thinking it was like she was busting out of jail ;). Tanya was pushing like crazy with every contraction (you have to push like you’re taking a shit, seriously, and don’t scream out of your lungs because it wastes the energy you could be using to PUSH). She had to take lots of rests in between because omg so much work! I’d gotten there at 10:30 and by this time it was after 1:00 in the morning. Mark had made a personal bet that she’d be out by then but that was not the case.
Finally, right towards the end, I was able to see more and more of her head. And then all of a sudden she gave this huuuuuge push and BAM there was a BABY. Like, where there hadn’t been one before! Just all messy and attached and kinda whimpering and at this point the floodgates opened and I just started sobbing like crazy. I just stood there and cried. It was absolutely one of the most emotional moments of my life. It’s absolutely indescribable. Tanya just looked so overwhelmed and there was a BABY and Colleen cried a little bit and they dried her off and cleared out her lungs and her nose and suddenly everyone was taking pictures. All I could do was send out a text message saying, “she’s here! it’s amazing” and cry some more. I probably cried off and on for a good 10 minutes, and I’m not really a crier like that, unless it’s a movie or a book.
I really desperately wanted Ramsey to be there holding me, but he obviously couldn’t be there (although he did send me some really sweet texts) so I grabbed Mark and gave him a huge hug. We were both pretty emotional. He told me later that even though I was a “flaming bleeding heart liberal” (Mark and I bicker constantly about politics, he’s a gun-toting Fox News aficionado) that if anyone tried to hurt me, he’d come after them. It was incredibly sweet and I was touched. We’d actually been “discussing” politics much earlier in the night; when Tanya heard us from the bathroom she told her sister to tell us to stop talking politics. It was pretty funny.
So back to Colleen. Some newborns (many newborns) are not especially cute. They’re kind of weird and alien-like. Not this baby. She is absolutely gorgeous. I don’t even think it’s because I’m biased. I genuinely think she’s a really cute baby. When I finally got up close and got to see her snuggled up against Tanya, I just couldn’t stop smiling and of course I started crying a little bit again. Mark snapped some pictures while I’m all emotional in my robe; I’m sure those’ll be pretty great.
Colleen was born right around 1:54 and I think she shit on her mom like 10 minutes later, no exaggeration. Oh and did I mention the placenta?! I’ve always been kind of weirdly fascinated by it, and it just looks so gross and awesome all at the same time, I feel like a 13 year old boy when I see it. Mark cut the cord, which I photographed, then we all stood around for a while as the nurse and the midwife did some medical type stuff. Colleen figured out breast-feeding and Tanya took it like a trooper, she said it didn’t really hurt, but after labor what the hell is some pinching on your nipples anyway?
I changed back into my clothes and hung out a little bit longer, chatting with Tanya and feeding her some crackers. I ate a slice of Domino’s meat lover’s pizza before I left. I finally walked out the door around 3:00 in the morning, and I truly feel like I walked out a changed woman. I know lots of women all over the world give birth every day, but it really is a miracle. It’s absolutely astounding, really.
To read more of Colleen's Birth Story read My POV
Tanya texted me early this afternoon to tell me I was on call, and that she was headed to the Midwife Clinic. At the time I was hanging out with my old friend Angel, who is in town this week showing off her new baby. So it was really a day of babies. I kept in contact with Tanya all day. She actually went back home for a while because she wasn’t dilated enough, so I headed to work at 4:30 like usual. When I talked to her on my first break she was in the middle of contractions and headed back to the Clinic. I had a feeling I’d be leaving work early (thank goodness for flextime!). I told her to keep me updated and let me know when I should leave. I called again right before my lunch break and spoke with her sister, Tara, who told me Tanya was in the tub and hard labor was going to happen at some point and she’d call me when I needed to come.
Tanya texted me a little after 9:30 and told me Colleen wasn’t going to make it ‘til 1:00 (which is when I was scheduled to get off work). I told her I’d leave work at 10:00, and I did. I asked her if she wanted me to bring her anything, and she requested popsicles. Of course all of the grocery stores in the vicinity close really early, so there was nothing open. I felt bad to get there empty handed - I actually knocked on the window of Food Lion in Pooler and looked really tragic but they weren’t impressed. They were closed. So I drove to the Clinic. Sped a bit ;).
I had to call for directions on how to turn into the building - you have to drive in by the KFC, go around another building, and you’ll find yourself there. Tara was nice enough to let me in. Tanya was up walking around, trying to encourage Colleen to come out more quickly. Tanya’s mom was there, along with Tara’s 2 twin baby boys, Tanya’s dad, and her husband, Mark. The men were hiding in a room in the back, somewhat overwhelmed. Tanya was in good spirits even though she was having really painful contractions like 5 minutes apart. I ate some deer jerky & grapes (snacks were provided, haha) and walked around with Tanya. The building is in a square shape with a hallway going all the way around, so we were sashaying because she had to get her hips moving. We were sort of dancing and Tara was taking an endless amount of pictures.
Tanya was really starting to suffer and went to lay down for a while. I rubbed the small of her back with some warming lubricant while her mom rubbed her back. She was kneeling on the bed by now to try to move the baby in a better position. Then after a bathroom break and plenty more contractions, she got into the jacuzzi tub, where she planned to give birth. (Sidenote: midwife clinics are so the way to go - why does anyone go to a hospital unless they have to?!) The midwife thought she looked really uncomfortable the way she was sitting, which she did, and said someone should get in the tub with her and support her. I volunteered, stripped down to my bra and underwear, and dove in, if you will. Keep in mind Tanya is totally naked at this point, and her husband Mark is in the room, along with her mom, her sister, and one or both of her sister’s babies. It is absolutely mind-boggling how pregnancy makes being naked totally okay.
So I got in the tub and Tanya sat in front of me, her back to my stomach. And I held her hand and supported her arms while she pushed. There were fluids floating around (the midwife fished them out with a little fishing net, I swear to god) and Tanya was so miserable. I felt so awful for her. She was just in so much pain, she was delirious. She kept snapping at poor Mark who was really trying his best. She just couldn’t let go & couldn’t relax & let the baby come so she kind of took it out on him (but I don’t think he took it too personally). She squeezed my fingers pretty hard and my arms kind of went numb for a while but I wasn’t moving for anything. The midwife checked the baby’s heart rate very regularly (until the nurse came and then she took over) and was concerned when it was slowing a little. She had Tanya sit up some which helped a little but the decision was finally made to move her to the bed.
After we both got out of the tub, I changed into some dry underwear, threw on a robe, and came back into the room. Tanya was on the bed with her mom on one side and Mark on the other, with Tara and I as observers and occasional procurers of water and cold cloths. Tanya was straight up in some misery. She had been crying in the tub and wanting the baby to come out, but the midwife super calmly told her Colleen was taking her time and this was her first baby so she was blazing the trail. I may have made a really lame Oregon Trail reference here. This midwife, by the way, was so reassuring. She has been running this clinic for literally 23 years, and she was calm and chill and you could tell she’d help women giver birth literally hundreds of times. My cousin is a midwife in Germany and she came and did an internship with her like 10 years ago and the midwife remembered her, it was neat :).
So now comes the for real pushing part. She had been doing some pushing in the tub, but due to positioning it just wasn’t working for her. So when she’s on the bed she’s now pushing with every contraction and yelling & moaning a little bit (but not as much as I expected - I would have been cursing a blue streak). I’d been texting Scott & Ramsey all night with updates and of course when I was in the tub I was not texting, so when I finally checked my phone I’d gotten 3 super impatient texts from Scott demanding updates ;). I told him “sorry in labor!” and then sent him updates in between each contraction. They were coming almost constantly at this point.
Watching the head try to peek its way out has got to be one of the most exciting things I’ve ever witnessed. Like, Tanya had been walking around for 9 months getting bigger & bigger, and I went to her shower, and I felt Colleen’s limbs from the outside, but now she was seriously busting loose! I kept thinking it was like she was busting out of jail ;). Tanya was pushing like crazy with every contraction (you have to push like you’re taking a shit, seriously, and don’t scream out of your lungs because it wastes the energy you could be using to PUSH). She had to take lots of rests in between because omg so much work! I’d gotten there at 10:30 and by this time it was after 1:00 in the morning. Mark had made a personal bet that she’d be out by then but that was not the case.
Finally, right towards the end, I was able to see more and more of her head. And then all of a sudden she gave this huuuuuge push and BAM there was a BABY. Like, where there hadn’t been one before! Just all messy and attached and kinda whimpering and at this point the floodgates opened and I just started sobbing like crazy. I just stood there and cried. It was absolutely one of the most emotional moments of my life. It’s absolutely indescribable. Tanya just looked so overwhelmed and there was a BABY and Colleen cried a little bit and they dried her off and cleared out her lungs and her nose and suddenly everyone was taking pictures. All I could do was send out a text message saying, “she’s here! it’s amazing” and cry some more. I probably cried off and on for a good 10 minutes, and I’m not really a crier like that, unless it’s a movie or a book.
I really desperately wanted Ramsey to be there holding me, but he obviously couldn’t be there (although he did send me some really sweet texts) so I grabbed Mark and gave him a huge hug. We were both pretty emotional. He told me later that even though I was a “flaming bleeding heart liberal” (Mark and I bicker constantly about politics, he’s a gun-toting Fox News aficionado) that if anyone tried to hurt me, he’d come after them. It was incredibly sweet and I was touched. We’d actually been “discussing” politics much earlier in the night; when Tanya heard us from the bathroom she told her sister to tell us to stop talking politics. It was pretty funny.
So back to Colleen. Some newborns (many newborns) are not especially cute. They’re kind of weird and alien-like. Not this baby. She is absolutely gorgeous. I don’t even think it’s because I’m biased. I genuinely think she’s a really cute baby. When I finally got up close and got to see her snuggled up against Tanya, I just couldn’t stop smiling and of course I started crying a little bit again. Mark snapped some pictures while I’m all emotional in my robe; I’m sure those’ll be pretty great.
Colleen was born right around 1:54 and I think she shit on her mom like 10 minutes later, no exaggeration. Oh and did I mention the placenta?! I’ve always been kind of weirdly fascinated by it, and it just looks so gross and awesome all at the same time, I feel like a 13 year old boy when I see it. Mark cut the cord, which I photographed, then we all stood around for a while as the nurse and the midwife did some medical type stuff. Colleen figured out breast-feeding and Tanya took it like a trooper, she said it didn’t really hurt, but after labor what the hell is some pinching on your nipples anyway?
I changed back into my clothes and hung out a little bit longer, chatting with Tanya and feeding her some crackers. I ate a slice of Domino’s meat lover’s pizza before I left. I finally walked out the door around 3:00 in the morning, and I truly feel like I walked out a changed woman. I know lots of women all over the world give birth every day, but it really is a miracle. It’s absolutely astounding, really.
To read more of Colleen's Birth Story read My POV
Colleen's Birth Story
What started out as playing hookie from work to relax at home before my little girl arrived turned into 18 hours of labor and a 7 pound 14 ounce 20 inch long baby girl.
November 8th 2010
This morning I did not want to get out of bed and go to work, so I did what any 9 month pregnant woman would do on her due date; I called work and told them I was too tired to come to work today and officially began my maternity leave. Around nine I got out of bed and moved to the couch in the living room and turned on the TV. Nothing interesting was on so I looked through the DVR and found one of my favorite movies to watch, Pretty Woman. I barely made it 15 minutes into the movie before the contractions became noticeably consistent (they started earlier but I was use to the fake ones at this point). I turned on the computer and opened the contraction counter website I found a few weeks before and began timing them. By the time the horse race scene came on my contractions were 5 minutes apart and were lasting about 30-45 seconds each.
I called mom just to let her know I was pretty sure I was in labor and she, being the woman she is, began to panic. I was thankful she wasn’t at my house at this moment otherwise she would have killed us going to the Birth Center. Tara was in town running some errands for mama so I got dressed while I waited for her to arrive to take me to get checked out.
We got to the Birth Center a little past eleven and I was put on the monitors which confirmed I was indeed having contractions. Nancy, the midwife, came in to check how dilated I was, 2.5 centimeters. Not enough to officially say I was in active labor yet so we were given instructions to go get some food and walk around for a little while then come back in about an hour and get rechecked. So we did and everywhere we went Tara had to tell everyone I was in labor so we didn’t get much walking done due to having to talk to EVERYONE.
Mark met up with us at the mall, he couldn’t stand being away, and I rode with him back to the Birth Center. I was rechecked and it was determined that I had not progressed any more. Nancy sent us home with new instructions. When my contractions became a lot more painful and I was a lot less happy it was time to come back. She said sometimes it takes several trips sometimes to get it right. We left disappointed knowing we had to go back home and wait it out. Mark went home to change for work (he had court that night) while me and Tara headed to mama’s house so I wouldn't be alone.
I spent most of the next few hours lying on mama’s couch hugging a pillow trying to stay strong as the contractions worsened. I attempted to eat some pizza but was not very interested in it. I kept looking at my watch, waiting for Mark to get out of court before I went back to the Birth Center, because I knew this baby was coming tonight. At this point I was getting scared, what if me waiting for Mark was going to make me too late to get to the Birth Center? Was I going to deliver this baby in the car or at mama’s house??? I kept debating with myself whether or not to call Mark out of court. At 6:30 the contractions had gotten so close together I called Nancy back and we got ready to leave. It would take Nancy almost an hour to get to the Birth Center since she had already made it home for the night. Court finished early and Mark made it to the house in enough time to drive me back to the birth center. The car ride was HORRIBLE!!! The whole crew, Me, Mark, Mama, Tara, and the twins, made it to the Birth Center right at 8:00 and I was now 6.5 centimeters dilated – I was not going home without a baby in my arms. I let Gabrielle know we were here to stay (she was at work) and we told daddy who left his poker game and the mass texts began going out and Facebook was updated. In a few short hours I would be a mommy.
We settled in the room and got comfortable (well everyone else did…there was no me getting comfortable at this point). The tub was filled and I got in which eased some of the pressure of the contractions. Every once in a while I would be rechecked to see how much I had progressed. When I jumped 2 centimeters in an hour I got word to Gabrielle that this baby was not going to wait for her, she was going to have to leave work early if she was going to make the birth.
Nancy had me get out of the tub and start walking around to get the baby into a good position. As I walked around the Birth Center Gabrielle arrived and immediately went into “helper mode.” We sashayed in the halls, stopping only to allow the contractions to run their course. By 11:30 I was fully dilated and ready to push when my body gave me the ques. Nancy called in her nurse and they broke my water to ensure the liquids were clear (otherwise I wouldn’t be able to deliver in the tub) and given the ok to get back in the tub. I thought the contractions were bad before – they escalated after my water was broken.
At one point the baby’s heart beat began to slow and I had to move positions to give her room, which was an awkward position so Nancy suggested someone get into the tub with me. Gabrielle didn’t give her time to finish her sentence before she stripped down to her undergarments and was in the tub with me. It wasn’t long before I knew what the “ring of fire” was and I knew when it was time to push. After pushing and pushing Nancy had me get out of the tub because the baby was not in the right position and had me do some tricks to work her into a good position. I was ready for pain killers at this point but I remembered in one of the classes I took that by the time you think you need medications you are almost done so I opted out of asking for any.
Most of this time was a blur to me; it consisted of changing positions and pushing, moving and pushing. I remember mother telling me she could see the head and I was almost done and I wanted to hit her cause she had to have said the same thing over and over again for an hour. I had Mark on one side holding a leg and mother on the other. I remember yelling at her between contractions because she would let my leg relax and I didn’t want it to be relaxed…I wanted it sturdy. I remember thinking “She is never going to come out” I began to panic because I didn’t know what they were going to have to do to get this baby out and it was then I pushed as hard as I could and she was here. I remember asking “is she here?” several times before I got an answer.
She was here in my arms – my precious baby girl! Born on November 9, 2010 at 1:54 a.m.
For more of Colleen's Birth Story read Gabrielle's POV.
November 8th 2010
This morning I did not want to get out of bed and go to work, so I did what any 9 month pregnant woman would do on her due date; I called work and told them I was too tired to come to work today and officially began my maternity leave. Around nine I got out of bed and moved to the couch in the living room and turned on the TV. Nothing interesting was on so I looked through the DVR and found one of my favorite movies to watch, Pretty Woman. I barely made it 15 minutes into the movie before the contractions became noticeably consistent (they started earlier but I was use to the fake ones at this point). I turned on the computer and opened the contraction counter website I found a few weeks before and began timing them. By the time the horse race scene came on my contractions were 5 minutes apart and were lasting about 30-45 seconds each.
I called mom just to let her know I was pretty sure I was in labor and she, being the woman she is, began to panic. I was thankful she wasn’t at my house at this moment otherwise she would have killed us going to the Birth Center. Tara was in town running some errands for mama so I got dressed while I waited for her to arrive to take me to get checked out.
We got to the Birth Center a little past eleven and I was put on the monitors which confirmed I was indeed having contractions. Nancy, the midwife, came in to check how dilated I was, 2.5 centimeters. Not enough to officially say I was in active labor yet so we were given instructions to go get some food and walk around for a little while then come back in about an hour and get rechecked. So we did and everywhere we went Tara had to tell everyone I was in labor so we didn’t get much walking done due to having to talk to EVERYONE.
Mark met up with us at the mall, he couldn’t stand being away, and I rode with him back to the Birth Center. I was rechecked and it was determined that I had not progressed any more. Nancy sent us home with new instructions. When my contractions became a lot more painful and I was a lot less happy it was time to come back. She said sometimes it takes several trips sometimes to get it right. We left disappointed knowing we had to go back home and wait it out. Mark went home to change for work (he had court that night) while me and Tara headed to mama’s house so I wouldn't be alone.
I spent most of the next few hours lying on mama’s couch hugging a pillow trying to stay strong as the contractions worsened. I attempted to eat some pizza but was not very interested in it. I kept looking at my watch, waiting for Mark to get out of court before I went back to the Birth Center, because I knew this baby was coming tonight. At this point I was getting scared, what if me waiting for Mark was going to make me too late to get to the Birth Center? Was I going to deliver this baby in the car or at mama’s house??? I kept debating with myself whether or not to call Mark out of court. At 6:30 the contractions had gotten so close together I called Nancy back and we got ready to leave. It would take Nancy almost an hour to get to the Birth Center since she had already made it home for the night. Court finished early and Mark made it to the house in enough time to drive me back to the birth center. The car ride was HORRIBLE!!! The whole crew, Me, Mark, Mama, Tara, and the twins, made it to the Birth Center right at 8:00 and I was now 6.5 centimeters dilated – I was not going home without a baby in my arms. I let Gabrielle know we were here to stay (she was at work) and we told daddy who left his poker game and the mass texts began going out and Facebook was updated. In a few short hours I would be a mommy.
We settled in the room and got comfortable (well everyone else did…there was no me getting comfortable at this point). The tub was filled and I got in which eased some of the pressure of the contractions. Every once in a while I would be rechecked to see how much I had progressed. When I jumped 2 centimeters in an hour I got word to Gabrielle that this baby was not going to wait for her, she was going to have to leave work early if she was going to make the birth.
Nancy had me get out of the tub and start walking around to get the baby into a good position. As I walked around the Birth Center Gabrielle arrived and immediately went into “helper mode.” We sashayed in the halls, stopping only to allow the contractions to run their course. By 11:30 I was fully dilated and ready to push when my body gave me the ques. Nancy called in her nurse and they broke my water to ensure the liquids were clear (otherwise I wouldn’t be able to deliver in the tub) and given the ok to get back in the tub. I thought the contractions were bad before – they escalated after my water was broken.
At one point the baby’s heart beat began to slow and I had to move positions to give her room, which was an awkward position so Nancy suggested someone get into the tub with me. Gabrielle didn’t give her time to finish her sentence before she stripped down to her undergarments and was in the tub with me. It wasn’t long before I knew what the “ring of fire” was and I knew when it was time to push. After pushing and pushing Nancy had me get out of the tub because the baby was not in the right position and had me do some tricks to work her into a good position. I was ready for pain killers at this point but I remembered in one of the classes I took that by the time you think you need medications you are almost done so I opted out of asking for any.
Most of this time was a blur to me; it consisted of changing positions and pushing, moving and pushing. I remember mother telling me she could see the head and I was almost done and I wanted to hit her cause she had to have said the same thing over and over again for an hour. I had Mark on one side holding a leg and mother on the other. I remember yelling at her between contractions because she would let my leg relax and I didn’t want it to be relaxed…I wanted it sturdy. I remember thinking “She is never going to come out” I began to panic because I didn’t know what they were going to have to do to get this baby out and it was then I pushed as hard as I could and she was here. I remember asking “is she here?” several times before I got an answer.
She was here in my arms – my precious baby girl! Born on November 9, 2010 at 1:54 a.m.
For more of Colleen's Birth Story read Gabrielle's POV.
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