This is the birth story of my oldest daughter. We are incredibly blessed that she survived unharmed as did I. This story has taken me 8 years to write because it is one that is hard to share because I don’t want to scare pregnant moms out there. So here we go…
Birth Story: An Accident
I had 2 and 1/2 weeks of pregnancy to go and had just visited my doctor to see how baby and I were doing. My husband and I stopped for lunch at Panera across the street from the hospital. It took me forever to eat anything at that point because I was so big. I don’t even have any pics of how big I was, I think I magically forgot. Anyways, it was taking me so long to eat my husband had to head back to work downtown and I just relaxed while I ate my 2-hour lunch. I’m only being slightly sarcastic.
As I was eating I got up to go get more to drink. That year we had had a crazy amount of snow, so a bunch of water and muck had been tracked into the restaurant. There was a yellow warning sign. I stepped carefully through the area wearing snow boots. A group of ladies happened to be standing close by and were all greeting each other. As one duo stepped away from hugging each other she stepped back into me. She caught her foot on my snow boot and knocked my feet out from under me. In half a heartbeat I was laying on a ceramic floor flat on my stomach.
The group of ladies turned out to be nurses from the hospital across the street. Immediately they all said, “oh, you’re ok just stand up”. They didn’t understand how afraid I was to stand up. They didn’t realize I was frozen in fear. It seemed like minutes that I had laid there while in reality, it was probably only seconds. That far pregnant it was certainly not an easy process to get off the floor and as I was working my way up one of the nurses yelled: “Oh my god she’s pregnant.” They recommended I call my doctor and went off to order lunch. Looking back, I can’t believe they were not more responsible in helping me, but frankly, they were probably panicked and wanting to get away as fast as they could.
Birth Story: All by Myself
The manager of the store came over panicked and helped me to a booth. I was literally crying hysterically. No one called an ambulance they just all sat there watching me waiting to see what would happen. Remember I was by myself, my husband had left earlier to go back to work. I was PETRIFIED. A couple random people came over to check on me. One lady said, “I don’t know what is wrong, but please take my package of tissues.” Everyone that had seen it happen didn’t know what to do. I had to sit and breathe for a minute in that booth waiting to calm down long enough so I could even call my doctor and get a word out. The office recommended I, of course, go to the hospital. I then called my husband to tell him I was on the way to the hospital that I had fallen on our baby. He had just sat in his chair at work when he picked up the phone.
I drove myself to the Women’s Hospital, and when I got there, there were absolutely no parking spaces. If you know me, you know I have to follow the rules at all times. Even in this situation. Hey, it’s the way I’m made, but I was really concerned about if I drove up to the emergency room entrance how my car would get parked. I know, I’m crazy and particular. Anyway, I had to park on the other side of the building and walk in.
This particular Women’s Hospital only takes people up in groups for whatever security reason. So, I checked in with this 20-year-old kid and told him what had happened. He told me to go ahead and take a seat. When we had enough people to go up, they put each of us in our own rooms. I, of course, was in the last room. They checked everyone else before they got to me. When I told the nurse on duty what had happened I suddenly had 10 people in my room. Everyone was PANICKED. I had been holding it together since I left the restaurant. Suddenly, I just lost it again. Shortly after my husband made it back up to the hospital.
Birth Story: Labor
The fall put me into labor. All the sudden this baby was coming and coming fast. The doctors were watching us very closely. Then labor stopped. The nurse and doctors kept upping the pitocin level. A drug I said I would never use prior. After two attempts they were able to break my water. It seems silly, but I had no idea if it had broken earlier at the restaurant because I was carrying liquids when the lady tripped me and I was covered in them when I fell. I had 15 hours of pitocin built up in my system and when my water broke it was unbearable. I also said I would not have an epidural, but I was suddenly begging for one.
26 hours later our beautiful baby girl came into this world safe and sound. I was momentarily confused when she had black hair and black eyes. Both my husband and I have blonde hair and blue eyes. But, she was ok. I couldn’t believe it and am so incredibly thankful for her. I say this with tears in my eyes because she was the only kiddo I was able to bring into this world. She is my miracle.
Little did I know then that 5 and 1/2 years later we were going to receive a second miracle through the brave gift of a stranger.
