As baby number seven’s due date fast approaches, I figured I ought to do a Birth Story Week of all six births so far.Need to catch up? Here are birth story #1, birth story #2, birth story #3, and birth story #4.
Here’s birth story number five:
Here’s birth story number five:
After an easy-peasy pregnancy under difficult circumstances with number four, things got back to normal with number five. Well, worse than normal actually.
I had had some nausea and, very rarely, vomiting with my other pregnancies, but it got worse with this one, and was compounded by the fact that my oldest was now in Kindergarten, so I actually had to accomplish things at particular times of day.
Trying to get four kids under six dressed and to the car and find a convenient place to barf on the way was . . . taxing. So was listening to the other moms discuss vasectomies. And then there was the parade of inappropriately sexual Halloween costumes. So we dropped out and started homeschooling. Without the barfing in the sink, maybe I would have lacked the motivation to give it a try. So, we probably have Anita to thank for being a homeschooling family.
Anita was due July 8th. Usually we spend our summers in Chicago with the husband’s parents, but with a July baby, we decided not to make the trip. But we couldn’t just sit around looking at each other all the time, so for the Fourth of July weekend, we went down to San Diego to my parents’ house. We were supposed to drive home on Monday, but I got antsy to be back home and we ended up heading back to LA Sunday night, July 5th.
Which ended up being a good idea.
Because I went into labor that night. And my labor with her went fast. FAST fast.
I’m really not scared of many things. Spiders, heights, zombies . . . no problem, bring ’em on. But I am ridiculously scared of creating a fuss, especially a false alarm fuss. If I were faced with a boggart I think he would probably take the form of a disdainful nurse shaking her head and saying to the people of the delivery ward, “She’s not in labor at all, it’s probably just gas.”
So, I really like to be sure I’m in labor before I alert everyone, even just my husband. I also have a pretty high pain tolerance and a pretty bad memory. It was a little after three in the morning when I started having contractions, two days before my due date. While I was having them they seemed really intense and I thought for sure we should leave for the hospital immediately if not sooner. But then, in between them, I would start thinking that it had been less than an hour since it started, and they couldn’t possibly be that bad and I must just be being a wimp and if I got to the hospital too early everyone would laugh at me.
But, fortunately for me I married a very sensible husband who knows when not to listen to me.
So, as my parents were doing the drive from San Diego to LA, our neighbor came over to be with the kids while they slept.
When we got to the hospital things were pretty serious already. They didn’t have time to hook me up to anything, and Anita was born at 4:46am. At least this time I made it into the delivery room. Labor was about an hour and a half start to finish. So, good thing we didn’t get stuck in traffic. She was 8 lbs 1 oz. And we went home from the hospital that afternoon.
Betty was really, really happy to finally have a sister!
Wow! That was fast! Great picture of Betty and Anita. Very cute!
I am really enjoying your birth stories. I too always wanted to make sure that I was really in labor before heading off to the hospital. My fastest was my second and therefore with that history my consequent doctors were very demanding in wanting me at the hospital sooner rather than later. My second was NOT as fast as Anita. Start to finish he took 5 hours. Thanks for sharing!
Love these birth stories! The "Banana peel slip" moment with #3 was especially great. My babies come fast too and though I always tell the hosp. staff that, they still always manage to find themselves doing the Benny Hill sketch at the end. And though I've gone through this 6 times now, I always feel like a Rookie when labor begins…"Is this the real thing or should I have laid off the Cheese Enchiladas?" It's a scary line to walk between getting laughed back home and having a car baby!
Also looking forward to reading your post on NFP when I get another fre minute. Thanks for sharing!
Your cheese enchiladas comment is hilarious, because that's what I ate the night before I went into labor with Jack, so now I always try to have cheese enchiladas around my due date. You're right, it can make for false alarms.
I love these! Your birth stories are great and I love hearing someone else say that their biggest fear is being sent home for being a wimp! With both of my babies I wasn't sure I was in labor and both times I was more than a little in labor (walked in complete the first time and had our second one 3 minutes after arriving to the hospital, on the gurney thankfully in a room though!). It is so comforting for me to read birth stories, I always walk away feeling confident that I can do it again when given the option!
Wow. That did sound like a fast one! I can't believe you did all that without being hooked up. And also, right after a long trip too? You must've been one tired momma afterwards!
Look at that squishy baby!!! Seeing Betty as a preschooler makes me see how similar her features are to Anita's-so sweet. Cannot wait to "meet" your newest babe! Loving all the birth stories.
My 5th birth was 90 minutes, too! Crazy!
Beautiful last photo! I'm in love with the sweet dresses!