Birth Story Part 1: Sometimes women just pee themselves. Really, Ms. Resident?

Baby Carson made a dramatic entrance into this world, to say the least.  Particularly because he decided to grace us with his presence a month early.

Last Monday, I went to my stress test appointment with my OBGYN.  All looked well, and I even joked with my doctor about taking him out early because I didn’t want another ten pound baby. The plan was to have a scheduled c-section February 26.  My first baby was a c-section as well, so I was somewhat prepared on what to expect.

I returned to work and was sitting at my desk catching up on emails, when I noticed my pants were a bit wet.  AND by wet, I mean in an area that shouldn’t have been wet.  I started running through all the reasons why  in my head.  Am I sweating?  Did I pee? Was it jelly from the ultrasound?  What the hell is going on here??

I started to get a little nervous.  My coordinator was talking right outside my office and I interrupted her, “I think my water broke.” Immediately she fell silent and just stared at me  like a deer in headlights.  My water did not break with my first kid, so I had no idea what it felt like.  

I then instant messaged Holly upstairs in her office.  The message reads: What does it feel like when your water breaks? My phone rings, it’s Holly.  ”Are you kidding me?  I am coming down.”  Before I can hang up the phone, my coordinator writes her in all caps:  HOLLY GET DOWN HERE NOW!  She was in my office in less than 10 seconds, which normally takes a minute or so.  Her water broke with her son,  so I was hoping she could provide some clarity.  She started asking me the same questions, “Did you pee? Are you sweating?”  Then she began patting down my lady parts.  If we weren’t such close friends, I would have thought she was a lesbian. She looked up and I could see the answer in her face.

Trying to calm me down she says, “Let’s go to the bathroom, if you can’t stop the drip then we know it’s go time.”  We head to the bathroom and it seems surreal.  Here I am at work, I just left the doctor’s office, and my water broke.  I am NOT READY!

In the bathroom, I just begin to sob and mutter the words to Holly waiting outside the stall, “Itttt’sss nooottt stopppping!” She grabs me and is trying to calm me down, “It’s going to be ok, baby is ready!  We are having a baby today, HOLY SH*T!”

She runs back up to her office to grab her things so she can take me to the hospital.  While I am waiting for her, I feel like the whole hotel is coming into my office overwhelming me.  ”Do we need to call 9-1-1?”  ”Are you ok?”  Haven’t they ever learned: Do not mess with a woman in labor!

Holly heads back down and calls my husband. He was at a training in South Bend, which is about 2 1/2 hours away from Chicago.  She tells him we are going to the hospital to confirm it is amniotic fluid, and if it is, we will let him know.  I get on the phone and he asks me if this means I will be on bed rest.  Oh husband… NO THIS MEANS WE ARE HAVING THE BABY TODAY! Sometimes they just don’t get it.

Once we arrive at the hospital, I am in good spirits and excited.

We follow the arrows to the OB Triage.  As we get settled in, I am waiting for the nurse to come evaluate me, and confirm my water has indeed broken. Holly and I begin laughing at the circumstances, and she is thanking me for getting her out of work early trying to lighten the mood.  Suddenly, I feel my stomach drop and there it goes.  Water is everywhere, I couldn’t stop it.  It felt like a pop and then I was soaked.

Soon after the Resident, relatively young, walks in.  She begins going through what she needs to do in order to confirm my water broke.  I tell her I just witnessed Niagara Falls, and can assure her my water broke.  She proceeds to do an examination, in what felt like, reaching for my ribs. Is that really necessary lady, I barely know you.  At least buy me dinner first, my husband isn’t even that lucky!

Once she finishes digging through my body cavity, she tells me she doesn’t see any fluid and I probably just peed myself. Holly chimes in, “There is no way.  Her water broke, I am positive.”  She tells us she will check under a microscope to make sure. I felt like wearing a sign and standing next to her that read:

 

She comes back after a few minutes and confirms it is amniotic fluid.  Holly sends a text to my husband to let him know.  They start preparing me to go up to labor and delivery, and tell me it is going to be a couple hours. This makes me feel at ease as it gives my husband enough time to get back.  Holly gets a text back, which she didn’t tell me until later to prevent a nervous breakdown, that read: I just got a flat tire, I am not going to make it.  The text was from my husband.

To be continued….