Birthstory

On the inside

hours before the breakaway

Can you imagine being awoken from your warm water bed only to find that it had a leak and was slowly deflating? This is the cruel reality that I was faced with on August 18th 2003.

After 12 hours of trying to make the best of the situation I was unexpectedly squished into a dark tunnel for 3 hours. At the end of the tunnel there was a bright light, cold winds and many loud wobbly figures. I didn't understand what was happening to me, so I cried out for help. I thought no one would hear me until I was rescued by the 2 big people... the curly haired people who I have come to know as mummy and daddy (at least that's what they call themselves).

Except for the fact that they expected me to breathe, eat and even pass gas on my own, they're pretty cool.

My water broke at about 5am on the morning of Aug 18th. The first though that went through my head is... I'm not peeing myself am I? Dazed and confused I raised myself out of my comfortable (and now wet) bed to see what was going on. Since I had become accustomed to the midnight trips to the bathroom this was no biggy. Except this time when I hopped off the bed there was a huge gush of clear fluid... and there was nothing I could do to either stop it... gravity had full control. Now, totally stupefied, I couldn't even bring to mind any names so I called out "hey... you... look" to Essae who was sleeping peacefully on the bed. He claims that he in turn was awoken, not by the sound of my voice, but the waterfall in our bedroom. So now we both stood there like idiots watching the beginning of a miracle. Finally we got it together long enough to determine that we should contact the hospital. But this was 2 1/2 weeks before the baby was due... were we really supposed to remember the hospital number? I mean that was the one useful thing that we got out of the information night!

The hospital advised us to come in right away to be checked out since I wasn't having any contractions. After phoning mom and dad, getting some stuff together and taking random pictures of the amniotic fluid on the ground (essentially just waiting around for rush hour) we started off to the hospital. I remember thinking... wow, this is it. Only to be told at the hospital that it wouldn't be "it" for at least another 12 hours unless the contractions started on their own before then. So I was released to go spend a day on the town planning for the inevitable pain that awaited.

Luckily a friend who lived nearby braved the threat of SARS and barged his way into the hospital (using his 2 year old son as a decoy). He offered us the use of his home while we waited and then treated me to a movie and lunch. I'm obviously a cheap date since I settled for "Lilo and Stitch" and chocolate milkshakes.

At some point he talked me into doing a bellycast. OK... so I was the one who wanted to do it, but oddly enough he had all the materials sitting around. I mean doesn't everyone keep 5lbs of plaster in their front cupboards? Anyway, about an hour later, the cast was produced, and mild contractions had begun.

11pm... they want to give me the epidural NOW? I've been waiting for an hour! And somehow you imagine that I can sit still during the most incredible pain I've ever felt in my life, while you push this incredibly long needle into my back... ok.

11:30pm... what's a contraction? The drugs are great but now I can't feel when to push.

Essae claims that it was actually before midnight "Telus time" so her birthday should be August 18th. Not to mention that had I known I was so close to the end I wouldn't have taken the epidural and it would have been over faster. So basically we'll be accepting gifts in either day.