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Fast and Furious Flora
Frances
During my third pregnancy,
I read "The Baby Catcher" by midwife Peggy Vincent.
She had a famous quote that I kept repeating in my mind. She
said, "First births are long and hard, second births are
shorter and easier, and third births are 'unpredictable.'"
Yikes! I tried to prepare myself for whatever birth experience
God had ready for us. Today is Thanksgiving and I am counting
my blessings that our third birth was fast and smooth.
I am one of those women who is blessed to labor gradually through
the last weeks of pregnancy. I was 3cm and 80% effaced at my
last appointment on October 11th. I seemed to go into false
labor every night the week before the baby actually came. Therefore,
when it did happen, we were caught off guard since I had "cried
wolf" so many times earlier that week.
Scott and I were watching a movie to try to get my mind relaxed
and ready to sleep. Towards the end of the movie, around midnight,
I had seven contractions in a row. This was the most I had had
consecutively. So I called my mom and dad who live an hour and
a half away. Of course, the contractions stopped after that
call! It was a rainy, stormy, windy night and we hated for them
to drive in the middle of the night for nothing. So we called
them back and said, "We're just not sure. Hold off coming
for now."
Contractions were irregular, some stronger and some weaker and
shorter. But I was getting nervous. Scott wanted to watch Conan
O'Brien, but I was so antsy. He was mister "Joe Cool",
hardly even acknowledging that this could be it! I didn't want
to be watching Conan while I was in labor! I demanded we go
upstairs to try to get some sleep. Well, that didn't happen.
Scott read and I had contractions in bed. Then, I had to go
to the bathroom. Everything I had eaten in that last few days
left my body and labor really, really kicked in. Thus, began
the "fast" part of Flora's coming into the world.
We wanted prayers so Scott started to email family and friends.
It was 1 a.m. and I doubt anyone was actually praying! We somehow
slipped in a call to mom and dad back in Beaver County. They
would be leaving soon. Scott only got half way through the list
as I was frantically gathering our last items for the hospital.
I shouted, "Come on, I don't want to be in transition in
the van!" (my famous last wordswe live in Ligonier, a good
35-40 minutes from Mercy). I used the birth ball for a contraction
or two but I kept feeling like we should go to the hospital.
"Joe cool" said, "I think we can wait a little
blah, blah, blah..." Another bathroom visit and labor became
"furious"! Contractions were 3 minutes apart or less.
YIKES!
We needed someone to come over to sit with the girls until my
parents got to our house. We called our neighbors house. Louise,
Jonesy, and their daughter, Amy, live there. Amy takes care
of her elderly parents and had offered to come if it was in the
middle of the night. However, Louise answered the phone. We
stood by the door to call, ready to escape as soon as Amy came,
but Louise had trouble hearing our request.
"What?" she asked. "...Amy? Amy's sleeping."
I am not even sure Louise knew who it was on the phone.
Scott pleaded, "Becky is in labor. Amy said she would come
over."
Louise said, " Well, Amy's sleeping."
Scott shouted louder "Becky, ya know, Becky, she is in labor!"
Louise replied, "OOHHH, Becky. Well, Amy's sleeping. Do
you want me to wake her up?"
Scott urged, "Yes! Yes! Please! We need her to come over."
I was never so relieved in all my life to see Amy come over!
We ran to the van, well I had at least two contractions on
my way there. Scott folded down the second seat in the minivan
and I sat in the back seat. We were off! As I would get a contraction,
I would bend over and kneel on the floor and lean on the folded
seat. Wouldn't you know the floor mat was overturned. As I
kneeled down, my knee would implant into the prickly side of
the mat. I never thought I would use acupuncture during labor!
I furiously searched for a blanket to cover the mat. It was
one of those births you see on the movies. The husband drives
crazy and fast through red lights practically tippin' the van
on turns.
I groaned and moaned through contractions that were only 1 and
a half minutes apart or less. Remember those famous last words?
Fact: I was in transition in the van! Scotty apologized from
the driver's seat and shouted words of encouragement toward the
rear. I couldn't wait to get there. Bumps in the road were
agonizing.
My emergency room experience is literally a blur and humorous
now that I think of it. Because I was in intense pain, I closed
my eyes to manage and concentrate. Therefore, everyone's faces
were a blur. I would look at the ER attendant through squinted
eyes for 60 seconds, answer a question, and then proceed to the
floor to get on my hands and knees.
You have to visualize what I looked like....I was wearing a huge
red paisley sleeveless jumper that almost reached my ankles.
I called it my "mumu" dress. I only pulled it out
at the very end of pregnancy when I was desperate for comfort.
Over top, I wore a burgundy sweatshirt. On my feet, thick blue
fleece socks and brown Teva sandals. Let's just say I didn't
plan my "going to the hospital" outfit as much as my
"coming home" outfit!
For some reason, I grabbed a long blue body pillow so I was carrying
it like a stuffed animal. I held on to it tight as I went down
on my hands and knees. Several contractions leaning over different
chairs in the ER and all my info was recorded. They asked me
if I wanted a wheelchair. I couldn't imagine sitting! "No
thanks!" I said. Well, it probably sounded more like, "nuhhh
uhhhh". Another contraction. I am sure I was moaning.
The uniformed officer with the blurry face said, "Lady,
are you sure you don't want a wheelchair?" I laugh now
thinking of him telling his buddies around the break room what
I must have looked and sounded like.
Needless to say, we took the walk to the Family Birth Center.
He assured me it was a short cut. I remember lots of contractions,
one to the entrance of the elevator, one in the elevator, all
on my hands and knees, and of course the most memorable one,
at the entrance to the Family Birth Center. I literally crawled
into the Family Birth Center! I remember the nurse saying, "Watch
the automatic door behind you!" She kind of figured I was
coming along pretty good, but she never imagined I would be 8-9cm!
Wow, neither did I! She declared "hurry mode."
In between each contraction, there was something to sign or do.
Gretchen arrived like an angel from above. I instantly felt
so bad that I had pulled her out of a warm cozy bed to brave
the windy, rainy, leafy night. A midwife truly is an angel to
sacrifice sleep to bring forth life. She helped my bulging water
sac burst. As soon as I could, I went back to my hands and knees
again and we were waiting for the urge to push. I had an anterior
lip as I did with our other girls. But the urge overwhelmed
me and Gretchen said I could push. During one contraction in
this position, I just moaned out Gretchen's name. This is humorous
to Scott and I as we reflect on it now. I kept asking to make
sure Gretchen's quiet calming presence was there. I thought
of delivering on my hands and knees. I had a lot of pressure
and pain in my butt, so Gretchen suggested turning over again.
I remember another nurse recognizing that I needed to be more
upright. I was so thankful she took that initiative since I
couldn't even put that thought together in my head.
My pushing coach/nurse was great! She told me to put my chin
down and that the second and third pushes were the most productive.
Pushing seemed hard this time. There was no way out...I was
trapped into getting this baby out. I had moments of fear but
everyone was so encouraging. I would feel their excitement when
the head would get close. An important turning point for me
was when I had some pushes and then I could feel the head slide
back in. I knew I was getting somewhere and I said, "I
was so close that time."
Before long, the head was out! Then, the slippery body came
and lots of relief! They put the baby on my chest and Scott
said, "It's a girl. Wait are you sure?" You see,
Scott is in for it now since he will be the father of 3 girls!
I remember saying, "I love her already." I examined
her and the most noticeable part was her perfect little fingers.
It was if her gaurdian angel did a manicure on them before she
was born. She had white hands and pearly pink fingertips and
her nails were white on the ends. They were the perfect shape
and long, as if they were filed to look like a French manicure.
You have to understand that I am not even a "girlie"
girl and this is what they looked like to me.
I only regret that I had more time or that time could have stood
still so that I could smell her head again or kiss every part
of her when she was so fresh from God. I wish that she could
have stayed with me longer to help calm me down from the shock
of it all. After she was weighed and checked and I held her
again, I felt so much better.
We were back home with our new family within a day.
I am so grateful for Gretchen. I am so grateful for midwives.
I am so grateful for Family Nurse Midwives! I am so grateful
for the Family Birth Place and nurses and staff. I am so grateful
for my husband, Scott (aka Joe Cool), his amazing love, and my
three healthy little girls. I am so grateful for my neighbors,
my family, and friends who cooked for us and prayed for usespecially
the most priceless "postpartum doula pair", my mom
and dad. These people are all gifts from God.
So, it brings me much joy to conclude another birth story, a
piece of history that belongs to tender little Flora Frances
and all the wonderful folks who helped bring her into the world.
Flora Frances Lieb
Born October 12, 2006 at 3:49 AM
7 pounds 8 ounces 21 inches long
Welcomed by big sisters Grace (4) and Elsa (2)
Becky and Scott Lieb
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