Baby Boom Continued

Monday, February 8, 2010- Second birth of the week

Ok, the following story will be the second baby born in the Boom Week. This one will be short, but quite a doosie! I'll wait for ya while you get out your popcorn and a comfy seat. Ready? Here we go...

I got a phone call from a client's husband at 7pm stating that his wife was having contractions that were about 9 mins apart. I told him to time them for an hour and call me back. In the meantime I got in the shower, got dressed and readied myself for an impending birth. About 40 mins later I called them and got no answer. I assumed that she was having a contraction and he couldn't come to the phone. He called me back about 10-15 mins later and told me that the contractions were coming much faster.

They decided to birth at the birth center and so I told them to go ahead and head to the clinic and I would meet them there. I was one hour and 15 mins away and they were almost an hour away. I was driving very fast, about 90, to the clinic and I had only been on the road for a few mins when he called back and said that her water broke. I asked them if they thought they would make it to the clinic and he asked his wife and she said yes. So we all continued on with our plan.

About 10-15 mins later he called me back and this time I could hear the panic in his voice and he said they were not going to make it to the clinic. I was instructing her to breathe and not push and that they are to go to the nearest hospital and go right in through the ER. She started screaming and hung up on me.

Talk about panic!!! Meanwhile I'm still doing 90 down the highway. I was out in a rural part of the state and my cell phone reception was very spotty. I called my back up partner to stay on the phone with them until they get to the hospital. I realized at this point that I was going to miss the birth and so I slowed down. I was still an hour away from the hospital and unless I wanted to be a patient I needed to calm down.

Next phone call that I receive is another client in labor. Really Universe?? Really? ::deep breath:: Ok, I kept telling myself, you can do this. At one point I just had to start laughing because it was laugh or cry. I called my back up and told her the good news and she was going to go with the newest mom in labor and I was staying on my course to meet up with the clients that were at the hospital.

I arrived at the hospital about 9:30pm and walked into their room and there they were. Oh and I should mention that I had never seen this client before. She was a late transfer to our care and had only had 2 appts with us. It was very awkward to walk into her room and be like, Hi- How are you, stranger?

Come to find out that the baby had been born in the car before they could even get to the hospital. Yes, you read that correctly. Born.in.the.car. Ahhhh, it takes me back to my days in Hell Paso where that was not an uncommon occurrence, but I digress. Should I mention that it is early February and it had been snowing and ice on the roads. Not exactly the perfect conditions for a car birth.

Thank God everyone was OK and the parents did an amazing job. It is further confirmation that birth happens and waits for no one. They were healthy and baby was perfect. They were discharged the next night. Whew!