it's Official: Anne's a speedster...

...she delivers like she drives

"Speedsters skip the beginning emotional signpost along with the accompanying easy contractions. Quick birthers frequently get right down to work - no fooling around."
Susan McCutcheon: Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way

We crossed week 36. The doctor gave us to week 37 and the challenge will be keeping bored insanity at bay and the anxiety of "is everything okay?" from wearing any further. We were between tests and there was a satisfaction in going 4 weeks past what the doctors expected. Let's relax for the weekend. A Smoothie run!
After pushing all week to try to have the house(okay, I had reached the point where I was just hoping to have the nursery ready) ready just in case, I relax with the thought of 1 more week(maybe I can stretch to cleaning the house too, even laundry). So I set off to see Anne a little early, expecting to be there well before her 5:00 dinner tray. Friday DC traffic says otherwise and I make it to her at 6:30 Smoothies in hand. We catch up on our same old story days.
Instead of another night of TV or games, I hop into bed with Anne and we watch "O Brother, Where Art Thou" on the laptop. Our favorite movie and impossible not to feel lighter and nourished after watching. Suzie is back on for the night shift. It is nice to see her again and we chat for a bit. It's a slow night and I offer the movie if the nurses are getting bored. I stay until around 12:00 and get ready to head home. We are feeling good - numbers are good, baby is good - we aren't hanging on the next test results. All the nurses are at the nurses' station as I leave, and I stop when I see Charlie. I comment about the slow night and Charlie says "It's still early." I tell them to enjoy the break while they can and they buzz me out of Labor and Delivery.
Home and settling into bed by 1:00. I'll scrub the nursery floor and set up the furniture tomorrow. Asleep by 1:30. 3:30 the phone rings -

"My water broke."
"Oh no..." with an unexpected quaver(this means they will induce, no options)
"Are the contractions starting?"
"Yes."
"Do you want me to come in now?" (did this question come out of my mouth? I am thinking of the birthing stories where the woman cleans house and bakes cookies during her early labor, I am tired. I am a lout)
"Yes."
"Okay, I will be there soon."
And it hits me. Why the hesitation? I haven't thought about this part, I am unprepared. Anne and I never talked about going to the hospital, going into labor. We didn't want to jinx what hope we had for a natural birth. And now, suddenly, miraculously, our vision is about to happen. IT HITS ME. I am preparing to go to the birth of our child!
What do I need to take? What was all the stuff they went over in class? What am I going to wear? My brain is trying to think way too much.

Luckily, most of what Anne needed was already at the hospital. The one thing I knew I had to take were our two books from the Bradley Classes. With 10-14 hours of labor coming I might be able to stay a page ahead. After a month of reading up and becoming an expert on pre-eclampsia, the natural birth pieces fell out of my head. I spun around and around the house and in my head. I was going to the birth of our baby, I need to get out of here. I throw the camera, books and power bars into the computer bag and head out. Fly down the highway, in through Emergency for after hours admission and the happiest, briskest walk I have made through the halls I just got to know so well.

I am buzzed back into Labor and Delivery 4 hours after leaving. Anne is okay, she is relaxed, Suzie has already given Anne an IV(the doctor had missed a test and they needed to give Anne antibiotics as a precaution) and is clearing the monitors to take Anne to a delivery room. Contractions are about 4 to 3:30 minutes apart, not too strong yet(but isn't that kinda close, I can't remember). I start packing the months accumulation to take with us(Anne wisely had been sending things home with me for the past week). Anne is packed and Suzie is back with a wheelchair to take her to delivery, goodbye cell.

Into the delivery room and we are greeted by Charlie, "This is so great." She is absolutely thrilled to see us coming in for a natural birth. We are happy to have a familiar face to start our journey into parenthood. Charlie hooks up the monitors, contractions are running 3:30 minutes apart and up in strength. Baby is looking good. Charlie gets us settled in and regrets she will miss the delivery. She is happy with the baby's heart rate and gives us the okay to plug and unplug Anne(a useful skill we picked up from the nurses) if she needs to go the bathroom or just get up and walk. She leaves us to labor away.

I have pulled out the Bradley workbook and opened to the chart on the stages of labor. Things are still calm enough to pull out a grapefruit for breakfast. Anne has a slice or two, I manage about half between reading and massaging Anne to help her relax. The contractions are picking up in pace and strength. It is becoming clear Anne is having back labor. I apply pressure and Charlie brings hot packs. I look at the book and figure Anne is well into the First Stage. The back pain is intensifying. Charlie suggests the rocker and we help Anne into it. Contractions are picking up, Anne has to pee. I disconnect the monitors and off to the toilet. The contractions are under 2 minutes apart now and strong. Anne must be getting lots of work done. The toilet is comfortable and we stay in the bathroom for a bit. Shift change, Charlie comes in to check on us and pass us to Tiffany(a slight disappointment in going into the last stretch with a stranger). We say hello from the bathroom and Anne is ready to lay down again for a bit. Anne is struggling, the contractions are mounting, a little doubt is entering her mind. I don't know if i can take another 10 hours of this. I tell her to focus on each contraction and don't think about the contractions to come(she is having productive contractions, I can't see 10 hours at this rate). Anne asks Tiffany to check her dilation. Tiffany is reluctant since Anne's water has broken and infection is a concern. Please check, okay, 5cm, halfway there. It's 7:30 and the contractions ease slightly, it is nice to have the monitor so I know what is happening inside Anne and can predict when she'll need pressure(monitor reading was another skill learned over the past month). I call my dad to let him know. A big contraction and a little more doubt(could we be in transition already?). Tiffany experienced back labor herself, she suggests for Anne to stand for a while and lean on the bed while I keep pressure on her back. A huge improvement - Thank You Tiffany. Happy with the babies heart rates, Tiffany removes the monitors from Anne. Ahhh, a little more natural. To ease the pain, Tiffany plans to start a warm shower as soon as the antibiotics are through the IV. Anne is able to roll with the contractions, but they are still really strong. And now a strong sensation to poop and push. Tiffany assures that it is natural and you will know when the real push signal comes. Time for another pee - off to the toilet. The contractions are coming fast, she doesn't even have time to stand much less make it back to the bed.

Anne wants Tiffany to check her again before we start the shower, she really feels like she needs to push. Tiffany is reluctant, it is still early. Anne is certain she wants to be checked and Tiffany agrees. We get her into bed. "I can feel the baby's head, 10cm, you're ready." Second Stage. Tiffany shows how Anne needs to be positioned and has me hold Anne's right leg as she holds the left and counts for Anne to push. Tiffany goes to call for doctor Fracasso and call for the nursing team. I pick up holding Anne's legs and counting off. Tiffany returns and gives me a "good job dad." Another check and the baby's head is right there(that's my baby, her head looks like a collapsed oragami balloon, is that okay?, OUR BABY IS HERE!) Tiffany calls for the OB on call.

Tiffany and I keep coaching Anne and try to slow her up. I have to step aside to make room for another stranger, the OB on call. Her comes the head, looking more round now. Here comes a little bit of an ear. Try not to push. Here comes the other ear. Try not to push. Here comes the nose, face, chin, baby - DONE. It's a girl and she has just leapt into the world.

We never got to a birth plan. There were pieces, but we didn't know what to expect with induction and pre-maturity. I figured we'd put it together before induction. Too late. They clamped the cord and gave me the sicissors to cut the cord, but... And our baby is wisked off to the baby station and a team hovers over her and checks her out and does their thing. Comments of: she is long, she is active, she looks like a little ballerina, she looks good. Dr. Fracasso arrives. He missed the birth of the baby, but will deliver the placenta. The placenta isn't coming easily.

They bring the baby over toward the foot of the bed to weigh her. "Do you have a camera?"(Oh yeah, pictures). I take a couple of her on the scale and am too stunned to take anymore. 6lbs 2oz, a girl, Zofia.

I remind Dr. Fracasso there are two lobes. He sort of gives me a so what and patiently eases out the placenta. He then picks it up to check for the two lobes and discovers a tenuous connection between the umbilical cord and the vessel connecting the two lobes. The source of the pre-eclampsia. Anne has a little tear from the speedy delivery. I look to see, is it bad? I can't tell. Will she be okay, is this bad? Seems to be minor, the doctor says he will call it a second degree. Is this minor? He calmly starts stitching, it doesn't seem so bad. I am watching. I haven't had sleep and have only managed half a grapefruit and a Balance Bar all morning. I better sit down. The nurses commend me on sitting, apparently many dad's end up dropping.

Zofia is fully healthy, they wrap her up and leave her with us. We have at least an hour with her alone in our room. We are finally parents and it is amazingly peaceful.