Where was Mike during this time? Just as convinced as the midwives that we were looking at hours and hours of labor, he went to SLEEP claiming he needed energy for the "big moment". I would have loved a little sleep in anticipation of the big moment. In fact, for the next few hours the only advice I would be given was to "take a nap or take a walk". This may have been their first experience with a women in labor, I'm not sure. But neither of those were a possibility for me. I was never checked (to this day I have no idea what people are talking about when they are whatever effaced). I was not hooked up to anything. I was still wearing my street clothes!
When my contractions came at a minute apart I remember literally praying that God would grant me a miracle, "please can we just skip the next contraction so I can get a 2 minute break?" No miracle occurred.
There was a big beanbag in my room and at some point in the early hours of the morning, I lay down feeling unable to walk or stand. Mike woke up and stayed with me a few minutes until he decided to head home to drop off a key for his parents with our friend Amy at her shop at the end of our street. This was around 8am.
Background: We thought Mike's parents were arriving on the 14th of September by train. Our plan had been, if I were in labor upon their arrival, to leave a key with Amy. Amy didn't work on Wednesdays, and Mike hadn't wanted to leave the key with her on Tuesday. As it turned out, Mike's parents were leaving on the 14th and arriving on the 15th. We never called them on the 13th assuming this was the day they were leaving. So we never even told them Bella was on her way!
I had been resisting the contractions this whole time because they were so scary and painful. But after Mike left I decided to try and breathe through the contractions. This was definitely helpful and I could feel the contractions being more productive. At 9am, the midwife rotation changed. A new midwife came into my room to get the heart monitor (not being used by me!). I said, "Can you please check me? I think I am ready to push." Now, I really had no idea if I was ready to push, but she exclaimed, "You are ready to push????" This was the first communication that was received in this way so I said very confirming, "Yes, I am ready to push!".
Now Emma was a student midwife.
Background: I had previously been given a birth plan to fill out with questions like, do you want an epidural, can a student midwife delver you baby? This plan stayed in my overnight bag the whole time. If anyone would have read it, I checked "No student midwife".
Emma ran to get Morag, her supervisor. They put me up on a table in the room (I literally could not stand!). The funny part I remember at this point is Emma asked, "Can I cut off your pants?" I was thinking, Hmm. I don't really want to ruin these yoga pants. They were not maternity pants and I wanted to wear them again! But wait, I am in labor! I guess if they want to cut off my pants I need to let them. Of course my American mind wasn't able to translate that "pants" meant underwear! So the yoga pants stayed in tact. I was indeed, ready to push. No Mike. Morag asked if there was a way for her to get a hold of him. Our pay as you go mobile phone was still there with me. And we had just moved into our flat two weeks before and I had never called the number! But somehow, I remembered the number, they got a hold of Mike. It was 9:25am. Amy's shop didn't open until 9:30am (and was literally at the end of our street), so Mike was just hanging out until it opened. Mike hopped into a taxi. A miracle was finally granted! No one runs out of their house and hops into a taxi without calling ahead!
Back at the hospital. Morag was telling me she would have to cut the umbilical cord. I pushed once and couldn't hold it. I pushed again...
will write about our precious daughter's first moments tomorrow on her birthday!
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