20 minutes from the hospital, contractions are 2-3 minutes apart and coming on STRONG! We head our normal route only to discover night construction. Really?! Right now?! We head down an alternate path and I quietly fight through the intense pain, trying not to panic. I do not want to have this baby in the van, on the highway. I bear through each painful contraction and try to focus on breathing. I'm trying to remain calm so that Phil doesn't freak out. I don't want him to know I'm worried we won't make it to the hospital.
Rewind 8 days. It's September 23rd. It's a date that brings so many emotions. A year ago we lost a precious baby on that day. But God was gracious and oh so loving, and a few months later we conceived again. The due date: September 23rd. It was a beautiful story of God's redemption. I was convinced that our sweet boy would be born on his due date. But when the day came and went, I was sad and confused. My mom was in town for just a week, and now I wondered if she'd even make it for his birth.
If this miracle baby didn't come when I anticipated him, I knew that it was for a purpose. But I just couldn't see it. I was heartbroken when my mom left a week later and the baby still had not come. Still, I had to trust God. This was His story, this was His baby, and He could see things that I couldn't.
The day after my mom went home, my husband ended up in the ICU. He had gone to the doctor that day and was immediately sent to the hospital for seriously high blood sugar levels. It was a very scary experience, and it was then that I realized God's purpose. How could I have managed all of this with a newborn? What if I would have been in the hospital when Phil went to the hospital? What if he had never gone to the doctor because we were having a baby? God knew exactly what He was doing.
While there, my best friend called and announced that she was flying out to help me. She clearly knew that my life was in chaos and that I needed some serious help. Afterall, I was 41 weeks pregnant, had littles needing lots of care and attention, and a hubby that was in the hospital. It was crazy for sure! The medical staff were able to get everything under control and Phil was sent home on Friday evening. The next morning my friend flew in.
We spent the entire day together, which was so amazing because it had been a year and a half since we had even seen each other. I was grateful to spend time with her, but also very thankful that she was there to help wth the kids.
That evening we decided to go to Target and walk around. Maybe more walking would get this labor going and we'd finally get to meet our sweet boy. Also, we were in dire need of some icecream and other random junk food. You know, the necessities when visiting with a long time friend and catching up on life. While there I started having very strong contractions. We decided to leave because I was looking pretty awkward with all the stopping, stomach clutching and grimacing.
Once we got back home we decided to time the contractions because they were so intense and felt so close together. Turns out, it felt that way because they were very close together. 3-4 minutes apart and lasting about 45 seconds each. I thought it would be wise to wait awhile, just to be sure. I'd never gone into labor on my own before and I really wasn't sure if this was it. I didn't want to jump the gun only to be sent home disappointed. I thought contractions started slowly and gradually became more intense and closer together. Which is another reason why I thought this was false labor. When contractions started they were immediately very painful and close together.
But the contractions just continued to get stronger and closer together. During this time of being uncertain, Phil was gathering all of our needed supplies; hospital bag, car seat, starting the van. He wasn't as uncertain as I was. I started to feel excited that this was actually happening! We had never experienced this aspect of birth before. Never had we timed contractions and gathered the hospital bag. Never had we wondered if now was the time to head to the hospital. All of the other three had been induced because they were past due. We had scheduled inductions with them. This was a whole new experience and it was so exciting!
By the time we left, contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and I suddenly felt very panicked. Why had we waited so long?! The hospital is 20 minutes away!
And unfortunately the route we normally take to the hospital was a construction zone. We made a last minute decision to take an alternate route, and I'm so grateful we did. I'm certain we wouldn't have made it to the hospital in time if we hadn't.
Phil sped down the highway while I quietly tried to breath through each contraction. Trying to remain calm so my husband didn't freak out actually helped me get through each painful contraction. I knew I didn't want to have the baby in the van and so I was somehow able to labor more quietly and peacefully, if that even makes sense.
We finally made it to the hospital, but couldn't figure out where to park. Everything we had been told at the hospital tour was a lie! We had known exactly where to park, where to go in, how to get up to the right floor. But that night, for some reason, they had changed things up. We ended up parking in the parking garage, taking the elevator to the street, and walking across the street to the hospital. I had made Phil leave everything in the van because for some reason I still thought that maybe, just maybe this wasn't real labor.
When we finally got to the hospital, Phil hurried to get me a wheelchair. I must have looked pitiful with the awkward waddling and the stopping and weird grimacing every 2 minutes. As soon as I sat in the wheelchair my water broke. And it was then that I realized there was no turning back. This baby was coming!!
We wheeled around the main floor for a stupid amount of time trying to figure out how to get to labor and delivery. I wanted the other people there to be just as panicked as I was. Couldn't they see that this baby was about to be born in this wheelchair?! Finally someone directed us to head in that general direction, pointing casually down some hall. But again, we had no idea where we were going. Eventually a security guard showed us the way.
We got up to labor and delivery and I said "My contractions are 2 minutes apart and I'm so sorry but my water broke all over your wheelchair!" Why was I so concerned about the wheelchair? I was immediately wheeled into a room and told to change into the hospital gown. My midwife checked me and I was only 5cm dilated. I felt like crying. I thought for sure I was further along. How could I manage these contractions if I still had such a long way to go?
I announced that I needed the epidural. I could tell that my midwife was trying not to smile. She just said "We can order it, but...I'm not sure it'll make it before you have this baby." I said ok, but inwardly I knew that I needed to get the epidural or I wouldn't survive the next several hours. These contractions were extremely painful and so very close together.
I sat on the birthing ball while the nurse started the IV. Suddenly, before she was even finished I felt like I needed to start pushing. I frantically said "You need to hurry because I think I need to push!". I think I startled her because she looked at me with panic in her eyes and quickly finished the IV and ran to get the midwife. I got back in the bed and she checked me again. Dilated to a 7-8. What?! I started to really panic. What was happening?! Why wasn't I further along?
Looking back now, I should have realized that going from a 5 to a 7-8 in a matter of minutes probably meant something significant. But all I could think about at the time was that I wasn't a 10 and I really needed to push this baby out.
After she told me I was a 7-8, I suddenly felt this intense need to go number 2. I let my midwife know and she said "OKAY! Here we go!" and started to lower my bed. And literally one big push later and our son was in my arms.
There were no lights on, the bed wasn't even set up to give birth, there was only the nurse, my midwife and Phil in the room. It was a quiet ordeal and it was absolutely amazing. Gideon was immediately placed on my chest and he stayed there for the next hour. It was a beautiful birthing experience and entirely different from any of the other 3. It was fast, intense and over before I knew it. Less than 2 hours of labor, one push, no tearing.
I arrived at the hospital at 9:30pm and Gideon was born at 10:09pm. And as for that epidural...it arrived shortly after Gideon was in my arms ;-)
Our sweet baby boy was born on October 1st. The September baby I was longing for was born the same month I was, and I feel extremely happy about that. God did indeed know what He was doing. He had all of this planned from the beginning. I thought this redemption story would end a certain way, but God had a better way. And I'm grateful that He did.
Gideon Leonard Kemp
Born at 10:09 pm on October 1st, 2016
7lbs 14 oz and 20.5 in
