Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Introduction to Shooting out the boo in the Parking Lot

This is my first attempt at blogging, I have been meaning to do it for awhile. So why "shooting out the boo in the Parking lot?". Well my daughter was born in the parking lot of a free standing birth center on September 5th, 2007. When my husband and I took our birthing classes the instructor frequently said "you will know when you are labor, there will be no question". Well guess what, that isn't true- at least for me!! My contractions started out as little tickles in my stomach, a minor nuisance that disappeared around 10 am in the morning and didn't return until a couple hours later. When they did return they intensified significantly and went from 5-20 min. apart to 20 sec apart in no time. My husband rushed home from work after I called him to tell him "come home now". Luckily he didn't argue with me or question me at all! When he arrived I was bracing myself in any doorway I could find because although my contractions were not exactly crippling, the doorway was my friend at the time. So my husband followed my instructions as I told him what to add to my birth center bags.

I was concerned about packing my ipod, ice pops, propel, etc. I wanted everything because we would be there for hours I knew- hours!! So my husband still gets irritated to this day by the fact that when he arrived I said "you know the worst thing, I was just getting ready to dry and fix my hair when the contractions became intense".

In any case we got out the door about 30 min after my husband arrived and it was not a fun car ride. I put my head in between the driver seat and the passenger seat, closed my eyes and began to think "if this is what hours of labor is going to feel like screw natural childbirth". So my husband drove as fast as he could during early rush hour traffic to the birth center 30 min. away. About 10 min. before we arrived my water broke and then I had 2 involuntary urges to push- I did not tell my husband about the urge to push. When we arrived at the birth center my husband helped me out of the car and I informed him that I was not going to be able to walk the 10 feet into the center- the wimp that I am. So he ran into the center to get a midwife meanwhile I was a bit busy. I was standing outside of the car leaning on the backseat door and out she came, out came my baby girl in a pair of Target Maternity Jean Shorts. Yes I kept them, along with the Turtle appliqued orange shirt I was wearing. My midwife came out of the center and I said "um, I think the head is out". She looked at my like I was crazy and then said "but your shorts are still on". She did tell my husband to go get a nurse. Needless to say, I was right, Celia was out. My midwife took off her shirt in the parking lot and wrapped it around 6lbs 1 oz Celia.

So my husband got a nurse, we cut the cord in the parking lot. My husband spent a few hours nonstop on his cell phone and we found out later that the third floor watched the entire production in the parking lot.

So why "Shooting out the boo". I can't say that I am the biggest fan of my husband's nickname for my daughter, it is "the boo". It reminds me of a puppy dog or a stuffed animal's name, not an adorable 8 month old. I prefer Celia, sweat pea, etc. But it makes for a good blog title.

2 comments:

Lerin said...

Hahaha! Wow, what a fun birth story! You are my hero. Found your blog through Kate's link party.

Unknown said...

What an incredible story Carrie! You are the envy of every Labor Day mom!
Karen B