Easy Delivery

A few years ago - my sister in law, Brandy, told me this story. It was her cousin's third or fourth pregnancy and it was a wild story! I knew I would find a way to share this story this week. I emailed Mary-Pacolette about her story, asking if I could share it. Here is my very rough version of the story. Maybe Mary Pacolette or Brandy can comment with details I left out! :) Either way - you'll get enough of the picture to realize how crazy it was.

UPDATE!! Mary Pacolette emailed me the story! I've posted it below (and deleted my poor version of the story! :)

My pregnancy with my fourth child was all routine. My other three deliveries went quickly. With my second child the nurse had me to sing happy birthday through contractions and not push. I finally said the doctor is going to have to come now the baby is almost here. He was finishing up a c-section. She checked, i was right and they got him immediately just in time for delivery.

My doctor had delivered 2 out of the 3 children I had. We live 30 minutes away from the hospital and so he scheduled for me to be induced and him to be on standby for delivery. Everything was going according to plan until I received my epidural. I was given way too much medicine and was numb beyond belief. It was insane to me because I could not feel anything, could not wiggle a toe, move my legs in any way. This was very different from my earlier three deliveries.

I complained to everyone and no one seemed to care. It was very frustrating for me because I felt so out of control of my body. Around lunchtime the other doctor delivering for my office come in to check me said I was almost a five. I complained to her about the epidural. She felt like I should get rest and when it was closer to time to push they would do something so I would have more feeling and be aware of the need to push.

She suggested I get some rest. She told my husband and my father-in-law it may be a good time to grab some lunch. My parents said they would stay with me and go after they returned. My oldest daughter who was in kindergarten was there with my parents. The doctor told me it should be a few more hours turned down the lights in the room and left.

I felt a little something and thought "Praise the Lord, I am getting some feeling back to my body." Well everyone knows you get no rest in the hospital. My nurse had taken her lunch break also and her replacement came in right after the doctor to see how things were going. I was happy to see her because she had been my nurse with the last baby.

She was just starting to check my monitors when my regular nurse popped her head in, saw her there and said since you are here I will go next door. She told her to wait just a second. At this point they were both studying the monitor.

They turned the lights on helped me sit up in bed and were moving the heart monitor all around on my tummy. It occurred to me that my belly looked really smushy. I think I looked worried so my mom stood up. I thought, "Oh my, something is wrong. All of my deliveries have been so easy and now I am headed for a c-section." About that time we heard a cry. Crazy me thought, "Oh my goodness the baby is crying inside and the monitor picked up the sound." CRAZY I know.

The nurses pulled back the covers and there was my purple baby girl!!!!!! My Daddy seeing too much made a bee line for the door and my 5 year was scrambling behind him! My Mama called my husband and they were just putting down their lunch trays in the hospital cafeteria to eat. He left his food and came running. He could not fathom me already delivering the baby. They could not have been gone no more than 15 to 20 minutes tops!

The nurse I had laughed which really upset me and said," I thought your little girl had a baby doll with her and it had made the crying sound!" In the meantime a flood of people came in the room. My room was across from the nurses station and they had her the baby crying too and knew a baby should not be delivered in there yet.

My doctor came in and was irate. He said "{Expletive}, I have two experienced nurses in here looking for a heartbeat and the baby is under the covers the whole time!" Her arms and legs were very purple and stayed that way for most of the day.

Many crazy stories came later such as my 5 year old using my mom's phone to call her teacher. Mrs V had given her cell number so she could call when the baby was born. She told her everything which went something like, "My mama had the baby and it was under the cover and nobody knew until the baby cried."

When transport came to take me to 5th floor I still could not move my body. With all of my other children I was able to get up on wobbly legs and walk to the wheel chair. There was no moving this time. They had to get a stretcher a few people and lift me to the stretcher. It was almost 9:00 pm before I could walk on wobbly legs with help from my husband to the restroom. I was beginning to worry I was paralyzed for life.

The next day we were visited by the patient care advocates from the hospital to get statements. The nurse that laughed came and apologized and said that had never happened to her before. And, even the ladies that come to get trash knew I was the patient that had delivered under the covers. The worst part was when I let my mind wander to all of the what ifs? Thankfully, God was watching over us and all ended well! But, what a story!