SB's water broke at 8:30 Saturday morning (16 days before the projected due date). We'd been warned to stay at home as long as possible to avoid the craziness of the hospital and to enjoy the comforts of home during lighter contractions. However, the doctor encouraged us to come on in because there is greater risk to the baby once the water breaks. So, we compromised by taking our time and got to the hospital at about 12:30 that afternoon. I even got to play my weekly ultimate game spoiling all efforts to handicap the number of days I'd sit out after having the baby. The assigned nurse proceeded to thwart our efforts to stay calm. She ran around like a mad woman while speaking too fast and too loud. Chiding, "You'd better hope this paper comes back blue!" as she tested the amniotic fluid for infection. She was basically telling us, "If this strip doesn't turn blue, you killed your baby by not immediately coming to the hospital." I wanted to ask her if all babies die where there are no hospitals. To poignant questions like these she replied simply, "I'm just doing my job, and my job is to keep Mom and baby alive." Wow. Anyway, the hours rolled on and she was relieved by someone much less aggressive.
As time passed, labor did not progress. Aside from her water breaking, we were no closer to delivery after 4 hours of waiting, 18 hours of Cytotec, and 6 hours of Pitocin than we were 5 days earlier at SB's normal weekly checkup. Our fabulous midwife, Holly, stayed very close throughout the night as SB tried desperately to get the baby to drop. Holly eventually was forced to suggest a c-section. I don't think SB would have gone into actual labor for a couple more weeks. It was unfortunate that her water broke and that the baby was left less protected as a result. The hospital's policy for this situation (at 37 weeks) is to give you 24 hours to deliver. Our midwife gave us closer to 36. But, on Sunday, October 22nd, 2006 Dr. Scott Brown went in after the baby. After so many hours and so many contractions, we were whisked into the operating room and a few minutes later we saw our healthy, hairy, and unhappy GIRL!
What a great surprise. Over the course of the pregnancy we had gradually shifted our thinking from pink to blue. I guess we were swayed by popular opinion. But, it was Anne Clare in there kicking and rolling the whole time. She was born at 6:03 PM, weighed in at 6 lbs. 4 oz., and was 19 inches long.
Shannon lives close by and was right where we needed her. Uncle Tommy and cousins Rylan, Levi, and Ty were present and in approval. Peggy had flown in immediately and was able to help for most of the labor. My dad drove from Knoxville to Greenbrier to the hospital in Denton, TX all hopped up on caffeine and more caffeine just in time to wait for several more hours as the heavy contractions set in. Stuart and Whitney drove in the day after we went to the hospital and still made it in time to see me bring Anne Clare from the operating room to the nursery. Others were caught way off guard by the early delivery and were out of the state and out of the country. Sloane flew in the next day. My mom was stuck on a business trip in Europe and flew in the following week. Wes and Molly will have to wait until Christmas. I don't think they want to drink our water anyway. Everyone was so happy to meet the newest Southard-Cline.
