Please welcome Elizabeth Rose-Marie MacDonald.
Born on September 22, 2012 at 12:15pm,
She weighed 3460g (7lbs, 10oz) and was 49cm (19½") long.
She was in quite a hurry to get here too!
trixstir was due last Tuesday, on the 18th, but there was no sign that the baby was coming anytime soon. Both of the previous babies had to be induced, and we figured this would be the case again. We made another appointment with the doctor for Monday, September 24th, with a possible induction date of Tuesday, September 25th.
This little bundle decided she didn't want to wait that long, and began making getting herself ready for her grand entrance around 4:30am this morning. The problem was, this was the first 100% natural birth for Trixstir, and the labour pains were in her lower back instead of around front, so she didn't realize what was going on at first. We though this might be the sign of something, but we weren't sure what. All that Trixstir knew for sure was that she hurt, and that Tylenol wasn't helping. It was around 11am by now, and we made plans to head into Swift Current to go to the hospital, just in case something serious was going on (and it was!)
I called the Shaunavon hospital at 11:46am, to say that we were on our way to Swift Current, but that we'd like to stop in and get Trixstir a shot of Demorol to help ease the pain. The doctor on call said No, just take her directly to Swift Current. At 11:53am I called them back, saying there was no way we were going to make it to Swift Current - the pain had suddenly gotten a lot stronger and it was obvious now that this was labour! I wanted them to call an ambulance, but they couldn't do that - we had to do it ourselves because of the way the dispatch worked. I got Trixstir into the van with some difficulty (we couldn't wait for the ambulance to arrive, we had to move now!) and called 911 en-route to the hospital. We explained our situation, giving them our land location but also telling them we were headed North on Higway 37, towards Shaunavon, and going to the hospital there. I was going over 130km/hr, the fastest I've ever driven!
I slowed to a mere 50km in town (still over the 40km/hr limit) and blew the 4-way stop after making sure it was well clear. Fortunately, town is pretty dead on a Saturday afternoon! We pulled into the emergency driveway/entrance, and I ran out to let the staff know we were there. No one was at the front desk -they were all at the Nurse's station in the back! I told them we were here, and we needed a wheel-chair or something right away. I went to back to check on Trixstir, and she howled that the baby was coming NOW!!! so I raced back to get them moving, telling them it was coming NOW!!! and we needed that chair or a stretcher right away! Now I had them moving, and we were headed to the doors when I could see Trixstir standing over a pool of bloody discharge!
"SHIT!!!" I thought, "Her waters broke!" No, that wasn't it at all! The baby was actually out already, and Trixstir was holding it as best as she could! I grabbed the baby, checking for the cord wrapped around the neck - it wasn't, thankfully, and the nurses were hot on my heels! They managed to get hold of the baby, get Trixstir into the wheelchair, and haul them both off to the ER / Delivery-Room where they got her onto a proper stretcher and got the cord cut.
From there, everything started going a little more "normal" - but it sure stirred things up on a sleepy Saturday afternoon for the staff! The official time of birth was 12:15pm, less than 1/2 an hour after I had made the first phone call. Trixstir had actually delivered the baby standing upright in the emergency driveway of the hospital! It had all happened so quickly, nothing like the previous ones that had taken over an hour of pushing and screaming! Thankfully Trixstir had been wearing padding, or the baby would have dropped right onto the ground!
It was quite an adventure! Five more minutes delay, and that baby would have been born in the van! She and Trixstir are resting now, both looking a lot better than they in the midst of the chaos! Elizabeth pinkened up pretty quickly, and has a strong suckling reflex, getting plenty of that all-important first milk. I'm just at the shop at the moment, having had supper here in town with my Mom, The Kidling, and The Munchkin. I'll be heading back over to the hospital as soon as I post this entry, stay with them for a while, then head back to the farm for the night. I'll be heading back in the morning, of course.
Heck of an entrance there Elizabeth, but welcome to the world! :)