Jessica Grace is here...and you won't belive *where* she came!

....in the front seat of my freind's Jeep Cherokee in front of the hospital!
Yes, that's right.

She was 8lbs. 3oz and born sometime around 7:00 on Friday 10/29.

Let's just say that I'm living proof that a first babies experience has
*nothing* to do with second babies. Matthew was a very difficult, long labor
and I never expected what happened this time to happen.

I woke up at 4:30am feeling crampy, nothing more than menstrual cramps so I
went back to sleep off and on, apparently between contractions, for another
hour and fifteen minutes until I started asking dh to push on my lower back
to relieve the pain. After a couple contractions like that dh said that
maybe we should call the midwife because those were only 5 minutes apart. I
agreed, just to be safe, I thought. Between the time I called the answering
service and she called back, the contractions were coming 4 minutes apart, I
was having bright red bleeding and was shaking uncontrollably. After
explaining this to my midwife she encouraged me to come in asap (she later
said the shaking was the giveaway). I resisted a little bit saying that my
labor with ds was so long, that this couldn't be it. She insisted and we got
ready to go asap. Between the five or so minutes that it took for us to
gather ds and the dog to go to my friends house the contractions intensified
doubly and I became extremely vocal with each one.

We dropped off Matthew at about 6:15 and swapped cars since mine can hold
four carseats and left for the birth center which is housed in the hospital
25 minutes away. Halfway there my water broke and my contractions were two
minutes apart. I knew this was serious when I started hearing myself
grunting and I had to urge to take my shoes off, lol. Next thing I know, the
shoes come off, the sweatshirt comes off and I'm pulling my tank top up as
high as it can go and my yoga pants off my belly, and I'm feeling definite
pushing contractions. Coming off the exit ramp I reach down and feel my skin
stretching and realize that she is crowning. I kept this little nugget to
myself because if my dh had known that this was going to happen asap, I
think he would have flipped. He knew it was going to happen soon, like in a
few hours he said, but he had NO idea that she was actually coming out.

We pull up to the hospital entrance, dh gets out to open my door and I rip
off my yoga pants, reach down and her head is out. My door was locked and I
couldn't get it unlocked. When dh reached over to find it from the inside I
then told him her head was out and he paled! I just told him to go inside
and get someone. By the next contraction her body slipped right out. I
pulled her up to my chest and she looked me right into the eyes as if to
say, "Is there any other way for this to happen?" She made a few grunts and
kept on looking at me.

It was quite chilly and dh wasn't back yet so I was getting a little
concerned about her body temp, but in actuality we think finding someone
with blankets, to call the code, etc. only took a couple of minutes. A very
well dressed doctor came out with the blankets, called the code and offered
to take the baby from me. I said, "Uh, thanks, but she's still attached to
me through the placenta". He was all flustered and said, "Oh, sorry, I'm an
oncologist, I don't do this kind of thing often." LOL. The poor guy.

My midwife came down with scissors for the cord, dh cut the cord and the
midwife took the baby up to L&D. No birthing center for me anymore since I
bypassed that stage, she was born outdoors and there was significant older
meconium. They brought me upstairs on a gurney and after they suctioned her
well I got to hold her and nurse her for the first time. After nursing her
she did need to spend about two hours under the warmer since she was pretty
cold.

Dh and I were pretty much in shock for several hours and just kept saying,
"she was born in Fernanda's (our friend) car!" Dh called a mobile upholstery
cleaning unit to come clean the car and she got it back nearly cleaner than
it left. We do plan on buying her those cow print seat covers she's wanted
for a while now. I came home after 24 hours and we're doing pretty well.
She's a pretty sleepy baby so we're having some nipple soreness and latch
issues, but I'm working on that.

So, I guess this all goes to show that from one baby to the next you cannot
predict what will happen!

JennP.

On Mon, 1 Nov 2004 13:22:18 -0500, "newfy.1"
scribbled:

So, I guess this all goes to show that from one baby to the next you cannot
predict what will happen!

Oh wow! Congratulations!!!

Nan

Holy cow! What a great birth story. I can only hope mine goes that fast
(36 hour labor with my DD!). Glad to hear everyone os doing OK!
"newfy.1" wrote in message
...
...in the front seat of my freind's Jeep Cherokee in front of the
hospital!
Yes, that's right.

She was 8lbs. 3oz and born sometime around 7:00 on Friday 10/29.

Let's just say that I'm living proof that a first babies experience has
*nothing* to do with second babies. Matthew was a very difficult, long
labor
and I never expected what happened this time to happen.

I woke up at 4:30am feeling crampy, nothing more than menstrual cramps so
I
went back to sleep off and on, apparently between contractions, for
another
hour and fifteen minutes until I started asking dh to push on my lower
back
to relieve the pain. After a couple contractions like that dh said that
maybe we should call the midwife because those were only 5 minutes apart.
I
agreed, just to be safe, I thought. Between the time I called the
answering
service and she called back, the contractions were coming 4 minutes apart,
I
was having bright red bleeding and was shaking uncontrollably. After
explaining this to my midwife she encouraged me to come in asap (she later
said the shaking was the giveaway). I resisted a little bit saying that my
labor with ds was so long, that this couldn't be it. She insisted and we
got
ready to go asap. Between the five or so minutes that it took for us to
gather ds and the dog to go to my friends house the contractions
intensified
doubly and I became extremely vocal with each one.

We dropped off Matthew at about 6:15 and swapped cars since mine can hold
four carseats and left for the birth center which is housed in the
hospital
25 minutes away. Halfway there my water broke and my contractions were two
minutes apart. I knew this was serious when I started hearing myself
grunting and I had to urge to take my shoes off, lol. Next thing I know,
the
shoes come off, the sweatshirt comes off and I'm pulling my tank top up as
high as it can go and my yoga pants off my belly, and I'm feeling definite
pushing contractions. Coming off the exit ramp I reach down and feel my
skin
stretching and realize that she is crowning. I kept this little nugget to
myself because if my dh had known that this was going to happen asap, I
think he would have flipped. He knew it was going to happen soon, like in
a
few hours he said, but he had NO idea that she was actually coming out.

We pull up to the hospital entrance, dh gets out to open my door and I
rip
off my yoga pants, reach down and her head is out. My door was locked and
I
couldn't get it unlocked. When dh reached over to find it from the inside
I
then told him her head was out and he paled! I just told him to go inside
and get someone. By the next contraction her body slipped right out. I
pulled her up to my chest and she looked me right into the eyes as if to
say, "Is there any other way for this to happen?" She made a few grunts
and
kept on looking at me.

It was quite chilly and dh wasn't back yet so I was getting a little
concerned about her body temp, but in actuality we think finding someone
with blankets, to call the code, etc. only took a couple of minutes. A
very
well dressed doctor came out with the blankets, called the code and
offered
to take the baby from me. I said, "Uh, thanks, but she's still attached to
me through the placenta". He was all flustered and said, "Oh, sorry, I'm
an
oncologist, I don't do this kind of thing often." LOL. The poor guy.

My midwife came down with scissors for the cord, dh cut the cord and the
midwife took the baby up to L&D. No birthing center for me anymore since I
bypassed that stage, she was born outdoors and there was significant older
meconium. They brought me upstairs on a gurney and after they suctioned
her
well I got to hold her and nurse her for the first time. After nursing her
she did need to spend about two hours under the warmer since she was
pretty
cold.

Dh and I were pretty much in shock for several hours and just kept saying,
"she was born in Fernanda's (our friend) car!" Dh called a mobile
upholstery
cleaning unit to come clean the car and she got it back nearly cleaner
than
it left. We do plan on buying her those cow print seat covers she's wanted
for a while now. I came home after 24 hours and we're doing pretty
well.
She's a pretty sleepy baby so we're having some nipple soreness and latch
issues, but I'm working on that.

So, I guess this all goes to show that from one baby to the next you
cannot
predict what will happen!

JennP.

Wow. You kept your head so together -- you're so brave! What an amazing
story. WELCOME JESSICA! Here's to lots of snuggling to keep her warm!

newfy.1 wrote:
...in the front seat of my freind's Jeep Cherokee in front of the
hospital! Yes, that's right.

She was 8lbs. 3oz and born sometime around 7:00 on Friday 10/29.

Congratulations and Welcome to baby :-D.

That is quite a birth story! You handled everything so well. All I can
think of is I'd have rather been in the back seat, lol.
--
Nikki

newfy.1 wrote:
...in the front seat of my freind's Jeep Cherokee in front of the
hospital!
Yes, that's right.

She was 8lbs. 3oz and born sometime around 7:00 on Friday 10/29.

Yeah! *Great* birthstory - you'll have fun with that
for years (as will your friend!). Congratulations, and
welcome baby Jessica (lovely name).

Mary W.

That poor oncologist!

What a story! I guess that's an example as to how the human body usually
handles delivery just fine, even under less than ideal conditions.

Congratulations!!!

newfy.1 wrote:
Let's just say that I'm living proof that a first babies experience
has *nothing* to do with second babies. Matthew was a very
difficult, long labor and I never expected what happened this time
to happen.

snip

We pull up to the hospital entrance, dh gets out to open my door
and I rip off my yoga pants, reach down and her head is out. My
door was locked and I couldn't get it unlocked. When dh reached
over to find it from the inside I then told him her head was out
and he paled! I just told him to go inside and get someone. By the
next contraction her body slipped right out. I pulled her up to my
chest and she looked me right into the eyes as if to say, "Is there
any other way for this to happen?" She made a few grunts and kept
on looking at me.

Great story, Jenn! (Weren't you worried about pushing this time? LOL!)

It's definitely true that second births can be *very* different from firsts
(and thirds from seconds and firsts, too!). Glad yours turned out so well,
if a bit more exciting than average.
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Sin (Vernon, 2), Misery (Aurora, 5), and the Rising Son (Julian, 7)

This week's suggested Bush-Cheney Campaign Slogan:
"Asses of Evil"

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman

On Mon, 1 Nov 2004 13:22:18 -0500, "newfy.1" wrote:

...in the front seat of my freind's Jeep Cherokee in front of the hospital!
Yes, that's right.

She was 8lbs. 3oz and born sometime around 7:00 on Friday 10/29.

That is just an amazing story Jenn, maybe next time you'll listen to
your DH That's one birth story you'll never forget and never get
tired of repeating.

--
Cheryl
Mum to Shrimp (11 Mar 99), Thud (4 Oct 00)
Mischief (30 Jul 02)
+ Thumper due Feb 05

Wow!!! Congratulations Jenn!!

Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story. I can't believe you kept it
quiet when she was crowning. I had to laugh about the poor oncologist :-)))

I hope she gets over the latching problems real soon.

All the best
Camille

PS I love her name :-)