At about 11 a.m. I called Kevin at work. I told him I felt weird and just wanted to go home. I told him I was taking Benjamin home and picking Isaac up from camp at noon. He asked if I wanted him to come get me. I said, “Yes.” Though I did tell him that I wasn’t claiming to be in labor, and that I was not to be held responsible if he’d feel stupid going home and his wife didn’t have the baby.
He showed up at 11: 44 a.m. I was on the back side of the waiting room door, leaning against the wall. I could hear my co-worker telling him I was on the other side of the door. I couldn’t even think to open the door. He opened the door and I leaned on him. He rubbed my back and I immediately felt more calm and relaxed. I thought to myself, “I can do this…”
Kevin decided we should have someone else pick up Isaac so he called our friend, Elizabeth. Then he left his car and drove Benjamin and I home in my car. I started dialing my cell phone. I called our midwife first. She asked if she had time to take a shower and I said yes. She told me she’d be over in about an hour. I looked at the clock, nearly noon. I then started calling everyone who was supposed to be at the birth. It was then I realized that two very important people were not going to make it. My dear friend, Courtney, had left that very morning for a week long vacation and my dear friend Kim, who I had to leave at work (she’s the doctor).
By the time we were a few blocks from home, I called the midwife back and told her I’d changed my mind – no shower. She said she’d be right over. I remember thinking how awful being in the car was and I jokingly told Kevin that I had homebirths so I could avoid the whole car ride thing. He laughed and said he was enjoying that he finally got to do a mad dash in labor. He was probably praying we’d be pulled over. I vaguely remember talking about it.
About four blocks from home, Benjamin asked if I was going to have the baby in the car. Kevin assured him that we were not about to have the baby in the car because we were so close to home. I growled, “Don’t make promises that you can’t keep!” I was “secretly” pushing a bit with each contraction to ease the pain. I was also about ready to put my foot through the floor boards I was pushing them so hard.
Once home, I ran upstairs and stripped off my clothes. I put on my nightgown and started trying to find a comfortable position. The clock read 12:15 p.m. Kevin stripped to his underwear and I started having a contraction, he came to help me. After the contraction I said, “Put your clothes on!” I knew people would start filling our room and that he’d be embarrassed to be in his underwear. He put his shorts on, then helped me through a contraction. Then he put his shirt on and did another contraction. The kids were in and out, being very good and calm.
