Monday the 20th at about 10pm I started having labor pains. These were way different then the ones I had been having in the weeks prior. I knew what was to come. I tried to sleep but they were coming about every eight minutes. A little too strong to sleep through I figured out. At about 1am I got up and started doing things that needed to be done before I went into the hospital. I was also trying to labor at home as much as possible because I didn't want to get to the hospital too early just to be sent home. I started doing laundry, took a shower, played on the computer a little. The contractions now are about 4-5 minutes apart. I went to put another load into the washer and as I went to pick up our laundry basket I felt a gush of warm liquid. I thought my water had broke. I went to change only to find out that I was bleeding pretty heavily. This scared me because I had never bled with my other two pregnancies. I immediately called the doctor who told me to go ahead and head to the hospital. I woke up Ben at about 2:45am and he jumped out of bed got himself dressed and woke up the boys and packed them in the car while I grabbed my bag and headed to the car.
Ben was quite impatient as we drove to the hospital. Trying to not run red lights that were way too long for this time of night and speeding down I-15 when the speed limit is 55. The contractions were getting worse. Still about 4min apart. We arrive at the hospital at about 3:30am and they put me in a monitoring room and hooked me up to the heart monitors for the baby. The nurse checks me to see how far along I am and to my dismay his head wasn't down, it was off to the side and my cervix was still really thick. She was about ready to send me home. She said they would keep me for about an hour and see if I progressed any. The contractions are now about 3 min apart and getting really unbearable. About 30 min into the hour my water broke. That was really unexpected. She came in pretty quickly to see if I had progressed. I had not, it was actually worse. The cord was coming out first which is called a prolapsed cord. This usually is an emergency C-section because the baby's head is pinching the cord cutting off oxygen flow.
They tried putting me in a wheel chair while I am contracting and I am seriously dying now. I have no reprieve during the contractions, they are coming so close. The nurse tells Ben to help me into the wheel chair. The last thing I want is anyone touching me at this point. I told them to wait! I finally get myself in the chair and they wheel me to the delivery room to get the epidural and wait for my doctor to arrive. I am crying and screaming in pain! I had never felt such horrible pain before. Everything was happening so fast. I didn't really understand everything that was going on. I kept hearing possible C-section. Most likely to get him out of there as quick as possible especially because I still wasn't fully dilated. I was about a 5 or 6 at this point.
All I remember is laying on that bed curled in a ball so badly in pain and they rolled me over to get a spinal which is different than an epidural. They gave the spinal for two reasons, one being I might have to have a C-section and two being it takes to your body quicker. So the anesthesiologist gives me the spinal and they roll me back onto my back and I am completely numb already from the waist down. There's my doctor in front of me with his gown telling me this is going to be a shot in the dark but let's do it! Push! I pushed about three times before the baby came out. I was about an 8 when I delivered. Still not fully dilated. They did attach a suction cup to his head to help pull him out. Keaton was born non-responsive and purple at 5:12am. All of a sudden he started to cough up fluid and had revived himself. The doctor and nurses were absolutely amazing in all of this. They called Keaton a miracle baby. The resuscitation doctor came in later telling me about the miracle that was performed here that morning. Keaton should never had been delivered without a C-section first of all because of the situation and the fact that I wasn't even fully dilated at the time but that he was very impressed with the way the staff handled everything. I still don't know why I started to bleed at home but I look back now and my reasoning is this, it was the Lord telling me to get to the hospital quick. I think if I had waited at home any longer there would have been serious consequences! I am so grateful for how the Lord has blessed me through the entire pregnancy and was watching over me and Keaton during the time I was giving birth.
Keaton weighed 8lbs and measured 20in. I was so grateful to have Ben there this time with me and my two sisters, Roxanne and Holly, and my brother Andre' who stayed outside with the boys while everything was going on. I love all of you so much!
