Quinn's birth story

Saturday July 24. I woke up early that morning. We were in Bountiful visiting Dax's parents. His Dad had heart surgery 2 days prior and was there recovering before his long trip home to Saint George. We spent Friday visiting and had a lovely afternoon of shopping with the girls in Layton. I have been having contractions for months--nothing serious or painful or regular--but when I woke up Saturday morning, my belly contracted slightly harder than usual. I ate breakfast and Preslie and I ran to Target to exchange her school shoes for a bigger size. I continued to contract every so often and they were ever so slightly harder than the ones I've experienced for the last few months-- nothing that distracted the Target browsing.

We got back and loaded the car and hit the road to go see my parents for a bit while we were close by. We visited them and ate lunch and the contractions increased in force ever so slightly again. I really didn't think a lot of it but I wanted to get home so I could rest in my own house and be ready just in case I went into labor in the next few days. We got in the car and began our journey home. I started timing the contractions in Parley's Canyon--about 9-11 minutes apart and not too painful. During the 2.5 hour drive, the pains were constant but not horrible.

We got home and I got in the shower (just in case this was the real thing I wanted to be 'ready'). The warm shower eased the contraction pain and afterward I layed down to rest to see if they would calm down. They were now 6 minutes apart and harder to move and talk during them. I had Dax pack a bag for me and called the OB department and asked them if I could go in (and NOT be sent home). I called my Mom and told her that she may want to come out. Then Dax asked me if he could go pick up the flags with the scouts for about 20 minutes. I almost said no (I should have!) but said ok, that's only like 3 or 4 contractions. He went out and called me a few minutes later and asked how I was doing. I told him to come home! I went outside and asked my neighbor if she could watch my kids for me. Just then Dax pulled up and was having a great time joking around with his Priest quorum but one look at my face and he knew the joking was over.

I went and sat in the car while he grabbed the bag and our pillows. By now the contractions were really hard; all I could do was close my eyes, hold really still and breathe. Each bump in the road felt like a body slam from a brick wall. We got to the hospital, checked in, and walked down the long hall to labor and delivery. It was quiet in there and the nurses were sparse. I just quietly clutched the desk as the nurse asked me questions and filled out paperwork. As we were shown to a room, I mentioned an epidural and the nurse that was hooking me up to the monitors said that if I was 4-5 centimeters then I could get one. But that was after blood/urine tests, an IV, and 2 bags of fluid and perhaps a walk around the hospital for an hour. I was thinking, "I cannot move/talk/think during my contractions. I can't walk for an HOUR!" Then the nurse saw the monitor that was drawing my contraction curves and said, "OK, that one was pretty hard. I think you are staying here." Uh, yah.

Another nurse came in a checked me and just as I was praying to be 4 centimeters she said, "You're a 7, maybe a little more." Dax started laughing out of surprise and a rush of both relief and horror surged through me as I was indeed dilated enough to get an epidural but there wasn't much time if I were to get one. "Can I get the epidural now?" I said. The nurse left to go call the anesthesiologist and I started crying. Dax made no promises to me, just reassured; he was not convinced I would be getting my epidural.

The nurse came back and said the anesthesiologist is on his way, he lives 7 minutes down the road. He may have to give me something besides an epidural just because of how close I was to delivering but he was coming. "Will it work?" I asked. "It works pretty well."

Not convinced.

He gets there and gives me 2 options and I pick epidural (of course). By this time my contractions were almost unbearable so the best thing to do at that point is to sit indian style on a hard hospital bed and curl up into a tight ball around my painful, huge abdomen and hold completely still. Suddenly, I got incredibly hot and my face started sweating; the nurse and Dax dabbed my face with wet paper towels. The anesthesiologist was really fast thankfully, and the epidural took the edge off almost immediately. It was amazing the relief I felt physically when I didn't have to feel all the blows the contractions were dishing out. I could still feel some pain and a LOT of pressure, but it was so manageable now.

And then with another contraction, BOOM--my water broke. (I can't remember if that was pre or post epidural, but it happened sometime in there)

The doc came in and I started pushing. I have never felt that tremendous pressure before. During all my other deliveries, I couldn't feel a thing. This time around, I could still feel my left leg! It was cool to be able to feel what was going on. But not too much of it.

Our baby girl was born just after 10pm ushered in by fireworks from all around the state. She is a doll and we are so grateful.