I Gave Birth in an Ambulance in My Front Yard: "There's a baby in those pants" - Journals

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I Gave Birth in an Ambulance in My Front Yard: "There's a baby in those pants"
Apr 23, 2008 at 3:48 AM
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- liz1918
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You've waited paitently for me to painstakingly poke this out with a baby on my chest and now I will end the anticipation....here is my birth story.

I went in Friday for my check up convinced that I was in labor. My doc was at the hospital on a delivery and I saw the nurse practitioner instead. She checked my cervix and I had not changed since the last visit so I was given a non-stress contraction test, checjed again and told that I wasn't contracting but was maybe a little softer. My choices were 1) go to Knoxville and have another non-stress test and get pain medicine for my back or 2)go home, walk, come back in a hour and get checked again.

By the time I got home it seemed pointless to go back for nada so I went walking and hoped that it would yield some progress. Four miles around the park later I'd only had a handfull of contractions so I went home made some dinner, cleaned up and settled down to watch a movie with Doug. I had a few contractions but realized none were regular so I didn't even bother to time them. We were watching the movie when I started having back pains again, so I showed Doug where it hurt and how to apply pressure just so.

All of the sudden, maybe a half hour after the pain began I started to contract. He rubbed my back through the contractions and we started to time them, still no reguarity but we decided to go any how. I went to change my clothes and get my stuff ready and then into the kitchen for a drink when-major contraction hit me and my water started flowing. Time to hurry, no, time to call the ambulance Doug wasn't sure we'd make it. There was no way I was going anywhere in an ambulance! We argued about it for a minute but then the contractions hit and I was screaming in agony and he called anyway. His logic I wasn't going to make the two hour drive and I was screaming and that's what'll cause a wreak.

11:16 he dialed 911 explained to dispatch that I was in labor and he didn't think I was far from delivering and asked that they please hurry. In between contractions I kept trying to get dry clothes on but once waters busted open like that it's impossible to do...next thing I know I have no clean pants to wear so I grab Doug's grinch pj pants and throw them on. Next contraction they were soaked and he could see the ambulance at the bottom of the hill--at the wrong house! So Doug takes off to get the ambulance and I decide I'm coming outside to meet them as opposed to the embarassment of the neighborhood, all awake because of my screams, seeing me carted out on a stretcher.

I stopped in the door to change and felt the urge to push, I pulled the pants down and felt, no baby, i was okay. Heck I figured I was maybe 7cm and about to go into transition, I wasn't in a hurry. I held the wall and tried not to push. Evelyn walked up behind me and asked, 'are you poopin' mama?' I felt back down and realized I must be about to crown so I said to her, 'nope that's the baby' and out onto the porch I went.

I was trying to walk down the steps when the ambulance pulled up. My husband and a paramedic lifted me onto the stretcher, urgh! remember I didn't want to have the neighbors see me on the stretcher! They lifted me into the back and I told them I was sorry but I couldn't hold it anymore I had to push. So the emt shut the door and told his partner and I that we'd need to get my pants off if I was thinking I would deliver. As he spoke I grabbed those convient handles they hold to roll you with and arched into a push. When he finished speaking and reached for the pants I said "be careful there's a baby in these pants" Surely they didn't believe me but with that she finished coming out and started crying. The time was 11:30.

The emts were shocked but I was relieved! No more pain!!! I reached down and picked my daughter up and put her to nurse as the emt got a towel and handed it to me to wipe her off. The only ob kit in the ambulance had a blue cap and blanket so I wrapped her in blue and asked where I could deliver my placenta to. I took care of that real quick and asked for my husband.

At this point he and the neighborlady are standing at the doors peeping in the windows and holding my other daughter up to see. The emt opened the door and let Doug in and I appologized for doubting his judgement on calling in an ambulance. I showed him (and the rest of the neighborhood who were now gathered around the ambulance) our daughter, we said our I love yous and off we went. I guess in the end I got my home birth....sorta.

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Apr. 23, 2008 at 3:55 AM What a beautiful Baby girl! That is a great birth story, wished I hear it when I was preggies with my son. hehe. Thank you for that I needed some cheering up.

Candy79

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Apr. 23, 2008 at 4:02 AM

Wow! what a crazy delivery!

Cheryle

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Apr. 23, 2008 at 4:09 AM You have an amazing story to tell your little one!!

hughesmommie

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Apr. 23, 2008 at 11:30 AM What a great birth story. Don't you hate that when the hospital sends you home, & you know you will be giving birth soon? That is awesome thank you for sharing. I'm glad you & the baby are ok & are home safe now. hugs, prayers & congrats again.

WeaselsWoman

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Apr. 23, 2008 at 11:38 AM OH wow! I laughed, I cried..That's an awesome birth story and you daughter will be able to tell her version , too..Oh Liz! I love you, you are strong and HYSTERICAL!