A Birth Narrative

Monday started like any other day. Isaiah woke up early, we stumbled out of bed, and after breakfast, showers, and shoes, we dropped him off at the sitter's house so we could go to the OB in Tupelo. This being the week that the baby is due, we certainly hoped that it would be our last time at the OB. Since we live in Oxford and were planning on delivering in Tupelo, we were anxious about making it to the hospital in time because Corrie has rapid labors. So, as we head to the OB appointment, the faintest hope lingers with us that maybe she will go in to labor while we're there....but that's a hope you don't talk about or else you'll jinx it.

We go to the OB. The visit is quicker than usual, and our doctor states with confidence that he expects to see us later in the week. With some time on our hands, and no need to hurry back to Oxford, we decide to stroll around the mall before we leave, just to see what happens. After a couple of laps, we're hungry. Dates are few and far between for parents of little babies, so we decide go on a lunch date, knowing it might be our last for quite some time. Corrie loves Olive Garden, and since she's the one carrying a baby, we go there.

While we're eating, Corrie begins having some contractions. This is nothing new, she's been having some contractions for a week or more, but she says these are noticeably different. They continue throughout the lunch, so we figure we better stick around Tupelo a little longer. As we walk around Best Buy, they continue. As we walk through Tuesday Morning, they continue. As we walk back to the car, they continue.

At this point, we begin putting in to effect all the contingency plans for when this happens. I call my sister (Aunt Riri) in Birmingham, who is assigned the most important responsibility of retrieving and caring for Isaiah. We also notify family members, so they can begin to make their descent from VA and NC.

The contractions aren't too consistent or too strong yet. We need a place to relax before going to the hospital. Several friends work at a nearby church, we make our way there. They give us a room with a couch and wireless internet, where we spend the next couple of hours watching TV shows on hulu.com.

Corrie begins to noticeably wince with every contraction, the sign that it's time. The hospital is 10 minutes away. In triage, they inform us that she has progressed and since the contractions are more consistent and stronger, this is the real thing. The time is 3:30pm.

Around 5:00pm our friend and doula, Corinne, arrives from Oxford with our hospital bag, some granola bars, and the birthing ball. Corrie is all about natural childbirth and the ball proves to be a critical instrument in dealing with labor pains. Soon after Corinne arrives, the contractions become stronger, longer, and closer together.

The staff at the Tupelo Women's Hospital are super supportive, allowing Corrie to labor standing up, sitting on the ball, and even on the toilet. They come in every 30 minutes to check the baby's heart rate, but that's all we really see of them.

At 7:00pm, the contractions are coming on pretty strong and pretty close together and by 7:45pm they're every couple of minutes and so strong that Corrie requires intense concentration and deliberate breathing to make it through each one. Her water has not broken yet, but we know it will eventually.

At about 8:15pm, Corinne suggests that Corrie go to the toilet. Corrie states emphatically that that is not an option (as standing and moving is extremely painful by this point), but with some coercing and encouragement she makes her way there. Almost immediately after sitting down, her water breaks, and she stands up screaming, "I HAVE TO PUSH!" For those who know Corrie well, she never screams. Even the capitalized letters I use to quote this don't capture the intensity of this exclamation.

Corinne yells for a nurse out the door.

I help Corrie back to the bed.

All the while she is screaming that she has to push.

When she lays down, we see that she's not kidding. The baby is crowning.

Corinne helps Corrie not to push as the nurses hurry to prepare the room for delivery. The doctor is on his way from a waiting room down the hall.

The bed is not broken down, the nurses are not prepared, the doctor is not in the room.

With the next contraction, Corrie can't help but push and the head emerges. At this point, I declare, "HE IS HERE!" All the nurses turn around and Dr. Young comes out of nowhere placing a hand on the head and clearing the airway.

The next contraction is upon us before anything else can be done, and with a 2nd push, Ezra makes his appearance in to the world.