Clark's Birth Story!

What an incredible and unbelievable entry to the world for our baby Clark!  We never thought we would be "those people"....

Early labor started the afternoon of Friday, April 5 around 3:30.  We were headed out to make a counter offer on a new home we are building and as we were getting ready I could feel some pressure and tightening in my lower abdominal area and spreading to my hips.  I remembered that we labored with Claire for 36 hours until it was considered "active" labor, so I figured we better go put in this counter offer now, before it was too late.  I had contractions about every 15-20 minutes, they took my breath away, but were bearable for the most part considering the pain of the back labor I experienced with Claire and no one around me even knew I was having them.  After we submitted our counter offer we drove out to our lot to take a look at it and then took Claire to a nearby park to play and eat a picnic dinner.  I went through contractions during all of that, but was certain we were still many hours if not days away for holding our baby boy.

We got home and the contractions continued and I found myself thinking that maybe Clark would be coming the following day, but probably not until sometime after lunch.  I ate a BIG helping of pot roast, potatoes and carrots knowing I would need lots of protein and energy to prepare for labor.

Kevin and I got Claire down to bed and I called my doula to give her a heads up.  She told me it sounded like Braxton Hicks and early labor prep and to take a bath, do some stretching, use the robozo, and try some Benedryl to allow myself to sleep and stop the practice contractions so that I could rest.

I did all of those things and by 10:45 I was in bed.  The contractions didn't stop and kept coming consistently every 10-15 minutes.  Sure enough I was experiencing back labor again and it was miserable so I was using the e-stim unit, the birthing ball and a heating pad to try to manage the shooting pains in my lower back that surged with every contraction and often times never let up in between contractions.

I told Kevin to keep sleeping because I was going to need him rested for the next day when I knew I would be totally worn out and assumed we would still be laboring all day long.  Last time we were both exhausted, so my plan was to keep him strong and rested.

By 3:00am the back labor intensified and I was really having to work hard through contractions.  I just kept imagining my birth in the big birthing tub at the birth center and telling myself if I could just get through this I would be there soon.  Kevin got up to help me by applying counter pressure which worked great in my labor with Claire, but this time I just didn't want any kind of touch or stimulation whatsoever, so I told him to stop and just go back to sleep. Oddly enough it was easier to manage the pain in complete quiet and solitude this time....plus I REALLY wanted him rested for the next day.

At 6:00am my contractions were about 5-8 minutes apart.  I woke up Kevin and told him where things were at and we decided to call my parents to ask them to come pick up Claire at 7:15 when she wakes up so that we could work through labor at home without her seeing me and being concerned that I was in pain.  I was able to talk through all of that and call my mom, no problem...just breaking to have a contraction while on the phone with her and then returning to the conversation.  Then I got dressed and did my hair.  I knew that I MUST be far from labor if I still had the ability to care about my hair and clothes and that the "emotional signposts" we learned indicated that I was hours away, if not more...or so we thought!!

I then called my doula and updated her. At this time my contractions were 5-8 minutes apart.  Technically they should be 5 min apart, and 1 minute long each for 1 hour before we go to the birthing center for a second birth...sooooooo I SHOULD have plenty of time still....or so we thought.

My doula was scheduled to go teach an 8:00am aerobics class and we discussed having her come over after her class of if I thought she should get a sub and come to me right away.  I told her I was a little concerned that things might pick up quickly because they did with Claire and that I thought she should probably get a sub for her class.  During our conversation I had a contraction that made me think I kind of felt like I was really dilating and that pushing might be a lot closer than I thought.  She told me to call Amy, my midwife to determine if we should head to the birth center or labor at home for a while before going in.

I called Amy and filled her in...meanwhile Kevin is packing the last minute stuff, Claire is waking up and I am still having contractions.  By this time I am so busy on the phone that I am still using my contraction app to record my contractions while putting people on hold, but I am not reviewing my history to see how close they are because I am actively talking to people and coordinating plans.

I tell my midwife that I am in A LOT of intense pain, I am REALLY having to work through the contractions, I am nauseaus and my legs are trembling...but I still remembered back to how difficult my first labor was and thought we could be hours even a day away from this really happening.

Thank GOD my midwife could sense in my voice that things were further than I realized and told me we needed to get to the birthing center right away.  I explained that my parents would be here at 7:15 and she said, "hmmm, you might want to have them come sooner.  I think we're going to have a baby this morning and we need to get you to the birthing center."  I was glad to hear things weren't going to take all day, so I then called my mom to tell her to get here as fast as she possibly can.

I  had become so busy scheduling things I was now unaware that my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart and did not realized this until AFTER Clark was born and I reviewed my history on my contraction app.  All I knew is that if I was able to call people and schedule all of this that I must be fine.  I was still using the app each time I had a contraction, but was so busy on the phone I wasn't reviewing the history to see how close they were.  Here was my contraction history around 6:30 in the morning...AGAIN...I had NO idea they were already this close or we would never have left the house.    WHEN I STARTED MAKING CALLS THEY WERE 6-8 MINUTES APART!  Suddenly they were only 3-5 minutes apart!  If I hadn't been so busy coordinating things and I had known we would have had the birthing team come to us for a home birth!  Leave it to me to be a "planner" during labor!!  Geesh!

I let everyone know my parents were going to be here around 7:00 and that we would leave when they get here.  After that I had a contraction that made me think we were running out of time and I could feel the baby pushing down.  All I knew is that I was not prepared for a home birth and we had to get to the birthing center.  I called my mom to see where they were, she answered me and a HUGE contraction hit and I just hung up on her so I could concentrate on the pain.  (Sorry mom!!  I love you! xoxo)

Looking back I can see that we were much closer than I realized at the time.  I now know that I have a very SHORT transition period of labor and IF there is ever a next time, I will be prepared! My expectation for pain was so high due to such a difficult and long first labor that I never imagined this story would go on as it does...

I worked through some contractions, went to the bathroom and then Kevin told me our doula was on the phone and wanted to know if I thought we could make it to the birthing center.  I told him, "Honestly, I don't know, but I think so."

I went to get my shoes on and heard my parents coming in the front door.  A contraction hit that made me realize how far along things were and I told Kevin to leave anything unnecessary...we HAD TO GO NOW!  I didn't even have the ability to stand up and look at my parents.  I just remember hunching over and walking to their car and demanding I go in the backseat so I would have more room to try to make it through these contractions.  I got into the back seat of my parents car so that they could have our car to take Claire in her car seat back to their house.

As soon as we were pulled out of the driveway a big contraction came and I told Kevin to STOP in the middle of the road.  The movement of the car combined with the contraction was absolutely unbearable.  It may have been those 2 minutes that could have made all the difference later, but at that time I had no idea what was about to happen.

I was desperately trying to find ways to get comfortable and looking back it seems like the contractions were one on top of the other, but honestly I was so concerned about getting there I can't even recall the details.

Kevin was driving with the hazard lights on and going about 65mph on the 40 mph roads.  I kid you not, we hit EVERY red light...and we couldn't run them because there was always someone in front of us and on both sides of us.  I could not believe how long it was taking to get there.

I was riding in the car leaning over the backseat with my head on the headrest facing the back window in a squatting position or on my knees since my back was killing me.  It was at that time that I remember feeling the urge to push.  I tried sooo hard not to.  I told myself that my water still hadn't broken and that I pushed for 20 minutes with Claire so were good and WE WERE GOING TO MAKE IT!!

At some point Kevin had to slam on the breaks for another red light during a contraction that I was trying to keep Clark in and the momentum of the car along with contraction and the breaks slamming were an absolute NIGHTMARE.

I started to get VERY CONCERNED WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT.

During one of the contractions I heard a pop and knew my water broke.  Oh God, this was it.  It was really happening. I felt the urge to push and it was absolutely unstoppable.  Kevin heard me and immediately recognized the "pushing sounds".  He said, "Are you pushing?" and he says that I growled, "I have to!" Kevin looked back and saw me facing the back of the car and grabbing the back of the seat and bearing down to push.

I shouted "He's coming, He's coming" and I pulled down my pants down realizing he had no where to go.  Then I shouted "I FEEL HIS HEAD COMING." We were at yet ANOTHER red light at this point and Kevin turned around and saw his entire head out.  Kevin knew we had another 3 lights to get through before we would be at the birthing center and calculated that if we hit all of them with green lights we could make it, but if we hit just ONE red light we would be too late so he made the quick decision pull into the left turn lane, run a red light and get us into a parking lot right away.

He got out of the car, called our doula and told her where we were and that I was having the baby RIGHT NOW.  He got in the backseat next to me and I said, "Why can't I hear him....What do I do???"  Kevin said, "He's not all the way out yet. "  I frantically said, "What do I do, What do I do"  Kevin with all the calmness and confidence in the world said, "Relax, take a deep breath and the next time you have the urge to push, push."  As soon as I heard that and knew that we were going to do this and Kevin was by my side I immediately pushed and he came right out.  Kevin had a towel ready to catch him with and brought him to his chest and held him close while I sat there in complete shock with my head resting on the back of the seat trying to take in everything that had just happened.  Meanwhile, my husband was my hero!  He was so calm and cool I couldn't believe it.  He never hesitated, he was strong and certain and again...just like in our labor with Claire...he was everything I needed in every moment!  I give so much credit to him.  He truly amazed me!  I love you babe! xoxo

Within 2 minutes our entire birthing team was there including our doula, midwife and nurse.  They all swarmed the car and I barely remember anything except the feeling of relief knowing that Clark was crying and alive.

We were literally TWO MILES from the birthing center.  There wasn't much more that could be done in the car, so we all headed to the birthing center where everyone helped me out of the car while I was holding Clark with his umbilical cord still attached and the placenta still inside me.  

(photo courtesy of Allen Birthing Center)

I barely remember all of this...it was just too much to take in.  I realize now that I did not have any pants on as I walked from the car into the birthing center...wow!  JUST WOW!  How on earth did this happen to us?  I think people are crazy when I hear stories like this...I would never expect to be the one telling this story.

We made it into the birthing center and up the stairs to the same room we had when Claire was born. 

(photo courtesy of Allen Birthing Center)

(photo courtesy of Allen Birthing Center)

It felt like coming home again.  I just can't tell you how much I LOVE the birthing center and the team of special women who joined us on this day to welcome Clark into the world.  We got settled in quickly to deliver the placenta and Kevin cut the umbilical cord. Meanwhile everyone was also checking Clark and I to make sure we were okay.

We were so blessed that everything went smooth and Clark was as healthy as could be.  I was completely exhausted from the experience and I think both Kevin and I were in shock of what had just happened.  I NEVER imagined he would have been born in the car.  I had planned a beautiful birth in my mind...it was going to be a big birthing tub...I was going to work through the most difficult parts of labor surrounded by the love of my husband, the best doula in the world Stacy, the most amazing midwife who I prayed would be on call and she was, Amy and our favorite nurse who was at Claire's birth, Kristen.  Somehow, they were all in place...I just had no idea that it was going to happen so fast and I was going to miss sharing this with them so much.  I never intended to have Kevin sleep through all of the labor...I truly wanted him to be a part of it and he did too, but I obviously expected it to take much, much longer.  Our birthing team told me that often times moms who experience a very long and difficult first labor are the ones who end up with stories like ours because they are prepared for the strongest of pains and the longest of labors.  This was definitely painful and long, but never reached the point of complete exhaustion and misery that we experienced in our first labor with Claire.

When I was having Clark in the car I heard every word in my mind that Amy spoke to me during my labor with Claire.  I realized a few days after he was born when I was just completely torn up that this was probably our last birthing experience and it wasn't what "I had planned" that even though Amy wasn't with us, she was still with me in my heart and in my mind.  I just can't find words to describe how special she is to our family.  I have never in my life met someone like her who has such a passion for what she does and somehow makes you feel so calm and so assured during some of the most painful and beautiful moments of your life.  So  now I am finding peace that I heard her and remembered everything she said with Claire's birth and applied it all to Clark's birth too.  We love you SO much Amy!  

The best doula ever, Stacy also joined us in welcoming Clark into the world.  I can't believe we met her over two years ago when we started our natural child birthing classes for Claire's birth.  Words just can't describe this woman.  An amazing mother of four young children who somehow finds a way to be there for you at the drop of a hat!  She is my go-to person with parenting/nursing/child birthing/you-name-it, even baking questions!  I admire her so much and soooo wanted to share this entire birth experience with her and have her by our side.  God had other plans, but we are so grateful she joined us at the birthing center and welcomed Clark into the world with us after he made his grand entrance!

Our birthing team cared for us all and then gave us a while to rest and catch up with everything that had  happened.  After that we completed all of the standard procedures and they asked us if we had a time of birth for his birth certificate...Kevin and I just looked at each other and laughed since that was obviously the last thing on our minds when we was born in the car!  We looked back at the time calls were placed on cell phones and determined his time of birth was 7:25 am!  He weighed 6 lbs, 13.5 ounces and had a full head of hair!

Amy getting all of Clark's measurements and checking his heartbeat. 

She gave his hair a good washing and he looked beautiful!  He seemed to love it too!

By 11am we were visiting with our birthing team and texting the news to everyone that Clark was here and was born in the car and bonding with our sweet baby boy!  

Not long after that it was getting close to lunch and I was ravenous!  We had finished up everything at the birthing center and said our goodbyes to the best birthing team ever!

Deciding where to go to lunch was next on the agenda!  While I was really craving a big meal at the famous Babe's Fried Chicken, it was further than I wanted to go so we settled for a quick lunch a Raising Cane's!  

While we were at the booth an employee was admiring Clark and asked us how old he was...when we said he was 5 hours old and was born in the car earlier that morning it created quite a stir!  Before we knew it the manager was at our table wanting to hear the story and offering us 3 gift cards for free meals for bringing in the youngest person to ever come to Raising Canes!

After lunch we all went home and took a nap!  That is the story of how our family of 3 became 4!  It wasn't what we planned...and it was wild and crazy, but it was still beautiful.  It's still hard to believe it happened so fast, but by the grace of God, we all made it!  

Welcome to the world baby Clark!