Birth Story- Finley James Purser

If you wish, read on to find the birth story of our son Finley James Purser, although- I'd like to warn you that details and pictures might be slightly graphic-if this makes you uncomfortable in any way, please do not continue. 

We laid down to sleep around 10:00 pm Sunday night... about 10 minutes later I think I feel my first contraction...(maybe not, I can't decide) I continue laying there....about 15 minutes later I feel it again...weird...I start goggling  'Real Labor vs. False Labor'....about this time I get a text from my midwife saying that another one of her clients is having some activity-I write back saying that I might be having contractions but they are far apart and not intense so I was thinking that they would peter out...She writes back saying real labor will get longer and stronger and closer together and to try to get some sleep...I decide that maybe I'm just not in a comfortable position and went to sit on the birthing ball to text my sister...this is what was said...

me-I think I've had 4 contractions-10 minutes apart I think-not too intense and I don't really know how to time-just letting you know...might be Braxton Hicks-not sure...we'd have to go to the coast if I'm in labor..

her-that was alot of information

me-I know right...Just had another one..not intense at all but definitely one...

her-hmmm...should we start packing a bag?

me-debating-I haven't packed anyone here...and everyone's asleep..haven't told Paul anything just yet..Sitting on birthing ball..

her- text if anything changes and if you need me to come get P or ride with you tonight call me..

me-k

me-It's been 15 min now and no contraction-gonna lay down and try to sleep...

her- Be still and know...;)

me- :)

These messages happened between 11:21 pm-right before Midnight

I lay down...for like 5 minutes....

Then these series of texts happen with my friend Jessica...

me-Just had the 7th contraction...I feel like it's getting stronger..should I try a bath? Should I wake Paul-he knows nothing yet-I'm kinda scared just cause I don't know what's going on....

(Let me remind you why I didn't know I was in labor-With Piper I was admitted to the hospital the night before where they did Cervedil and the next morning the doctor broke my water. contractions started because I was induced...and she was spine to my spine so the labor was so intense on my back I could barely feel what was going on in the front- from both experiences- I don't recommend being induced if your planning on laboring naturally..just sayin')

her-okay text midwife and let her know what's going on and ask about a bath-If you think Paul could be a voice of reason for you-wake him

I decided to wake Paul about this time...It's about 1 AM... I go in the bedroom and nudge him around a little until he "wakes up" He looks straight at me, moves his hands behind his head like he's sitting up and says Hey babe-What's up?" I say- I think I'm having some contractions-still unsure. I don't feel comfortable in the bed so I'm gonna go sit in the rocker in the guest room for a while. Oh yeah and If I am in labor we're gonna have to go to the coast... He says okay...turns over and goes back to sleep.  I shrug my shoulders and go sit in the rocker...

It feels like eternity passes but it was probably only a couple minutes...I fell asleep and awake to our 1 year old crying out "Daddy, Daddy"...wow-I had a big contraction...I feel like her crying put me in some stress so I go sit in the bath while Paul gets up and puts Piper back to sleep....

I call for Paul to come to the bathroom(4 times) and then he finally comes...He had fallen asleep putting P back to sleep.  Trying to think logically I tell him we need to start timing the contractions with this handy app I just downloaded, because I felt like they were getting closer together...

i tell him we need to probably start packing a bag-and he asks why? i tell him because we have to go to the coast because another mom is having some signs of labor...(side note: why were we going to the coast? the midwife is 3 hours away so when 2 moms are in labor at the same time there is a cottage you have to go to, to deliver since she can't be in 2 places at once :) )

you dont remember me telling you that when i woke you up?

him-you woke me up?
me-oh dear.....

wow...2 minutes apart now..what on earth happened...we call my midwife...she says get something to eat and come on...

I got out of the bath and start packing frantically in between contractions....I would drop to the ground to make it thru the contraction then get up and start packing again for 2 minutes...then drop again...it was crazy...but we managed to get everything packed in about 20 minutes...By that time my sister comes in her van and Paul loaded everything up downstairs...He comes up to get me and P and I start being really problematic ..I run to the bathroom and sit on the toliet to have another contraction..I start taking off my shoes and ripping off my dress and tell him I have to get in the bath-(water helped me to relieve the pain slightly) 

"I don't think we're gonna make it" i tell him...

He holds my face and speaks sternly to me saying "Rachel! We're either getting in the van and heading to the coast or we're going to the hospital..." I really didn't want to end up there again so I put my shoes back on and we head out the door to the coast...

I'm having some contractions in the van but I'm managing them for the first 20 minutes or so... I think to myself If it stays like this, I think I can make it.  (The Lord was having ALOT of mercy on me at this point is all I can think of- why else would they not be so bad...I was probably about 8cm at this point...so glad I didn't know that...)

The next 5-10 minutes got really intense and I laid down in the van... Let me set the scene for you-It's pouring down rain...my sister is driving with her flashers on and we're going what feels like 150....Paul is in the back reading the literature on "What to do when the baby arrives before the midwife" and throwing out supplies(betadine and gauze-haha) onto the pallet we made of tarp and sheets in the van...Piper is blissfully unaware snacking on veggie sticks... My sister looks in the rearview mirror and sees all  of this going on  pushes the petal to the metal thinking "Oh no-we're about to have this baby in my van!" 

At this point labor is getting super intense and I ask how far we are from the nearest hospital...Forrest General was about an hour away they tell me...I ask how far we are from Jackson and Emily says 30 minutes tops...."TURN AROUND"  I say.....

Em is driving all crazy-making illegal turns and going 90 to nothing trying to make it there...We pulled into the emergency overhang at 4:01 AM....Paul jumps out and runs inside to get a wheelchair...I jump out with nothing...no shoes no purse nothing-excuse me for not remembering :)

We talk to the people at the emergency room door for a minute and then a nurse takes us up to the maternity ward... they wheel me into the admissions space to "Check in".... WHAT?????

Name?....types in computer....Social?...types in computer....Can I see your Driver's License? We don't have it...she sits there a minute puzzled about what to do since we don't have my driver's license...At this point I yell- "CAN YOU PUT ME IN A ROOM?" I'm having a baby! I have another really hard contraction....somehow I maneuver my leg up onto the seat of the wheelchair...Paul looks down and says "UHHHH- THERE'S A HEAD!"   

At this point the maternity ward looked like a true movie seen...Nurses come flying out of nowhere and I'm being rolled on 1 wheel to the nearest room....I somehow manage to get on the bed...Questions and legal papers are everywhere...I reply to most of them with "I don't know"  

They tell me to lift my hand so they can give me an IV- to which I reply NO! (I hate IV'S) They don't push it any further...AMAZING what you can get away with while being in intense labor....

I ask for an epidural to which everyone in the room laughs and a nurse says "darling he's halfway out"...I then ask for Tylenol....haha-I didn't say I was in my right mind...

He was in my arms about 2 minutes later...

It was beautiful...I had some kind of endorphines going because I said right after- "I feel great! I feel like I can get up and walk right out of here" (and I truly wanted to do that...) They allowed him to stay nuzzled on my chest for 2 hours after birth and no one asked to weigh him or bathe him or take him away in any way and I'm so thankful for that...He had a head full of dark hair and very pink in color and screaming! Perfect! 

Finley James Purser

09.19.2011

4:31  AM

8 lbs. 2 oz.

20 inches