The Birth Story
Now that we’re all settled in back home, I can reflect a little bit about our newest blessing and how she entered the world. While our blog’s female audience typically enjoys reading birth stories, those of you who are men tend to check out (and understandably so!). However, if you’re willing to read on, I promise that this one is different and more interesting than most!
With most women, the more babies that they have, the quicker the labor. But unfortunately I’m not like most women. With my 3rd and 4th babies, my labor got LONGER. This time, I started feeling contractions (tightening of the uterine muscle which eventually results in the baby getting pushed out) at 5pm on Wednesday evening. After 20+ hours of labor, we decided to head into the hospital to have me examined; and discovered that I was only 2-3 cm dilated (for the uninitiated, 10 cm = “baby coming out”). At this point, my labor stalled and with a very tired body, we opted to have the nurses administer pitocin intravenously in order to speed up the labor.
Within 20 minutes, I began to experience regular contractions. Whereas up to that point I was only feeling light contractions every 20-60 minutes, I began feeling intense contractions every 2 minutes, each lasting 1 minute long, which meant I only had about one minute of respite between each one. Yet, after about two hours of this, much of which was spent walking back and forth in the hallway, the midwife said I was only 6-7 cm dilated. I was disappointed because I was already feeling that I couldn’t go on much longer. At this point, we were all thinking we were in for another hour or two before my body could deliver the baby — and I could scarcely imagine enduring another two hours of intense pain.
My midwife suggested that I take a hot shower, seated, to help me relax and because the water can help lessen the pain somewhat. With this, I agreed to step into the shower stall in the room’s private bathroom. As soon as the warm water hit my body, there was relief, even as I endured another intense contraction. At this point, the nurses and midwife went back to the nurse’s station, and Evers went back into the room to make a phone call to check on the kids. Everyone left my side so I could work through each contraction in the shower.
One minute later I felt the need to stand up from the shower stool and immediately another contraction kicked in. At that moment I yelled out, “I need to poop!” A couple of seconds later I screamed, “BABY! BABY! BABY!” The baby had slipped out of me and right onto the tile FLOOR! I was shocked. Evers raced in a split second later and scooped her (crying loudly) off of the floor (with water still running and me standing over her in a panic, with umbilical cord still attached). Right behind him came the midwife and nurses and they, with towels and other supplies, began to transfer me and the baby to the bed. As you can imagine, everyone was shocked, but calm nonetheless given the circumstances. From the time I was told I was 6-7 cm dilated to the time I delivered the baby was only less than 10 minutes. I kept asking the hospital staff if the baby’s head was alright and was reassured that she was perfectly healthy with no injuries, even after such a traumatic entry into the world.
Now, wasn’t that a grand finale? Some interesting points worth noting after such a delivery:
- Bethany is now known in this particular hospital as the shower stall baby. Thus far she’s the only shower stall baby in the hospital history.
- This kind of delivery is what I call an unattended or unassisted child birth. Evers wishes he’d been there to catch her, so he could say he did; but since he was first to hold her out of the womb, we’ll give him some credit.
- The first thing every person who attended me during my hospital stay said was, “Wow. . . so I heard. . . you had an interesting delivery.” No argument with that!
- The baby came out really clean, without the usual wipe down after delivery. No additional cleaning was needed, as she got a shower upon arrival!
And just for kicks, here’s a picture of the actual shower stall where Bethany was delivered, after it was all cleaned up. According to Evers, she was in the back right corner when he rushed in and picked her up.
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26 Comments so far
Leave a commentWOW….that is great story. I can totally hear Lois’s voice telling the story too.
Ok, I don’t know whether to be more shocked by the baby story or by the fact that you’re already UP AND BLOGGING right after GIVING BIRTH and now with 5 KIDS!!! Lois, you are supermom =) When I get back to california can you reenact the shower scene for me? I still can’t really imagine it…
Wow that’s a crazy story! I don’t know whether to be more shocked that Bethany came out onto the bathroom floor of the fact that you’re already UP AND BLOGGING right after GIVING BIRTH and now with 5 KIDS!!! Lois, you are supermom. =) When I come back to California can you reenact the shower scene for me? I still can’t really imagine how it happened…
Sorry I didn’t realize the post was already up so I submitted it again… =P
But congratulations to you both! I can’t wait to meet Ding #5!
Hi Lois!! That is an amazing story!
Wow, I can imagine Bethany telling her friend about this…for the rest of her life! I hope you are resting well with Bethany at home now!!
Congratulations to you and your family, Lois! I can’t believe you are blogging already. Well. I’ve heard of a baby shower, but this is ridiculous! What a story. I had a cousin that was born in kind of the same way – just hit the floor on the way down. He turned out to be fine, and today he is almost 29 years old. Blessing on your lovely family!
That’s a great story! I really, truly LOL.
When you first got married did Evers hold up one hand and say, “Give me Five?”
Last thing I read on your blog was about making cute hair clippies and now, you’ve gone and had a baby…in the SHOWER! You, my dear, are never bored! lol Congratulations on your new daughter. She is lovely and teeney and perfect (and already bapitsed!). I really enjoyed seeing the photos of the family admiring little Bethany Hope. Take care of yourself (or let others do that).
oh MY! I am literally staring at the screen with my mouth open. Praise the Lord that everything turned out OK. That is an amazing birth story. Amazing.
I am so glad that you are all OK and everyone is enjoying the newest little one.
~Annemarie
I’m glad you finally got around to posting this. I, mean, two days, Lois. You had two days to rest up.
Ok. Seriously, now . . .
I am glad to read it in your own words. Evers did a good job of relaying the details when he called that night but it’s always fun to hear it from the mama.
There is still much rejoicing in our household for your household.
mbps- I told Dan last night, “Lois is done being pregnant”. He asked if I was jealous. Naaaah. Ok. Just a little bit.
congratulations, evers and lois! praise the Lord for Bethany.
PTL for a healthy and bouncy daughter! =) look forward to seeing you guys in december, hopefully.
Does she have tile indentations on the top of her head? Now that would be a cool “birthmark”. Thanks for sharing.
HAHA wow
that was a great story. thank you for sharing it and it’s so good to hear from you and to know all is well. love the pictures, too!
WOW! I took two showers and it didn’t produce the baby…and it’s true memory fades cuz I can’t remember now how much longer it took. But I can read my old blog post! Congrats and take care!!
Congratulations! In the Navy we call it a “wetting down” when someone gets promoted. I’d say Bethany got hers a little early.
That will be a fun story to tell her in years to come. We are home but severely misaligned with time zones. If you need someone to blog with at 3am, call me up!
Lois, that is AMAZING!! it’s as if you went into transition and instantly the baby came out. Our Molly was born unattended also, but I was in the hospital bed, just no doctor in the room, she came out in one big push, she was so tiny.
What a blessing that she your Bethany is here and all is well.
Love, Susie
omg, that is the craziest story ever! i’m so glad both mommy and baby are okay. i guess all the pushing for so many hours didn’t go to waste
i can’t wait to meet bethany!!
You guys rock!! Congratulations and glad you baby is doing well!!
What a blessing!!!
Lois, I love you!!! you are great! have a happy thanksgiving
I thank God this happen to you. God is funny, He give you something exciting so you can share with everyone. and i really EVERYONE. what a wonderful story after a stressful day of work! I can’t stop smiling on my way home. God you are so sweet
Wow Lois!
A bouncing baby girl!
That is an incredible! We are rejoicing with you at the safe delivery of your precious little Bethany! She is adorable.
Love to you!
The Joneses
That is such an amazing story! Congrats on your new daughter!
[...] to believe that my baby just turned one. It seemed like yesterday that she entered the world with much drama and shock. It’s been a wonderful year with our sweet Bethany and I look forward to many more years [...]
[...] “Bobo” Hope, born three years ago in a hospital shower stall, is a cute girl of relatively small dimensions. She’s just now outgrowing 24mo outfits. [...]
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