I woke up at 3 a.m. with really bad cramps. I thought, surely these are just braxton hicks contractions and couldn't be the real thing. At the same time I had always heard that if I couldn't talk or do anything through the contractions it was probably time to go to the hospital, which these were strong enough I was not able to do anything but focus on breathing and getting through these "cramps". I had a contraction timer app on my phone and thought I would chart them for an hour and see what they did before waking Tyler up. At 4:02 a.m. I couldn't stand it anymore and woke Tyler up. I showed him the contractions and continued to have them very regularly and very close. So we were laying in bed, on one phone he was charting my "cramps" and on the other phone he was googling "how to know if your wife is in labor"... He called the nurse line back in Des Moines and told him my contractions were lasting 1-2 minutes and were 2 minutes apart. She told us we should go to the hospital now. At which point I still didn't think I was in labor, so I refused to go to the hospital.
About 4:30 Tyler finally got very authoritative and said get your stuff packed, we're going to the hospital. (He took the room key, because he was convinced we would be back to the hotel later that day). Once we were in the car and I was mid-contraction Tyler said, "why don't you google a hospital". I looked at him and said NO. He pulled our GPS up and searched hospitals, at .7 miles away was Hennepin Hositpal. I told Tyler I didn't like the name of that hospital and to keep searching. (Come to find out Hennepin is the county hospital and is in a VERY BAD section of Minneapolis). We settled on Abbott Northwestern, which was just a couple blocks away. Contractions were still coming very frequently and it didn't help Tyler thought he was Dale Earnhart Jr., hitting every pothole and running red lights left and right...
We got to the hospital and had to enter the emergency room entrance as it was still considered after hours. When we get to the security guard he asks what we are here for, to which Tyler responds "I have no idea..." I look at the guard and he says, "Ohh, labor and delivery...take a left and then a right, you'll see the carpet change and then keep going...blah,...blah...blah" All I heard was that the labor and delivery floor was really far away... Every couple minutes I had to step to the side and breath through the contractions, only to look up and see that Ty is 15-20 feet in front of me. At one time he turned around and said, "Let's go, let's just get to where we're supposed to be going and then you can stop". (he was afraid I was going to have the baby right there in the hospital hallway...)
Finally we got to Labor & Delivery, checked in and were in our room. She checked me and said, "you are 4 cm dilated, 80% effaced, and the baby is -1" she looked at Ty and said, "and you're having a baby today". To which Ty responded, "Ohh, F&#%". She asked if I wanted any pain medications and at this point I was still going to try to go as naturally as possible. Almost immediately after that we heard a lady screaming at the top of her lungs in a couple rooms over. Ty and I both looked at each other with wide eyes and then looked at the nurse and asked if she had pain medications. To which the nurse responded no. That is when I requested an epidural. In less than 15 minutes I had the best epidural, I could still feel and move my legs, but I didn't feel any of the contractions.
The reality that we were going to have a baby today and we were in no way prepared hit us. We didn't have our camera, we didn't have any baby gear with us, both our phones were about dead because we forgot our charger. Here we we were going to have a baby and no way to document it! Definitely not how we had this moment played out in our heads! Tyler went down to the gift store to try and buy a disposable camera, only the store didn't open till noon. That was our game plan--don't go into labor until Ty has chance to buy a camera and in the meantime, see if a nurse has an iphone charger (which we found one!)
The nurse then talked to us about our labor, since I was not 36 weeks yet, (I was 35 weeks and 5 days) I would have to deliver in the operating room and they had a room right next to it where they would take Harper as soon as she was delivered. She then told us that Harper would go right up to the NICU and then later that day I would be able to see her. That's when it really sank in for Ty and I that this wasn't going to be a normal delivery and I wouldn't be able to see Harper immediately after she was born, they would not put her on my chest and Harper might have quite a fight to live on her hands. The nurse reassured us that this was the best hospital to deliver a preemie, because they had one of the best children's hospitals in the Midwest. The doctor estimated her weight to be somewhere between 5 and 6 lbs. The number 5 really scared Tyler and I because it made it so real that this could be a long fight for Harper.
At 6 a.m. they checked me again and said I was 6 cm. Ty asked when we should call our parents and she said, you will probably have the baby by noon. We called our parents (my mom was in Omaha and Ty's parents were in Illinois for their anniversary). Both sets of parents were shocked, but started the long trek to Minneapolis.
At 8 a.m. they broke my water and told me I was 8 cm dilated and told me it could be any minute that I would be ready to push. Ty took a nap and I was too anxious and started calling and texting everyone in my phone. By 11:30 they were wheeling me in the operating room to deliver. The two rooms were filled with doctors and nurses, which made me really nervous and acutely aware that this may not be a normal delivery. The entire time I was pushing all I remember thinking was how hungry I was, how I needed a glass of water, and how incredible intense my heartburn was... When they pulled Harper out the nurses and doctors said, "HOLY COW SHE'S HUGE!" Ty then said, "whew, I've got to take a breather" and stepped away and started stretching. They whisked Harper to the next room where they let Tyler go in. Tyler said nurses were shouting "I've got eyes", "baby's breathing", etc. He said it was a lot of commotion and people running all around the baby. In the next room I heard the best sound--Harper wailing at the top of her lungs. Since Harper was so developed for being early and appeared to be in good health they laid her on my chest for literally a minute and then took her upstairs.
In the last 4 weeks of pregnancy babies gain brown fat which is located on the back of the neck and shoulders. This brown fat helps them to regulate their temperature and blood sugar levels. Since Harper was born prematurely she did not have her stash of brown fat, which made it difficult for her to regulate her blood sugar levels. By day 2 she had it figured out and was affectionaly called "The Linebacker of the NICU" by her daddy. :) We were very fortunate that Harper was healthy and strong and didn't have to spend more than 3 days in the NICU. Also shows you what kind of determined, strong-willed, opinionated women Tyler now has to deal with. :)
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