Timeline Part 2
See Part 1 if you’re looking for what happened before.
3:07 - I park my car illegally. Midwives reassure me that “they don’t ticket at night”.
3:10 - We get into the labour room. Wifey’s still having some pretty rough contractions (obviously). Baby’s not moving much.
3:35 - Gynecologist stops by, briefly. She’s got crazy red lips, and wifey tells me she looks like a vampire. Puts on a front cover apron and goggles, but parts of her face are uncovered (will be relevant later).
4:05 - Gynecologist is back, wants Wifey in a really uncomfortable position. Thermal light is making her really hot too. Cold compresses constantly, and contractions are happening this entire time.
4:06 - My wife pees on the gynecologist. Oops. She’s not impressed, especially since she wasn’t fully covered. Asks for a catheter to drain the bladder. That process looks extremely painful.
4:30 - Contractions are getting more and more spaced out because her body’s just tired. OB wants to try forceps, and to prepare for that, she wants to prescribe an epidural. We were hoping to avoid that, but it’s been a long night.
4:40 - Bloodwork comes back with a low platelet count, making an epidural impossible. We’ve got mixed feelings about that.
5:05 - The nurse tells us that we’re going to a different room. Wife and I exchange glances. The nurse claims it’s “cooler and more comfortable.” We’re not five years old, we can figure out where this is going;
5:08 - We arrive in a sterile looking room that is quite chilly. Wife asks if it’s the C-section room. Nurse replies that there have been natural births here before. Sigh. Was hoping to avoid a C-section. She signs a form saying that we’ll try forceps and then C-section.
5:15 -
5:45 - Anesthesiologist is introduced, and is mid-sentence explaining the procedure. My wife politely interjects “One second”, and then goes into one of the biggest contractions yet. She’s so considerate! He never does finish his speech.
5:49 - First forcep is inserted. The doctor can’t get the second one in though, so she goes for a one forcep turn of the baby’s head.
5:50 - Nurse tells me to look away as the gynecologist performs an episiotomy. Her timing is a little off, as by the time she finishes speaking, the procedure’s done. I’m still okay though, I don’t really get nauseated by blood.
5:52 - I see the doctor asking people to prepare for a C-section. I’m pretty worried for my wife at this point. Fortunately, she manages to get the second forcep in and locked, and tells my wife to push with all she’s got!
5:54 - I was a little bit kidding about being okay with blood, as the crowning process spurts blood right onto my face. My inner voice says “eew”, and my outer face says “You’re doing great!”
5:56 - BABY! I cry and tell her it’s a girl! She asks for the time and gasps out “I won!” Cord is clamped and cut, cord blood is drained, for donation or testing. Leia’s here! She’s taken off for examination and cleaning! Placenta is birthed, everything’s stitched up, skin to skin contact, yay!
7:00 - We’re back in the labouring room. It’s nice to take a breather. Incredibly, this tiny human being just popped into our family! I’m so exhausted and excited.
7:30 - I don’t want to get a ticket, so I drive my car intending to clean up the mess that we left at our house. I arrive to an incredibly spotless house, all the garbage and everything taken out, sheets laundered, our old laundry FOLDED; Lillian, Melodie, and Jonathan are incredible!
I have nothing left to do but head back to the hospital, so I bring along a sleeping bag so I can get some rest. I spend some time with Leia and mom, and our first visitor arrives while I’m passed out on the couch. PT played the “pastor card” to get into the room outside visiting hours. Melodie and Jonathan stop by with some delicious food, and a board game. Mommy tastes sushi for the first time in a loooooooooong time. Later in the evening, we get a notice that both the Record and CKCO (Kitchener CTV) want to do an interview with people who had a baby on the same day as Prince George was born. We shrug our shoulders and agree, and wonder aloud if everyone on the floor is getting interviewed. Apparently, we’re the only couple that speak English, and everyone else needs an interpreter, so we’re the only ones! How strange. They just want to localise the story though, so we think, “Why not?” It’ll be a fun story for Leia.
Nurses spring into action! Our room is spotless in no time. I’m amazed at what can be tidied, and Emily’s changed and straightened in anticipation for the media visit. When the hospital’s media correspondent comes out to see us, he takes down our names. When he passes those names to the newspaper/tv studio, they laugh and see the tie in with the Prince and Princess name! They come and ask us a few questions, and then we’re done.
Later in the evening, we have some more visitors, and then family visitors! We’re both exhausted after, and wake up several times to comfort Leia. We head off after lunch the next day, then circle back when we realise that we’ve forgotten flowers! After leaving for the second time, we finally make it home, ready to begin a new life as a family of three! It’s been a wild ride, and there has been so much that has happened since. I’ll be sure to post it all up somewhere, and we’ve got a ton of photos. Thanks to everyone for all their gifts and support, and we ask for your prayers that we’ll be successful and godly parents.