Ruby's birth story

Grandmo had come in town to be here for Ruby’s birth. Because it was Maggie’s birthday, we were going to have dinner at a restaurant but because she was going to be driving so long and not be here until 6 pm, we decided to switch to pizza at home.

Grandmo walked in the door and we hugged. I sat down and boom! my water broke. Crazy!

Then I waited. At first, as long as I was touching my stomach, I could tell I was having contractions but I couldn’t feel them at all until around 9.30 and, even then, they weren’t uncomfortable and I wasn’t always sure. Finally around 10.30, they started getting noticeable and kinda regular. Still not too bad.

I called Betty around 12.40 am and told her they were about 4.45 minutes apart, lasting a little less than a minute. She asked if I wanted to come in and I told her I’d wait a while because, even though they’d gotten uncomfortable, I was able to completely relax between. We got off the phone and I thought about how they were uncomfortable now and I had a 40 minute drive to the birthing center and how much worse that would be if they were really bad. So I called back at 1 am and said never mind, I will come in.

So Grandmo, Maggie, and I loaded up and headed to the birth center. We got there at 1.45 am and by that time, they were really uncomfortable. I was really uncomfortable. I got in and Betty checked me. I was 2-3 cm. I was so discouraged and disappointed and scared because by this time, I was so miserable. I went and laid down and the contractions just got worse and worse. Laurie and Joann would rub my back and head and hips while I had contractions that were awful.

Around 2.30 or 3 (I think), when I would finish having a contraction, Laurie would ask me, are you pushing? But I didn’t know. I didn’t think I was but I must have been. Around this time, I threw up too. I was so miserable. I kept thinking, I can’t do this, I can’t do this. Everyone was encouraging me to pee (full bladders make for worse contractions) and get a drink of water but I was trying to be as still as possible so I kept refusing but I made up my mind that after the next contraction, I would go do all that. So I jumped up and went to the bathroom.

I felt like I was in there a while. It felt good to sit and lean forward. When I came out, I got another drink of water and Laurie had me sit on the birthing ball but I couldn’t stay. I got back on the bed on my side and I guess I started really pushing because all the sudden Betty and Megan came running in and wanted me to take off everything on my lower half. But I really didn’t think I was that advanced so I wasn’t really cooperating but they were insistent I was pushing and they had to check me.

Betty checked me and said, she’s right there, you just have to push her out. I didn’t believe her. I turned to Laurie and said, really? And Laurie, bless her, said, yes, you’re done, just push her out and you’re done.

At this point I remember thinking if I just push really hard, this will all be over. So I did and she came out in one big, on purpose push. Not quite as bullet-like as Maggie, thank goodness, but pretty fast.

And then she was here. They put her on my chest and she calmed down quickly. She had dark hair, which was surprising. Maggie ran in to see her. Poor Maggie was so exhausted. Ruby was born at 3.29 am. For the next few hours, she laid on me and nursed and everyone took pictures of her and marveled at how beautiful and sweet and perfect she was (and is).

She got her newborn screening around 5.30 or 6, I think. She weighed exactly the same as Maggie, 7 pounds, 14.5 ounces. She was 21 inches long and her head was 13 inches. I think she looks like I did as baby: squishy face and huge eyes and dark hair.