Due to the nature of this pregnancy, I was scheduled for a C-section on April 2, 2008. We had an appointment on April 1 (yes April Fools day) for an amnio. Now this is where the stick a huge needle into your stomach to measure the fluid.
My mom had flown into town on Friday night and we picked her up at the airport. The moment she saw me she cried as she said, "my baby is having a baby." This was an amazing time. Yale's mom was preparing for aunts and cousins to arrive at the hospital. His father had flown in from Arizona, and the two Nana's Yale's step mom's were eager to meet my mother and see this baby come into the world. In short, there was major excitement, and, every one organizing to be there on the scene, to be the first to hold the baby. Oh, you didn't miss a thing, everyone wanted to be the first.
If there is one thing I notice, it's that when your parent knows you are having a baby, their ego's get inflated and they want a first row seat. Your spouse becomes an obsolete object. Yale's mom wanted to be the first to hold the baby, my mom wanted to be the first to hold the baby, Yale's step mom's wanted to be the first to hold the baby, and all of a sudden Yale and I didn't even exist. It's not intentional or mean, it's the way it is. Everyone is excited, and so you just have to be prepared in your mind, that, you are going to let some one down. Because, after all, it's you and your partner that get to hold the baby first.
Now, back to the story, April 1, I wake up at 5:30 AM to start getting ready for the 8:30 AM amnio. I turn on the TV and the first thing I notice, is The Wiz is on. The Wiz. is the movie where dad played the Wiz. So, I laugh to myself and thank dad for making is presence known. I decide to switch to the music channels and I find the "atmospheric" station. Now, wouldn't you believe the song playing is called, Lotus. I pat my belly and say, "Hello Lotus, we hear ya baby."
Yale, his mom and my mom all go to hospital for the amnio. We walk up to counter for check in.
"Hi, I'm Rain Pryor, and I am hear for my amnio."
"Rain, Pryor, okay, hmmm, there doesn't seem to be an appointment scheduled for you today." Said the receptionist.
"Really? Because, I am having a c-section tomorrow and I know I need one. Right?" I'm beginning to get a bit nervous.
"Well, just have a seat in the waiting area and we will get you as soon as possible." The recptionist smiles.
"Thank you." I say with great relief. Yale puts his arm around me and says,
"It's going to be alright baby." his words make me feel safe and warm.
We all gather in the waiting area and there is a crossword puzzle from the day before on the table. Yale's mom picks it up and begins to look at it. There is one answer already filled out. I hear her gasp. She hands Yale and I the crossword. The answer filled out is, (and I am not making this up) Lotus. My mom sings the song from the Twighlight Zone.
Sure enough we get called in right away into the examining room. I lay on the bed and lift my shirt. The nurse says to us, "She's going to have an ultrasound first." We're all too excited about the moment that my mom and Yale's mom get to see the baby, we don't notice that the nurse has a strange look on her face. Then we hear, "Oh my."
"What is something wrong?" Yale is very matter of fact. He's in nursing school and treats all medical situations like he's making his rounds.
"Well, your amniotic fluid is low. The doctor is going to be here in a minute."
"What does that mean?" I say feeling really lame and very nervous. "Is the baby okay?"
Just then the doctor comes in and looks at the ultra sound. "Your amniotic fluid is low. Your water broke."
"What? My water broke?!" I am in shock. I thought I was supposed to know when my water broke. Everyone mumbles the same thing.
The doctor who wasn't my doctor but a partner, now tells us she is going to have to deliver this baby in the next thirty minutes. HOLY S@&%!
Talk about a great way to defuse all the "who's going to invited to hospital" crap.
We couldn't believe it. We all agreed that the signs that morning were all pointing to Lotus's arrival. This is one of those coincidence you just can not ignore. You can try but, come on, The Wiz, the song on the music station, the crossword puzzle?
What I still couldn't get over was that my water broke. How dumb could I be? I guess I was waiting for a gush, a flood that filled the floor beneath me, the mucus plug in the toilet, strange color urine. I had no idea. All I remember was saying to my mother on Saturday night that I thought I was having contractions. She suggested I call the doctor, and I told her that I had gone so many times this past month it most likely was Braxton Hicks and , I'll wait till Monday.
*ALWAYS TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS
I guess what I realized was that, I had never thought to ask them to check my amniotic fluid. I was always waiting for what you hear about in the movies or on TV. The big gush. But, mine was more of trickle and I mean really it was like so small and uncertain that I had no idea.
This is my lesson, and I hope it will help someone out there who thinks they are crazy for going to the hospital for ever pang while in the third trimester. GO! Feel your feelings and allow yourself to be wrong IF you are. Don't allow yourself during this time to be ruled by what you think is logic. There is no logic to birth. Lotus arrived when SHE wanted to, on April Fools day and brought us all laughter and hope.
Such a good story. That's one for the baby book. The trickle of your water breaking is pretty common, a lot of women think that they're leaking but if they smell it (eww! I know) they find that it doesn't smell like urine. No worries, you'll know the next time. :)
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