Eva's birth story
I had a few contractions during the night Friday night but nothing significant enough to make me think it was the real deal... Not even close. Early Saturday morning at around 6:30 or so I woke Jimmy up to sit in the living room with me since I just didn't feel right. I knew I wasn't in labor but something felt "off". He sat with me and we started watching a show. I had one normal contraction and then another that felt stronger at first and the stopped completely about 25 seconds into it . Again, things just felt "off". I got up to go to the bathroom and as I was walking to the bathroom I thought maybe my water was breaking because I felt something pouring down my leg. When I got to the bathroom I looked down and realized everything I felt was blood. Blood was pouring down my legs. I literally felt my heart start beating out of my chest. I screamed for Jimmy and he came running. I could tell he looked really scared. I said "call Kim now"... I talked to her and told her what was happening and she said "go to the ER now!"
Jimmy immediately called my parents to be with the other kids. Then we stopped right then and he laid his hands on my belly and prayed a powerful prayer over our our baby and my body. I was overcome with peace. We grabbed my purse, a towel and our phone charger and waited by the car for my parents.
Our kids were all still asleep in bed and so Jimmy started driving to the end of our street to wait until he saw my parents car. I started sobbing saying we can't leave the kids at home alone. (We can still see our house from the end of the street).... I'm sobbing about leaving our kids alone (for maybe 3 minutes total) and Jimmy looks over at me and says "we have five healthy strong and ALIVE kids snuggled safely in their beds and we have one in what could be very serious danger, we are doing what we have to do to".... It calmed me so much knowing he was in control and handling it.... Cause I wasn't.
When we got to the hospital things moved pretty fast and they quickly had me on the monitor and I heard the babies heart beat and felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, although I was still very uneasy in my heart. They checked me and I at a 5 which was kind of shocking because there was no other indication of labor. At that point I hadn't had a contraction in 45 minutes and total I had only had very few others in the last couple of hours. I was not in labor.
So the doctor on call came in and talked with us and she was great. She herself had VBACed successfully just a few years ago. So she was not oppositional to VBACs. She said she wanted to check me and possibly break my water. I asked for an epidural first because I was so afraid that breaking the water might move things really fast and I wanted no part of natural birth in the hospital. I wanted the comfort of an epidural. (I've done natural birth in the hospital and it was awful) anyway, the doctor said she would actually prefer I have an epidural just in case we needed to rush for CSection that part was already taken care of. I think in my heart I knew this baby was going to come CSection so I knew I needed to be prepared.
I got the epidural and she checked me and this is when things start to sort of move at lightening speed. When she checked me she realized there was basically no fluid or water to break. I was now dilated to a 7 but again hardly any contractions and not strong ones at all. When I did have contractions the baby's heart rate would decel at the end of the contraction which indicates placenta is failing. The doctor was checking me when I had the next contraction and at that contraction the baby actually moved up and away from the cervix, which is not good at all. The doctor sat down on the bed by me and she got a very serious look on her face and said "I don't like this at all, I'm not ok with what's happening here at all. I can't give you a definitive reason, it's either the uterus trying to rupture or the placenta tearing loose from the uterine wall (placental abruption) but either way it's not ok and we've got to take this baby now". That's when Kim (my midwife) came to the other side of my bed and said "I agree completely, we've got to get that baby out now"... With both practitioners in agreement I knew it was serious and we needed to take action. Honestly, my heart knew from early that morning that something wasn't right.
I started sobbing and all I can remember doing was nodding my head and saying "just get my baby here, just get my baby here"....
At that point my dad had just gotten there to bring the bag my mom packed for me and so my dad came in a prayed over all of us and that was such a comfort. Then things went into overdrive to prep for the section. The next thing I know I'm being wheeled out, giving Jimmy a kiss goodbye (can't see him until they are fully ready to cut in the OR)... And I'm being wheeled into the OR. They worked fast and started upping the meds in the epidural. They did the first poke test to see if I could feel anything and I could feel it perfect, they gave it 30 seconds and another test , I can still feel it, one more time and I can still feel. That's when the OB said "we don't have anymore time, we have to put her under, we've got to get this baby out now"
I was praying and begging God to let the medicine work so I could see my baby right then. I felt like The Lord spoke my heart and said "it's going be ok"...... So I just let it go and the next thing I know the anesthesiologist was putting a mask on my face saying (almost shouting) "big deep breathes, big deep breathes, more more"....
THEN ..... I woke up and standing at the end of my recovery room bed is my sweet hubby holding a precious bundle and saying "you have 4 daughters mama"..... I started sobbing (I know AGAIN)... But this time with sheer joy. She was perfect, the surgery was over and my big strong husband was holding my baby safe and sound! All was right with the world again.
We are so grateful for the way each step of our day was guided by The Lords hand and for the amazing midwife, doctors and nurses who made quick and sound decisions to save our sweet Eva's life. It has been a tough recovery but the pain is overshadowed by the incredible joy of holding and snuggling our little Eva. She was an instant celebrity when the five oldest came to the hospital to see her and she will always be our precious miracle baby who stole our hearts forever on May 3, 2014.
Evangeline Faith Zimmerman
May 3, 2014
8.6 pounds 20 1/2 inches
