Baby, Bathrooms and BAM!

Have you ever had a friend ask you to ‘be available’ just in case you might be needed?  How often are you actually… really needed.  Well, Jessi, a co-worker and occasional reader of Exit133, had one of those ‘really needed’ moments this week.  I thought I’d share…

Yesterday morning Jessi received a call from her soon-to-have-a-baby-in-8-days friend Jeanette.  She mentioned that her contractions were twenty minutes apart and getting stronger. Jeanette would call back in a hour to let her know when the contractions got closer. Minutes later she called to say they were coming fast and furious and have progressed to 3 minutes apart. Jeanette’s husband is out of town and Jessi was the back up person to take her to the hospital.  Jessi throws on some clothes frantically rushes out the door.

When Jessi arrived Jeanette was at a the top of the stairs breathing through her contractions and saying that she wanted to use the bathroom. 

“I asked her to wait until I could look to see how close the baby was… and sure enough I saw a dark hair crown peeking from my dear friends central pain zone if you know what I mean.  I’m good at multi-tasking, but driving a pregnant lady to the hospital while the baby’s head is actually visible to ones eye is not one of my skills.”

Jessi made the executive decision to call 911, laid her down on the floor of the bathroom, gathered towels & pillows, and worked through her contractions until the paramedics could arrive.

Jessi thought to herself “OK self stay calm, listen to 911, be strong for her.”  Push 1.2.3 (threeeeeeee).  Here she comes, be calm.  Take slow breaths, breath, breath repeat until next contraction.

They repeated the push sequence above and a head popped out “like a gopher.” Slightly blue they couldn’t tell if the cord was around her neck.  She is facing down and Jessi placed her finger in her tiny mouth to clear any gunk as instructed by the 911 operator.

So push 1.2.3 (threeeeeeee) Her shoulders peeked out for a split second. They hear sirens and notice the cord around her neck.  “Don’t pull the cord just untwine her from her neck I think to myself…” and the 911 operator confirmed.

Footsteps entered the hall. “Don’t pull the cord”  urged the paramedics as they turn into the door way.

”...And BAM she shoots out into this world into my hands. I hand her over to the paramedic and step aside and watch as they get her to wail her first cry. Time stands still and finally she arrives with her squeal and I stand back and look at Jeanette so proud of her courage, strength and trust in me. We are whisked away in the ambulance to the hospital. Me still holding the baby, we walk into the emergency room and the staff all watch in disbelief that Jeanette just had her best friend deliver her baby in the hall bathroom.”

Mom and baby have good bills of health and are going to be home Friday with Dad and big brother.

Crazy.

What have you done this week?