From the beginning, I always thought Remi would be coming early. Her due date was January 12th. I was having slight "contractions" or tightening of my stomach starting around January 4th - a week early! So I thought for sure little girl was coming. I made it through the week and had "my last" doctor's appointment on Friday the 8th. She checked me and I was 50% effaced and 1cm dilated. So I thought I was going into labor that night or next morning because with Speight that is how it happened. I kept having tightening in my stomach, but nothing that felt like the contractions when I had Speight. Sunday night, the 10th - I couldn't sleep and was up most of the night because of the tightening, but still no steady contractions. The next morning on the 11th I definitely felt different and started to have somewhat countable contractions. They started getting closer together, for longer, but were all over the place and weren't consistent - so I thought it's not time yet. So I started timing them around 2:30pm on an app I had downloaded. By around 4:30pm - they were getting stronger so I said maybe it is time. We called Jan, Ed's mom, to come over and get Speight incase it was go time. Shortly after Jan left with Speight, I tried to wait a little longer because I didn't want to get sent back home from the hospital OR wait a whole night with false contractions. So I told Ed to go ahead and make a sandwich to make sure he wasn't hungry later at the hospital. While he was making his sandwich - I knew it was go time! The contractions flipped from bearable to intense real quick -and we still had to drive 30+ minutes to get to Clovis Community Hospital! The drive down Herndon was thee LONGEST 30 minutes of my life. Contractions were intense and definitely felt like GO TIME!
We finally made it to the hospital and we pulled up to valet and they were going to go make us park, but the dude saw I was in pain and let us keep the car there. We got out and I struggled into a wheelchair and we strolled into the hospital. When we got there I was screaming and moaning at this point, so as we were checking into the front they pretty much just let us go to the maternity ward. Once we got there - started to check in and I could barely even say my name and birthdate the pain was insane. The check in nurses seemed not concerned and were taking their time. I finally was put in a holding "corner" with a sheet pulled so the nurse could check how far I was before getting submitted to a room. They told Ed to go and park the car and grab our hospital bags. So I was alone with the nurse as she checked and she was in shock - I was 8cm and 100%effaced already! I was in disbelieve - the first thing I said was - I need an epidural ASAP! As they were rushing me into the room on the roller bed, I kept asking for an epidural and the nurse said "if there's time we will get you one." - well-knowing that nobody's got time for that! By the time I got to the room - another nurse came to check me and I was already 10cm and said I was ready to go! I wasn't even hooked up to monitors or anything yet. So as having deep, the most painful contractions they were getting me all hooked up, gave me a COVID test - sticking that thing up my nose mid contraction, AND telling me I needed to call Ed to get him back here NOW! Ed came running into the room and it was go time - the nurse said let's give pushing a try while the on call doctor is on the way. I tried pushing, while trying not to control my crazy breathing, and gave it one big push! And apparently, (Ed told me this the next day, because I was unaware) as I pushed my water broke at the same time and went ALL OVER the nurse. LOL! Ed looked at the nurse and they both played it off because they didn't want to stress me out anymore. Let me tell you what.... this was the most pain I have EVER experienced in my entire life. There is NOTHING that can compare to the contractions and pushing without an epidural, without ANY type of drug whatsoever. I got 2-3 good pushes in and I announced I was DONE. I couldn't do it anymore - and started to cry. The doctor then convinced me to push and that it would be the last time because the baby with almost out. I gave it one last push and Remi popped out!
Remi Jean Darden was born at 5:54pm on Monday January 11th, weighing 7lbs, 2 ounces and 19" tall!
I remember it being crazy emotional as the doctor put Remi in my arms. I was balling and my whole body was shaking from all the intense pain. This experience was so much more emotional feeling, being able to feel everything physically, than with Speight. I was in such relief that it was done, Remi was out, and everything checked out okay. About 10 minutes after I pushed out the placenta as well - still in an emotional state. I remember my body still shaking for about 30 minutes afterwards - the nurse told me this was normal after the body being in such pain/stress. All the pain was worth the little baby Remi that I held in my arms. This all went down so so SO quickly. Note that we left our house around 4:30, got to the hopsital at 5:00pm and Remi was out at 5:54pm! So less than an hour once we got to the hospital and only like 20 minutes or less of pushing. Remi wanted out quick!
I was able to successfully breast feed her fairly easily. The nurses checked all of her vitals and got all of Remi's measurements done. She checked out all healthy. Ed was able to help with cutting the cord and he got to put one of her footprints on his white tshirt. :)
We ended up staying in the birthing room for quite awhile because all the other rooms were full - mostly due to COVID. We finally got moved to our post birth room around midnight that night. The nurse that helped us mainly was so friendly and nice. She was able to help us get everything we needed done to get out of the hospital the next day.
As we were getting ready to leave - I guess we were the talk of the hospital - all the nurses/doctors were calling it the birth out of a movie - where the mother rushes to the hospital screaming and births the baby in 20 minutes with no epidural or no drugs. They were all super impressed that I was able to handle the pain and gave us much congrats on our healthy baby girl.
We couldn't wait to get our little girl home and to have Speight meet her for the first time! It was pure magic! I will NEVER forget the birth of Little Miss Remi Jean.
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