37 Weeks 3 Days: How We Didn’t Make It to 40 Weeks

I’m sitting here with such a heart overflowing with love and gratitude.  A little sleeping baby, swaddled up and with a full belly, lies on the couch to my left on the couch.  It’s day 7 of this amazing journey.

If you’ve been following our pregnancy updates, you will know that Titus was not due until what had been finally determined as September 30 (They bumped his due date up a few days at our 36-wk ultrasound).  The doctor told me on Monday, September 9, at our last appointment before she went on vacation, that she didn’t think we’d make it to 40 weeks.  She was right. 🙂

Here’s our story:

Thursday morning (9/12) started off a little rough, as I was having a few more contractions than I had experienced previously.  I could feel that Titus has shifted down more, and I woke up with an slight “stomach ache”-ish feeling.  I had been having contractions (Braxton Hicks) off and on throughout the last few weeks, but they were not painful and half the time, I didn’t know they were taking place (The doctor identified them as happening, and I was unaware…multiple times)

I went to work, but the discomfort continued, and after a just feeling “off” all day, I decided to leave work early and head home.  As I left work, I decided that if that contractions were coming a little harder now, it was time to go get the car seat and a few other things I had neglected picking up so far.  As I walked around Target for a bit, I felt better and better, and by the time I got home around 5 pm, I was feeling fine, and the contractions had let off completely.  I was a little bummed.

Adam left for a fire call, and I decided to relax and put my feet up.  If this baby wasn’t coming after all, the whole day had just been uncomfortable for “nothing” and a little down time would do me well.  The downtime did not last long.  Adam texted me and said he’d be home soon, and I headed downstairs to start dinner. I used the bathroom first … and my water broke… or did it?  People seem to always know when their water broke, and it must be because their body starts contracting right away.  Mine did not.  In fact, I stood there for a second thinking “what was that?”  Then, the contractions came, 4 minutes apart, and I knew that was this was the real deal.  I attempted to relax by walking around the house and thinking about what I should have packed pack for a hospital bag, realizing I didn’t need much and all the baby clothes were at my mother-in-law’s getting washed.

I laugh now that I didn’t just call Adam on his cellphone, but I texted him to know his ETA.  I didn’t want him running out of the fire department overly excited.  After all, this was probably not my water breaking… right??  I must be mistaken, right?

Adam said he’s be home in 7 minutes, and I was watching the windows in 6.  He pulled in and he and Aaron sat in the car talking for a few minutes.  The contractions were regular and hard now, but there’s something overly dramatic to running out the car and freaking both of them out with the *chance* that my water broke and I’m in labor.  Call me silly, but I texted Adam, “Can you come in the house please?”  Realizing that might cause alarm, I added a second text: “Casually.”  Everyone including myself laughs when I think about that and how that was far from a casual request if I was asking that he come in casually. lol oh well, I was trying so hard to focus and be non-alarmist.

When I explained to Adam that I thought my water broke, he quickly packed a night bag for himself and called his mom; we headed to the hospital right away.  Well, it’s a good thing that we did!

By the time we got there, I was in serious pain with every contraction, and they were edging 3 minutes apart.  Walking was uncomfortable, talking was hard, and breathing was a chore.

Adam had called ahead, so as soon as we got to the ER, they got us triaged and called for the maternity ward to come get me in a wheelchair.  We made it to a small room, where they confirmed that yes, I was in labor.  Not only had my water broken, but I was now 7 cm dialated.  We were having a baby!

They moved me to the closest delivery room available, and I barely made it into the room.  I was there 2 minutes before and then my body decided it was ready to push.  I pushed for 10 minutes, as it only took 2 pushes to get his head out and 1 get the rest of him out.

Wow!  What a whirlwind!  We had arrived at the hospital at 6:48 pm, and Titus Garrett Bowman was born at 7:36 pm.

What a joy it has been to have our little man for even just a week so far. 🙂 We are overwhelmed with a new kind of love and so incredibly thankful that God has allowed us to enter this new chapter of parenthood.  Pray for us as we do.  We have a lot to learn, I’m sure, but am so grateful for His blessing, protection, guidance and love.  More updates to come (I’m sure)!!