#3 in a series of 5

Now this is baby #3 birth story. We will refer to it as the "Drive-thru Birth" for a variety of reasons...

Once again, I went into delivery following a midnight shift. ( I know I am skipping ahead and going straight to the delivery, but it's all the same as the last one. Throwing up, home health care, IV's, ketone sticks... You get the picture. Need we review?) Walt was extremely tired. We had only been in our new house 25 days and we were up to our eyeballs in boxes. I also was once again unsure of the real labor pain thing. I had alot of Braxton Hicks with Reagan and I was not sure if this was the real thing.

I was finally convinced of the pain and decided to wake Walt. I got Jeb and Meghan ready and grabbed a few necessities, literally throwing them in my bag as I headed out the door. (Quite the contrast to baby #1 and starched pajamas!) I did notice a beautiful red rose that had bloomed overnight on my rose bush by the door.

We headed straight to the Birthing Center and I was feeling some real pain. After an examination the mid-wife felt I needed to go walk for about an hour and then come back. Well, an hour would give us just enough time to drop off Jeb and Meghan at my mom's. This was before cell phone's and the plan failed because she wasn't home.

So, we are on our way back to the Birthing Center. The pain is getting quite bad by this point and I am breathing rather hard and Jeb is in the car seat mimicking me! "Hee. Hee. Hoo. Hoo."
Not very funny to a pregnant woman in pain not wanting to deliver the baby in a Ford Explorer!

Okay, this is where the first drive-thru comes in. Walt, Jeb and Meghan all decide they are hungry for chicken nuggets. I am not kidding you. There is a pregnant woman in the car, in labor, having severe pain and Walt drove through the Burger King drive-thru. He ordered chicken nuggets my friends, and even asked me if I wanted anything. "No thanks. Not unless they have pain meds or an epidural. Could we get back to the Birthing Center NOW?!"

We are now at the 2nd drive-thru part. Walt pulled in to the Birthing Center, dropped me off, they determined I was 5 or 6 centimeters dialated and they whisked me out the back in a wheelchair. We were on our way to the hospital across the parking lot, up the freight elevator with an incubator coming down the hallway.

Now, ladies, this is my crowning glory with all of my deliveries. No epidural or pain medication! I did this one all natural and in a flash!

I would love to say it was because I was so brave, but it wasn't. It was because once I got into the room and into my nightgown, she was ready to come into this world. Drive-thru part #3.
I tried to get an epidural and pain medication, I did! The mid-wife said, and I quote, "You can't have anything for the pain, honey, your baby is crowning. You need to push." So much for that. No choice here. I think I do better sometimes with no choices. I did that time.

In fact, by the time my mom and Walt arrived to the hospital the baby was in the incubator! My mom and Walt couldn't believe it and I was just incredibly relieved!

We named Reagan late that night. Walt was rocking her. The hospital room was facing the river, where boats were covered in Christmas lights and holiday music was playing in the background. We started going through the alphabet and when we got to the letter R, Walt said Reagan. I liked it. He liked it. She was named Reagan Lane Smith. Born December 7th, 1998, weighing in at 7 pounds and 15 ounces.

Suggestion for any pregnant ladies out there...feed your man before going into labor!