INTRODUCING EVAN DOUGLAS CROPP

March 2,2006 - The Story of the BirthOur little bundle of joy decided to make his entry to the world 3 weeks and a day early. After a long day at work, a little shopping and dinner with a friend downtown I got home and decided that it would be a good idea to pack my hospital bag that night. I don't know why but all of a sudden I had this sense of urgency to get all the little baby clothes pre-washed and get everything ready for the impending arrival. At 9:30 I crawled into bed with Brian to unwind with a little t.v. Not 5 minutes later, my water broke. No contractions had started yet so we called the maternity ward to see what we should do. They informed us we should make our way to the hospital. Soon after the reality hit and Brian and I were running around frantically making phone calls and tying up loose ends around the house crossing each others paths every few minutes to see the excitement and disbelief in each others eyes that this is really happening and it's happening tonight. The contractions started as we were on our way out the door. They came on fast and strong. An hour later we arrived at the hospital. By then my contractions were 5 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds. We were admitted and made our way up to the maternity ward. We made ourselves comfortable in the delivery room where I changed into the hospital gown that would be my favorite choice of clothing for the next 6 days or so despite the selection of clothing I had carefully packed in my two overnight bags. I was hooked up to the fetal monitoring device and an IV for antibiotics after learning that my Group B strep results from the week before had come back positive. The following 11 hours is pretty much a blur. I remember being in extreme pain. The kind of pain where I thought I might not actually make it through the whole experience. I thought I was tough. I really did. I wanted to go as long as I could without the epidural. The birth plan we had specifically outlined that I would have no narcotics whatsoever but I would have the epidural only if necessary. Well, it turns out you don't have a choice on how you want to manage your pain. They offer you the laughing gas first and if you don't want that you get nothing. Well, the laughing gas didn't do a thing. I didn't feel any relief whatsoever and the only change was that I began throwing up my dinner. I remember throwing up at the height of each contraction and focussing on that was the only thing that could keep my mind off the pain I was experiencing. After realizing the laughing gas wasn't working for me the nurse offered my the next of the pain management options, the morphine. I said no. No narcotics. I didn't want any drugs in my baby's system and I didn't want my mind to be affected either. I wanted the epidural. I was told I couldn't have the epidural until I had the morphine. What kind of system is this where you can't chose an epidural over narcotics to manage your pain? I felt so disillusioned and helpless. I took the shot in the butt of morphine. It didn't do anything either. Brian and I tried walking the halls to see if that would help. We ran into another couple from our pre-natal class in the hallway, Jen and Chad. It turns out, mine and Jen's labours were pretty much mirroring each other until our deliveries the next morning that were only a half hour apart. A third couple from our prenatal class had their baby the day before so all three of us were in the hospital at the same time. Couple number four decided after that that it might be a good idea to stop working in case she was soon to follow the pattern. Thank god for Jen because, the whole pain management situation got her all worked up too and after talking to me she went up to the front desk and said "if you don't call the anesthesiologist in for some epidurals right now I am leaving and I am going to deliver this baby at another hospital!" So, the anesthesiologist was called and moments later we were back in our separate rooms, catheterized and numb from the waist down. It was smooth sailing from then on. I honestly don't know how anyone does it without the epidural. At the height of the pain, I had decided I needed my mom so Brian phoned her. Soon after I was all settled in with the epidural my Mom and my sister, Kristy showed up. They sat with Brian and I at my bedside, offering chapstick and feeding me ice chips until 7:30am when it was finally time to deliver this baby. Why 7:30? Well, they had to wait for shift change of course. I'm sure I must have been fully dilated for hours before this but with the epidural I had no sensation to push and because my membranes had ruptured they didn't want to do anymore internal exams than necessary. At 7:30 Dr. Catheryne Meehan enters the room and finally we get the show on the road. Before I know what's happening my legs are in the stirrups and I'm yelling "ok, everybody out!" as I realize it's showtime. Dr. Meehan's initial assessment raises some concern about the size and shape of my pelvis and the lack of engagement of the baby's head. My teeth won't stop chattering and amongst the controlled chaos I sense concern for myself and the baby. I have a fever of 38.5 and the baby has a temperature too and I hear the nurses talking medical talk about me going into shock. They don't know I work in health care and I understand everything they are saying. Moments later two nurses rush in with sterile trays, Dr. Jan Christilaw, the obsetrician and Dr. Ward, the pediatrician. As I hear Dr. Meehan say to them "we have to get this baby out now" I start crying because I know that all these specialists wouldn't be here if it wasn't a high risk situation. The doctor's see this and they quickly set me straight. They explain everything that they are going to do and I can tell they are professionals with a lot of experience and knowledge. I get the impression by the way the whole thing is handled that all of these Dr.s in the room are probably among the best in their respective fields. I find out later that they are. I was really lucky to have such a great team to deliver our son. And I should mention I was lucky to have Brian by my side throughout the whole process encouraging me and telling me what a good job I was doing. After a warning that the baby will have quite the cone head and some help from the vacuum extractor (necessary because of my "odd shaped pelvis") our little baby son was born. 6 pounds 15 ounces and 20 1/4 inches long, a good size for being 3 weeks early. That first moment I laid eyes on him is forever etched in my memory. It is the most euphoric feeling I have ever known. I remember hugging Brian and we just sobbed in each other's arms in true joy. It was 8:38am on Thursday, March 2,2006 and our lives had just been changed forever.