Voila . . . Delivered!

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This post is part of an editorial series, “The Stork Stories,” brought to you by the Fort Worth Moms Blog. We hope these pieces provide you with helpful information, encouragement, and answers as you prepare for baby’s arrival.

When it comes to the joy of bringing forth a new life, the stork has not been very kind to me. As I struggled with which birth to highlight for this post, I realized that they were all doozies in one way or another. This mama is not your typical make it to 40 weeks, take a few meds (or none at all), do a little pushing, and congratulations on your new bouncing baby boy or gorgeous baby girl. So, let’s talk about my second birth, the middle child, the one I named Desmond Jay Brown, and yes the one that had me on my hands and knees!

The Start of the Story

It was a dark and stormy night. The wind was howling . . . just kidding, but you must admit that would’ve been a great start to the story. The month of December 1999 I learned that I was pregnant with my second child. I later learned that it would be another bouncing baby boy. I already had a three-year-old son at the time, and wanted a sibling (preferably a boy) for him to grow up with, bond with, and ultimately become best friends.

The pregnancy was pretty typical. Other than my “normal” high blood pressure and the usual weight gain, everything seemed to be on track. The only thing that gave me any concern was the fact that I couldn’t decide on a name. My first son had his father’s name, so that wasn’t an option. I looked through baby name books, and listened to suggestions from friends, but nothing seemed quite right, until one day when a message came across from my mother with a list of names, and there it was . . . DESMOND! So Desmond Jay it would be . . . D-Jay for short. 

It was August 4, 2000, and the day had finally arrived. The only odd thing was that I was at work with no sign of going into labor anytime soon. Yes, I worked right up until my due date. I went to see my OB/GYN who did the not so pleasant poking and prodding, and sure enough, he was head down and ready, but my body wasn’t. So there I was, scheduled for another induction on the 11th . . . and once again, one week after my due date. Oh, did I fail to mention that my first born was a week overdue and had to be induced as well?

Waiting and Waiting

One week later and still no progress. The normal walking and other old wives tales didn’t prove to be of any help with this one either. On August 11, 2000, I checked into the maternity ward. The nurse went over all of the formalities of being induced and asked if I had any questions? No questions, but I wanted to make the staff aware that this was my second induction, and that the first didn’t exactly go according to plan. I wanted to make them aware that the first time was unusually uncomfortable for me because my body overreacted to the contraction inducing and cervix softening medications that were administered. Overreacted may be a bit of an understatement; it was more like an “allergic” reaction that sent me into hard labor with no dilation.

Once the IV was inserted and the medications were injected, we (my mother and Desmond’s father) were told to relax and get some rest in preparation for the wonderful birth that would take place sometime early the next morning. WRONG! Twenty minutes later and I was gasping for air as the contractions climbed up to and remained at a 10 on the “richter scale.”

Desmond’s heart rate began to fluctuate, so an internal scalp monitor needed to be inserted and placed on the top of his head. As I continued to suffer severely from the back-to-back contractions, watching the monitor I whispered to my mother, “They’re going to have to do something!” And something is what they (she) did! By then my doctor had been made aware of the situation and was standing beside me going over all of the details. What I didn’t know was that she had summoned the C-section crew and they were waiting outside my door.  I heard her say “I want to try one more thing. Flip her over and get her on her hands and knees.” Wait a minute . . . whaaaaa? So there I was on my hands and knees in the middle of the bed with cords running everywhere. Five minutes later, I yelled out, “Something is happening; y’all gotta do something.” My doctor said “Let’s check her,” and then I heard her say “flip her over she’s dilated to 10.” While my doctor was trying to suit up and the nurses were trying to get the bed into delivery position, with no help from me, Desmond literally jumped into the world and had to be caught by one of the quick thinking interns. 

Voila, delivered!

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Laurie H
Laurie, known to many as “L,” is an only child born in Cleburne, Texas. She grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and relocated back to Big T almost 20 years ago. Laurie married her husband Taiwan in 2006, and they’ve collectively raised three sons and a daughter. Her professional experience includes working for city municipalities, independent school districts, and as a youth case worker. In 2015, she became the owner of CakePopsByL, a cottage bakery boutique. When she’s not filling dessert orders, she spends the majority of her time creating innovative digital content for more than eight social media accounts, where she shares recipes, baking tips, and cooking tutorials. She’s a self-proclaimed chef and spends a lot of time in the kitchen filming content and preparing delicious meals for her family. Laurie is a homebody who considers herself an extroverted introvert. She likes to travel, spend time with her family, and feels most rewarded when she’s teaching and helping others.

1 COMMENT

  1. That’s a great rendition of what I,…Laurie’s mom witnessed! Desmond wasted no time jumping…literally..into the world! I sat there with my mouth wide open as this young intern “caught ” Desmond before he could hit the floor! He came into this world in a unique and unusual way….and has proven to be a very SMART and unique young man that I’m very proud of!

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