Hazel was born at on Friday, March 11th 2005 at 8:04pm EST at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. At that point, Angie had been pregnant for approximately 41 weeks and 2 days.
The 11th started with a phone call at 8:00am from Angie’s co-worker (Angie works as a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Mt. Sinai) letting us know that space was available in the Labour and Delivery Unit and that Angie’s labour could be induced that morning. Our doctor called about 20 minutes later to tell us the same thing (it pays to have people on the inside). Our ultrasound the day before had revealed a healthy little baby, but had indicated that Angie’s placenta was mature and that getting labour started earlier would be better than later.
We got to the hospital at around 9:30am and were admitted into the unit. Angie was examined by our doctor at around 10:30am and it was determined that she was already roughly 2-3cm dilated and that the best way to get labour started would be to break the sack of amniotic fluid that surrounds and protects the baby. To this point, Angie and I were having a lovely stay at the hospital, she had gotten into one of those fabulous gowns, we were playing with the beds (up, down - up, down - etc.), and Angie showed me all the equipment and gear.
At 11:30am the doctor broke Angie’s water, and we got to work. We started with a little walk. Angie and I strolled around the 7th floor for about 40 minutes. During this time Angie began to feel stronger and longer contractions. Angie had numerous daily contractions throughout the later stages of her pregnancy, but these were different, and she was now confident that she was in labour.
We now entered the slow and steady stage of labour where Angie’s contractions got progressively stronger and longer. She stayed very active during this time, slowly walking around and moving. During contractions she would support herself on me and I would rub her back. The Labour and Delivery nurses would occasionally monitor the fetal heart rate and strength of contractions. It was during one of these monitoring periods that our friend Nichole (an NICU nurse, classmate of Angie’s, and doula) arrived to assist us (I believe that was around 1:00pm. Nichole let me know if I’m wrong). From then until 6:00pm Nichole and I worked to help Angie through her contractions. This meant a lot of massaging, support, and encouragement. Both Nichole and I took a few breaks, but I would say that for about 90% of Angie’s contractions both Nichole and I were there. Usually one of us was in front providing Angie with support and shoulder and upper back massages and the other one would be rubbing Angie’s lower back. Poor Angie had bruises on her lower back the next day because Nichole and I were rubbing so hard.
At 6:00pm Angie was examined again, and was now 5cm dilated. That’s right, 6.5 hours of work and only 2cm to show for it (remember Angie started the day at around 3cm). You don’t usually think of this at the time, but in labour the first 5cm typically take a lot longer than the last 5. To describe Angie as now being uncomfortable would be an understatement, but I’m afraid I don’t have the experience or the words to do it justice. Let’s just say she wasn’t talking too much anymore and she was spending most of her time breathing hard and moaning. She did feel that the best way to get through the next stages of labour would be to use the large full body shower that was available in our room. I joined her in the shower to provide support and now continuous back rubs. Angie passed through transition (a very specific stage of labour, which I won’t get into here) in the warmth of the shower. We got out of the shower at around 7:30pm (nice, an hour and half shower) and I left Angie in Nichole’s capable hands as I went to the waiting room to see if the grandparent’s had arrived. Sure enough, the three of them had just pulled in and I told them that at 6:00pm Angie had been 5cm dilated (they settled in for what looked to be a long night).
As I was returning to the delivery room I heard a nurse, who was on the phone at the nursing station, mention our doctor’s name and that everyone should wait until she got there. I didn’t know exactly what was going on, but as I entered the room, there were now two nurses, a respiratory therapist, and our family practice resident all busily setting things up. There were carts, instruments, bowls, towels, and beeping things that had not been there 10 minutes ago. Angie was set up on the bed with Nichole at her side. It was pretty clear, even to my untrained eye, that things were going to happen very quickly now. I took up a position on Angie’s right side and began massaging her neck, shoulders, and lower back. With me on her right, Nichole on her left, and the doctors in position Angie felt the urge to push and that’s just what she started doing. She decided to take a little nitrous oxide (laughing gas) which she self administered, and which gives a very temporary pain relief. How long did she push? How should I know, I wasn’t watching the clock, but I know I visited the grandparents at 7:30pm and Hazel was out at 8:04pm. Throw is a little room prep time, and I’d say there was only about 20 minutes of serious (and I mean serious) pushing.
Hazel did give us one small scare (likely not the last time). Her umbilical cord was tightly wrapped around her neck, and in fact the doctors were forced to cut it before Hazel was completely born. Fortunately the room was filled with a whole lot of people who knew what they were doing (4 nurses - one pushing out a baby, one helping, and two staff, two doctors, and a respiratory therapist - when I think of it now - What the heck was I doing there?). As Hazel came out she was immediately taken to the respiratory therapist, followed very closely by Nichole. The two of them very quickly and expertly stimulated little Hazel (I’ve been told that means a vigorous back rub), who took in her first big breath and perked up very nicely.
Little Hazel was swaddled up and returned to her mother a few moments later. The photo above was taken shortly after.
So that’s it. I know I haven’t done justice to Angie’s side of the story, and I don’t feel I ever can. She worked so incredibly hard and went through so much in just 8.5 hours. Watching her push was part terrifying - you never ever want to see the person you love in that much pain - part exhilarating - this was the birth of our first child, all I can say is that it’s pretty special - and part inspiring - you can’t help but feel that anything is possible when you witness someone work that hard to make something happen.
