Speedy Delivery - The Birth of Annie Reagan

Annie Reagan Albright
October 15, 2012

Someday, I'm going to have a "normal" delivery - at least, I keep telling myself that. But for now, I guess I just have another exciting story to share with my children someday about how things didn't go quite the way I expected when they arrived. (Someday, I'll have to share Brenden's surprise delivery story.) However, I can also share that in each instance, God still remained in control and protected me and these little ones He's gifted us with. 

It's been almost 2 weeks now since I gave birth to Annie - and I'm sorry that it's taken so long to post, but I've honestly just been enjoying every minute with her (as well as the free cooking, housecleaning, and babysitting my mother has provided - bless her!). She was born on October 15th, a Monday, at 6:02 a.m. weighing in at 7lbs. 8oz. and stretching out at some 19 1/2 inches (some people like to know all of those details, so there you go). So what was so "exciting" about her birth? Well it started like this ...

Our last family-of-3 picture - taken 2 days before D-Day.

I had gone to bed on Sunday night after a long day at church - a good day, but long. On Tuesday, October 16th - my due date - I had another doctor's appointment scheduled; and with as big as I felt I was getting - and no contractions on the horizon - was thinking I was going to have to possibly schedule an inducement. Patience was never one of my trademarks. :-) By the time I got to bed on Sunday night, I was tired - and actually slept very well ... until about 4:15. 

At that point, I woke up and felt my first real contraction - just as painful as I remembered. I had another 10 minutes later, and then another 10 minutes after that. So then I was thinking, 'I should start timing these.' That's when they started coming 5 minutes apart - and they were painful. I mean, really painful. I couldn't actually remember them being that painful before (probably because part way through the last time I had a blissful epidural). I couldn't decide if I should call the hospital or not since I'd only had 2 that were 5 minutes apart, but being the pain-weenie that I am, I did. And my husband called our pastor and his wife, who were planning to come be with Brenden whenever things happened. I'm so glad we acted when we did. 

The Browers - so thankful for them AND how close they live

For some reason, I had in my mind that I still had lots of time, so I did what all the books and blogs said to do - I took a shower. What a joke! By then, my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart, and I could barely stand up. Joel was having to help me get ready to leave and all I could do was throw my pajamas back on and stumble out to the car, hair dripping wet. Heather, our pastor's wife, showed up at about 5:20 a.m. and we left the house at 5:30 a.m. The hospital was exactly 25 minutes away. And it was a very long 25 minutes. All of the Anoka County police officers will be pleased to know that my husband went the speed limit the entire way there - and didn't run any red lights (even though I was begging him to). The record stands that he got us there safely and legally. 

About halfway to the hospital, I hit the stage where I was no longer able to contain any semblance of self-control - the pain had reached an even greater level (how can horrible get worse??), and I was alternately screaming and pleading with God to keep the baby inside until I got to the hospital (why I thought that, I don't know, but I just knew it felt like I was going to burst at any moment). I think Joel wasn't quite sure what to think, but he didn't think the baby was coming anytime too soon, so he just figured I was "in a bad way." That's childbirth, right? 

When we arrived at the hospital (at 5:55 a.m.), we couldn't figure out which entrance to use, so we just pulled up to the emergency room door. And of course, no one was in there - at the desk, anywhere. I wish I could have seen Joel running around in there hollering for someone to come help. A desk girl finally showed up and helped get me into a wheel chair, and Joel went back to park the car and grab our bags. I'm not sure if the girl wheeling me up to labor & delivery was used to hauling up loudly-yelling, laboring women, but she didn't really say anything the whole time - even when my water broke in the elevator. Somehow, we made it upstairs, I was able to gasp out my name to the receptionist (who kept insisting that I calm down so I could talk. Right.), and several nurses came out to wheel me in a room. I think I was screaming the whole time - all I knew was that the pain was unbearable, and that somehow it felt like the baby was coming out right there. But of course that couldn't be happening yet, right?

It took several nurses to get me out of the chair and into a hospital bed - something I barely remember. And as silly as it sounds, I do remember thinking, "I wonder if it's too late for an epidural." About a minute later, Joel walked in, dropped our bags, and 60 seconds later, at exactly 6:02 a.m. (7 minutes after arriving at the hospital), Annie was born. Total Labor Time: 1 hr. 47 min.

Annie & Mommy post-delivery

And everything after that was ... well, normal. Annie cried right away, they gave her straight to me to hold (something I didn't get to do with Brenden), she got all cleaned up, I got sort-of cleaned up, and then Joel and I finally started texting everyone to share what happened. We didn't exactly have time to give them a heads-up. It was an exhilarating and wonderful and terrifying experience - and I'm so thankful we didn't have to deliver in our car. God got us there just in time. 

So that's it, in a (long) nutshell. Joel and I have already discussed labor & delivery training for him for next time - since I probably shouldn't plan on "normal." :-) Thanks to everyone who prayed for me and for my other sisters throughout our pregnancies. We are extremely grateful for God's goodness and kindness. And I hope you enjoyed this third installment of "Sisterhood Baby Stories." We'll see who's next ... 

~The Albright Family of Four~
Annie, Brenden, Megan, & Joel