“Hello, this is my wife. She’s in labour, but don’t worry, she’s just going to sit over there and get on with it.”
As introductions go, it was certainly memorable. My husband’s calm explanation as to why he’d brought his heavily pregnant wife to the set-up of an event was somewhat unusual. It certainly wasn’t where I had expected to be in early labour.
With a week to go before a planned 39-week induction, we hadn’t quite expected that things would start happening so soon. Hubby’s response to my announcement at 6am that morning that I might be in labour was to sit up in bed with a look of utter panic and exclaim “Not today! I have an event to set up!” It was possibly not the best thing to say to a pregnant woman in between her contractions, especially not when followed up with “it’s on the way to the hospital though” and “do you have any black maternity clothes so that you’ll blend in with the crew?” In his defence, he was married to a midwife and so was very aware of just how long first labours are likely to be. Plus he was relying on me to let him know when it really was time to go.
My waters broke while we were rushing around trying to pack our bags and go. I took a final look around the house, at the Moses basket in the corner of the spare room and prayed fervently that when I came home again, I would have Jessica with me. Hospital bag in the car, black maternity clothes on (although how on earth he thought I’d blend in was still beyond me) and we were off to start the set-up, with hubby’s dad following behind ready to take over running the event once we needed to go to the hospital.
The security guard at the venue looked at me suspiciously as we signed in but said nothing. The event manager looked quite alarmed as hubby calmly introduced me.
“Shouldn’t you be in hospital?”
“It’s very early on,” hubby reassured him. “She’s a midwife. If she looks worried, I’ll start worrying.”
And with that, hubby headed off to start setting up the event. Whilst I duly sat down in the crew catering room, TENS machine controls in one hand and a book in the other and proceeded to “get on with it.” I could sense the nervousness of the crew members coming in and out, as if they half-expected that any moment now I would suddenly start giving birth on the floor without any warning.
Hubby popped in and out to check that I was okay but by midday, I was ready to go. The hospital was still an hour’s drive away and I was starting to become more uncomfortable. We left his dad in charge of the event, promising that we’d keep him updated, although I didn’t think it would be likely that Jessica would arrive before the early hours of the next morning. Our journey to the hospital was a leisurely one though – we even stopped off at the services en route to have some lunch!
I was right in my feeling that it was still early on and my guess that Jessica wouldn’t arrive before the early hours was right too – she arrived just before 9am the next day, just over 24 hours after that memorable introduction. I’ve met a couple of people from that event since then – they tend to remember me much better than I remember them though. Given I was somewhat distracted at the time, that’s not too surprising! Four years on, I still find it funny that hubby took me to work with him when I was in labour – I don’t think he’ll ever manage to live that one down!
Wow!You are amazing!I couldn’t have done it,I’ve had 3 and each time still couldn’t believe how much it blooming well hurt even in early labour!Fab story xx
Thank you – it certainly was the most comfortable experience but thankfully it was bearable until some time after we reached the hospital!
hehehe! This is so funny! You are a trooper! What a fab story x
Thanks Kim – still makes me chuckle four years on! 🙂
That’s such a lovely and funny post, and knowing you as I do and what you and Carol used to say to be constantly this makes so much more sense!!
I still think you’re brave monitoring things yourself, but you always say the best instincts to trust are your own and yours are very good!
Lovely post xx
Thanks Tracey – being a midwife definitely helped me here, I was quite relaxed in spite of it all. I don’t think hubby would have got away with taking me to work otherwise! x
Would’ve been funny if the baby had come at the set-up. That would be a very literal interpretation of “Bring Your Child to Work Day”!
Lol, it certainly would have been! 🙂
Hilarious Louise. I was at a women’s event leading a discussion group sat with my TENS machine on, just pausing for contractions haha. Hilarious that he took you to work 😉 brilliant
I love that you were leading a discussion group – that’s awesome! 🙂
Haha! This is brilliant! I cannot believe he took you to work with him though…after your waters broke too! He is a brave man! 🙂 #fridayfrolics xx
Oh yes – think he was very much relying on me to know when we really needed to go!
That’s so funny. “Blend in”!!!! And a story to share with Jessica. Thanks for linking up to #FridayFrolics
“Blend in” still makes me laugh now – how he ever thought I would is beyond me! 🙂
Sweet Jesus, I think I would have given my husband a wallop for suggesting I accompany him to work while in labour! Fair play to you both for being so calm.#Fridayfrolics
Fionnuala from http://www.threesonslater.blogspot.com
I think I would have done too had it not been quite so early on! 🙂
My husband would have been panicking too much to speak! I got induced with both of mine, which is just as well, I don’t think he could have survived the unpredictability of waiting for baby to come. I think you are both amazing for managing to carry on like nothing was happening! #Friday frolics
Thanks Helen – not quite sure how I managed to stay so calm – it was very funny in hindsight though 🙂
Haha this is the best birth story I’ve ever read! Can’t believe how calm you both were! Glad everything went well x #fridayfrolics
Thank you 🙂
What a brilliant post! I went into labour at a fancy cafe, thankfully my waters didn’t go until I was at the hospital!xx
Glad they didn’t go in the cafe – am sure that would have been a bit embarrassing! 🙂
haha brilliant. I think that will be something you’ll remember for life. I was too afraid to ago anywhere when I was in early labour so you’re a lot braver than me!!! x #maternitymondays
Thank you Chloe – definitely something that I won’t let my husband forget, lol! 🙂
Haha this really made me giggle! It’s a good job you’re a midwife – I think the majority of us would’ve been getting a taxi out of there and leaving him to it! My hubby kept saying ” can’t we just watch the end of this film??” Er, NOOOOO! 🙂
Lol at your hubby wanting to finish the film! I don’t think my hubby would have suggested taking me to work had I not been a midwife although I still think he might have considered it! 🙂
This is brilliant but ace that you were so calm!! It beats my story – hubby trimmed the hedges and cooked a BBQ whilst I was in labour. I had mouthfuls of sausage between contractions!! haha x #maternitmondays
I love that your hubby cooked a BBQ while you were in labour – a good way to make sure you had something to eat to help keep your energy up and makes for such a great story 🙂
That’s hilarious and sounds like you coped so well, I guess being a midwife helped as you knew what to expect, I think I would have been far too anxious! Thanks for linking with #MaternityMondays xx
Thanks Caroline – being a midwife definitely helped! 🙂
hahahaha this made me laugh. My husband would have said exactly the same thing. When we had my daughter, a cow was also in labour. He was torn over who to be with hahaha.
Great post 🙂 #MaternityMondays
Lol, I hope he chose you over the cow! 🙂
Haha, great way to start off with your labour! Certainly memorable hehe.
#maternitymondays
It certainly was! 🙂
Wow a great story Louise! It’s a good job you know your stuff. I love the fact that he asked you to wear black to ‘blend’ in with the crew….hehehe. Glad it all turned out well 🙂 xx
Thank you – that “blending in” bit still makes me chuckle! 🙂
How very calm you must have been! I have to admit that in my second labour I was well aware of how I’d rushed to hospital way too early first time round spending the following 10 hours pacing uncomfortably around a tiny room waiting to get stage two! Second time around I stayed at home in very uncomfortable early labour for the best part of two days before my mum suggested that we should maybe pop in to hospital where they discovered I was 9 cm dilated! First time mums don’t know what to expect though do they (unless they are midwives) 🙂 Your hubby was definitely taking his cues from you – I’d have been worried! Thanks for linking up to #thetruthabout Xx
Being a midwife definitely helped – I knew that it was really early on and that there was no rush. Hubby was very much taking his cues from me – to the extent that he struggled a bit later on with not really knowing how best to support me as he was still relying on me to tell him!