This is Jack Robert Northcott and this is his story!!!
On Monday, October 15, 2012, I woke up and wasn't feeling 100%, I wasn't feeling horrible as in I shouldn't go to school, and so after wrestling with my desire to stay home and the deadline to call in for a sub, I chose to just go to school... so much easier than planning for a sub. Raymond gave me a blessing, and we all headed out the door, Raymond to Eriksdale for work, and Abbey and I, Abbey for daycare, and me to work!
Still not feeling great, I was working in my classroom, and I decided that probably I was experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions, being that I was due December 4th, and not really thinking anything else. I told my class they needed to be on their best behavior as I wasn't feeling well. One of my girls asked what was wrong and jokingly I said, "I don't know, maybe this baby is trying to come early or something."
I lasted 1/2 hour before the pain started to get worse, and I was starting to feel like I was having a hot flash, at which point, I decided I needed to leave. I said to my EA, here is a brief outline of day, I need to leave, so I waddled down to the Vice-Principals office and told him I was leaving and then went to find the secretary to let her know. Then I drove myself the two minutes to the hospital.
I wandered in and one of my former high school basketball girl's was working the admitting desk... I smiled and told her I thought I was having Braxton Hicks contractions but would like to be checked just in case. I was quickly ushered into one of their emergency rooms, where a nurse came to get my info... and the pains kept getting worse... about an hour later the Doctor came to check on me, and found me in the middle of a contraction... Breathe he said, breathe. He checked me out and decided that I was in full blown labor and that my contractions were about 2 1/2 minutes apart and that he needed to get me into an ambulance, as they really don't deliver babies at our hospital (they didn't even have stir-ups!). Meanwhile about half an hour before the nurse had called Raymond, and said, "Hi, Mr. Northcott, we have your wife here, and she is in a bit of pain, will you come and be with her... " So Raymond got in his car, and drove back the half hour, he arrived just as the doctor decided that I needed to go in the ambulance. "What should I do?," he said. Get Abbey, pack some things and get to Winnipeg. Dutifully off he went to claim our daughter who had just been dropped off at day care 2 1/2 hours previously. And I was loaded into the ambulance.
The doctor said oh your membranes are intact, you'll make it Winnipeg, no problem. My friend Lise (who works in the lab) , who I'd heard in the hallway and called in told the other nurses I'd be lucky to make it to Lundar which is 1/2 hour away. The paramedics Ivan, and Aaron, loaded me into the ambulance, and nurse Lorna, and Dr. Sammy jumped in and off we went sirens blazing!
Highway 6 is full of curves, staying on a gurney in a comfortable position, while you are having contractions is quite a feat, and thankfully, I only did it for half an hour! In that half hour I was trying to hold on, and thinking that it was kind of funny that the doctor was in need of gravol but they only had IV gravol and so Ivan, told him to look out the front window and far down the road whenever possible. He kept checking me and was like, you're good, you're membranes are intact, we'll make Winnipeg... yup, Nope... such was not the case as I said, around 11:20, my water broke, and at 11:30AM, Jack Robert Northcott put in his appearence!
With Jack out and doing okay by their standards, I was able to lay back and enjoy the ride, and joke around with everyone! Dr. Sammy thought I should call Raymond, and so he gave me his cell phone. I called but got no answer. Thinking that anti-climatic, he decided I should call someone else, so I called my mom! Raymond had called her before leaving I guess and she was all in a panic as you can well imagine, and so I calmed her down and told her I was fine and that she had a grandson. :) Yeah!!!!
The paramedics were excited, since they had delivered in the ambulance, they would receive Stork Pins, Ivan had been a paramedic for 13 years and still didn't have one. As my friend Wendy says, I'll do anything to help someone out!
They made it to the hospital, and Dr. Sammy carried Jack, and I was wheeled in. Someone, however, had forgotten to notify the hospital that the 33 week pregnant lady, was now not pregnant, and there was a handsome young man who was in need of attention! :)
Raymond arrived about 1/2 hour after that to find that we had a son, and they whisked him off to show him Jack and explain more about Jack. Jack's blood sugar was around 2, and he was a little cold. He weighed 4 lbs, 13 oz. So there sat me in a bed, by myself, with no baby, and no husband, and a roommate who had just given birth, and had a cute baby and was surrounded by people, and I was a little weepy!
Shortly, thereafter, they wheeled Jack in and I got to hold him for the first time! :) Then they took him away and Raymond to the Intermediate Care Nursery, which would be Jack's home for the next 16 days. I was wheeled up to my room to wait for Raymond.
