And Here it comes....

As I was rushed out of Sedona towards Cottonwood, my brain finally caught up with my body. "Okay, Rach, you're having the Fergasun's Reflex. The baby will stretch you out and receed." Sure enough, every two minutes or so, I would feel the baby give a wiggle, then I knew another contraction was coming. I anticipated it, and then, would feel the head of the baby rotate as it bore down, threatening to push its way out with each progressive contraction. I would let out a prolonged, "Huuuhhhhh" and get my tone as deep as possible. The deeper my voice, the more relaxed my body would be. If I started out in a higher pitched vocalization at the begining of the contraction, I would immediatly bring it down. "HUH-uhhh," like that.

Knowing what my baby and my body were doing gave me confidence. I was resolute that I would be successful in delivering this baby. I remembered my promise I had made to myself after hearing it in Sunny's class. I promised myself that when the time came, I would not push at all and that I would just let my uterus get the baby out. All I had to do was breath. The lower-pitched guttoral sounds I was making helped me keep that promise. It allowed for me to breath more evenly and keep my head about me. I felt like I had enough oxygen and that I knew what I was doing.

At the city limits of Sedona, there is a 7% downhill grade. I don't know how many of you have been in labor going 85 mph down that steep of a hill, but let me tell you, I will never forget the pull of gravity on my enormous body at that moment. The speed, the incline, the contraction...it was almost overwhelming. That just happened to be the worst part of the whole event. It was literally all downhill from there.

Corey started calling everyone we could think of after getting around the curves and down the steep part of the incline. Once we leveled out, I told him to call my doula, Katie. She didn't answer her phone. Maryn couldn't meet us at the hospital because she was in Prescott. "Cathy!!!" I shouted excitedly from the backseat. "Call Cathy!" Thankfully, he got a hold of her and she said she'd meet us at the hospital. He called in to work to tell them he wouldn't be in. Then we called out parents. I wanted them to start the prayer chain at each of their churches. He called my mom and I don't think she quite understood. He made it sound as though he wasn't sure whether or not the baby was coming. She was under the impression that we were going for an ultrasound.

We finally made it to the Cottonwood Medical Center. Corey left me in the back seat while he ran into the ER. I tried to get out after him, but the child safety lock was on and I couldn't open the door. I felt like a made tiger caught in a cage. I was pacing back and forth trying the door on the other side, then back again, unaware of what I was doing. I couldn't believe he had left me in the car.