The Mighty Quinn

I have wanted to write up Quinn's birth story for some time. It is written in pieces in a journal I kept while pregnant with both kids but I wanted to type it up for posterity. So on his 9th birthday, I present his birth story. Here's hoping I still remember most of the details, but I'm sure I will get most of it. The births of our children are such a monumental event for us mothers and therefore forever ingrained in our memory.

Quinn was "due" on September 17, 2001. I put that in quotes because it was obviously not the day he was born although I fixated on it for 9 months. I should have just said sometime in September because then I wouldn't have been slightly depressed to see that day come and go with no baby in my arms. I had been having contractions and even gone into early labor at 35 weeks (I believe) and was already dilated to 1cm so I was sure I would have him early. No luck. I was born two weeks after my "due" date so I shouldn't have been surprised when he didn't come out "on time". I did everything I could to try and induce labor, but I'd have hours of contractions only to have them stop. I often wondered how I would know when I was really in labor because of all the false starts. I wished my water would break, because that was when I would know the baby was coming for sure. And that's what happened...eventually.

I would say my labor started on Friday. I awoke to contractions and really thought I was in labor. I went to the doctor first I think and then to the hospital. At the hospital we walked around the hallway about a million times. After a few hours, there was no progress. So they sent us home, no baby in my arms. I was slightly depressed. I really began to think he was never coming out (well, not really seriously but I just didn't want to be pregnant anymore).

After that false start, nothing happened until...Saturday, September 22nd we went to church at 5 PM then to dinner at Bogen's in Blacksburg. I wasn't really having any contractions that I can remember but I do remember tossing and turning that night. At around 6 AM, I awoke to pain and a gush of water. In my awakening state, I realized that my water had just broke! I was SO SO excited. I smacked James on the arm and told him "My water just broke!". Then I got up and changed...I called the doctor...waited for contractions to really start...took a shower and called my parents. We ended up going to the hospital about 9 AM. I was checked and was only about 2cm I believe. The contractions were getting pretty strong so I got some Stadol (sp?) to help and then rocked and walked my way through the contractions.
The drug helped a lot but then wore off and another dose (or another drug) didn't even cut the pain at all. My progress was minimal and I decided to get an epidural. I ended up getting that in place by about 3 PM - and they also gave me pitocin to progress the labor. I was much happier after that. It was heavenly, I could not feel anything and I could finally rest and relax while my body took over the work it needed to do. It did have some negatives though, I was freezing and I remember my teeth chattering with my shivers. I couldn't even eat ice chips without throwing up. By 9 PM, I was checked and declared ready to push. I remember saying we'd have him out by the 11 PM news. Well, I pushed and pushed...and pushed and pushed through each contraction. I was a good pusher, but he was just not in the right position. I had a midwife with me the whole time. She was wonderfully supportive. But after about 2-2.5 hours, she was on the phone with the doctor. She knew it wasn't working, I knew it wasn't working. The doctor came in and tried to help Quinn move into the right position. His head was up and to the right instead of tucked to his chest. The doctor tried for maybe 1/2 hour to get him positioned. It didn't work. The vacuum and forceps were discussed briefly but dismissed. And so it was decided that I was to have a C-Section. What I remember most was the doctor and midwife being afraid to tell me that this was the result. I didn't care at this point, I had been in labor for almost 18 hours and I just wanted the baby out and healthy. Once it was decided, things moved pretty quickly. They called in an anesthetic team (remember, it's now midnight in a rural Southwestern Virginia hospital) and prepped an operating room. They also pumped up my epidural and gave me some medicine to stop my contractions. I don't remember much of the C-Section itself except the tugging and pulling. Then the doctor pulled him out and declared "He is a BIG boy!". And he was indeed, weighing in at 9 lbs, 6.5 oz! So there were two reasons I couldn't push him out, he was huge and in the wrong position. James went with Quinn while I was sewed up and sent to recovery. He was born at 1 AM and I was back in the room by 2 AM. Pretty good considering I had just had major surgery. He was so awake and alert. And so that is how he came to be born...most certainly proving to be like the song in which his name is sung, The Mighty Quinn.

Quinn Patrick Donovan
Born September 24, 2001 at 1 AM
9 lbs, 6.5 oz
21.5" long