Rigg Life: Nori's Birth Story

The night before Nori was born, that last thing on our minds was the thought that we could have a baby the next day. She wasn't due for almost 3 more weeks which seemed like forever! So yeah, we still hadn't done a thing to get ready. We hadn't bought diapers, we didn't have clothes, (I made the mistake of giving all my girl clothes away after having Cam) We didn't even have car seat to bring her home in! But my babies never come early, so instead of getting stuff ready..

Taber and the girls camped outside in the igloo! (see previous post)

Taber didn't get much sleep, but who needs sleep? It's not like we were going to have a baby the next day…

The next morning was business as usual, Cam made breakfast...

And the girls and I headed down to my sister's house for my niece's birthday party. I was planning on running errands during the kiddie party to get ready for the masquerade work party that me and Taber were going to that night, but I was feeling super tired so I just sat on my sister's couch and watched the festivities.

While I was sitting there I adjusted my position and suddenly felt a little gush of liquid. I stood up and told my sister, "Um I think just peed my pants." (Pregnant ladies pee their pants sometimes, it's cool.)

My sister (whose water broke before) looked at me and said, "No, I bet your water broke." I just laughed. In my mind I was like, "My water never breaks on it's own. My baby isn't due for almost 3 more weeks. I have a party to go to. I just peed my pants."

I got up to go the bathroom and noticed some spotting in my underwear. For a split second I was like, "wait a second, DID my water break?" But I didn't feel any contractions, so I continued my state of denial and went back to the couch. When the party got over my sister offered to keep the girls at her house so I could go to the hospital. Her gut told her I was having a baby that night. I said she was being ridiculous and loaded them up in the car for the 45 minute drive home.

My sister's gut feeling did have me a little nervous though. What if I went into labor on the drive home? Maybe I should call Taber... No, that would stress him out. It's fine, I'm not having a baby.

I did have one pretty strong contraction on the drive home but that was it. Naomi's gut feeling was obviously a false alarm, so we stopped at the party store to look for masks for the masquerade party that night.

While we were at the party store Brinley said she had to go potty so we all crowded into the bathroom and since we were all in there, we all went. When it was my turn I noticed a lot more spotting in my underwear. Suddenly my gut started sharing feelings with Naomi's gut…I did a quick internet search on my phone to see what it means when your water breaks. All the results indicated I would most likely be having a baby within the next 48 hours. Oh snap!

When we got home Taber asked how the party was and if the babysitter was still on for that night. I told him the party was great, and that we should definitely still have the babysitter come. Then I said, "Also I don't want to alarm you, but I think we're going to have a baby in the next 48 hours."

Taber's eyes got huge and his breathing started to accelerate.

"What do you mean? What does that mean?! What do we have to do? Oh my gosh nothing's ready!"

He started running around the house looking for…I'm not sure what, a hospital bag maybe? Yeah, we hadn't packed one yet.

I told him to calm down and that I wasn't in labor yet, I wasn't even having contractions! I said we could still go to the party and see if labor started on it's own. He wasn't having any of that. He wanted to call the doctor. So I did, just to show him that everything was fine. The doctor said to come to the hospital so we could take a test to see if my water had really broken. I started to think we might not be going to the masquerade party that night.

Our neighbors came over to watch the kids until the babysitter got there. I was glad we at least already had a babysitter lined up for the night. When we got to the hospital I didn't even bring in my bag because I figured we would take the test, everything would be fine, and they would send us home.

Not the case. The test came back positive that my water did indeed break. "So does that mean we have to stay?" I asked the nurse. "yes ma'am!" She said, "You're having this baby tonight!"

And that's when things got real.

They started an IV and got some pitocin going. I tell you what, when your water has already broken, and you've already birthed 3 babies it doesn't take much pitocin to get the party started. 30 minutes after they started the IV I felt my first contraction. OW!!! My body wasn't messing around. 2 minutes later came the next one. OW!! One after another every 2 minute they came. Big, body wrenching, eyeball bursting, sledge hammer contractions …15 minutes later I was like, "OKAY PEOPLE IT'S EPIDURAL TIME!"

Just a note, you should really never wait until you NEED an epidural to ask for one, since it still takes them at last 30 minutes to get the anesthesiologist in there to give it to you. By the time he got in there I was in tears. Luckily experience had taught me that despite the way they felt, the contractions would not actually kill me, so I only cried silent "this hurts." tears and not frantic, "I'M GOING TO DIE!" tears.

The epidural went in and each contraction hurt less and less. Oh the sweet beautiful relief of a blessed epidural!! Praise whoever invented that glorious cocktail of goodness!

15 minutes after the epidural my OB came in and told the nurses to turn up the pitocin, put me in stirrups and get ready to push. I was like, What? Reeally? It's pushing time already? How far am I even dilated?

The nurse went to check and was like, "Whoa! there's the head!" And then it got all crazy in there. The doctor started barking orders while the nurses ran around suiting him up in his baby catching gear, getting the cart ready, and telling me not to push.

"I'm not pushing, but the baby is coming!!"

"Wait!" Said the doctor.

"Sorry!"

Pop!

Out came her little head.

"Stop!" he said.

The cord was wrapped twice around her neck.

"Sorry Dad, you're not going to be able to cut this one." he told Taber

Taber was like, "do what you gotta do Doc."

The Doc did some ninja moves and her neck was free.

One more push and the rest of her came out.

6 lbs 1oz and 18 inches of perfection.

From the first contraction till that peanut was in my arms was about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Not too shabby.

We did it!

When we went into the hospital my favorite name was Kensington, but when we looked at this girl we knew she was a Nori.

Nori Ke'alohi Rigg

Oh my we were smitten!

Naomi's family came to visit the next day.

And so did some neighbors and friends. Grandma Karen even flew in last minute even though her original baby visit flight was scheduled for several weeks later. She just couldn't wait.