Hospital

Anke was brought into the hospital Tuesday night to start the induction process. If everything went according to plan, Anke was to have had Conrad sometime during the day, probably afternoon of Wednesday. So I went home that evening so that Corwin would at least have Dad there in the morning. I would get up, take Corwin to daycare at 6:45- when they opened- and proceed to Creighton University Hospital.

When I arrived at just before 7, Anke appeared to be in much pain. Immediately Anke yelled for me to begin massaging her lower back. So I did. The next hour goes like this. Anke screaming, me massaging her back as hard as I can for the next hour. At the end of this time, my wrists are throbbing and I can't feel my finger tips anymore. I challenge any of you to massage someones lower back, as hard as you can for 15 minutes. It isn't pleasant.

Anke was in excruciating pain. The greatest pain she had ever experienced in her life. She had asked for an epidural at some point, but no one seemed to pay attention to her. So 10 minutes later I brought it up for her, again. So they paged the anesthesiologist, and she arrived 10 more minutes later.

(Papa acting like a monster, impressed Conrad not at all.)

The anesthesiologist was very firm, but friendly, telling Anke to sit on the bed and don't move. When having needle stuck in your spine it's important not to move. Just before inserting the big needle in her back, Anke starts saying "The baby is coming!" It takes a few seconds, and Anke saying it a few times before they start to believe her and think to check things out. And little Conrad was coming. I run out into the hall yelling "Get a doctor! She's having the baby!"

So Dr. Babcock, the anesthesiologist, delivers the baby. Anke's doctor later told us that Dr. Babcock was glowing later, as this was the first baby she had delivered in 20 years. So all in all, Anke's actual labor was just over an hour, but she was able to cram all of the pain associated with Corwin's 23 hour labor into that one hour.