Moments with the McNamaras: Teddy Daniel McNamara

On July 4^th I was woken up around 5:30 AM by strong, cramping sensation. Thinking it was strange but nothing to get alarmed about I went to the bathroom and went back to sleep. I was then woken up again by another cramp around 6:30. Again, I got up and went to the bathroom and was still not at all concerned that it might be the baby. I did however send an email to my parents and sisters giving them a heads up in case it progressed and we needed someone to take the kids that day. I told them, “I am not telling Susie yet because I don’t think they are serious and if I tell Susie she wouldn't let us go to the cabin because she would be worried we wouldn't make it to our hospital.” I was still 3 weeks from my due date of July 22^nd and so what if I had two pretty strong contractions they were almost an hour apart. We were planning on going to the McNamara family cabin that day in Cumberland, WI. Since I was up, I was going to start making tuna salad to bring that day. I had another contraction around the time I woke Susie up, maybe 7:15. I again tried to assure her nothing was happening and if it was it was going to be awhile because the contractions were so far apart. She asked if she had time to go running and I was like “yes, of course”. So Susie took off running and I went downstairs to think about making tuna salad and start packing stuff for the kids for the cabin.

--As a side note: the first thing Susie said when I told her I was having a few contractions—“We are not going to the cabin, we are not having this baby at Barron County hospital or any other hospital in northern WI!”

Shortly after Susie took off for her run, the contractions started to get strong and close together. I am pretty sure they went from being about 45 minutes apart to 3-4 minutes apart. I was still really calm at this point. I texted my sister, Kelly, and told her I needed her to come get the kids. She wrote back and said she was on a 10-mile walk and she wouldn't be home for a while. I said “no biggie, just come when you get home.” I tried to keep packing for Maggie and Tommy but every time I would start to get items to pack I would have another contraction and forget what I was doing by the time it passed. I was still home alone at this point. I called my sister, Jessie (since she is a nurse I was hoping she could tell me how much time I had or that they weren't that serious yet :). I had a couple severe contractions while on the phone with Jessie and she said I should probably go to the hospital. I was telling Jessie how the contractions were paralyzing and how they felt so much better if I went and sat on the toilet. She told me to stop sitting on the toilet—I wasn't thinking clearly at the time, but obviously that was the baby wanting to come out. I texted Susie and told her to sprint home. I texted Kelly and told her to start running home and get over to our house ASAP to get Maggie and Tommy.

I still hadn't showered , brushed my teeth or changed out of my pajamas—there was no way I was going to the hospital without at least brushing my teeth and I was still thinking maybe just a quick shower. The problem was I in the kitchen and I needed to get upstairs to do these things. Trying to get up the stairs between contractions was an ordeal. I would say at this point I was starting to get nervous that we weren't going to make it to the hospital and I definitely wasn't getting a shower. I managed to brush my teeth and throw on a pair of shorts. I remember standing in our closet trying to put my shorts on and Maggie coming in during one of my bad contractions—I didn't want to scare her but I really wanted to swear, cry and scream all at the sometime. I just remember her asking what was happening and telling her that the baby was just really excited to be here and wanted to come out right now. Susie came flying home and whisked Maggie and Tommy over the neighbor’s house to wait for my sister to get them.

Susie and I took off in the van. When we left our house I didn't even think we were going to make it out of our neighborhood. I really wanted to make it to United so our family doctor could deliver the baby but that seemed impossible. We talked about just going to Hudson Hospital…but luckily even through the contractions I was still thinking clearly enough and said we at least need to make it across the border to Minnesota so Susie could be on the birth certificate too. So we took off down I94. We made Woodwinds in Woodbury our goal. The whole drive is a blur. I am not even sure if we had the radio on. All I remember is telling Susie to call or text my doctor. When we got to the I94/494 split to go to Woodwinds we saw the mileage sign that said, St. Paul: 7 miles. I told her I could make it another 7 minutes and just to go to St. Paul...but to start speeding even more. Susie said she was going 90 mph. We went through a few red lights (safely) and arrived at United Hospital.

We pulled into the emergency drop off/valet area. They put me in a wheel chair and pushed me to labor and delivery. The valet ticket said 8:48 AM. Once I got to labor and delivery they quickly admitted me and gave me my wristbands. My official hospital check in time was 8:55 AM. They wheeled me to the room and I was telling them to call my doctor. I got in the bed and they checked me and I was a 10. They quickly grabbed the baby warmer and the emergency ob/gyn doctor, Dr. Ozel. I was just getting ready to push when our doctor arrived. Thank goodness Dr. Montague lives right by the hospital. I pushed once and nothing. The second push, I heard someone say the head was out. The 3^rd push the baby was out!

I heard Susie asking Dr. Montague if it was a girl or boy. The next thing I heard was the happiest sounding Susie saying “it’s a boy and he looks just like Tommy!” Teddy Daniel McNamara arrived at 9:12 AM on the 4^thof July. He was 7lb 15oz and 20 ¾” long.

My biggest fear was having another episode of hemorrhaging like I did after I gave birth to Tommy. They took a lot of precautions and did a few extra things this time to try and eliminate or minimize the possibility of it occurring this time around. Everything seemed to be going good. But a couple hours passed and I was still bleeding and passing clots. So Dr. Montague ended up coming back and removing some bigger clots and pieces of the placenta that were left behind. They thought that should put an end to the bleeding but a few hours passed and I was still bleeding. They found a big hematoma inside and ended up taking me to the OR. They had to give me a spinal block and went in and cleaned everything up. So it turned out to be a really long day. Even though I gave birth at 9:12 AM we didn't get transferred to our room for the night until 6:00 PM. Susie and I had Cossetta’s to celebrate that night.

Teddy is absolutely perfect in every way.