Worth the Wait

On Saturday, April 6, 2019, I packed my camera and laptop and headed north to Oklahoma City, where my niece Madison was scheduled to give birth. I was feeling relieved. Madison had a high-risk pregnancy because she has Type I diabetes. She had been hospitalized in February and put on partial bed rest because of concerns about early labor and preeclampsia. Madison’s due date was late April, but her obstetrician wanted her to make it to 34 weeks (mid-March) to allow more time for the baby’s lungs to develop. We considered each week that Madison’s health remained stable and the baby continued to incubate in the womb a small victory.

Last week, we got word that the obstetrician would induce labor on April 6. I was excited because that meant my great niece would share a birthday with her great-great grandfather. I headed to Oklahoma City planning to take lots of photos of the exhausted, but happy little family. I couldn’t imagine a better opportunity to capture “moments of awe” than welcoming the newest member to our family.

When my mother and I walked into Mercy Hospital, I was flooded with memories. Although I’ve been in that hospital many times, the memories that stood out on Saturday were three other joyous times – almost 31 years ago, when my husband and I walked through those same doors to deliver our daughter; 27 ½ years ago, when I stood in the hall outside my sister’s delivery room with my parents and brother-in-law’s mother, Jean, waiting for Madison to arrive; and 3 years later when McKenna was born.

My sister had cautioned us that Madison was likely to have a long labor. She had actually been admitted to the hospital on April 5 so that she could be monitored, then went into labor around midnight. By the time my mother and I arrived at the hospital around 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, Madison had been in labor for more than 12 hours, but was doing well. She was dilated to a 4 and progressing. A couple of hours later, she had dilated to a 6, and they gave her an epidural, which eased the pain of the contractions. So, in spite of my sister’s warnings about a long labor, I was convinced I was going to meet my new niece before the end of the day.

But, the hours began to drag. Madison’s grandmother Jean joined us in the family waiting room, as did her father-in-law, John. We listened as the chimes rang over the speakers each time a new baby was born. We watched as slowly the crowded waiting room of other families dwindled. Occasionally, Madison’s husband Ben would emerge from the room, but McKenna rarely left her sister’s side. Around 9 p.m., I went into Madison’s room. She had been in labor for 20 hours. She was in a lot of pain and exhausted. I felt helpless. I wanted to tell her that it would all be worth it – to just hang in there. Instead, I kissed her forehead and stroked her hair for a few minutes as she softly cried.

I returned to the family waiting room, and we continued to wait. And wait, And wait. With each passing hour, I realized I wouldn’t be taking any photos of the exhausted, but happy family. Those photos, too, would have to wait until a later time.

At midnight, my sister, who had not planned to be in the delivery room couldn’t wait any longer. She walked back to Madison’s room and left me peering through the windows of the closed doors to the maternity rooms. I waited and watched for any nurses going into Madison’s room. I lost track of time, but I think her obstetrician arrived around 1:30 a.m. At 1:50 a.m., my sister sent us a text that said Madison could start pushing at 2:00 a.m. By then, she had been in labor for 26 hours, and we were all concerned that Madison was too weak to sit up, much less push. But, to her unfailing spirit, she pushed and pushed and pushed. At 3:00 a.m., Sonya sent a text that the obstetrician was going to try a vacuum extraction and asked us to pray that it would be successful. Madison’s 82 year-old grandmothers immediately bowed their heads.

At 3:25 a.m., Sonya’s text said that they could only try one more time with the vacuum extraction. At 3:40 a.m., her text simply said, “C section.” Madison had hoped to avoid having a cesarean birth because of the increased risk of infection due to her diabetes. We all wanted her to have a vaginal delivery, but at that moment, I was so worried about her that I just felt relief.

For the next 30 minutes, we watched the flurry of activity as the anesthesiologist and nurses began to prepare for the cesarean delivery. Around 4:10 a.m., they wheeled Madison by us, with Ben trailing the gurney, gowned up, camera in hand, and looking exhausted.

My sister and niece emerged from Madison’s room and collapsed into sobs. “She tried so hard,” Sonya cried. Within seconds, Jean and Scott had McKenna in their arms, while Mother and I held on to Sonya – all of us feeling their anguish.

Only minutes later, there was another blow when Ben came back into the waiting room. Madison was in too much pain and required general anesthesia, which meant Ben couldn’t be in the room to welcome his daughter. He slouched in a chair. But, one of the nurses came out and grabbed his camera and a cell phone.

Finally, at 4:24 a.m., Audrey Marie Winter arrived weighing 6 lbs. 13 ozs. At 4:31 a.m., the nurse brought us the photos we coveted and a video of Audrey’s first cry. That, of course, prompted more tears from all of us. Fifteen minutes later, Dr. Beverly Vavricka and the nurse brought Audrey out to meet us. My sister said Dr. Vavricka was a pillar of strength and compassion with Madison, and for that we will all be forever indebted to her.

I knew that Madison needed to rest, regain her strength, and bond with her family. I thought it was more important for her to spend time with her husband, parents, sister, and grandmothers, so I made the decision to leave the hospital and give her that time. Now that she’s here, I’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with my great niece.

I love you, Madi, and I love Audrey.

She is worth the wait!