This woman planned to give birth at home, but her waters broke early in the 36th week. She thus went to the hospital and then went into labor for 47 hours. Just when she thought it was over, the doctors told her to keep on pushing.
This was the first time the couple, who met each other online in 2012, was expecting a child, and they knew they wanted a natural birth and to give birth at home.
“We decided not to do an ultrasound, just as little intervention as possible,” Matt told WZZM.
However, things didn’t go according to the plan. Nicole’s waters broke on Dec. 29, 2017, around four weeks earlier than her due date of Jan. 30, 2018.
Matt drove Nicole two hours to Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Hospital through a blizzard. They reached the hospital at 4:00 a.m. that day, but Nicole’s contractions continued through the next day.
The couple had planned for natural birth without any medical intervention. But seeing Nicole in pain for the past 30 hours, Matt knew something had to be done. So the couple opted for a “small dose of pitocin,” which helped Nicole’s contractions, and she reached full dilation.
They then decided to get an epidural shot after Nicole had been pushing for four hours and was suffering from severe back pain.
Finally, two hours after the epidural, their daughter, Blakeley Faith Ziesemer, was born on Dec. 30, 2017, at 10:06 p.m.
“It was unbelievable, there is not a moment like it,” Matt told WZZM.
However, after all that they had been through in the last 47 hours, little did they know they were in for a surprise when their doctor, Dr. Megan Forshee, went to check on Nicole.
“I reached in to check the patient and realized there was a head,” Dr. Forshee said.
“We thought she was joking and she was like, ‘I don’t lie about these things,’” Nicole recalled.
Nicole found herself pushing again. The epidural had worn off and she was in tremendous pain once more. However, she endured it, and about an hour later she gave birth to their son, Cade Matthew Ziesemer.
The birth of their second child took everyone by surprise, including Nicole. “My first thought after delivering the second baby, ‘oh crap!’ we need a second crib, a second car seat, a second everything,” she said.
The couple was a bit stunned with all that had happened but most importantly wished that their babies would be strong and healthy.
“The craziest thing is that on the day I went into labor I did have a scan but it only picked up the one baby,” Nicole said. “They think that Cade must have been hiding right behind his sister.”
A few days after the babies were taken home, the couple then had another task of ordering duplicates of baby equipment. Recalling the incident, Nicole shares, “But I really can’t imagine having just one baby now. It’s like they were meant to be. I love the thought that they’ll always have each other.”
Although the experience was a roller coaster ride for the couple, it ended happily for all.
Friends Read Free