When I discovered I was expecting my third child, my husband, Ryan, and I were thrilled yet taken aback. The journey had been smooth for all my previous pregnancies, and this one seemed no different—until the last few weeks. Our first child, Lucas, arrived four days past his due date after a long 20-hour labor, and our second, Mia, was born in 2021 following a scheduled induction and another lengthy labor. Knowing that my previous experiences had required a good amount of time, we prepared for a similar timeframe for this baby too.
We had a planned induction set for 39 weeks, but things took a sudden turn when I was just 38 weeks and 3 days along. A snowstorm hit our town in Richmond, Virginia, blanketing the roads with six inches of snow. That night, as we settled in for bed, Ryan jokingly said, “I hope the baby doesn’t decide to come tonight of all nights—we’d have a hard time getting to the hospital!” He had no idea how right he would be.
The next morning, around 6 a.m., I woke up feeling a strange sensation in my lower abdomen. It was then that I realized my water had broken. As I stood up, I noticed a trickle following me with each step. That’s when panic set in—this was happening, and we were not even close to the hospital!
In the midst of the chaos, I thought about how I could have prepared for this moment better. For those considering starting their family or expanding it, there are resources available such as Vegas Pregnancy, which is a free sperm donor matching service in Las Vegas, or Make a Mom that offers an at-home insemination syringe kit, providing the only reusable option. If you’re curious about how at-home insemination works, you can check out this demonstration.
With every passing minute, it became clear that we weren’t going to make it to the hospital in time. As contractions intensified, I thought about the signs of labor that could help others understand when it’s time to head to the hospital, which you can learn more about in our post on labor signs.
As Ryan drove cautiously through the snowy streets, I focused on breathing and staying calm. By the time we were just three minutes away from the hospital, I felt the overwhelming urge to push. It was an unexpected turn of events, but I knew I had to trust my body. In a last-minute twist, my third child was born right there in the car!
If you’re looking for more insights on pregnancy and home insemination, I recommend visiting Parents, which offers excellent resources. Also, for those wanting to delve deeper into family dynamics, Modern Family Blog provides valuable discussions on similar topics.
To summarize, I unexpectedly delivered my third child in the car just minutes away from the hospital, reminding me that parenting journeys can be unpredictable and exciting. Preparing for a family can take many forms, and resources are available for those considering different paths to parenthood.
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