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Date:         Sun, 30 Sep 2001 19:34:04 -0600
Reply-To:     Bret Berger <bret@STONEFLYTECH.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bret Berger <bret@STONEFLYTECH.COM>
Subject:      Fw: 2 go in, 3 come out
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

List members,

This e-mail, received yesterday from my brother-in-law Craig Broberg in Portland, Oregon, illustrates the wisdom and practicality of Westfalia ownership. Anyone with suggestions for names may contact Craig and Alyson at: craigbroberg@yahoo.com.

-bret

1982 diesel Westfalia Saint George, Utah

-----------

Dear Friends

We had a baby last night after a long wait. Alyson had a precipitous labor which only lasted about 45 minutes. The baby caught us by surprise--we didn't make it to the hospital. Instead, the baby was born in our volkswagen campervan, with me having to be the midwife. Despite the rocky start, the baby is fine, and so is Alyson. Here is the full story if you're interested. Reader's discretion advised: may not be suitable for readers unaccustomed to births in campervans.

A week overdue, Alyson had fetal monitoring Friday morning with no problems. That night she had her first contraction at 9:35pm, and by 10:00 we knew they were coming regularly and that it was time to go. I took the suitcase to the van, put down the back seat, got a blanket to put back there, and started the motor. When I went back in to get Alyson she was obviously now in heavy labor-that frantic, screaming, demanding phase of labor. Yes I had the towel, yes I'll get your purse, yes I'm hurrying. She tried to get comfortable to walk to the car, but since the contraction wouldn't let up Alyson didn't want to stand. Finally, we pulled her to her feet and led her (half dragged her actually) slowly along to the door and out to the van. It was about 10:15 pm when we left. She was really in pain.

Finally en route, with Alyson recumbent on the stretched out back seat, the conversation went something like this: Alyson: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Why do we have to live so far away from the hospital!!" (We only live 5 miles away) Craig: "Deep breaths, Alyson." Alyson: "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!! Drive slower." Craig: "I'm driving slower." Alyson: "OOOOOOEEEEEAAAAWWHH!!!!! Drive FASTER." Craig: "I'm driving faster, we'll get there, Alyson." Alyson, after 1 mile: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! My water bag just broke!!" Craig, speeding: "Deep breaths, Alyson" (then, to himself, "Deep breaths Craig") Alyson, after 1.5 miles: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!I feel like I have to push!!!" Craig, speeding even more: "Don't push, Alyson." Alyson: "OH Craig, I feel like I'm going to have the baby now! Craig (to himself): "Uh-oh." Alyson: "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! PULL OVER, PULL OVER, PULL OVER." Craig, driving to the end of the block to a well-lit street. "I'm pulling over."

I stopped the car at a bus stop and rushed to the back of the camper, hoping to just reassure myself and Alyson and then keep driving. I pulled away her blanket, and saw instead that Alyson was right-we were too late! The head was more than half out, just past the chin, facing down. Wow. I remembered delivering babies in medical school, a total experience of only about 8 newborns. But I had sterile gloves on and a suction bulb then. I swept its mouth out with my finger. By then the head was fully emerged. I put my hands around the head and pulled down, and thankfully the shoulders freed. The infant started crying, much to my relief. "OK, Alyson, here's the baby," I said and put it on her belly as far up as the umbilical cord would let me. I wrapped the blanket around them. I tapped his foot a while to get him crying some more. When convinced that both baby and mom were ok, I turned the heater on full blast, then jumped out of the van.

I waved my arms at the first passing car, a mother with two kids in the back seat. As she rolled down her window I said, "My wife just had a baby, could you call 911?" I didn't want to drive her myself-just get someone here with sterile plastic and oxygen like I'm used to. I pointed the lady to the gas station down the road, and off she sped. Back inside the van, with Alyson and baby still lying down, I grabbed another towel and wiped the wet neonate off more and wrapped him up. He looked more pink now, and so did Alyson. She was smiling and feeling so much better. She acted like this was just another camping trip. It seemed like she was ready to have me pop up the top, turn on the stove and start making hot chocolate. The cord was still attached and no placenta showed yet. Alyson told me where the cell phone was in the packed duffle bag, and I called 911 myself. "They're on the way," said the dispatcher. "Oh, is the baby already out?" I told her it was. "Congratulations," she said, "boy or girl?" What?! In the rush I hadn't even thought about it. I verified gender and told the 911 lady it was a boy. "Oh, that's great, congratulations." I never thought a dispatch operator would be the first to hear the news that we'd had a boy.

By then my sister Emily, who was driving to our house to babysit William, drove by and spotted us. She pulled over and quickly came to see what was going on. "She had the baby in here!" I told her. "WWWHHAATTT? NOOO!! Oh, Craig, is everyone ok?" She had her shocked but happy face on. She came in the van to look at the product of the nights events and said something like, "Wow, Oh my, no WAY." Seeing that everything was ok, she sped off to relieve Alyson's mom.

Soon the firetruck was there. The truck's company got my briefing of what happened, and all said, "Oh, it's already done? Hey, congratulations!" No one seemed too worried or concerned now that the baby was out. Two of the guys went into the van, and we shut the door behind to keep the warm air in. They checked blood pressures and heart rates. Still no placenta, but baby looked healthy and with even better color. His eyes were opened and he was looking around at the sorry state of his parent's unpreparedness around him. What a start.

The ambulance was now there, and the EMTs all said, "Hey, congratulations, that's great." "What a great story, delivered by his dad, good job!" I was struck by how relaxed everyone seemed, and figured that it was a good sign. Some onlookers had gathered too, and I told them, "My wife just had a baby." "We knew it!" they all shouted, "Congratulations!" "You should name him Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway!" The crew were still tidying things up. We decided that based upon the time that they got the 911 dispatch call, that the baby was born at 10:20pm, about 45-50 minutes after her first sign of any contraction.

Then I thought about doing what most fathers are in charge of doing during a delivery-get the video camera. I barely got it going in time to record them pulling Alyson out of the back of the van. Seeing a fireman bringing the baby through the sliding door separately, I realized they'd cut the cord by then. I filmed all I could, took some photos in the ambulance while the staff patiently waited, then got back in the van to follow the ambulance.

At the hospital things became more routine. Both Alyson and the infant were hypothermic, but otherwise fine. Baby weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces. I don't know the length. Alyson finally passed the placenta, which thankfully showed no rupture or tear, and with no significant bleeding. The baby got a thorough review and all was reportedly normal. I can't be grateful enough for that, given the fact that he beat us to the punch. With so many things that can go wrong, it is a miracle that birthing ever goes right. I feel blessed.

We've been thinking of names, and are currently considering Cameron "Camper" Broberg, and Alyson "short fuse" Broberg. We'll send you an announcement later.

Very Truly Yours,

Craig and Alyson


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