Aniyia Williams and her husband Marcos Rogers are excited with their baby’s dude date so close. Aniyia, the CEO of her own startup Tinsel, and Marco, a web developer, counted the days and geared up for the delivery when her contractions began making themselves felt five days early.
So after the ordeal, Marcos took to Twitter to tell their story. We’ve never read a more intense story to light up the start of our 2016.
I’ve got about 10-15 minutes before she wakes up. So it’s time to tell the story of how I delivered my own baby girl.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
She was born in our house. In our bed. Just me and @operaqueenie. With my father in law also there in the house. No, this was NOT planned.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
@operaqueenie is Aniyia, by the way. Oh yeah, and did I mention that neither of them are doctors? Brace yourselves.
So let me start by saying Aniyia was pretty apprehensive about labor. Understandable of course. But she was looking for ways to prepare.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
She was open to getting the drugs if things got too bad, but she really wanted to have a natural birth.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
It’s always good to be open to have a Plan B.
Kaiser is totally down with supporting that. And they recommend that you labor at home for most of the process.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Aniyia learned about hypnobirthing. Essentially meditation and relaxation techniques for managing pain and anxiety of natural birth.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
We asked her OB and she was on board. “Giving birth is the only thing you don’t have to learn how to do. Your body already knows.”
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
So early Saturday morning, my wife wakes up with contractions. This is about 5 days early. But that wasn’t entirely unexpected.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
So, everything’s still pretty chill.
We had this app called Full Term. It lets you time your contractions and keeps track of their intensity and the time in between.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
The app asks you to rate your contractions. 1 Very mild 2 Mild 3 Moderate 4 Strong 5 Very strong This is relevant. So keep it in mind.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
So, remember the name, parents-to-be: Full Term.
Let me fast forward a little, because she labored normally for about 9 hours. We went from very mild to mostly moderate contractions.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
All this time she’s handling it like a champ. Breathing through it. Using her birthing ball. I’m massaging and encouraging.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Just in case you’re wondering what a birthing ball is, here ya go.
I want to stress that this follows everything we’ve been told by Kaiser up to this point. We’re not worried about heading to the hospital.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
They said first child labor could be up to 24 hours. We called them once and they said “you’re doing great. Stay at home”.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Wow. Pretty chill so far. And then…
Then Strong contractions. Number 4 on the scale. I remember because it was the first time a sound involuntarily escaped my wife’s mouth.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Here we go.
It was scary. But @operaqueenie is a trooper. She just grunted and breathed and said. “I’m fine.”
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
So. Much. Respect.
We had a system. I was timing the contractions. So when one would start, she would say the keyword “banana”.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
The contractions were lasting about 1 to 1.5 minutes. And they were about 5-6 minutes apart.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Eventually the system broke down. “Look, unless I say otherwise, they are ALL strong contractions.”
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Oh boy.
So let me back up. My father in law came into town that same day around noon. Not to witness the birth, but to work on @tinselwear with her.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
“Oh sure, let me get back to work on my startup while I hang on through freakin’ strong contractions, NBD.” this lady is the real deal, folks. Badass AF.
That startup life is real. My wife was grinding right up until she went into labor. Anyway, he’s hanging out for most of this labor ordeal.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
When the strong contractions started coming, he was pretty freaked out. I don’t know what it’s like to hear your daughter like that.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Okay, so we’ve done some solid laboring. We’re all proud of ourselves. But things are getting hectic. Time to go in to the hospital right?
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
We call Kaiser again. Tell them she’s having pretty strong contractions and they’re 5 minutes apart. (Get an app to keep track. Seriously.)
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
“We usually like to wait until they’re 2-3 minutes apart. That signals active labor is approaching.” Oh? Do tell.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
“Oh, okay, I’m sure I could wait a bit longer while I’m in the throes of pain and am about to pop another human being out here.”
I’m a little worried. But we still think we have time. It’s only been about 10-11 hours. Plus my wife is still hanging in there.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
This is where I might recommend the hypnobirthing book. It’s little new agey. Okay maybe a lot. But my wife is handling things so well.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Having reference on hand is always helpful.
So Kaiser says give it an hour or 2. But @operaqueenie is looking for ways to actively manage the pain. So we decide to put her in the bath.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Water is supposed to help labor a lot. Even Kaiser has a tub they will put you in if you come in to the hospital. Cool, let’s do this.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Okay this has been a lot of build up. But things start to go pretty fast at this point. Strap in y’all.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
So the contractions are legit now. I remember the last one she had before the tub was the first time she actually exclaimed. “Jesus Christ”.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Can we just please give all the props to Aniyia for being such a super trooper through all this?
But we get her in the tub. And for the first few minutes, it seems to be helping. She’s leaning back and breathing a little easier.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
At this point, Aniyia steps in to share her half of the story.
This is where the shit hit the fan from my view. A couple mins of relaxing then water broke and all hell broke lose. https://t.co/R0NXACE4UA
— Aniyia (@operaqueenie) January 8, 2016
All of a sudden I felt the craziest pain I have ever experienced and the sound I made…. It felt like someone else was making it.
— Aniyia (@operaqueenie) January 8, 2016
And then that pushing urge kicked in. Like I was going to take the biggest crap of my life in that tub.
— Aniyia (@operaqueenie) January 8, 2016
And back to Marco —
And then it happened. All of a sudden my wife says she felt “a pop and a gush”. Her water had broken.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
At that exact moment another contraction hit. Category 5. And a sound came out of my wife that scared the shit out of me.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Let me tell y’all something. Most of us only know late stage labor from what we see in movies. Some of it is accurate, but not the sound.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
It’s not a scream, it’s not a brave grunt, it’s not tense teeth gritting. My father in law described it as a wail. Low and heart-wrenching.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
I never want to hear that sound again from someone I love. Not ever.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
So at this point, we know it’s going down. Kaiser says if the water breaks, call immediately. We need to get the hospital STAT.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Back to Aniyia —
I stand up to get out of the tub and :::push contraction::: OMG OMG OMG WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. @polotek is trying to get me to…
— Aniyia (@operaqueenie) January 8, 2016
…snap out of it and get dressed so we can leave. I put my clothes back on. Earlier I was worried about what I was gonna wear to hospital..
— Aniyia (@operaqueenie) January 8, 2016
…tryna be cute. Now I’m like “fuck the bra, fuck the wig”. I prob would’ve even skipped underwear if fluid wasn’t running down my legs.
— Aniyia (@operaqueenie) January 8, 2016
Birth Mode frackin’ ON.
Marco is doing his best to keep it together and get things done:
I start gathering the stuff. We’ve got the “go bag” ready. I tell my father in law who had tried to lay down and rest. “We’re going. Now.”
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
I have him put the stuff in the car (ProTip: we should’ve done this earlier in the day). I head back to collect the love of my life.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
She is totally out of it. Fuck breathing. Fuck counting. Mind you it has been 5-7 minutes since first getting her into the bath.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Me: “We gotta go babe” Her: “I can’t make it.” Me: “Yes we will. We have to. Let’s do this.” Her: “Oh my god. I’m getting the urge to push.”
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
… … … “You can’t do that. Don’t push. We have to get to the hospital.”
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
I have to get her dried off, dressed, and into the car. And then a 20 minute drive to Kaiser across town. OHSHITOHSHITOHSHITOHSHIT.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Everything is moving in slow motion. She’s out of the tub. I’m pulling a dress over her head. I’m walking her down to the garage.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
We are still about 10-12 minutes from the time we first got into the tub. “Give it another hour or 2”. Man, listen.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
Marco, you’re the best.
We’re at the garage. I’m mentally preparing for the wild drive across town with her screaming in the back. Like the movies right y’all?
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
And how’s Aniyia through all this?
He gets me out of the bathroom and I just start grabbing everything I can on the way to the garage thinking I’m gonna need it…
— Aniyia (@operaqueenie) January 8, 2016
I didn’t need any of it. Anyway I’m standing in the foyer in front of the door to the garage where I see @polotek and my dad frantically…
— Aniyia (@operaqueenie) January 8, 2016
…loading the car & @polotek is telling me to get in & I’m like “I don’t think this is a good idea. I’m gonna shit all over the car.”
— Aniyia (@operaqueenie) January 8, 2016
Then :::push contraction::: and I feel a bulge between my legs. Reach down and can feel Noemi’s head.
— Aniyia (@operaqueenie) January 8, 2016
My wife stops. She’s wailing. “I can’t. I’m gonna have this baby right now. I can feel the head.” She starts to *sit down in our foyer*.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
OH MY GOD YOU CAN’T DO THAT STOP PUSHING WE CAN MAKE IT WHAT DO I DO?
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
My wife is the only one with clarity. “Call 911. Get the What to Expect book. There’s a section on emergency delivery.”
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
My wife is the only one with clarity. “Call 911. Get the What to Expect book. There’s a section on emergency delivery.”
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
OF COURSE! OMG, the book.
Where’s this book? *Fuck. This is happening.* Where did I put the book? *Fuck. I don’t know if I can do this.* WHERE THE HELL IS THIS BOOK?!
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
I finally lay my hands on What to Expect When You’re Expecting. It’s been a godsend through pregnancy. I think it’s about to save me again.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
In a word. Nope.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
I go back upstairs. I’ve got the book in hand. I’m flipping through finding the section on emergency delivery.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
I walk into our bedroom. My wife is on all fours. I can see the top of my baby’s head. I don’t have time to read shit.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
I rush over. No idea what to do. She says “it’s happening”. I don’t even have the mental capacity to think “no shit”.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
At the same time, I’m hyper focused. Tunnel vision. She wails again and my baby girl’s head comes out. I see her face for the first time.
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
She’s blue. She’s covered in goo. She’s blue. She’s beautiful. Oh fuck, she’s blue. She can’t breathe!
— Marco Rogers (@polotek) January 8, 2016
We’re not done yet, folks! Stay for the heart-stopping end to this birth in
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