The Van Courts: Me... God's helper...

Thursday morning... at about 10 am... I received a text message, from one of my best friends, Crystal Ivey-Steinkirchner. Some of you may remember her for being the nurse that assisted in my labor and delivery of Callie. I was able to be in her wedding last year, and with her throughout her pregnancy. Crystal called me on Friday, April 27th, the day before Callie's first birthday, when her water broke at just 31 weeks gestation (pregnancies should go until 37-40 weeks). She went to the hospital, and, by the grace of God, remained pregnant until this Thursday, May 17th when I received her simple text message stating "what are your plans for today". I knew, in an instant, that this was it. She wouldn't have sent that to me, being an hour and a half away, if she didn't have a gut feeling that, this was it... her labor had begun.

She was 33 weeks and 5 days into her pregnancy... it was a miracle that she had been able to stay pregnant for that long, staying on strict bed rest, of course. So I did what any nurse would do... I got ready, and put my scrubs on. Crystal had told me that she only thought it was early labor and wanted me there for the actual birth, so she asked me not to come just yet and that she would let me know when she was ready... so I waited... and waited... and waited, all day, until I got that call at 8 pm. I got to Wichita in just over an hour and by the time I arrived, she had already received her epidural. Being labor and delivery nurses we knew all to well that if an emergency arises and you do not already have the epidural, then you are put to sleep, where you miss the entire birthing process. So she got the block and was finally comfortable when I arrived. Unfortunately... the baby, little Miss Rilynn Paige, was not comfortable. Crystal, Dr. Kauffman, Dr. Cooper-Morphew (a resident assisting Dr. Kauffman), Kelly Hansard (the charge nurse and good friends of Crystal and I) must have sat there watching the fetal heart monitor for hours, each with our stomach's churning, waiting for Crystal to dilate. Through our intense training of reading fetal heart tones, we knew Rilynn was not deprived of oxygen or blood flow, but what we did know, was that her cord was wrapped around her body somewhere and was having intense compression with every contraction. This would cause Rilynn's heart rate to drop from the normal 135 beats per minute to a hard to watch 60 beats per minute... with EVERY contraction. I was to be relieved for a "lunch-break" prior to Crystal's delivery... but Kelly and I both agreed that we simply couldn't eat. Crystal wanted the opportunity for a natural (or vaginal) delivery... but everything was pointing to her having a cesarean section. Dr. Kauffman, the best physician, by far, in Wichita... was sweating. He was nervous... torn between wanting to give Crystal the experience she wanted... and doing what was medically appropriate. So he called the c-section. at 2:45 am... he called it... and as we rushed Crystal back to the operating room (we arrived at 2:48 am, in the OR... record time)... our hearts sank. Then just before we prepped Crystal for surgery, Dr. Kauffman checked Crystal again... completely dilated... but the baby was still pretty high in the birth canal... it would take a miracle for her to push out the baby, being that he couldn't assist her due to the baby's gestational age. But she did just that. She pushed harder than anyone I've ever seen. I'll never forget the look in her eyes when I told her she had to push with all of her being... or else she would be "cut" (have the surgery)... and she did it.

At 3:28am, on Friday, May 18th, Rilynn Paige Steinkirchner was delivered, and she came out screaming (the best sound any of us could have heard at that exact moment), and Crystal quickly stole a first snuggle with her on her chest before Rilynn was whisked away by the NICU team. Crystal did it. Even Dr. Kauffman was in shock. Crystal beat the odds, and it was only by a miracle from God that she did it and Rilynn couldn't have been more perfect. Even after being in the NICU, Rilynn never needed any breathing tubes or support... and as of today, she is a step-down unit called the Special Care Nursery.

I'm so blessed... what a wonderful job I have... getting to assist the greatest Physician of all, God, as I help bring His miracles into the world. I don't often cry at deliveries, but Crystal, Kelly and I were a blubbering mess... it was an intense night for all of us. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to do what I do... and being there for the birth of someone you love is the greatest honor.

Crystal is a fighter... and so is little Rilynn... they are both doing great (so is daddy Darrick)...

A quick photo snapped just after delivery

(and yes I did get her a pretty pink delivery gown & matching pillow case!)