On the morning of Monday, October 9th 2017 we stayed up late watching tv as my husband had the next day off work, it was around midnight when we went to bed. I woke up to pee a bit later as when you are in the end of your third trimester you pee so much you can not sleep long before you have to go. Things seemed off but I was not sure why I got back into bed and my husband got up and quickly rushed back into the room and told me we needed to evacuate and to get things together. I looked out our window to see the sky was a glowing eery orange color, ash was raining down and the sound of things exploding all around our home. We prepared to evacuate the area. I was 39 weeks pregnant as we loaded up our 5 cats, 4 chickens and our sleeping toddler into my husbands truck. I learned to never let my car get to empty that day as we could not evacuate in my car as it was on empty. We packed very little and nothing for if our sweet baby decided to join us while we were away though we had no idea how long we would be gone or if our home would still be there once the fires were out. We drove the scariest drive through back roads to my husbands work (the base was in another city). We gathered information and tried to decide what the plan was since we could not return home we had learned that the birth center where we were planning to give birth at was in an area that had much fire damage and that it may no still be there. Two hospitals near our house had been evacuated and were closed down because of the fires. We knew we had to come up with a plan to get the cats and chickens somewhere safe so we did not have them with us incase I went into labor, though I was convinced I was having the baby a week past my due date. We decided to head to the South Bay where my husband’s aunt and uncle live and his parents would meet us and take our cats and chickens to their home while we waited to figure out things. The fires were still zero percent contained and spreading through the city. I heard from our amazing midwife and she was trying to help us make a plan for if I went into labor before we could be back and let us know they did not know the status of the birth center as she had evacuated from it with a mama in labor and they were not able to go back as it was in an evacuated zone that was still on fire. I was feeling so many things that day but mostly just in shock that this was really happening the city I was growing to love (we had just moved there in June) was being destroyed, lives were being lost it was too much to process. I cuddled with my toddler tried to enjoy what was the end of his time as my only baby. I wanted to just be thankful my family and our pets were safely out of harms way and the dangers of the fires and pray for those who were loosing everything and the ones who did not know. I knew our home was not safe yet but I felt a weird sense of peace with what it would be if we lost all our belongings as I had everything that meant the most with me, my family. The next day Tuesday, we worked on our backup plan for if I went into labor before we could go home and where we should be. Because I was going for my VBAC (vagina birth after cesarean) I needed to make sure we picked the place carefully and that they would allow me to go for my VBAC and that they had good VBAC rates and policies. I felt like we should go to Alameda as it was the city we had lived in before we moved we had lived there when we had our son, it seemed comfortable and safe given all that was going on. We booked a hotel that was right behind the apartments we had lived in before we moved. I contacted the midwife I had when I had my son to see if she could possibly take us on if I went into labor and I could have the baby at the hospital where my son was born. She unfortunately was unable to do so as she had a few mammas due any day and her partner was on vacation. The hospital she delivered at was familiar and I knew they allowed VBACs as they told me I would be a great candidate for one after my cesarean with my son (he was breech despite trying everything to flip him). As I like looked more into their rates and policies for VBACs I felt like it was not the right fit for the best chances. I felt frustrated and worried as we had worked so hard to find the birth center and our amazing midwives there and now we may not get to have them be the ones to help me succeed with my VBAC. My lovely Doula said she would still be able to come to me and that she was ok but may have to evacuate as the fires were spreading closer and closer to her home. As Tuesday drew to an end I told baby not come as I did not have a plan but we were in Alameda and had checked into our hotel which felt good we had dinner plans with friends but were too exhausted so we postponed until the next night. We spent Wednesday running some errands we took our toddler to get a toy at our favorite boutique Tot Tank on Park Street, in Alameda. While we were there the lovely owners asked us about why we were back in town. We explained it to them and they so graciously offered us a car seat to use if our baby came before we got back home to our belongings. I worked on our back up birth plan but had not finalized anything, a birth center in San Francisco was a possibility but they wanted me to come take a tour. Going into the city terrified me. We also were thinking of UCSF hospital as it had great VBAC rates but was also in the city. We then headed to the base where my husband and I had been previously stationed to visit with a friend. My husband asked me the question he had asked everyday for weeks “Are we having a baby today?”. This time I was not sure so I answered, “I don’t think so”, instead of my usual “No”. Then we headed to our friends for dinner. They let us know they would make themselves available to watch our toddler if I went into labor in the next few days. We finished up dinner and visited for a bit before we left. We headed to Target for a few things before heading back to the hotel room for the night.
Beautiful Mess Mama 