Katie's Story-- 8 lbs., 1 oz.-- Hospital VBAC

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8 lbs., 1oz.

19 inches

Head circumference 13.5 inches

Hospital

Born 6:28pm May 24th, 2009

Mother’s height: 5’ 6”

Starting on Friday, May 22, I started having very mild but consistent contractions at 5 mins apart at lunch time. The rest of the day they came and went, some getting farther apart but stronger slowly as the day went on. I also had a lot of brownish and pinkish spotting. Figured that maybe I was in very early labor. Did my usually stuff that day and went to bed about 9, just in case this was it.  Saturday morning I woke up about 1am with contractions strong enough that I couldn’t sleep. I got up and ate some peanut butter toast and drank a bunch of water and tried to go back to sleep. Contractions were about 7 mins apart but stronger and enough so that I was having a hard time sleeping. Likely because I was excited. Got up and took a bath but that didn’t help. tried to go back to sleep. Got up and ate 2 huge bowls of apple cinnamon cheerios. Finally fell back asleep about 4:30 am. Woke up at 7am and was just very tired. Contractions were completely bearable but figured that we were starting (maybe) and so I had Madison go to a Jaxson’s (and George and Amie) house for a few hours while my mom and I stayed home to see if anything would progress.

As the day went on they got stronger but not really closer. I called L&D and she said 3-5 mins apart, not able to talk through them, so I just figured I would wait. Wasn’t ready to go to the hospital yet anyway. I called Meredith, who was working about 2 hours away, to let her know that she might have to come back that night. We decided that she would come back that night instead of waiting for a call at 2 am and have to drive then.

My back started hurting and I called another friend of mine who does massage. She wanted me to come to her studio, but I really didn’t want to leave the house, so I decided to stay home. Rob called his mom and went to meet her and take Madison to her house so that we wouldn’t have here with us. By the time Rob got back, about 6:30pm, contractions were 5 mins apart and getting stronger. I could still talk and walk, but it took effort. I called Meredith back and she said she was on her way to my house. at 7:30 I started to panic. the contractions seemed very strong to me, I was concentrating on them and they were consistently 5 mins apart, so we decided to head to the hospital. I called Meredith and told her to meet us there. Once I got there, my contractions stopped pretty much, likely due to my nerves. They got me into a room and set and checked me and I was 2cm and 80% effaced. I was devastated! I told them I wanted to go home. The dr. on call was leery of that since I was a VBAC and they said they would really like me to stay but I refused and we packed up and came home. (in hind site, this was the reason it all worked out!! best decision)

I went to bed disappointed and tired, since it have been contracting for nearly 30 hours at this point and I just wanted to either be in labor or not. I ate a snack and went to bed. At about 3am I was woken by very strong contractions, 7 mins apart, strong enough that I would flip to hands and knees in bed and rock and moan through them. Rob decided I was in labor, though I was still not sure! LOL I started just sleeping in between them. Must be some natural coping mechanism, since I did it until about 6:30 am. We started timing for real at 7am. Meredith came over and she helped my mom. My mom would time the start to start and Meredith would time the duration. They were about 5 mins apart with about 30 seconds of what I would call pain. The actual contraction would last about a min or longer. As the morning went on, I could no longer do anything during the contractions except hang onto Rob and moan. Contractions got stronger and longer. They were 4-5 mins apart, and lasting (pain) about 70 seconds. During one contraction while I was hanging on to Rob I had a huge rushing feeling, almost like a pushing sensation (or so I thought) so I just said “we have to go NOW!” we packed up and went up to the hospital. I have 4 contractions in the car, which were the hardest ones! (at that point) I preferred to be standing during them, sitting or laying down was excruciating. We got back to the hospital and I was moaning and hanging on Rob and everyone in the ER was looking at me funny. It made me laugh. They probably all thought I was crazy. 

I went back up to L&D and they put me in the same room and got me all set up again. The nurse said “we were waiting for you!” I was so nervous that I would be only a 3 and they wouldn’t let me go. She checked me (about 11am) and I was 6cm, fully effaced!!! I cried when she told me, I was so happy. Rob, mom and Meredith clapped! LOL They told me I had to stay. I said that was fine! They put me on the monitors and said I would be able to get off of them, but then the dr. on call said NO so I was worried I would be stuck in bed. The nurse said “you can move as much as you want, so long as the cord is long enough” so I got out of bed and stood next to it for most of the day. We said I didn’t want to be checked again except for by the Dr, or if they thought I was complete (i.e. pushing) so when the dr got there at 1 she checked me and I was a stretch 8!!  I was still concerned that it wasn’t going to happen, but everyone else was excited.

Transition for me was the second hardest thing I have ever done. I refused pitocin (which they really didn’t push since I was a VBAC) and did not let them break my water. I stayed at a 9 for almost 3 hours. then a 9 & 1/2 for a while until I begged them to stretch my cervix!! LOL I was on the bed with the back raised on my hands and knees and suddenly had a contraction that felt better when I kinda of pushed at it. My mom went to get the nurse and she tried to check me like that but said I really needed to lay down. I said I didn’t want to push laying down and she said “sweetie you can push however you want, but I need to make darn sure you are complete so you don’t swell.” I knew that was true so I got down and she checked me and then had the dr come in and Dr said “I’d call that complete!” I was so freaking happy! but also exhausted and once I was laying down, though I was hurting, I just couldn’t get back up again. They broke my water sometime in there, (i think it was earlier when I was at a 9 & 1/2 but I can’t remember)

The first few pushes I really thought I was doing it but I think the contractions were just not strong enough. I actually asked the dr how far down Hana had to be to use the vacuum. I was exhausted! Dr said that she wasn’t going to use the vacuum, so I was just going to have to push! I started pushing about 4:45 pm. She would come down (once I finally figured out just how freaking hard you have to push!!) and then scoot back in. They explained to me that a little bit of pitocin would help to bring the contractions a little closer together, so I would be more effective in pushing, since I was having over a min between them and LO would just scoot back in. I finally agreed to it at about 5:45pm. The started it at about 6pm. The dr suggested a pudendal block, in case I needed an episiotomy (which while I wanted a natural tear, I wasn’t against at that point and I never thought I would come through it with no tear or cut) I even got a mirror to see my progress, and knew right then that something was going to have to give! I made them put the mirror away. 

I started pushing 5-6 times pre contraction and the dr had been with me the whole time. She had them break the bed and get all the stuff ready and I asked “Is she coming out this way?” and the dr. laughed and said “I’m not doing a c-section today!” she asked me also if I wanted to feel LO’s head, but I just couldn’t bear the thought for some reason. I kept pushing and finally she said, “ok, this next one you’re going to have your baby!” and so I hauled back and pushed harder than I thought possible and her head popped out and I kept pushing (oops!!) and LO was born Sunday May 24th at 6:28pm!!! it was the most amazing thing in my life and no doubt pushing was the hardest thing in the world.

They gave her to me and after a few mins (she was breathing but a little blue still) they took her over to rub her and clean her up some. I was shaking so bad at that point that Rob had to hold her.  I ended up with a 4th degree tear… not from her head, but her shoulder popped out when I pushed and the dr. wasn’t expecting it, and so that’s that. But it isn’t so bad! she stitched me up, and while it is sore, it beats the hell out of a c/s. right after she was born I said “I had a baby out of my vagina!” much to the amusement of the nurses and pretty much everyone in the room!   But I can’t tell you just how amazing it was for me. I had been waiting 3 years for that. And now I have it!

Hana was given back to me and she latched on right away and nursed like a champ for 15 mins on each side (I was STILL being sewn up!) and finally Rob and Hana went off to the nursery. To our surprise (and the dr’s too) she was 8lbs 1 oz, 19 inches long.

I am recovering very well and almost feel like new.