KATE'S BIRTH STORY

It began w/ Black Friday shopping.... ending. My due date was the day before but there were some awesome steals going on that I just HAD to go. Also I knew the walking would be good for getting labor started. Black Friday is another story/blog all together.... for another day... back to labor/delivery. I returned home from shopping w/ Maria about 2am. Jason was still awake reading a book. I bid him good night and went to my preggo bed on the couch. Got snuggled in and just as I was completely relaxed... I had a contraction.... and my water broke. I had been spotting all day, this shouldn't have been surprising. I called Jason in to discuss what we should do. Do we go in and have a repeat of Alli's birth- [Cliff notes version- Water breaks at 11pm. Labor on and off all night. Extremely exhausted. At 9am the doctor comes in talking C-section unless we go Pitocin and get the baby out. 9:50 Alli was born w/out a doctor in the room.]?? OR should I just stay home to rest/sleep as much as possible and labor thru til the contractions are close. Within just a few (no more than 5) minutes of discussing what we should do I had another 2 contractions. That seemed close enough. So we sent out the mass text "water broke!!" grabbed the girls and were gone. Fabulous Maria taking charge of the girls for me again. Once we got to the hospital I noticed my fluids (which did not stop gushing until baby was born!) were full of Meconium. I was a little bummed because there were 2 things I wanted to happen this time around-
1- Let the umbilical cord stop pulsating before cutting.
2- Encapsulate my placenta.
Pretty much we had to kiss #1 goodbye. Sad. But I was OK w/ it because baby's safety comes first. At this point I was dilated 2. The contractions had slowed down in regularity and strength. They would be coming every 2 minutes for about 10-15 minutes, hard and fast; then they would be every 5-10 minutes for an hour-ish. GRRR! 6pm brought on new nurse. Between 7-7:30 Jason and I both fell asleep. A full half hour of NOTHING!! I was still sitting on 3 cm. One of the nurses told me I was probably dilating while I was contracting but it could be shrinking down again each time. :( I was getting annoyed. I had been trying everything! Walking, swaying, birthing ball, rocking chair, whatever. At 9:10 I told the nurse about my experience last time and asked if we could throw in some Pitocin. Just a lil bit to get it going. Got the thumbs up from the Dr and at 9:20 she threw it on my IV. I looked at the clock and said to myself "She'll be born at 10 after"

Up to this point I had Jason come to me w/ each contraction to hold my hand and rub my back. About 10 minutes on the Pitocin I had him sitting on the bed w/ me not allowed to move anywhere. Jason was great. I seriously couldn't do it w/out him. We didn't have phone reception in our room so he was going to step out to give some family the update but I couldn't let him go. What if I had a contraction w/out him there?? I would not be OK w/out him. So as we expected, contractions were coming HARD and FAST. I welcomed it. AH-HA! Now we were getting somewhere!!

I remember the nurse checking me again- and then again. 5, 6, (are we getting ANYWHERE??) 8. Eight centimeters was the last one I remember her checking me at. One more contraction away I was sitting straight up thinking (and possibly saying) I think baby is coming! Bring in the doctor 5 minutes ago! **That's right she still wasn't there.

The last 5 seconds of delivery went something like this (and most of this was probably actually said out loud and not just thought.... but I'm not sure...)
Contraction 1- baby is coming!OH NO! I just pushed! No one told me to push! I couldn't help it..... :/I'm pushing! Why am I pushing! It's not OK!! The doctor isn't here! No one said it's ok to push! It's too soon!
Contraction 2- push again (cos I really can't help it!) - I'M SITTING ON THE BABY'S HEAD!!!!!!!!!
I quickly lay back
Contraction 3- push again (seriously CAN'T help it.) Baby's head is out and I'm holding it.
Contraction 4- push and I feel baby's full body as she slips out of me and is carried away.

I remember feeling so much guilt in that moment. I kept saying "I'm sorry" like a thousand times. Jason kept reassuring me I did everything right and she was ok. Even the nurses and doctor were saying the same thing. "You were perfect! You did great!" I was so scared in those last few moments of delivery that I was rushing too fast and that I was doing something wrong, but really what it came down to was **I NEED A DOCTOR THERE TELLING ME IT'S OK TO PUSH AND TO DO IT!! When I'm told I'm at an 8 and 2 seconds later I'm not able to stop myself from pushing- I need someone to say "yes you're a 10! push her out!!" (This is all exactly how it happened with Alli. I do remember feeling a bit of that guilt w/ Alli but not as much because the nurse DID look at me, call in about 5 other nurses, and told me it was OK and to push when I felt ready.)
**This is my only complaint about this delivery but it really wasn't that bad I guess cos- I TOTALLY "CAUGHT" MY BABY!! :) I was the first one to touch/hold her. That was somethin else :)
Welcome to the world Baby Kate. You are very much loved.

Kate Lynn Spencer
7 lbs 21 inches
11/25/11 10:11am