Katherine Shares Her Story

So baby Peter was born 12 days early on June 1 at 8:04pm.  He weighed 8lbs. 1.5oz. and measured 20.5 inches. So the story goes like this:

On Sunday before Memorial Day I was feeling pretty achy and crampy when I went to bed.  That night I had a dream that I woke up to see the bloody show.  On Monday I wrote it off as nothing but continued feeling achy.  On Monday night I got up to use the bathroom and lost my mucus plug.  30 minutes later I was having a decent amount of bleeding.  I called the midwife on call and she advised that it might be the bloody show but that it could be 48 hours or a week so just keep on doing what I was doing and get plenty of rest.

On Tuesday I went to work and that afternoon I started having some contractions.  That night they got maybe 8-9 minutes apart but then they petered out.  I called Teresa and she told me it may be early early labor or it may not be but either way to just go to bed and get some rest.  I went to bed around midnight with no contractions and woke up around 3am with a strong contraction.  I went to the bathroom and then back to sleep.  Woke up again at 4am then again at 5:30-ish.  At that point the contractions were a little more consistent.

Sooo…that began the process.  I was just trying throughout the morning to move through them.  Damian and I decided to go for a walk only to realize it was 1000 degrees outside so we came right back.  Damian helped me stay hydrated and eat and rest.

I do remember at one point how Teresa had asked us what our sentence or mantra would be through contractions.  I realized I had been saying things like “no no no” or “oh no”, so I changed my thoughts and started saying “open, open, open”.  My biggest issue was me.  I kept telling myself don’t use your lifelines (like going and getting in the shower or even listening to music) because you need to save all those for when it gets really hard.  Damian did convince me to try the shower which felt amazing and he turned on some worship music.

Finally around 3 ish I was at the 411 stage and I called the midwives.  Margaret suggested I go to their office and get checked. The car ride was sort of a nightmare because Damian thought I had told him to put the birthing ball in the front seat so i had nothing in the backseat to use as support.  Also right before we got in the car I felt a slight gush of fluids that made me think my water had broken.  When I got to the office they said my water was broken and I was 3cm maybe 4 and 90% effaced.  She suggested I go home and try to relax for a while.  Stop timing contractions and just let things happen.  She said that I would probably be headed back that night so just rest up.  (That was about 4:30)

We went home I tried to eat and watch a movie.  I slept for about 15 minutes and then the contractions started ramping up.  I started doing a lot of moving and swaying.  I got in the shower.  Damian called Teresa and she told us she was already going to AMC for the Intown Midwifery meet and greet that started at 7pm.  She offered to come to me instead but I resisted (thinking again I shouldn’t cash in my mental lifelines just yet because I thought for sure I still had hours left to go).

About 30 minutes later I realized I was at my mental/physical max and told Damian I was ready to go back to the hospital.  (he had been suggesting we go for a while because he could see how much I was struggling but Iturned him down every time)  Right after that I was on all fours when a contraction hit and while Damian was applying counter pressure and coaching me to breathing and lower my tone and relax, my body had this gut reaction/reflex to push.  That really scared me and I screamed, “We need to go now!”

So we got back in the car with the birthing ball in the back this time.  Damian drove like a maniac and called Teresa and Margaret to tell them I was coming back and I was pushing.

Thankfully Teresa was arriving to the hospital literally right in front of us.  She met me in the parking lot.  I was a mess.  She put her hand on my chest and had me lean up against a wall to center me.  We got through a contraction (my body was still involuntarily pushing during the peak of the contractions) and then went into the hospital.

When I got to the labor and delivery floor it was 7-ish and the nurses were having their shift change.  We stood around the desk and Teresa helped me get signed in (Damian was parking our car).  She finally interrupted the nurses and told them I was pushing through contractions so give us a room. (Margaret had already called and told them to not put her in triage- but put her in a room immediately.)

I went in the room and Teresa and I were alone while they were figuring things out.  She suggested I get on the bed so she could see exactly what was going on.  At the next contraction she yelled in to the hall that someone needed to get in there because the baby was crowning.  Next thing I know 3 nurses are in the room asking me questions.  Then Damian got there (he was told by a nurse at their station that I already had the baby) then my midwife Margaret came in and asked for gloves.

I was emotionally really shaken and frazzled.  They couldn’t get a heartbeat on the fetal heart rate monitor since the baby was so low and I was on my hands and knees- so they asked me to roll ovcer onto my back.  I didn’t want to move but I did it anyway.  After that I remained pretty tense while I tried to push.  I just couldn’t let go.  I know I said it a few times that I didn’t want to do it or I didn’t want to push.

Margaret told me he would come out either way but it would be faster if I would push.  Teresa reminded me that I had the strength and muscles to push.  Margaret put warm compresses on my perineum and was very patient. Teresa and Damian were on one side with a nurse on the other.

Finally after quite a few wimpy pushes I decided I was over the whole thing. So I gave it a few good pushes and out he came.

I was so emotionally drained afterwards.  I realize now I had spent most of the day denying what I was going through instead of just listening to my body and trusting that God made me to do this.  I am very grateful that Teresa was there exactly when she was.  I know now my biggest problem was my own fear and my need to stay in control.  Thankfully everyone else knew what was up and helped me get past my self.

Now I have this gorgeous baby boy who I can literally cry about right now because he’s so amazing. A few words of advice:  You can do it.  God made your body to have that baby.

Katherine