I'm ready. I think I'm finally ready to write this. I love birth stories. I think they're magical. Every one is unique and special. To understand mine I want to give a little background information...
My due date was Friday October 19th. I had been having some hip pain, but it was manageable. Then Saturday hit and I was miserable. It wasn't just hip pain--now it was also sciatic. I couldn't do anything without excruciating pain. Walking. Standing. Laying in bed. Any movement = pain. I cried four times that day. [i don't usually cry] Shawn thought I was faking or over reacting...until I was holding Carter's hand and he pulled me in another direction and I gasped then started sobbing instantly and uncontrollably. Dealing with this unexpected pain made keeping my resolve harder. I wanted two things this time around: I wanted to go into labor on my own and I wanted to have an unmediated all natural birth. My next doctors appointment wasn't for a week. I was hoping and praying and pretty much planning on having a baby before then. I suffered through that week and had basically decided if possible I would ask to be induced at my appointment.
So Friday the 26th came...and still no baby...so I went to my doctors appointment only to find out that she had been on call the last 24 hours and I could have been induced the day before and my doctor would have been the one to deliver the baby. Instead, she was going home as soon as possible and wouldn't be able to induce me until Tuesday. I started crying. But on the upside I would have three more days to try and go into labor on my own. [so I decided to tough it out] My doctor told me my pain was due to an SI joint problem and that I should go see a physical therapist. The one she recommended wasn't available, so the nurse scheduled me an appointment somewhere else for later that day. I went to the mandatory non-stress test and everything looked good. We got lunch and went to physical therapy. She massaged my hip and showed us pressure points to help induce labor naturally. Surprisingly, I felt quite a bit better.
I started to have a few random contractions throughout the afternoon, but never closer than 30 minutes and they were sporadic. We hung out at Shawn's parents [waiting for Carter to wake up from his nap] and then played in the leaves. We decided to eat dinner at Wingers and Carrie came with us. It felt like we saw so many people we knew. I had the joy of telling everyone who asked that I was a week over due. After I had finished eating I went to the bathroom and had a bowel movement. Then on the drive home I felt like I needed to go again and I wondered if this was my system "cleaning out" as I'd heard could happen before things really got going.
When we got home Carter wanted to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" so we all sat down to watch. I just could not get comfortable. I started to notice I was having more contractions so I decided to pay attention to how often they were coming. I started looking at the clock around 8:45pm. The contractions were about 10 minutes apart. During the movie I turned to Shawn and said, "I think this might be the real thing, these contractions are more intense than any others I've had before". I wasn't totally convinced because almost every night around 2 am I would have contractions 10 minutes apart for about an hour...and then they would go away.
We put Carter to bed and Shawn asked me what the plan was. Since the contractions were getting stronger, I told him I wanted to listen to my "Fear Clearing CD" [i/we took a hypnobabies course to prepare this time] and then we should time the contractions and go from there. I laid down in bed and listened to the CD and really started using my hypnosis techniques. The CD finished about 10:30pm. Shawn timed a few of my contractions. They were coming five and a half minutes apart. [it was around 11pm] We had previously decided we would go to the hospital when my contractions were 5-6 minutes apart. I felt so calm. I got in the shower and Shawn called his mom to come over and watch Carter. Then he called my mom so she could meet us there. I liked standing better than anything else, but I would have to stop and lean against something whenever a pressure wave hit. I would use my "Peace" cue to get me through. I was walking around getting ready. Shawn took a quick shower and started loading up the car. Carrie asked if the contractions were still 5 minutes apart and I responded "I don't know I'm not really paying attention." Shortly after that I remember thinking, "We really need to get in the car and get going." [I choose to deliver at the Intermountain Medical Center because I love my OB/GYN so much...it is a 35 minute drive from our house]
By the time we got all loaded and left for the hospital it was midnight. Shawn text my mom to let her know we were on our way. I turned on my "Early Labor/Birthing Day" CD for the car ride like the course suggests. I would get really hot during a contraction and then really cold in between. One of the hardest parts were my legs. Every time a contraction ended they would shake uncontrollably. I couldn't get them to stop...until the next contraction came and I would focus, use my hypnosis techniques and my body would relax. Being in the car was definitely a challenge. Sitting was uncomfortable and it made my legs shake worse. [standing required my legs stay active and they couldn't shake as much in between the contractions] While we were driving Shawn asked me to use the phone app to time my contractions. I couldn't look at the phone just tap my finger on the button to start or stop timing. They were 2 1/2 minutes apart and I remember thinking "I hope I'm at least a 5 when we get to the hospital."
Shawn pulled into the loop and parked the car. I had to wait for a contraction to finish to get out. My mom was just walking in [talk about good timing!] she could tell I was in serious labor. I was super focused listening to my hypnosis CD. [some of the details get vague at this point... I would only catch bits and pieces, but Shawn and my mom filled in the blanks later] We went to the nurses station to check in. Shawn did all the talking and I just stood there and held on to the desk with each pressure wave. They asked what I had been dilated to that morning - 3cm. They asked if my water broke - no. It felt like it was taking forever! Finally they took me back to what felt like the farthest room. I had 2-3 pressure waves just on my walk to the room. The nurse asked me to pee in a cup and put my gown on, she and my mom would wait outside. When they came back in I still didn't have my gown on. I had to keep stopping to handle the pressure waves! I told them they could stay as I went to put my gown on. I was halfway finished when my water broke. The nurse got on her walkie talkie and said, "14 is staying. Her water just broke" Apparently they didn't think I was in labor! She asked me to get on the bed so she could put the monitors on. I couldn't get comfortable in the bed, but she needed to check how far along I was. She was really nice and told me she wasn't going to be my nurse, but that my nurse would be there shortly. A contraction finished and I told her she could check me, so I laid down and she said I was a 7+ and 100% effaced. I was so relieved! That's all I heard because I had to focus. [i was also at a zero station, so the baby had dropped. The nurse asked for the on call doctor to be called in] After that I remember having two Really strong contractions. Stronger than any I had before and they made me feel like I was going to throw up. The next one was really strong and I felt lots of pressure. I kinda started to freak out but Shawn used my "Relax" cue and I calmed right down. It was incredible how well it worked.
With my next contraction I could feel pushing and so I yelled, "I feel pushing!" So they knew the baby was coming. I didn't feel like they were ready and I didn't feel ready. I was worried I was still at a 7 and that I was going to tear because I was pushing too soon. [I didn't even have time to sit up after she checked me!] The nurse stopped what she was doing and put her hand down there to check where the baby was. [Shawn said she was basically holding Katelyn's head.] The on call doctor still hadn't arrived, so the resident on duty came in. She was getting her gown on and paused to introduce her self, and I wanted to scream, "I don't care what your name is deliver my baby!" I could feel Katelyn's head moving down and out and I knew she was almost here. I wasn't breathing well and started to hyperventilate. I couldn't move my hands. Shawn was in my face reminding me to calm down, breathe, and "ahh" push the baby out. Two pushes and she was here. They couldn't put her on my belly fast enough. I was reaching for her. Then she was in my arms and so beautiful! I couldn't stop looking at her. I wanted her close and worried she was warm enough. The nurse offered to let me breastfeed right then- she ate like a champ. It was wonderful to hold her so close so soon. I remember all different comments...my mom saying it went so well and that she looked just like me...a nurse saying I was the best hypnobabies mom they had ever seen and I should do a video. I was so glad my baby was here! And she had blonde hair. And she had pretty fingernails. Its amazing the overwhelming love I felt for this little girl I was holding for the first time.
We arrived at the hospital around 12:35am. Katelyn was born at 1:10am. Having a natural child birth was amazing. Recovery was a breeze. If possible, I will never to it any other way again. What a gift and a blessing.
Katelyn Joyce Brock
7 pound 4 ounces
20 inches long
