Kate's arrival

Kate Celeste was born on February 24 at 2:32 in the morning after 30 hours of labor. Yes, you read that right. She weighed 7 pounds and 3 ounces, and measured in at 19 inches.

That part was for those of you who only want the stats. If you don't like birth stories, I wouldn't suggest continuing.

As you know, I was diagnosed with obstetric cholestasis (a.k.a the itching from hell) at 35 weeks. This necessitated a 37-week induction, since there are very real risks to the baby if the pregnancy goes any further than that. I wasn't too happy about being induced, especially since I had prepared for an unmedicated delivery, but I knew that this was necessary.

So, on the evening of February 22, we packed our car and drove to American Fork Hospital to begin cervical ripening since I was only one centimeter dilated and 80% effaced, with a very high cervix. They inserted cervidil at around 9 p.m. and gave me Ambien to help me sleep.

Sleep, I did not. Yes folks, I could not fall asleep with Ambien. I was having contractions and couldn't get much rest, especially since I was hooked up to monitors. I was able to walk around the bed a little bit (as far as the cables would let me). Since I was having contractions, I hoped this meant that I was making progress and wouldn't need pitocin in the morning.

Morning came, and I was exhausted. We called Katharine (our doula), told her that they were probably going to get things started soon, and asked if she could come over. She came over, they took me off the monitors so I could move around more before getting checked. We walked the halls, all the while I was still contracting. Stephan and Katharine helped me relax with some cues that I learned in the Hypnobabies program, and did other things to help me relax.

My midwife showed up and checked me. My cervix was still very high, and I had only progressed to two centimeters dilation. All those contractions for only one more centimeter?! So, they started me on a low dose of pitocin.

That's when things got really intense.

For five hours, I tried to cope with the pain by changing positions as much as the monitors would let me, using the birth ball, having Stephan or Katharine rub my lower back, Hypnobabies cues, etc. I asked for one of the waterproof telemetry monitoring units so I could get in the tub, and it took forever for the nurse to find one that actually worked. When she did, you better believe I jumped into that tub, and oh, it was so wonderful. But it wasn't long until the nurse said that my labor had slowed down. Now, this wouldn't have been so bad if I had been nearly done, but I was still considered to be in early labor. Never mind, of course, I was having probably transition-level contractions (remember, pitocin is evil). So, I begrudgingly got out of the tub and we went walking around the halls again, me being strapped to the telemetry unit and wanting to die.

All this time, the words "get the epidural" kept going through my head. Of course, I thought this was me being weak and not believing I could do it. But now I look back and realize that it was something else.

My original nurse went home (her shift was over) and a new nurse came to care for me. My midwife came back and checked me: still no more progress. I was going to need more pitocin. That is when we discussed options for pain relief, because even at the low dose of pitocin, I was having a really hard time coping with the contractions. Add that to the fact that I was very tired, since I hadn't gotten any sleep the night before.

"Give me the epidural," I heard myself say. That voice in my head finally won.

The anesthesiologist came in and told me that I had to wait two more hours until I could have that epidural because I had eaten a couple hours before. IT WAS TWO CRACKERS!!!! I was starving as it was!!! Needless to say, I was pretty mad. First, I had been trying to go without pain meds, and now that I wanted them...I had to wait?!

But the nurse was so kind to shut off the pitocin and take off the monitors so I could soak in the tub until it was time for me to get the epidural. I was still having contractions without the pitocin, but it was much more bearable.

Around five o'clock, the anesthesiologist came back and did his thing. When he told me to slouch as much as possible, I told him, "I can't slouch, I'm a violinist." He replied, "Yeah, I noticed you had good posture when I first came in. I said to myself, 'She's going to make my job harder.'" Ha ha.

The procedure itself wasn't that bad. Stephan held my hands and had me look him straight in his face the entire time--amazing for a man who is terrified of needles. I asked the anesthesiologist to give me a light dose of the epidural, so I could still move my legs and such. My wish was granted--even while numb, I could still move my legs and roll over to a certain extent.

After the epidural took effect, Katharine went home for a little while so she could check on her family. Stephan and I rested as much as we could. I also started progressing *much* faster than I had before getting the epidural. Within an hour or so, I had dilated two more centimeters and my cervix had moved lower (yay!).

I kept progressing at a good pace. Katharine came back around 10 or so because she had a feeling that she would be needed. Hmmm....

At midnight, I was almost fully dilated. I just had a "rim" to go before that point. My midwife had me switch to a side-lying position with my leg in a pedal-like device. I didn't know you could do that. That helped me dilate to completion. However, Jen (my midwife) didn't want me to push right away--she wanted Kate to move down more so I wouldn't have to push as long or as hard. So, we waited some more.

Then, it was time. Time to push.

I had them turn off the epidural so I could feel to push, but I didn't really feel much at all. I had to be coached to push...yeah, I didn't like them yelling numbers when I was pushing. I couldn't hold my breath that long! But Kate started to crown after only a few pushes.

"She has hair!" Jen exclaimed. "Lots of it!"

I was shocked. I was a baldy when I was born.

"She's taking after Stephan already!" I replied. Stephan had a ton of hair when he was born.

"Would you like a mirror to see her come out?" someone asked. I don't remember who.

I found myself agreeing, which surprised me. I didn't plan on having the mirror, but I was so excited that she was almost here that I wanted to see! And because I wanted her skin-to-skin when she was born, I ripped off my hospital gown.

While I was pushing and saw Kate's head emerging, I actually yelled, "Oh my gosh, I'm havin' a kid!" My Texan twang definitely came out. Then, she was out and on my chest.

"My baby! My baby!" I exclaimed.

I only pushed for fifteen minutes. I think I deserved a short pushing time for how long my labor was ;) However, I did get a second degree tear (ouch).

Looking back on the experience, I can honestly say that I have very few regrets. Remember that voice I had telling me to get the epidural? It was a spiritual prompting, I believe. If I hadn't gotten the epidural when I did, I probably would have ended up with a c-section for sheer exhaustion and failure to progress. That epidural enabled me to still have a vaginal birth. All things considered, it was a good birth, even though it didn't quite go the way I had wanted.

However, I don't want to be induced again if I can help it. The only reason I agreed to being induced was because it was medically necessary. My body wasn't ready to give birth, and I don't think Kate was quite ready either. She's healthy, but a couple of things have come up that I believe could have been avoided if I hadn't needed an induction. Let's hope I don't develop this condition again with another pregnancy so I don't have to be induced again.

So, how is life with a baby? Very interesting. And exhausting, of course. But a joy, nonetheless. I love seeing Stephan snuggle and care for her. He is an excellent diaper-changer, which is amazing because he had never changed a diaper before Kate was born. I often feel like all I do is nurse--she is a very HUNGRY baby. I'm pretty sure she'll be a chub :)

I'll post pictures at a later date, when I have two hands to do that with...hah!