Kathryn's Birth Story

I woke up on the morning of July 12 at around 5 am. I had a few contractions, but they weren't very strong, and I knew from experience that this could be the beginning of a very long day, so after a trip to the bathroom, I headed back to bed to sleep for as long as I could. I woke up again at around 8:00 and decided to time them for a little while just so I would know where I was at. They were spaced at about 5 minutes, but they were still pretty mild. Andrew was trying to decide whether or not he should get up and go to work, so we decided that maybe he should go ahead and stick around the house. We got up from bed at around 9, and I called the midwife, Ruth, to let her know that I was having contractions, but that it didn't look like it was going to be happening any time too soon. She asked that we keep her updated. Andrew also called in to work and let the receptionist know that I was in labor, and that he wouldn't be in today. We hadn't talked about that before hand, and I didn't want him to say anything... in case this wasn't the real deal. He asked what I would have preferred he said, and I decided that he was right, what could he say, I wasn't feeling well? Andrew's mom was on call to help with Emily during the labor, but since things were still so slow, we decided to wait to have her come over.

It was raining outside, so my plans of getting up and going for a walk around the neighborhood to get things going weren't going to happen. Andrew and I just hung out around the house, making sure everything was in its place. I also decided it would be a good time to start my labor project. I was planning on making a birthday carrot cake for the new baby big arrival. It was nice to have something to work on to keep my mind off of the time and the contractions. We would time my contractions every now and again, and while they were getting a little longer (they started at around 30-45 seconds each, and were up to around a minute long) and a little stronger, they were still happening every 5 - 6 minutes.

Ruth called us again just after lunch to check on how things were going. We let her know that we were just waiting around for things to progress more and that we would keep her posted. We also talked to Jan and let her know that we were still waiting for things to progress. It was another hot July day, so I didn't feel like walking around outside in the middle of the afternoon, so we decided to take a trip to Target to get a few last minute things we needed and to walk around the store for a while to try and get things to speed up a little. I can't say the walking really helped a lot, but I guess it felt good to be doing something besides waiting around the house. When we got back home, I decided to go and lay down to rest for a while while Emily took her nap. At this point, I was still wondering if this was really going to happen today.

I got up after a little rest, and Andrew let me know that he talked to his mom, and she was going to come by our house at 5 to take Emily to music class. At this point, I was starting to get a little frustrated that things were taking so long. My labor with Emily lasted over 28 hours, and I was beginning to think that it was going to happen again. When Andrew's mom arrived, Emily had just gotten up from her nap. It was pretty short, and we didn't know if she was going to be too interested in going to music class. After sitting around for a little while, I decided that we should all go to music together. I figured the more I occupied myself with other activities, the quicker the time would go by.

I think everyone was surprised to see me at music. It went well, I just had to take a few rest breaks during contractions, but it definitely helped to pass the time. After class, we sent Jan home until we put Emily to bed, then we decided to head to Jason's Deli for dinner. Since I was thinking it was still going to be quite a while until this baby was born, I decided it would be a good idea to have a good meal. After a big salad and a cup of ice cream, we decided to head out to Woodward park for another walk. We made our way through the rose gardens, which was not quite as beautiful in July as it may sound. We let Emily lead the tour up and down the steps telling us about the flowers that were left. Then we went to the swings to let Emily play for a while, before we decided to head back to the house. Once we were home, we gave Emily a bath and Andrew took her to bed.

It was about 10 when we got Emily into bed and called Jan to come over, and that's about when my labor really kicked in. I started timing my contractions and they were now spaced at about 3-4 minutes and were a getting stronger. When Andrew came out of Emily's room, we decided to give Ruth a call. I still wasn't sure we were close, but I felt like I wanted to have someone check me out to see how things were progressing. Ruth had Deena, one of her assistants, come by to check on us, and while we were waiting, I decided to jump in the shower to get cleaned up. By the time I got out, it was around 11 and Deena was here and was getting all of the birth supplies set out, so I decided to go ahead and dry my hair. Now, I know that may sound strange... that a woman who is so far in labor is concerned with getting her hair done, but for what ever reason, I knew I couldn't just pull it back in a pony tail and I felt like I needed to make sure it was done. Since I was still concerned about my hair, Deena thought for sure that I was still pretty early in my labor. She was thinking I was probably at about 4-5 cm, so she took her time getting everything together before she checked me.

When Deena got everything set up, she did a vaginal exam, and we were all surprised to find out that I was 7-8 cm dilated and completely effaced. She had to check twice just to make sure. At this point, we realized how good it was that we had called Ruth when we had. If we had waited much longer, we may have ended up having the baby on our own. At this point, I decided to get into the birth pool. I had been waiting to get in the pool until I was sure my labor was far enough along because I didn't want to slow it down. My contractions had gotten pretty strong though, and as soon as I got in the pool, I felt better. It was easier to relax and let myself open up.

Soon after I got in the pool, Brandy (another of Ruth's assistants) and Ruth arrived. It was about 12 am. Once Ruth got settled, she gave us the option of getting back out of the tub so she could break my water and see if the water was clear so we could decide whether we wanted to go ahead and have the baby in the tub or on our bed. When Emily was born, there was meconium in the fluid, and the fact that she swallowed it could have been part of the reason she got sick, so I wanted to make sure that we knew if we may have similar problems this time around. Ruth checked me, and I was fully dilated... she broke my water, and the fluid was clear. I was so relieved. Now we had a decision to make... and quick... did we want to have her on the bed or in the water. At this point and time, I was not in a position to make a decision. I knew I wanted to get into the water, but I didn't want to make the trip from the bedroom back into the office. I finally got up and headed back to the water.

When I made it to the tub, I got sick, then I got into the pool with Andrew behind me and it was only a matter of minutes before Miss Kathryn joined us. I had a few more contractions and with each one, I breathed her down a little more. Because I wasn't pushing, no one knew that she was crowning. Ruth told me it was ok to bear down, and a second later, her head was out. Ruth reached down to check for the cord, and told me it was ok to push again. Her body came out, and Ruth picked her up and put her on my chest. I couldn't believe she was here... that I was looking down at my beautiful baby. She had a full head of hair, although it wasn't as long as Emily's. Ruth felt around and let us know it was a girl... I couldn't believe it. Another beautiful baby girl. We waited a few minutes then Ruth cut the cord (Andrew wasn't interested in doing it, plus he was still sitting behind me in the water) and we all headed into the bedroom. I pushed out the placenta and my work was done. Andrew and I sat on the bed together and took in our new baby girl.

Emily, who was asleep in her room, woke up earlier than normal and stumbled into the bedroom where she climbed into bed with us and met her new baby sister. It took her a few minutes to process everything that was going on, but I was glad she was there to welcome Kathryn into the world with us. We spent the next few hours getting to know each other, then we all settled in for a few hours of rest before we woke to face our first day together.

Ruth, Deena, and Brandy had to leave from our birth to attend another one!

Kathryn Paige was born at 12:45 am and weighed in at 8 lbs 14 oz. She was 21 3/4" long and her head was 14". It was a beautiful birth... and while I wouldn't have minded if we had sped things up a little in the beginning, I wouldn't have had it any other way. It is such an amazing and intimate thing to give birth to your child in your home surrounded by people you love and who support you. I don't understand why more women don't choose to do it this way.