Sept 28-29:
There I was 35 weeks pregnant. The last road trip we took, we went to Terre Haute. I specifically went to Terre Haute, IN to visit with Mom & Bill, and also for Amy's wedding! Well the weekend turned out the opposite of what we intended and I went to Amy's wedding by myself with Fayola. I ended up being really stressed and carried her up and down the stairs oh... a thousand times b/c she had 3 accidents... it was very stressful and crazy. So needless to say that evening Sept 28th I started to have very regular Braxton Hicks contractions and they carried on greater than 24 hours. This was not the first episode, they really started at the beginning of Sept. So I took it very easy and drank LOTS of water. This really jump started the beginning of all my crazy contractions.
Beginning- Mid October:
Well my supervisor thought it best for me to not work any longer than mid October, so I worked up to Oct. 16th, but missed work on Oct. 14th... I think. Simply b/c I was getting exhausted. Fayola got sick the weekend of Oct. 5th and I thought that really got me tired out. So we decided that I would stop carrying a full patient load and take it easy. That was kind of nice, I would still take Fayola to Daycare and then I would take a nap and run errands on those Mondays/Wednesdays. Eric and I even got to have a few lunches together. I started my nesting and preparing those weeks. I also had contractions through the night.
Oct. 21st-Oct 27th:
I was up all night with contractions, I had to walk around and drink lots of water to see if they would calm down and they never really did. Thankfully that weekend we went to do Fall festivities. But my Dad was determined to come visit on Oct. 23rd b/c he was certain that I would have a baby. He stayed from Oct 23rd (Wed) through Oct 26th (Saturday) and I did have contractions, regular, but at the Midwife's office I was not checked and she felt that I was going to have the baby on FRIDAY! Oct. 25th, she was for sure. So... I was determined to get things going, I walked A LOT! But needless to say, there was no Kyra coming yet.
Oct 28th (Monday):
Boy was I sick of these "practice" contractions! But they were certainly more intense this day. I decided not to work, I had lunch with Eric, I went grocery shopping, changed the oil in his car at the Dodge dealership, got his car washed and picked up Fayola from school. I don't honestly remember all the details of this day, but I do know that I had some intense contractions that lasted throughout the night, I was starting to breathe through these contractions. I knew there was something changing and FINALLY!! It had been a month long of these contractions.
Oct. 29th (Tuesday):
And here's the beginning of the "true" labor. I texted my Doula, Kim, who rocks, and told her that I am thinking something has changed for sure and may have seen some mucus plug stuff. I went in to see Mary, my Midwife, at 830am. She stated "Oh yeah, you are having contractions. How far dilated do you think you are?" (little miss Fayola was so great just watching her Mickey Mouse clubhouse on the Kindle). I stated, "At least 2cm." And sure enough I was! But only 50% effaced. However, Mary stated she could stripe my membranes and stretch me out a little to get active labor started, and I went with it. So she did her thing "ouch!" and I had the bloody show, she dilated me to 3+ - 4 cm. Yes! She said that I would have the baby by 9pm, so call my mother in law and get her here to watch Fayola. I went out to the car, called Eric had him leave work and got my mother in law to come to Peoria to watch Fayola. Mary said I would have the Kyra within 24 hours, I didn't believe her.
So I started to get things going by climbing stairs and doing exercises. Kim came by at 1130am and gave me laundry list of things to do, and she did some positioning. Mary and Kim both stated Kyra was not in a good position and we needed her to get in a better position. So I did my 'exercises" and I walked brisk pace for 2 miles and my contractions were getting more intense... just didn't know if they were intense enough...
I went to Mary's office at 430 pm and I was 6cm dilated!, but still only 50% effaced. I thought this time around was going to be way easier... I was 6cm and felt that it wasn't too bad at all. So we decided to go get some dinner (I ate some sushi-vegetable and miso soup). Then... Kim worked on some quadruped positions and OUCH!!! Things started to shift. Up to this point my contractions were 5-7 min apart regular all day and gradually more intense, but when she had me do positions on hands/knees it was for real contractions and she said "we need to go the hospital now, take a towel in the car". Kim stated "I did not want to mess around with contractions this intense at home (since it was my second baby)".
715pm: We arrive at Methodist Hospital and my contractions started to space out. All the nurses said I look too comfortable.
Mary checked me at 810pm and I was still 6-7cm and thinner cervix and baby's head was midline and down further. I could go in detail here, but let's say contractions got worse. I didn't want to go into the positions Kim wanted me to, which was in kneeling and hands/knees. I wanted to bounce on the ball... I was getting afraid of the intensity.
10pm: I start shaking, really not feeling too hot and started to get discouraged... I was not really ready to get into quadruped and kneeling to open my pelvis, I wanted to walk and bounce on the ball. They wanted me to lie down and rest, but I couldn't do that, they were scared I was going to get too tired out. This was crazy intense, I was walking the hall, that hurt!, I tried the shower, nope!
11pm: Becca, the nurse, checked me and I was 100% effaced! and 6cm still. She felt the bag of water. Let me tell you the next hour I was done! and scared. I asked for an epidural... but it was something I felt I just had to voice and leave it out there.
Oct 30th
1210am: Becca checked again and I was 7cm and very bulgy bag of water. I felt a lot of pressure in my bottom and then I was all business at this point. I tried to bite Eric's had a few times and definitely feel that I squeezed his and Kim's hand to death. But at this point, I prayed to God and felt that I got into a good rhythm, just took one contraction at a time, exhausted.
12:37am: Gush! my water broke! Finally... I was so so so happy! and I began to feel "pushy" after that.
1:03am: Mary checked me, I was 8-9cm and had a little bit of my cervix left and they asked me to breathe and not push to get rid of the cervix. That was hard... I just felt her coming down, but knew I had to listen to my coaches.
1:15am: I could not longer blow through contractions I needed to push and I began to bring Kyra down. They helped me position myself on a squat bar. Kyra's head was crowning. Now, Eric had held his pee the whole night and could no longer hold it and he ran to the restroom, he heard me scream (which I did not do at all until then) and he knew Kyra was coming out. He ran back to my side. I pushed for just the second time after feeling her head on my pelvic floor. Mary tried to get behind me, but I pushed her out so easily and quickly.
1:41am: I birthed my little Kyra into my own hands and brought her to my chest. (Mary wanted me to do it all on my own but Kyra came out too fast). I would show pictures, just think they are a little too personal, but my hand was holding Kyra's head as she took her first breath.
And there we were... Kyra had her right arm reaching up to my face as we stared at each other in the eyes. I was praising God for this moment in time. I welcomed my sweet Kyra into this world in the most beautiful way.
This year, 2013, was one of the most challenging in my life... and the pre-labor was soooo long. I never thought I would actually hold you in my arms sweet Kyra. Thank you for your presence in my life, you are a beautiful gift and I love you.
Kyra-- "strong woman", "ruler"-- your Daddy named you on the way to the hospital
Caryn- "pure one" after your Aunt Caryn, an amazing woman whom walks with God always
I look forward to our journey together. Happy Birthday!
