Baby Kate,
As I mentioned in your last weekly update, we were scheduled to be induced on Tuesday, June 20th, but would go to the hospital on Monday evening to get some meds to soften my cervix for Tuesday.
I called the hospital at 5:30 to ensure there were beds available and all was a go and they asked us to arrive around 7:00 that night. We finished packing up our bags (I didn’t want to do all of it as I was scared it would jinx us on having a room available) and headed to Chipotle for dinner. We had stopped there before we went in for Lexi’s induction too, so it seemed fitting.
After getting all checked in, we took a few last belly pics and I put the ugly gown on and started to get settled in for the night. After all the internal debates I had with myself on whether or not to be induced, I felt this was the best option. If we didn’t go this route, I would continue to be a total mental basket case and continuing to worry and analyze every little thing that was occurring. I was a little worried about how everything would go down with labor and your health, but felt we were making the right decision for your safety.
Also, a comparison pick of the last belly pick I have with each kiddo. Lexi @ 39 weeks 5 days, Will @ 37 weeks and Kate @ 36 weeks 5 days,–although they are at different weeks, I carried both of the girls fairly similar, more egg shape and Will was rounder and more basketball belly.
Around 8 pm the nurse checked me and I was dilated between a 1 and 1.5 cm and my cervix was ‘soft’– whatever that means. I got my blood drawn and IV put in, which I really hate! I hate I can’t move my hands very well since there is a needle stuck in it and it hurts when you try and move it certain ways. Anyways, they gave me Cervadil (looks kind of like a tampon) to soften me up which required me to stay laying for 2 hours, but also continues to work for another 10 hours. Daddy and I watched Daddy’s Home to help kill time. (Netflix and Amazon Prime were slim pickings for movies). The cervadil made me feel very crampy and initiated some contractions. There wasn’t any consistency to them and were like a 1-2 on the pain scale.
Around 11:45 I took some sleeping meds to help me fall asleep. First I took Vistaril, which I had been taking at home to help me sleep and control the itching and that didn’t do anything, so they gave me some Ambien. After a couple games of suduko, I finally started to fall asleep around 12:30 and slept until 6:30.
Dr. G arrived around 7:30, took out my Cervadil and was 50% effaced and dilated to about a 3. She broke my water, but this time I didn’t even realize it and even asked her, ‘Did you just break my water?’ About 5 minutes later, I felt the gush of water and the contractions started immediately. They were pretty painful (like a 5), but as soon as I started walking around, they went to about a 3 and were coming every 2 1/2 minutes.
By 8:30 they started the pitocin and I made a plan to get the epidural around 10, after the anesthesiologist was done with a C-section which was scheduled for 9:30. Around 9:00 the pain had increased to a 4-5 and I needed to breath through the contractions. I absolutely needed to stand and walk around to get through each contraction and was pacing back in forth in our room between each one. Thankfully, it was pretty large! As I felt a contraction coming, I would stop walking, close my eyes, sway my hips and breath through it.
Around 9:15 they upped the pitocin and then again at 9:50–essentially every 30 minutes it increased. Based on the pain scale and frequency of the contractions, I thought for sure we would meet you by noon. I was so happy I had made the plan to get the epidural at 10:00 because I was clock watching for a good half hour waiting to reach that magical 10:00 timeframe. I even remember asking a nurse if we were still on track for the epi at 10, because mentally I needed to prepare myself if it wasn’t going to happen then.
Thankfully, the anesthesiologist arrived a few minutes early and I dreadfully sat on the bed hunched over. For me, these 10 minutes are the worst as contractions are much more painful sitting down. The anesthesiologist was fast (nothing like William’s) and I felt instant relief from the contractions but could still wiggle my toes and move my legs moderately. However, in order for the epidural to hit my body evenly I needed to lay down on my back. I warned them that it wasn’t a good idea as I can’t breath.
Within five minutes, my blood pressure dropped and Daddy said my face and lips turned white. They also couldn’t find your heartbeat and called in several other nurses to help. They rotated me from side-to-side trying to get my blood pressure back up and find your little ticker. By 10:20 everything was A-OK again. At the time, I didn’t think much of it as I was just really concentrating on breathing, but Daddy said it was little scary and felt like he might pass out watching me.
After I was stabilized they checked me and was dilated to a 4 and 80% effaced. By 11:15, they turned the pitocin back on (they shut it off when my BP fell) and more or less had to start over again. They continued to up the pitocin every 30 minutes and would rotate me to a different position every time they upped it to keep things progressing. Around 12:30 I was 4.5-5 cm and still 80% effaced. I remember feeling itchy, having cold hands and was very tired. In general, the epidural really slowed things down for me, which I didn’t think would happen as it didn’t do that when I had your brother and sister.
Around 2:30 I was checked again and was dilated to a 6 and complete. I didn’t feel the intense pressure I felt with William and that you were ready to come, but could tell things were changing. From about 12:30 to 2:30, I was so tired and kept taking 20 minute power naps, but every time I shut my eyes things slowed down, so I was doing my best to stay awake but was really struggling.
Around 3:00, I was continuing to feel contractions and pressure. It wasn’t painful but I could feel it, where the previous three hours I hadn’t felt anything. The nurse asked if I should be checked again and said, no as I was just checked 30 minutes ago and was only a 6. She rotated me around again and monitored me a little but didn’t like the pattern of the contractions and you were acting a little off so she decided to check me again and sure enough, I was fully dilated and you were ready to come meet us. I was shocked! I couldn’t believe I had went from a 6 to a 10 in 30 minutes!
They started prepping the room for your arrival, called NICU to have the nurses be ready and called Dr. G to head on over. She arrived between 3:20 and 3:30 and started getting ready.
I started pushing at 3:40 and remember asking what to do during the pushing process as I had kind of forgot–push for 3 counts of 10 during each contraction. During the first contraction, I don’t think my pushing did anything and Dr. G also noticed your face was sideways (opposed to down). After the 3rd contraction, I asked to be propped up a little more to help give me some leverage and push you out. The nurses put some pillows behind me and on the next contraction I was able to push you out at 3:48 pm with little to no pain or intense pressure! The nurses put you on my belly immediately and began wiping you off.
You had great color and the cutest little cry. Daddy was enamored by you and so in love and I felt very calm and peaceful. After all the time I had spent worrying about your arrival and the challenges that often come with induction and an early baby, here you were in my arms, perfect as can be and I was so in love and grateful everything had turned out as it should.
You received an 8 on your first APGAR score and a 9 on the second. I had very little bleeding, the placenta came out great and had 1/2 a stitch. You weighed an astounding 7 lbs and 11 oz, were 21 inches long–such a shocker for a little babe that was over 3 weeks early!!! (we were a little late on the clock picture)
We spent the next hour bonding with skin-to-skin and nursing, you latched on like a champ and Daddy and I discussed what your name should be. Katelyn was always the top runner but we wanted to make sure that was ‘it’. Daddy had received an email from another Katelyn around the time of your birth and we decided that was a sign to make it official. FYI: other names in consideration were Elizabeth and Grace.
About an hour after your arrival, the nurses took your blood sugar and it was pretty low (22) when they want it to be a 45. They gave you some sugar water and a little formula to help increase it and then would monitor it closely. Your body temp was also a little low, so they wrapped you in several blankets to keep you warm and encouraged more skin-to-skin and nursing to keep you warm and increase those numbers. About 30-45 minutes later, they did another blood sugar test and you had increased to a 37, but still weren’t at that 45 mark yet, so they did another round of sugar water and some formula to help stabilize you.
About two hours after you arrived, my left leg was still very numb from the epidural (that is the side I was on after the blood pressure incident so it was more numb than the other side) so I needed some help getting to the bathroom before they could move us to the postpartum room. (side note: I didn’t get full feeling in it until about 9:00 that evening!) In addition to the numbness in my leg, I was extremely shaky for two to three hours. I would try and hold papers and they would rattle like a snake.
Later that evening, your big brother and sister, grandma and papa came to meet you. Lexi and William weren’t very interested in you and would barely give me a hug. I was still in the ugly hospital gown and my leg was still numb so I couldn’t get out of the bed and I think they were a little intimated by that. Things were a little crazy that evening and we didn’t even manage to get a picture, but got plenty the next day when they came to visit and were much more interested in you!
And that is the story of how you arrived into the world my sweet little Kate. We are so in love with you and you are the perfect completion to our little family. We can’t wait to experience all the happiness and laughter the next weeks, months and years will bring us with you in our lives.
Love,
Mama
Peanut Smiles 