Kennedy's Birth Story

I figure since Kennedy is now a month old I should probably post a few pictures and let people know about the birth.

On Monday April 19, Justin and I went in for the 41 week appointment. As is protocol after the due date, our doctor sent us the hospital to have a non-stress test. Based on the outcome of that test, Dr. Kiraly said we would determine when to induce me.

By 10:30 we were at the hospital for the non-stress test only to find out that my amniotic fluid was extremely low. After a quick call to my doctor the sonogram tech sent us straight over the labor and delivery to be induced.

As most of you know, I took the Bradley courses and had full intentions of a natural labor BUT the caveat to this was always what was best for Kennedy. Since her fluid was critically low Justin nor I batted an eye at being induced. Since I was not really dialated they started me on Cytotech at ~3 p.m. The first dose started some mild contractions but when they gave me my second dose around 7 I really started to feel them. Well, I should say, I thought I was feeling what a contraction felt like (I had NO idea what was coming!).

By 10 I was in full on labor and working with Justin through each of the contractions. By 3 in the morning Justin needed some relief so he called our doula, Renae to come help me with the ever-worsening pain. Renae and Justin were wonderful! They were so supportive and so attentive to me and my labor.

We kept progressing with the contractions and I was really, really hurting. At about 6 a.m. I started asking for drugs. By 7 I was begging for them!!! Justin finally said that we would get an cervix check and based on that I could choose to have an epidural or not. When the nurse checked me and I was only a 3 (remember, this is about 11 or 12 hours in) I said "Give the to me!!!" While I was disappointed that I gave up on my plans for a natural birth, I have not once regretted the decisions especially after what happen next...

My doctor and nurse determined that I was not progressing fast enough so they decided to turn up the Putosin around 8a.m.. While I did not experience the pain of these contractions I could still feel the pressure they created. It was enormous! If I could not handle the pain at a slow drip of Putosin, I would have never been able to do it at this rate.

Several hours past and they decided to do another cervical check since I was having some show. It was determined that I was around a 9 so they laid off the Putosin and started to prep the room for delivery. When I hadn't started to feel the need to push about an hour later they checked me again only to find I had begun to de-dialate. Concerned as to why this would happen they brought in the head attending and had him check out my inner workings (using his entire hand and reaching up to what I believe to be my lungs). He discovered that Kennedy was not only sunnyside up but she also had her hand up by her head. With this news my doctor said "No wonder your contractions were so bad!" So basically she was clogged in my birth canal and was not able to work herself further down. The attending tried moving her but apparently she was too far up and there was not enough wiggle room to do so.

In light of this new information, the doctors determined that the only way to safely get her out was via c-section. They left the room to give Justin and I a moment to talk about it and I broke down crying. 24 hours earlier I had plans of delivering naturally and now I was laying on a hospital bed with tubes and IV's coming out of me and being informed I was about the have the first surgery of my life. The doctors and nurses came back in a few minutes later in full surgery outfits and said a room was available now and we needed to go. The next twenty minutes were a blur of surgeons coming in and consenting me, doctors walking me through the procedure, nurses prepping me and me staring wide-eyed at Justin wondering how this all happened.

Around 4:10 they took me into the surgery room. They had to make sure I was good and numb before they allowed Justin to come in with me. All I remember is holding some nurses hand who just came on shift and responding to if I could feel pain or not. Then Justin was there and about the same time I felt the pressure on my lower abdomin that I knew was them slicing me open. It was not two minutes later that I felt a lot of pressure and then heard the sound all parents long to hear, the gurgled first cry of their baby. They held her up over the curtain and then took her to the nurses to clean out her lungs. Justin left me and went to be with Kennedy. It took another 20 minutes or so for them to staple be back into place and then I was taken back to my room.

I was so thankful that Justin had called my Dad and Cindy to come to the hospital as soon as we found out about the surgery. Had he not I would have been in my room all alone. In what seemed like hours they finally brought Kennedy to me. The encouraged me to immediately put her on my breast which I did and she began eating right away---what a miracle!

We spent the next three days in the hospital and got to bring her home April 23.

Here are some of her stats:
Born 4:23 p.m. on April 20, 2010
Height: 21 inches
Weight: 7 lbs 3 oz
Weight leaving hospital: 6 lbs 13 oz.
Apgar Score: 8
Hours of labor: 18 (not counting early labor)