Well, if you've been wondering what happened to me this past week. . . We had our BABY GIRL! Welcome to the World Kyria Brighten Powers! Kyria was not due until June 28th, but decided to come meet us on Saturday June 16th @ 4:06pm! The day before Father's Day - I had said I thought it would be AwEsOmE if she came on Father's Day, but the day before was just perfect! She weighed 6lbs 12 oz, and measured 20.25 inches! What a cutie! :)
And this is her birth story . . .
Friday I had a doctor appointment, and had just about hit the 38 week mark! The doctor said I was now dilated to a four (up from a three the week before), and her advice to me was . . . "Labor"! I had not yet experienced any contractions. Menstrual cramping had gotten me this far, and although I was excited about being at a "4", I had read that dilation doesn't always mean much. However, my doctor did tell me that she would not be surprised if I gave birth over the weekend, and she didn't expect me to make it to my next appointment. That was exciting!
All the excitement must have been passed on to Kyria because that night I started having contractions. At first I thought they were timeable - about 6 minutes apart. Then they would quit for awhile. Finally, I realized they were any where from 6-20 minutes apart . . . but at least they weren't completely going away!
Throughout the night, I experienced a few contractions that woke me up, but nothing horrible . . .
The next morning, I woke up around 7am and got to work cleaning on the house a little. I was also noticing that these contractions were now very timeable at about 7 minutes apart. Skyler got up, and we went for a walk. By the time we returned, the contractions were now 6-7 minutes apart. As we finished up some stuff around the house - getting our bags ready, taking care of the chickens, mopping/sweeping the floors, and finally getting the clothes off the line-, my contractions got to be about 4-5 minutes apart. I was still pretty happy about the whole experience. The nurse at our pre-natal class said not to come in until I wasn't happy about it anymore so as to avoid any unnecessary interventions. I had even talked to a friend who said she always waited until her water actually broke (good thing I didn't do that! - you'll see why later!). Skyler mentioned needing to go to Neosho to clean (he cleans a church once a week on the side for some extra cash), and he wanted me to go with him. I didn't know how long this whole process would last for me, but I was a little hesitant to go anywhere, but the hospital. After talking to our mothers we decided it was probably time to go to the hospital. Since I was dilated to a four the day before, and had been having consistent contractions now for several hours we figured it was the safe thing to do! For all I knew labor would be pretty easy for me and I might have to give birth in the bathtub! hehe . . . it was wishful thinking! :)
So we arrived at the hospital around 11:30. We let our nurse know up front about wanting to go with a natural birth if at all possible. She said she was on board, and was actually studying to become a midwife! She also mentioned that if after she checked me I wasn't making a ton of progress, I should request she allow me to go home. She thought I did, indeed, look pretty happy, and it would probably be better to get a little further into labor before coming in if I wanted to go the natural route.
So she checked me, and I was at a "5 1/2". So . . . she called my doctor because they needed to confirm the results of my Step B test - one info sheet said positive and one negative. The doctor said the results just came in, and the test the week prior to that confirmed that I was indeed positive now (the test I had taken at the beginning of my pregnancy showed negative). This meant I would need antibiotics (penicillin) - two doses, in fact, prior to giving birth. This would ensure that the baby was protected when she came out. Since they needed to get me going on penicillin, my doctor told the nurse to go ahead and admit me. Once they got the IV in (Ah! It took 4 tries, and the first spot swelled up and bruised pretty bad - all in all it wasn't too painful even though the nurse felt horrible.), my nurse had a warm bath all ready for me! I got to sit in the tub for about an hour! Wow! It was amazing! So relaxing! I loved it!
At this point my labor was incredible! Seriously! I was working through each contraction, and although they were becoming much more intense I was able to relax in between! The whole process was such an act of worship. Call it a coping mechanism, but I was imagining breathing in all the pain, and then breathing it all out to Jesus who tells us, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest . . . For my yoke is easy and by burden is light." I was praying, and just soaking in the fact that I was about to give birth to Kyria! How AWESOME!
After about an hour, the nurse checked me and I was at an "8" . . . "I think you are getting close," she said. Woo Hoo! In my mind I had hit transition, and Kyria would be here in no time!
Well . . . I made my way to the bed to get hooked up so she could monitor me. I was sitting up in the bed, and the pain began getting more intense . . . still bearable, though! At one point, I remember having to use the restroom, and I had hoped I could make it before my next contraction . . .NoT QuItE! I had the contraction sitting on the toilet. This is the point I remember it getting pretty CRAZY! I started asking Jesus to "PLEASE help me through this . . . I can't do this without YOU!" My nurse, knealing at my side, started praying for me!
I made it back to the bed, and she suggested I try the birthing ball. I was all for this, because prior to coming in I told Skyler I thought I would really like that! Well . . . all the pressure was in the front, and when I sat on the birthing ball and the contraction came . . . WOAH! I was not having any of it! I just shook my head and said, "no, no, no, uh uh, I can't do this!!" So I hopped (probably not the best word!) back into bed, and continued to labor.
Now we were getting to the hardest part! I began moaning through the contractions, and eventually these moans turned into screaming and yelling! A friend of mine who went through labor told me her transition period was very quiet - "nothing like in the movies"! Quiet?! HA! I was so loud! My parents told me later they could hear me out in the waiting room! Oops . . . sorry! Once I got to a 9, the nurse called my doctor. She asked if I had the urge to push. I really didn't . . . I mean I wanted to get her out, but the urge to push wasn't really there.
Once my doctor arrived, she said we needed to break my water. The pressure was so intense, and Kyria's head was creating a seal or something. My water wasn't breaking. They broke my water, and told me to start pushing at the top of each contraction. I still didn't really get it!? I mean I beared down because that's what they were telling me, but the urge just wasn't there. After such a quick labor, the fact that this "transition" stage was lasting so long really surprised me! Looking back now, I suppose it wasn't THAT long (a couple hourse maybe), but it was more than I was anticipating. I started to get nervous, and worried that she wasn't going to come out. I am pretty sure I yelled, "I just want to get her out" a few times. They tried to encourage me by letting me feel her head, but honestly I was thinking, "that's as far as we've gotten!". I kept pushing, and it was really hard, ok pretty much impossible, to relax in between! I kept wanting to hold my push because that was the closest thing to relief I had. However, everyone kept telling me I needed to save my energy for the top of the contraction. I was out of control, I was shaking, and I was starting to lose it. At this point, I think the doctor knew I was going to need a little help getting her out, otherwise I may be pushing for quite a bit longer . . . and honestly I don't know how much longer I could have gone. My doctor had mentioned the day before that when she delivers babies there is lot to consider. Of course, she thinks about the risk involved and if the intervention is necessary, but she also considers the mother's experience. She said if a momma gives birth, and wants nothing to do with her baby because the how traumatic the whole process was, she feel like a failure. I could appreciate that on Friday, but Saturday while I was delivering I REALLY appreciated it. My doctor decided to give me an episiotomy to help get the baby out. Keep in mind, my nurse and doctor both worked the area really good in an effort to avoid this. Also my doctor and I had a conversation about this earlier in the pregnancy, and she told me she RARELY (like once in many years) gives episiotomies. She decided it was best to cut me, and a couple pushes later Kyria had arrived!
Ahhhh! It was all worth it! I had pushed for 36 minutes, and now I finally got to hold my little baby in my arms! The nurses cleaned her, and Skyler cut the cord. Meanwhile, the doctor stitched me up! By the way . . . my husband? AMAZING! He did so good encouraging me, and knew just what I needed him to do and say at the exact right time!
After they took the baby to clean her, weigh and measure her, etc. etc. I kept telling Skyler, "I never want to do this again. I never want to do this again. I will get an epidural next time, or maybe we will adopt, but I never want to do this again." My legs were shaking uncontrollably, and I was so glad it was over.
We took a little time to clean up, and Skyler and I spent a few moments with Kyria. What a MIRACLE! God is too good! It was all worth it to finally have her with us!
Finally, friends and family from the waiting area came in, and everyone ooed and awed over our precious baby girl! I told them the same thing I told Skyler. "Never Again!"
The next day was Father's Day! What a PERFECT GIFT for Skyler! God never ceases to amaze me with his impeccable timing! By this day, I was already saying how it wasn't too bad! Maybe I would do it again! :)
I don't know what I'll decide to go with if we are blessed with another baby, but I do know that all the pain was worth it! I feel like I have a whole new understanding and appreciation for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! He went through excruciating pain, and even death on the cross so that we could have life! We are so incredibly blessed, and it is all because of Christ! God is our Heavenly Father and loves us as HIS CHILDREN! I am pretty sure I have never worshipped Him with the humility, honor, and reverence as I have this past week!
"[God] who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" ~ Romans 8:32
