"Kellah's Birth Story"

Kellah’s Birth Story

Friday was a typical day. Lawrence headed off to work, and Coralyn and I prepared for a day at home together. Since the baby hadn’t arrived yet, we would be able to go to our play group’s Christmas party that morning. Before the party, we made a little trip to Target to use some coupons. I was able to get a few great deals and wrap a couple of presents for Coralyn when we got home. Then, we headed over to the party. We had a great time with our friends: eating lunch, playing, making a Christmas craft, and exchanging presents. After Coralyn took her nap, we made some chocolate granola, read books, and just hung out together.

Lawrence came home right after work, ready for the weekend (and hoping it would be the early start to his Christmas break since he wouldn’t head back to school if the baby did arrive over the weekend). We had planned to go to a Christmas party for our small group, but due to sickness in the group, we had to postpone the party (after I had hung on and waited to have the baby!). We were bummed about not having the party, but enjoyed the evening together by watching a Charlie Brown movie on TV: Happiness Is a Warm Blanket. Coralyn was quite into the movie and extremely distraught every time poor Linus had his precious blue blanket taken away from him! After the movie, we read our Christmas story cards (thanks, Jeanne Hewitt!), put an ornament on the tree that has a picture and short explanation about a name for Jesus, and read our Bible story for the night.

Once Coralyn was asleep, Lawrence and I watched two episodes of Lost on Netflix. We thought about watching a third, as they get you so wrapped up in the story and make you want to find out what happens next. We wisely chose to go to bed instead, although we had no idea we wouldn’t get much sleep!

I was sleeping really well, but as usual woke up to go to the bathroom. When I got up at 1:30, I did my business and got a drink, but then I couldn’t go back to sleep. At 2:11, I was still awake and had my very first contraction. I wasn’t overly excited though because it was totally different than when I started labor with Coralyn. The contraction was super low, but definitely wrapped all the way around my back. I had been having pain in my groin and lower abdomen off and on for a few days, but it wasn’t anything to get excited about: just extra pressure from the baby being so low. At times I really thought I could feel her moving her head back and forth or that her hand was going to shoot out of me! :)

Anyway, I kept my eye on the clock so I could see if my contractions would be at set intervals right away like they were with Coralyn. Nope, about 8 to 10 minutes later I did have a second contraction, but then I didn’t have a third one for another 20 minutes or more. I figured nothing special was going on since they weren’t regular, and they weren’t really too painful at all. Around 3:30, I had another contraction and was debating about waking up Lawrence, but he was so peaceful I couldn’t bring myself to do it. But, then when I had another one 10 minutes later, I decided to let him in on what was happening. I told him I couldn’t sleep, and he said I was just thinking too much about things, which was true. I had been worrying about the baby’s condition, still scared that something could be wrong with her (I kept picturing a baby with Down’s Syndrome to be specific). I really think I was too fearful to believe that all would be well. I didn’t want to get my hopes up because of our loss last year. I had to pray yet again for God to help me trust Him and surrender all the details of the birth and the health of the baby to Him one more time. Lawrence and I were talking about this when I had another contraction.

By 4 am, my contractions were coming every 10 minutes, but still not too strong. If I had been home by myself with Coralyn, I would have been able to go about our regular routine, just stopping to breathe through the contraction. Lawrence was ready to call Amber, our midwife. I thought we should wait, at least until 5, that way we wouldn’t wake her up in the middle of the night (at least 5 is the start of the morning, in my mind anyway). So, to compromise, we got up and started setting out the supplies that Amber would need so that everything would be ready when she did come.

Thankfully, Lawrence had tried out the pump Friday morning. It wasn’t working, so we thought maybe it needed to be charged. Plugged it in all day, but when Lawrence got home from work it still wasn’t working! I was a little concerned, seeing as how we would need that pump to blow up the birth tub! After playing with the pump for a bit, Lawrence realized you can’t charge the pump and use it at the same time. Once he unplugged it, the pump started working. Lawrence figured he might as well blow up the tub while the pump was on. Coralyn had a great time watching him and then playing in the tub for just a bit. We moved the tub to the baby’s room and planned on storing it there until it was time for the birth. Little did we know we would be getting it out in just a few hours!

Back to the morning of the birth…Lawrence got the tub set up in the living room. While he did that, I put out the other supplies Amber would need and then tidied up around the living room. I had to straighten the Christmas blanket on the couch, put one pillow on each side, put away random items, etc. People were coming over to my house for goodness sake, and I wanted everything in its place! :) I then went and got the coffee cake out of the freezer. Coralyn and I had made it a couple weeks earlier, as I wanted to have a “birthday” cake for the baby, just like we did at the Birth Center when Coralyn was born. When I was in the kitchen I noticed the sink had dirty dishes, so I put the clean dishes away and started reloading the dishwasher. In the middle of this process Lawrence came in to ask if I was ready to “fill it up.” I thought he was referring to the dishwasher and was glad for the help; he was talking about the birthing tub! I said sure, but still thought it was a bit premature as my contractions still weren’t anything to get excited about! He got the hose hooked up and started the water. I went around the house and lit all the candles and plugged in the Christmas tree lights.

About this time Coralyn woke up and needed to use the potty. Her pajamas were a bit wet, as she didn’t quite make it in time, so I took her to the bathroom and changed her. I explained to her that the baby was going to be born soon. Lawrence decided to go ahead and call our friends the O’Briens to come and get her since she was already awake. I told Coralyn she was going to head over to Mr. Jay and Mrs. Jessi’s house, and boy did she get excited. She had been waiting for this moment! We got her bag, blanket, Nana (monkey) and Pink Bear all ready. She even got to open her Christmas present early and take her pillow mattress I made with her so she would have a special bed. As we waited for Jay, we cuddled on the couch and talked about how she would go sleep at the O’Briens, wake up (again), eat and play with them, and when she got back home she would get to meet the baby. She left excited, which I was thankful for as I didn’t want her upset and crying. I had really hoped I would be able to explain what was happening to her, and God answered that prayer. Jay wished us luck and headed out with Coralyn (it was really cool to see Jay actually as he and Jessi just took my childbirth class and are planning for a natural birth themselves come February!). Speaking of which, being a childbirth instructor I knew I had to practice what I preach so that I could have a good story for my students :)

Lawrence had called Amber right after he got off the phone with Jay. I still thought it was too soon and figured she would get bored since I was so early on in labor (I was still walking around the house, doing squats every once in a while, while we waited for her to arrive). I felt bad that she would get here and have nothing to do but sit around and wait on me for hours. She arrived around 5:45 and got her things set up. I was able to chat with her, although my contractions were coming about every 3-5 minutes by now. We were talking about people at church who had their babies recently. When a contraction would come, I would motion for her to hold that thought, do my thing, and then casually continue where we left off. :) About 6:15, Amber’s assistant Debbie arrived (she is a midwife I had known at the Birth Center and had several appointments with during my pregnancy with Coralyn). I was excited to see her again, and we chatted for a bit, and then we put on a Christmas CD. Around 6:45 the ladies moved to our bedroom to give Lawrence and me some time alone (they didn’t want me to feel like a watched pot). I had to go to the bathroom, so I got out of the tub and made my way down the hall. As soon as I got out of the water, my contractions were much more intense. I had to stay in the bathroom for a bit as I had 3 contractions one after the other. Needless to say, I was ready to get back in the water because it made my contractions more bearable. I was kind of worried that being in the water would slow things down, but Lawrence assured me I didn’t need to feel like I had to go faster this time than I did with Coralyn (oh how well my husband knows me!). I was indeed thinking that very thing, as people tell you that you go faster with your second one, and I had placed this expectation on myself. I was doubtful this would happen, though, as I had already been in labor for 4ish hours at this time and wasn’t anywhere close to giving birth, or so I thought. I remember looking at the clock at 6:45 and then again at 7:15 thinking things were moving slowly!

Well, things didn’t slow down one bit as I returned from the bathroom and got back in the tub. I guess the midwives leaving us alone helped me relax even more (I didn’t feel pressured by them or uncomfortable or tense or anything with them in the room though) and within a few contractions I was starting to feel pressure as the baby moved down and began to make more moaning, heavy breathing noises during the contractions. Amber came out to see what was happening, as she and I both knew that when a mama starts those guttural sounds she is getting close to birth! She asked me how I was feeling, and I said it was kind of like how I felt during Coralyn’s birth when I told the midwife that time, “I think I need to push” (which I definitely had not needed to as I ended up pushing for 2 hours!). At this point, I still hadn’t had any exams and didn’t know how far dilated I was or anything like that. I didn’t want to know actually, as I was “scared” it wouldn’t be good news and I would get discouraged. But then Amber just observed me during another contraction and mentioned she could see the top of the baby’s head. I was pleasantly surprised (shocked actually!), and still doubtful that I was actually so far along. I figured we still had a long road ahead of us, which didn’t thrill me all that much :)

I couldn’t have been more wrong (and just this once I was okay with not being right :))! My back was really starting to hurt, all the time, not just during contractions. I was starting to have a hard time getting comfortable and switched sides of the pool. I was leaning up against the side of the pool and doing my best to stay relaxed during contractions. Being a teacher and all, I knew I needed to release any and all tension and especially keep my face relaxed. By this point, the only way I could do this was to moan. I kept thinking I was being super loud, but Lawrence assures me I wasn’t all that bad :) I wasn’t pushing or anything yet, but I wasn’t not pushing either (if that makes any sense). I was just letting my body and the baby do their thing and knew I could feel movement downward. Pretty soon both Amber and Debbie were telling me they could see her head and suggested I start guiding the baby out! What?! With the next contraction I felt my water break and remember saying, “Oh my water!” The very next contraction I was getting ready to apologize that I was about ready to poop in the tub (sorry if that is TMI, but it’s what was going through my head) and then I felt the baby’s entire head. I announced I was “holding” her head, and sure enough Amber could see her ears. Lawrence was quite surprised at this, as he didn’t even know I was actually pushing! I was really taken aback too since Coralyn’s birth was so different (I had that ring of fire sensation for a LONG time as she slowly made her way out, with the whole “two steps forward, one step back” thing happening).

Debbie and Amber both cautioned me from pushing too hard or too fast, so I did my best to NOT push, knowing that patience here would help prevent me from tearing. With the next contraction, I let go and sure enough the baby came! Lawrence was just getting ready to help catch her, but I made him stay right up by me so I could hold his hand. I needed his support to remain calm and keep letting the baby move at her own pace. I felt her whole body come out and semi-shouted, “There she is!”

Unknown to any of us, the umbilical cord was wrapped, tightly, around her stomach (of all things) twice. Throughout the labor (every hour or so) Amber would use the Doppler to check the baby’s heartbeat and her heart tones had been excellent, giving absolutely no indication that anything was wrong. Amber just unwrapped the cord, spun the baby several times and brought her up to me. I leaned back in the tub and held our little girl (I even asked, “It is a girl, right?” and checked to make sure we didn’t have any surprises). I commented on how small she was and gave her a big hug, welcoming our precious little one to the world for the first time.

Kellah cried right away (also different than Coralyn), but was quite content after she settled in on my chest. We covered her with a pink wash cloth, and I just held her close. She was perfect in every way! Ten fingers, ten toes. A head full of red hair! :) My heart was full (and overflowing) with happiness, joy, peace, and love. God had blessed us with a strong, healthy baby…not to mention a great labor!

After hanging out in the birth tub for a bit, we moved to the bedroom and rested on the bed. While we bonded with Kellah, Amber and Debbie cleaned up everything in the living room. Every few minutes Amber would come check on us, and I remember Debbie asking if I was still pregnant (you’re still considered pregnant until after the placenta comes out). I was surprised that it hadn’t come yet since it only took around 15 minutes during Coralyn’s birth. Finally, almost an hour after Kellah was born, I gave “birth” to the placenta. Amber checked it out to make sure everything looked good on that end, and then Lawrence got to help cut Kellah’s umbilical cord. By this time, he had taken his shirt off and got some skin to skin bonding time with Kellah too. Then, they did all the measurements and “tests” (no shots or pricks, just the APGAR stuff). I had been right, Kellah was indeed smaller than Coralyn, weighing in at 7 pounds on the dot (Coralyn had been 8 pounds, 5 ounces!). Like her big sister, Kellah wasn’t all that long – 19 inches (same as Coralyn). Her head was 13 and ½ inches around, also smaller than Coralyn (15ish inches). Her chest was 13 inches as well. All I knew (and truly cared about) was that Kellah was finally here, was perfectly healthy, and had arrived without any complications.

Lawrence got to hold Kellah a little longer as Amber and Debbie checked me out and helped me get all situated on the bed to rest. They brought me some orange juice (the infamous Bradley cocktail :) ) and some of the mango coffee cake to celebrate Kellah’s safe arrival. Pretty soon, Amber and Debbie had everything all cleaned up (you couldn’t even tell we had had a baby in our living room just an hour earlier!). They had the pool emptied and deflated, the coffee table back in place, the candles blown out, and all the dirty towels and such in the washer. All their supplies were sterilized and the kitchen was clean too. The ladies then got to enjoy a piece of “birthday cake” as well before leaving us to enjoy our new baby. I think they were gone just a little after 10 am, not even two hours after Kellah had made her grand entrance at 8:16!

We called our families to let them know the good news, sent out some texts, posted our announcement on facebook, and then settled in to rest! Kellah was very cooperative and slept for almost 2 hours!

From start to finish, very first contraction to the birth, I was in labor for a total of 6 hours and 5 minutes (to be exact :)). That in itself is great! And the reality that I was only in “hard” labor for about 45 minutes is even better. The whole process was amazing and beautiful, definitely a testimony to God’s faithfulness and GRACE (fitting since that is Kellah’s middle name!). I had prayed for the birth to bring glory and honor to God, and I think it truly did! I couldn’t have asked for a better experience and feel so blessed with the family God has given me. Coralyn has adjusted extremely well to her role as a big sister (though she is acting even sillier than normal in attempt to get extra attention, but all the grandparents have gone home now so…). She likes to kiss Baby Kellah and brings her toys. She even got to “hold” her little sister for the first time yesterday. Every time I see my two girls together, my heart just melts. Add Lawrence to the mix, and I am just a big puddle of joy and love. :)