12/21/11
7:32pm
7 pounds 3 ounces
20 inches long
The love of our life.
I decided to document Kendall's birth story before the memory fades in my mind....I never want to forget that day....
The day we've waited so long for finally arrived on December 21st, 2011--6 days earlier than expected.
At our appointment on Monday 12/19 (I was 39 weeks), I was told I was 4cm dilated and 80% effaced, and a membrane sweep was performed which can jump start labor in 24 hours.
I woke up the next morning, Tuesday 12/20--hoping to feel something......and felt nothing. I headed to work and worked the entire day, getting home around 4:15pm.
Suddenly, at 5:30pm--I felt something "different". A tightening in my stomach that was slightly painful. Hmmm....is that what a contraction feels like?
I downloaded an app on my iPhone to time contractions (my god...technology these days)....and to say that I was a FREAK about documenting them for the next few hours is an understatement. I would sit and wait for that twinge of pain and immediately click the "start timer" button on my phone. When the "pain" would subside, I would click the stop timer button and it would show me how long the contraction was and how long it had been since the last. Pretty nifty app if you ask me.... :)
To make a very long story a little shorter--here is what happened over the next 26 hours.
I had consistent contractions that were about 5 minutes apart overnight on Tuesday December 20th. Nothing excruciatingly painful, but also nothing that I could sleep through. At about 3am--we decided to call my OBGYN. The doctor on call was paged, and called me back within 15 minutes. After talking to me for a few minutes she said she didn't think I sounded like I was "in enough pain" to go to the hospital just yet. Let's just say if looks could travel through a telephone could kill, she would have dropped dead that very moment! She said she wanted my contractions 3 minutes apart rather than 5...so I hung up and unsuccessfully tried to get some sleep.
Around 9am a nurse called me to get an update on my contractions. They still weren't 3 minutes apart so she suggested that I try a warm bath. Again, if looks could travel through a phone and kill.....!
I tried the bath, and the contractions were more frequent but I still wasn't in "pain"...just uncomfortable. I called the nurse back and she said it was up to me what happened next. I told her that since I knew I was already 4cm dilated 2 days earlier and had my membranes swept--and we lived 40 minutes from the hospital--that we would feel more comfortable heading to the hospital at that point. She agreed and said she'd let the hospital know.
As we were leaving the house, I kissed my cat goodbye and burst into tears--sobbing uncontrollably. It was the last time I would leave my house on my own, responsible only for myself--without a baby and a diaper bag. Life would never be the same again....
My contractions became stronger (still not super painful) and more frequent during the 40 minute drive to the hospital--and I swear we hit every single red light on the way there. We eventually made it there and I braved the walk to the labor and delivery unit--bypassing the wheelchair. I figured some walking would get things moving! I had to sit down a few times along the way to let contractions pass--but eventually we made it to the floor we needed to be on. We checked in, they led us to Room 4, and I got my gown on and got ready to be examined.
At about 12:45pm the doctor performed a cervical check and exclaimed "Oh wow! you're 7 centimeters dilated!" (thank god we got to the hospital when we did...!!)
Here is the very last picture of me while I was pregnant...7 centimeters and still smiling. This picture makes me cry every time I look at it....a chapter of my life that has ended.....
Soon after the cervix check, my contractions got more frequent and more intense. Nothing was comfortable. I tried walking around the room, I tried the bed, I tried the exercise ball--NOTHING was bringing any type of relief. Casey had to keep reminding me to breathe through the contractions since it was my natural reaction to hold my breath. The only thing that brought semi-relief was Casey pressing on my lower back--but even then, all I could do was writhe in pain and try to breathe through each contraction.
Finally, a few hours after we arrived at the hospital, the doctor suggested that I try to labor in the tub.
YUCK. I hate tubs. I hate baths.
Much to my dismay, I got into the tub as they were filling it with warm water.
Much to my surprise, I never wanted to get out.
It was heaven.
While it didn't make my contractions any less intense, it was a distraction and allowed me to float a little and get the pressure off my back.
Perhaps the funniest part of labor--and the only time I remember laughing--was in the tub. I had gotten up early that morning, straightened my hair, put on my makeup and was all pretty and ready to go. I wanted to be one of those women who looked flawless in the first family photos. After I got in the tub, I had Casey pull my hair back so it wasn't touching the water. After a little while, the doctor came over--noticed that I looked warm, and proceeded to take a sopping wet cold washcloth and place it on top of my head. Any girl who straightens her hair KNOWS that is a huge no-no!! As she walked away, with water dripping down my face and head, I turned to Casey with my eyes bugging out, mortified, and said "she f*cked up my hair!" Casey and I got into a fit of laughter and it's a moment I will never forget. After that point I totally forgot about being flawless for photos and transformed into a sweaty, frizzy mess....
I spent a few hours in that tub and the contractions got incredibly intense and painful...the doctor checked me around 5 and said I was about 9cm dilated but my water hadn't broken yet, which was causing a lot of the pressure and pain. She gave me the option of waiting and letting my water break on its own, or having her break it for me, which would relieve pressure but make the contractions more intense since the bag of water was almost acting as a cushion against my pelvic bone. I wasn't quite ready for things to be more intense yet so we decided to wait an hour and see if my water would break on its own.
It didn't.
They had me get out of the tub which was one of the hardest things I had to do...I never wanted to get out of the tub!! Eventually I made it out and back into bed, where the doctor checked again and said I was 9.5cm dilated! Only a half centimeter before I could begin pushing! She broke my water and the feeling of relief was incredible....until the next contraction hit.
I had never felt such pain in my life. I couldn't get comfortable in any position and all I wanted was to hold Casey's hand and pull on it, while he was pulling back. I remember feeling like I was going to be sick...the pain was so intense that I felt sick to my stomach. I also remember crying out in pain that I didn't think I could do it anymore...and the doctor, nurses and Casey all reminding me that I WAS doing it, and that I was doing a great job.
The next hour or so was a blur. I remember the pain, the tears, the feeling of defeat, the look of support on Casey's face, the minute hand on the clock ticking ever so slowly....time felt like it was standing still.
I remember asking the doctor numerous times how many more minutes I had left. She replied "30" and it felt like someone had slapped me in the face. I wanted it over that very second. I remember repeatedly saying "I can't do this, I'm sorry, I can't do this" and having them reassure me that it was almost all over, and that I could in fact do it.
Suddenly my body took over and let me know it was ready to push. It was like an out of body experience, thats the only way to describe it. I couldn't control anything at that point, and the contractions and pushing came on strong and on their own. The pushing felt so hard...so difficult...so painful. I couldn't believe how bad it hurt, especially after a few of my friends had told me the pushing part wasn't that bad. The doctor kept saying I was making progress and the baby was "almost there". ALMOST there? After so long, how could he or she not be there by now?!
The doctor kept telling me to push through contractions, but I wanted that baby out so badly that I wasn't even waiting for contractions--I was just pushing non-stop. Right at the very end, after almost an hour of pushing, the doctor announced that the baby was trying to come out face up and forehead first...no wonder I had been in so much pain. I remember giving one final strong push--felt a rush of relief--and suddenly I had the most beautiful bundle of joy laying on my chest, squawking and crying. I burst into tears, Casey burst into tears, and we hugged for what seemed like eternity.
I remember repeatedly saying "is it a boy or a girl?? is it a boy or a girl??" but the doctors and nurses were so preoccupied that they either didnt hear me, or didnt have time to answer me.
Finally, they said "it's a girl!"
My heart melted, and so did Casey's. We were so completely in love.
The doctor informed us that the cord had been around her shoulder and when they pulled her out, the cord ripped off from the placenta--so instead of me delivering the placenta over the course of a few minutes, they had to manually go in and remove the placenta very quickly. This entailed their hands inside me, pulling the placenta out, with their other hands pressing forcefully on my stomach--multiple times. THAT, hurt worse than the delivery--in my opinion.
Casey cut the cord and I have never seen him so proud....
I never wanted to let her go. Little Miss Kendall Brooke Huizenga arrived at 7:32pm on 12/21/11 and had us wrapped around her finger at that very second.
She is precious...a sweetheart....and we couldn't be any happier. I am proud to say I went through the entire labor and delivery all natural, without any pain medication or epidural. I am especially proud because the doctor later informed me that the majority of women with babies that try to come out face up and forehead first (rather than face down and top of head first) have to have emergency c-sections because they just won't come out. I was determined to get that baby out one way or another, and I pushed with everything I had!
I also remember exclaiming, "I'm so glad I can prove everyone wrong that said I must be having a boy because of the way I carried in the front!!!" (haha...)
She is almost 2 weeks old already and I just can't believe it. We are so completely in love.....
"Now what?" we wondered.....and it's been a ride ever since...
Kendall is a great baby who rarely fusses or cries, unless she's had a diaper explosion or is hungry. She eats like a champ and has made things pretty easy for mom and dad!
More to come once we settle into a routine. Casey headed back to work today after 2 weeks of spoiling us rotten. We miss him already! Tomorrow is Miss K's 2 week appointment so I will have to get up and ready and get her in her carseat and driven to the appointment about 30 minutes from our house. It will be our first outing without Casey, so to say I'm nervous is an understatement!!
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