Kaden's Birth Story

• Starting at 36 weeks I started being "checked" at my Dr appts.
• 36 weeks- 3cm dilated, 70% effaced = super excited, start thinking labor could happen any time
• 37 weeks- same/no change = boo :(
• 38 weeks (Tues July 31st)- 4-5cm, 80% effaced, baby lower, and water bulging. Dr says "Schedule your appt for next week, but I'll see you before then" = YAY! Exactly what I wanted to hear!  I went home and started bouncing on an exercise ball, walked laps at the park, and even jumped on the trampoline a little :)

Thursday Aug 2nd- took a nap, woke up at 3:30. Felt damp and suspected I was leaking amnio fluid. I really, really wanted to go out to dinner at "Famous Daves", so I didn't tell anyone I might be leaking. (naughty, I know). Todd got home from work at 4:15 and we headed off to dinner. During dinner I finally confessed to Todd. As we were leaving I felt really wet and asked Todd if my pants looked wet. He couldn't tell, but we decided to go straight home instead of going to the store.  By 6:15 we determine, YES I am definitely leaking fluid! We grabbed our bags and headed off to the hospital.

7:05pm- arrived at the hospital, get checked in and brought into the triage room. The nurse takes a sample and sends it to the lab to determine if it's amnio fluid. I also warn her that I need the antibiotics for Group B Strep ASAP because if labor picks up there wont be enough time to have the meds in my system for the required 4 hours. She tells us she will have the antibiotics ready to start as soon as the lab verifies amnio fluid. We wait. Oh, also this whole time I can tell I'm having contractions but not having any pain. The nurse even asks- pain scale 0-10 and I answer "0" even though they are about 5 mins apart.

8:30- nurse checks dilation = 5cm

8:35- lab verifies amnio fluid

8:45- antibiotics started (baby can't be born until 12:45 or we will have to stay in the hospital for 48 hours for baby to be monitored)

9:30- My doctor arrives, checks (6cm), asks if my contractions are painful -"no"

9:35- He breaks my water the rest of the way and IMMEDIATELY things get painful! (thanks doc!) As Dr leaves he says, "be back in a little bit" with a wink ;) (He also says he thinks the baby will be 7lbs 10oz) My parents arrived as my Dr was leaving the room. As my contractions get more painful and closer together I start wanting drugs! I still didn't want an epidural, but I asked for something to take some of the pain away. I also decide I want to be in the bath tub for a little bit. The nurse had my drug by then, but says I can't have it if I want to sit in the tub. I decide to sit in the tub. The nurse tells me that if I feel the urge to push I have to get out immediately because "Doctor will be very mad at me if I let you have the baby in the tub." The hot water helps a lot, but after 3 contractions I feel like pushing (super bummed, I really didn't want to get out). My doctor is called back in to check me before they will allow the medicine (it could cause baby to go into distress) and if I'm too close to delivery I wont be allowed to have meds.

11:00- Dr checks and says I'm ready to push. (= No drugs) He starts to get all his garb on to deliver the baby, but everyone in the room pauses to watch Michael Phelps swim and win the Gold! Even I was distracted enough to make it through a contraction :)

11:07- I started pushing- 1st contraction = head out, dr says stop pushing!(not super easy to do!) 2nd contraction = shoulder 1 out. 3rd contraction =  Kaden born at 11:10pm!

 Stats: 7 pounds 12 ounces and 19 inches long (Doc was only off by 2 ounces!)