Kinley's Birth Story!

Monday October 1st I woke up to get the kids ready for school like any normal morning when I started to feel some leakage. Went about my morning and started noticing the occasional gush as I walked and it was then that I was almost certain my water had broke. This was all new to me, i've never had my water break on it's own before. So after getting the kids off to school I spoke to Jeane's office and they told me to come in around 10:30. I had told Chet before he left what was going on but told him to go ahead and go to work and i'd call him. Well he kept calling me saying he didn't feel like he should be working so he got the guys set up and came home.

I was watching Brianna plus had Katelin and Evan so I had to find someone to watch them and thank goodness for Amy because she came over. My mom left work and picked up Rylie and Owen from school so we didn't have to worry about anyone having to pick them up.

Chet and I got to Jeane's office....I got weighed so final weight gain was about 18lbs, not too bad! Saw Jeane and my water definitely had broke so we were having a baby! I was only dilated to about 2 so we made a plan. I would head over to the hospital (actually they wheeled me over in a wheelchair per their policy I wasn't allowed to walk), and as long as Kinley was on the monitors for 20 minutes and looking good I could walk for 40 minutes at a time trying to get labor going. If needed we would start pitocin late afternoon so Jeane would be available to be there with me during my entire labor. This was about 11:00 so I figured I would have my baby in my arms by 5 or 6 at the latest!!!!

Getting hooked up and waiting for labor!


Well it all sounded good but Kinley kept having small heart decels on the monitor so I wasn't allowed to walk, I had to stay on the monitors. Jeane popped in several times between her office hours and a couple of c-sections she had and confirmed she wasn't comfortable having me off the monitors, the decels weren't bad but were enough that it had to be watched.

Getting up to change into my comfy clothes and use the restroom before getting pitocin started.

My delivery room crew!

Getting prepared to bring Miss Kinley into the world, started pitocin around 4 pm!

The other vital part to my delivery room crew.....Jeane! I adore this woman so much. I met her 10 years ago during my pregnancy with Rylie right before she officially became a midwife and since then she has successfully VBAC'd me 3 times and tried so hard this time but got Kinley here safe and sound. I feel a special connection with Jeane and she's been there for me during some hard times and during some of the best times of my life when my babies were born.....really she feels more like an old friend to me than my ob/midwife.

This is when the contractions were beginning to kick in stronger and I was really having to breath through them but they weren't coming as close together as quickly as they had with my prior births. I had dialated to 6 when Jeane checked me a bit later I was still a 6 and then when she checked me again and didn't say anything.....I knew I was still a 6 and something wasn't going as it should. Typically I would go from 6 to 10 in about 10 minutes. About 8pm Jeane stopped pitocin, Kinley wasn't tolerating it and while my contractions were still coming they were getting less frequent without the pitocin.

They pulled out the oxygen and I think this is when I started getting scared. Jeane would push me way over to my side during contractions trying to keep her heartrate up. Jeane kept me informed on what exactly was going on. I guess the nurse asked Jeane why she was telling me so much....like she told her, she knows me well and knows how my mind works and if she didn't tell me what was going on then my mind would wander and worry! Another reason i'm grateful to have someone who does know me so well. I also had comfort knowing  Jeane wasn't going to let Kinley get to the point that she was in any real danger. She was hoping I would get to complete quickly and just be able to push her out in a couple of pushes but probably because of the cord being around her neck it just wasn't allowing her to come down which wasn't allowing me to dialate.

I think at this point we all knew what was coming, I was scared and teary eyed. Chet didn't leave my side after this, definitely helped me having him right there with me. Despite being scared I knew we'd be okay....like i've said before....there is noone I trust more than Jeane to take care of us!

She told me she was getting Dr. Proffitt (he did my last 2 VBAC consults) and that's when I really knew we were having a c-section, as soon as he came in Kinley's heartrate dropped to the 50's and the decision was made. I did not have an epidural so the anesthethiologist came in and as long as Kinley was doing okay they would give me a spinal but if not I would be put under and a breathing tube would be placed. Thank goodness she held out for the spinal! I didn't want a breathing tube but more than that I wanted/needed to be awake when my baby girl came into the world.

I remember crying and asking Jeane if she would be with me and she assured me she wasn't leaving me and would be assissting with the surgery. We weren't at emergency c-section status but we were at urgent status so they moved me pretty quickly to the O.R. It is kind of a scary place with the big bright lights but this was definitely calmer and more laid back than my emergency c- section with Rylie. I couldn't stop crying but I was able to move onto the o.r table and Jeane was with me while they gave me my spinal, they gave me the nasty drink and got me laid down with my arms to the sides. And before Chet got in there they started the surgery. I stared at the door until Chet got in there, it seemed like it took him forever to get in there...definitely needed him by my side. I felt nauseous so they gave me something for that, the anesthethiologist stayed nearby checking on me, she was very nice but had an overly cheerful voice that was a bit annoying.

I was so happy when he walked in the room, definitely needed my husband by my side. Very different from my first c-section which seemed chaotic with the midwife on top of the table to help get her out and pain from the pressure and I kept kinda going in and out of sleep. This time it was calm and laid back, Jeane was on one side and Dr. Proffitt on the other, I don't know what they were saying but I could tell they were just talking calm and casual. I think Kinley was out within 5 minutes, Dr. Proffitt held her up and said "here's your baby" I only saw her legs and butt and she was off to the nurses. She was born at 9:08 pm And of course....you just wait to hear that cry and I wasn't hearing it which was very scary.

Chet went over to Kinley, her heartrate was up in the 180's so she was in a bit of distress. I just kept listening for her to cry and she didn't. I know I started to pray for God to please let her be okay. Then I heard Chet talking and laughing with the nurses so I knew she must be fine. I asked Jeane what color her hair was and she told me it was brown. Chet brought the camera over to show me pics, he said they kept trying to get her to cry, she just wasn't a cryer....I think it had him a bit freaked out too. The nurses said they like for babies to cry but some just aren't cryers.

 

My smallest baby at 6lbs 11.3 oz. It's kind of ironic that my 2 smallest babies were my 2 c-sections. But her size lets me know that I controlled the gestational diabetes like I was supposed to and kept her from becoming too big which is often a problem with GD so i'm kind of proud of myself for that! It had it's challenges but it was so worth it.

They finally brought her over and put her in daddy's arms and nothing can compare to that moment when I could physically see her and feel her....she was absolutely beautiful! I think I just stared at her and touched her little face talking to Chet about how cute and tiny she was while they finished putting me back together. My bladder had adhered to my uterus from my first c-section so they had to repair that which included putting baby formula in my bladder to make sure there were no leaks. Weird, I know but it is sterile and discolored so it works to find leaks. See her little bottom lip sticking out....that's the famous pouty lip...all my babies have had it!

My beautiful, healthy baby girl....welcome to the world Kinley, you are one very loved little girl! This entire pregnancy had me worried, no particular reason, it was just different from the rest. Between the GD and the concern over her size....I just worried about her arriving healthy so what a relief it was to see, hear and feel her.

Chet and Kinley went back to the room while they finished me up and when I got in there I finally got to hold my baby girl!

I know Jeane feels bad she wasn't able to VBAC me, she's apologized several times but she shouldn't ....she got my baby girl here safe and healthy and in the end that is all that matters. She suspected a cord was around her neck from the beginning and she was right....it was tightly around her neck twice. Which is probably why I wasn't dialating any further than 6, the cord wasn't allowing her to come down.

I know Daddy was a little worried through the labor and c-section but he was such a great support to me.....I sure do love him and he is one proud daddy!!!

I've been asked if I am upset/ disappointed that I wasn't able to VBAC and had to have the c-section....No I am not upset about it at all, it was what had to be done to get Kinley here safely, but Yes I am a little disappointed....I wanted to VBAC again, to have that whole experience again but it is what it is and there is no reason to let it bother me because in the end everything worked out perfect....I have a healthy baby. I am so grateful that a c-section is an option because who knows what the outcome may have been if it were not. I am also grateful that I have been able to VBAC 3 times previously so I have been able to have that as a birth experience several times. So bottom line is.....it doesn't really matter to me how she got here just that she made it here safely and that she is healthy! Chet and Natalie told me after the fact that they had a conversation a few days prior that they both felt I would end up with a c-section. And I think in the back of my mind I felt that way also, so I think I was somewhat prepared for it.