Wednesday, January 4th. Our day started normally - Grant and I took Geoffrey to preschool and I felt fine, good in fact - no sign of what was going to happen this very day!
Around 2, I got very tired - I just wanted to take a nap - so I tried to take a nap with Geoffrey, although he was more interested in playing than napping. I stayed in bed until about 5:30, at which point I got up and realized I was feeling a little weird.
I didn't think it was contractions - but my lower back was hurting - not an uncommon symptom as of late. But still, every once in a while it seemed more intense. After while, I started timing the more intense pain - at this point, I think I realized that maybe they were contractions. They were irregular, but coming on average every 10 - 12 minutes. I was supposed to call the doctor when they came regularly for twn minutes every hour or so.
I told Grant and mom that we needed to get ready and we started packing the last minute stuff. The contractions weren't as intense as with Geoffrey, but I just had a sense that things were happening. I called the doctor and we headed to the hospital. Geoffrey stayed home with Danny and Grandpa Bobby. We had debated having Grant stay and put Geoffrey down and then meeting us at the hospital but I really wanted him to just come. Geoff did fine with Grandpa and Danny so there were no worries.
We got to the hospital around 9:30. My nurse, Tien, was excited that I wanted to go natural and very supportive. We got to our room and I got my gown on and got the monitors on. At 9:45 I was 5 cm dilated and 100 % effaced. My contractions were coming regularly, but they were bearable. They put in my iv at 10:10.
With Geoffrey, when they broke my water, it didn't seem to make much of a differenc and it didn't hurt or anything, so I figured might as well break my water as fast as possible to get things moving. The doctor on call broke my water at 10:27 - I was 6 cm dilated. My next contraction was very intense. I had a few milder contractions, but then my contractions came fast and furious, with little to no break. They felt like a massive, tight rubber band squeezing around my stomach. I couldn't ever really get into my "zone" or relax like I was able to with Geoffrey. I knew if I started fighting against the contractions, instead of working through them, I was going to be in trouble, but a contraction came and I fought against it, then another one, and another one, and I started to panic. I knew a lot of time had not passed, so I couldn't be ready to push, but I didn't think I was going to make it.
I told Grant I didn't think I could do it. Grant was supportive and told me I was doing great and to give it more time, but I was getting really scared. I think I gave it one more and then said I was serious, this was too intense. Grant and mom asked if I wanted the nurse to check me to see if I was close and I said sure but I didn't think I could do it. Mom went to get the nurse who came bacl to check me - at 10:58, 30 minutes after my water broke, I was 9 cm.
At this point I was was feeling the urge to push - this feeling that the nurse had tried to explain to me with Geoffrey but I hadn't really felt - well, I got it this time! The nurse was worried and told me not to push yet, I wasn't quite dilated enough and didn't want to damage anything. However, the doctor came in at 11:07 and called me at 10 cm and said I was good to go.
At 11:20, she was born. Tammy walked in at 11:15 and just got to see the birth. The doctor on call delivered the head, and Dr. Hargrove came in to deliver the body and announce to us, "It's a girl!"
The pediatric nurse, Jennilee, ut her on my right away for some skin to skin time. I definately felt more "with it" after this delivery - more aware. Dr. Hargrove showed me the placenta after it was deliverd, I knew her APGAR was an 8 and a 9.
She was 7 pounds, 10 ounces, and 19 1/2 inches long.
While I was being stitched up, everyone got a chance to hold her. Then things began to calm down and everyone left and Grant and I had some time to bond with our baby girl and to finalize her name -
Katelyn Ariel Benedict
Around 2, I got very tired - I just wanted to take a nap - so I tried to take a nap with Geoffrey, although he was more interested in playing than napping. I stayed in bed until about 5:30, at which point I got up and realized I was feeling a little weird.
I didn't think it was contractions - but my lower back was hurting - not an uncommon symptom as of late. But still, every once in a while it seemed more intense. After while, I started timing the more intense pain - at this point, I think I realized that maybe they were contractions. They were irregular, but coming on average every 10 - 12 minutes. I was supposed to call the doctor when they came regularly for twn minutes every hour or so.
I told Grant and mom that we needed to get ready and we started packing the last minute stuff. The contractions weren't as intense as with Geoffrey, but I just had a sense that things were happening. I called the doctor and we headed to the hospital. Geoffrey stayed home with Danny and Grandpa Bobby. We had debated having Grant stay and put Geoffrey down and then meeting us at the hospital but I really wanted him to just come. Geoff did fine with Grandpa and Danny so there were no worries.
We got to the hospital around 9:30. My nurse, Tien, was excited that I wanted to go natural and very supportive. We got to our room and I got my gown on and got the monitors on. At 9:45 I was 5 cm dilated and 100 % effaced. My contractions were coming regularly, but they were bearable. They put in my iv at 10:10.
With Geoffrey, when they broke my water, it didn't seem to make much of a differenc and it didn't hurt or anything, so I figured might as well break my water as fast as possible to get things moving. The doctor on call broke my water at 10:27 - I was 6 cm dilated. My next contraction was very intense. I had a few milder contractions, but then my contractions came fast and furious, with little to no break. They felt like a massive, tight rubber band squeezing around my stomach. I couldn't ever really get into my "zone" or relax like I was able to with Geoffrey. I knew if I started fighting against the contractions, instead of working through them, I was going to be in trouble, but a contraction came and I fought against it, then another one, and another one, and I started to panic. I knew a lot of time had not passed, so I couldn't be ready to push, but I didn't think I was going to make it.
I told Grant I didn't think I could do it. Grant was supportive and told me I was doing great and to give it more time, but I was getting really scared. I think I gave it one more and then said I was serious, this was too intense. Grant and mom asked if I wanted the nurse to check me to see if I was close and I said sure but I didn't think I could do it. Mom went to get the nurse who came bacl to check me - at 10:58, 30 minutes after my water broke, I was 9 cm.
At this point I was was feeling the urge to push - this feeling that the nurse had tried to explain to me with Geoffrey but I hadn't really felt - well, I got it this time! The nurse was worried and told me not to push yet, I wasn't quite dilated enough and didn't want to damage anything. However, the doctor came in at 11:07 and called me at 10 cm and said I was good to go.
At 11:20, she was born. Tammy walked in at 11:15 and just got to see the birth. The doctor on call delivered the head, and Dr. Hargrove came in to deliver the body and announce to us, "It's a girl!"
The pediatric nurse, Jennilee, ut her on my right away for some skin to skin time. I definately felt more "with it" after this delivery - more aware. Dr. Hargrove showed me the placenta after it was deliverd, I knew her APGAR was an 8 and a 9.
She was 7 pounds, 10 ounces, and 19 1/2 inches long.
While I was being stitched up, everyone got a chance to hold her. Then things began to calm down and everyone left and Grant and I had some time to bond with our baby girl and to finalize her name -
Katelyn Ariel Benedict
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