Labor and Delivery

So it all began with a midwife appointment on Wednesday. I was 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant.  They told me it didn't look like Miss Kenzie would be coming on her own so it was time to consider induction since I wasn't even dilating.  We all agreed that it was the best decision even though it wasn't how we wanted to do things.  (you know it's time when your "midwife" says it is) We scheduled our induction for Monday night and to start the pitocin on Tuesday morning.  When we got into the car, I cried. And cried, and cried, and cried.  I wasn't wanting to go this route nor did I want to wait any longer.  I wasn't sleeping anymore and she was getting quite painful to carry since she was STILL facing the wrong direction.

When we got home, Brady spoke up and told me to call and move the induction up since there wasn't really a reason to wait any longer.  Thankfully, they had a bed available for the following evening. Which would mean I could have Kenzie on Friday(my 23rd birthday).  At this point, I was just relieved to hear she would be coming sooner than later.

Thursday morning came, and I repacked my bags since we'd be staying an extra night.  I caught up on laundry, and cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms.  My mind wasn't on any one task though, so I'm not thinking I was very thorough.  I'm sure my mother in law got a kick out of watching me walk in circles around the house trying to remember what I had in my hand and what I came to this room for.  :-)

It's now 4:15pm and we have to be at the hospital at 5pm.  We get everything loaded in the car.  I go to sit down on the passenger side of the car and the entire front of my pants rip in two.  I seriously thought my water had broke.  We all got a good laugh which I really needed since I was tense.  So we finally make it to the hospital and get our room.  Things are good.  The midwife Jan came in and inserted the Cervidil.  She said this would help get my body ready for contractions and so that I would be able to dilate when they started the pitocin the following morning.  She also mentioned that for a very small amount of women, the Cervidil can start labor and bring contractions. They kept me on the monitors to watch the baby's heart beat and see if any contractions would start.

9:30pm Brady brings me Chick-fil-a for dinner.  The nurse won't let me off the monitors to try and get Kenzie to flip on her own.  She was following hospital protocol but my midwife would have let me.

10:30pm Contractions start and are strong enough that I'm using breathing techniques to get through them. They are about 2 mins apart.  

11:30pm Midwife Jan comes in and asks me why I hadn't spoke up about having painful contractions.  My reply was something along the lines of, "Isn't this why I'm here, so that I can go into labor?!?"  She then removed the cervidil(which normally needs 12 hours to work) and gave me a little bit of pain meds so I could sleep through the night since we would be having a long day on Friday.

5am I am at 3cm. I was able to get about 4 hours of sleep.  Contractions are still 2 mins apart and are getting stronger.

7am Midwife Christi comes in to check on me.  Says things are looking great, we won't need any pitocin!

12pm  contractions are CRAZY STRONG!!!! Back labor is horrendous!  Midwife Christi suggests I use the yoga ball to help with the back labor and try and get Miss Kenzie to flip.  I end up throwing up my dinner at this point since the back pain is so strong.  I say something like "I'm done, I just want to go home now.  I don't want to do this anymore."

1pm Christi now suggested that I try and use the bed and have Brady help put counter pressure on my lower back to help with the pain and Kenzie may have an easier time turning.  (I am currently on no medicines)

1:30pm  Kenzie is still facing the wrong way. And I'm at 6cm.  I'm not able to breath through the contractions anymore.  It's more of a yelling moan sound that is coming out.  I'm crying and no one knows how to help me.  My back is the only thing that hurts... I can't even feel the true contractions, just back labor.  At this point my contractions are about 30 seconds apart, lasting between 60- 90 seconds long.  I know I said some things I shouldn't at this point because I was mad that I didn't get any breaks in between to relax.

2pm Christi is now suggesting that I truly consider getting an epidural because I'm so tense that I'm not dilating anymore and Kenzie can't turn since I'm so tense.

2:05  The anesthesiologist walks through the door.  I tell him that he's my hero.

2:15 BLISS!!!!! Christi tries to break my water since I have so much amniotic fluid.  She thinks this will help the contractions get stronger.  She also thinks that having the epi will allow me to relax enough that Kenzie can turn and get engaged.

3:30 Contractions have stopped almost completely.  Christi is now forced to give me pitocin to make the contractions come back.

5pm Christi wakes me up to check me.  7cm.  So she turns up the pitocin some more. Christi leaves the hospital for a meeting and Midwife Lauren takes over. Christi makes me promise that I'll wait to have the baby until she gets back around 8:30. 

8pm Lauren wakes me up and checks me. 10cm and I'm ready to push!!!!!  Family came in to wish me good luck as Lauren gets the room ready for our adventure.

8:20  Christi isn't back, but she's been called. My mom and Brady helped hold my legs for the pushing my Brady's mom is in the background ready to take pictures.  Lauren is ready to help get this baby girl out.

8:30 I am able to feel the contractions and when I need to push, I am also able to feel where I need to push at.  I was telling them when I was going to push not the other way around.  I start talking about wanting to try natural again next time as long as I don't have back labor.

8:44pm SHE's HERE!!!! Full head of hair. I got to help catch her.  She is absolutely beautiful!

8:48pm Brady cuts the umbilical cord, Kenzie reaches up and hold his finger as he does this.  Very sweet moment for everyone.

8:50pm Christi runs in the door yelling "did I make it?". She is still in her street clothes.  poor girl!

9pm The umbilical cord breaks from the placenta before it's delivered.  Very odd.

Turns out the umbilical cord was attached more to the amniotic sac than the placenta.  Had anyone seen this on an ultrasound, they wouldn't have let me deliver vaginally.  I would have been rushed to get a c-section.  But Kenzie was born perfectly fine and facing the correct way.  Only a few stitches were placed, and recover hasn't been bad at all.


Kenzie Rose McDaniel
Weight: 6lbs 8oz
Length: 18 1/4inches long
Eyes: blue
Hair: black
She has her mommy's nose and her daddy's toes.