Nick and Kelly For All Time: Teddys Birth Story


Here's a picture of our little boy when he was still in my belly.

Before this story begins, let me explain my journey on my thoughts and ideas of birthing. Before I was pregnant. I was 100% pro medication during birth. I thought why should women suffer? If we have the drugs then gimme some! However, once I got pregnant, something changed. I wanted to know the most about birth and the 1 day course at the hospital just didn't seem to cut it. The Hypno-birthing class at Bethesda North came highly recommended by friends AND by many Cincinnati outlets. Carri Schneider had her baby Josie using this method and if Carri thought it was good, I wanted to learn about it! I was still unconvinced I wanted a medication-free birth. However, the more I learned about natural childbirth, the more dedicated I became to it.

As I talked about with the women in my life, I was greatly surprised by the nay-sayers. To quote a few gems I had thrown at me, "Yeah you say that, but once you have a contraction, you'll be like, give me the drugs" and "The first thing you do when you get to the hospital is you demand an epidural, don't wait" or "There's nothing natural about a natural childbirth". I eventually stopped telling people about my desires for a natural childbirth and just nodded my head when they mentioned epidurals and inductions and pitocin- one MAN even had a lengthy discussion with me about episiotomies (ewwww)!!

I could really go on and on about the benefits of natural childbirth and why we chose to bring Teddy into the world this way. But it was our choice and it's not for everyone. It's nice to have choices and we should support each other no matter what.

Hypno-birthing is not as crazy as it sounds. It's a way of mentally and physically relaxing to the point that you don't "feel" pain. Many people have used it for surgery! It's a gentle way of birthing in a quiet, dimly lit environment. No coached pushing, or yelling, or holding your breath. It's all about letting your body take over and do what it was meant to do!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010
     This was my original due date. It came and went in hot minute. I was not dilated at all, but I was having Braxton Hicks contractions!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010
    After dealing with the fact that I was way overdue, a good friend of mine Carri Schneider suggested I drink a glass of wine, take a long bath and have a chat with my little guy. I did just that. I talked to him and told him that everyone was so excited to meet him. He was already so loved. I promised him a gentle birth, medication free. I shared with him that I was scared too, but we could do this together. I loved him and wanted to meet him so badly. I'll admit it, I think we both cried a little during this talk.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010
    My Braxton Hicks contractions picked up a little bit and my pelvic muscles "engaged".

Thursday, September 2, 2010
    I went to school and sat in teachers meetings all day. I started having contractions. My third grade team could see my belly tightening. They were helping me time them. I'll never forget how I went to go to the bathroom and another teacher stopped me and asked how I was feeling today. I told her I was timing contractions...man oh man, did that spread like wildfire throughout the room. Soon everyone was watching the clock with me. We were all hoping for a 90210 baby!

Friday, September 3, 2010
    I was planning on going into work again to make sure I didn't waste any of my sick days, or maternity leave. Mr. Curless said I could skip the early meeting and just come to the Open House. I was actually really excited to meet my students. I got up and got showered. Of course I had to go to the bathroom as soon as I got out. That's when I noticed the bright red blood. I called Nick and told him to come home NOW. I was not going to school. I already had a doctor's appointment scheduled for 12:00. I called the Dr's office and they told me to come in right away. When I got to the Dr's office, they said Connie was too busy to see me and to just go to the hospital. It was right down the street, so off we went!

1:00 PM
We arrived at Bethesda North Hospital. Bridget checked me into the hospital at triage. I was 3 cm dilated. We were told to walk the halls to see if I progressed. As I was walking, I started having contractions every 2-3 minutes. As we walked, they kept getting stronger in intensity. Nick rubbed my back and help my hand the entire way. Shakira, our doula was up in Findlay, Ohio visiting her family and she decided to come right away.

3:00 PM
I walked and walked and walked. At 3 PM they rechecked me and I hadn't progressed at all. My doctor said I could go home IF my amniotic fluid was okay. It was more than okay! I had tons. We really wanted to labor at home as long as possible so we weren't on any "clock" at the hospital. I was elated I could go home and labor in the peace and quiet of my home.

This is where EVERYTHING changed for me. The car ride was sheer HELL. I couldn't get comfortable. I felt the intensity of everything going on and was scared. I kept wondering, did we make a mistake by leaving? Should we turn around and go back? My mom and sister noticed a change in my voice as well. My mom left work early and they packed themselves and Eleanor in the car and got on the road!

3:30 PM
When we got home Mama Sue was there and she helped us. I tried bouncing on the ball, but that did not help. I decided to get in the tub. The tub felt wonderful. Nick poured water on my back and kept getting me new towels as they dropped into the water when I changed positions. (Nick likes to joke about this time saying I was flopping around the tub like a beached whale- I know he's joking, but it really did get intense!)

I asked Nick to get the Hypno-birthing book and read the part about the 3 different types of breathing. I thought it would be a good reminder of what to do. He read it out loud. This turned out to be the best thing. I didn't need the CD's, or my iPod for my hypnosis. The words he was saying and his deep voice helped relax me.

4:30/5:00Mama Sue made us pasta to keep up our strength. I tried to eat it, but of course, Nick put too much sauce on it (this is the story of our pasta sharing- I have to sauce my own for fear of the pasta drowning!) Shakira arrived at this point and she helped feed me. I only got in a couple of bites, but I know it helped! I was starting to doubt I could do this. I was even plotting what I would say if I got the epidural. In my mind, I plotted to just leave out the fact I got the epidural!

6:30
I knew at some point I would have to leave the tub. I felt that the time was right to get up. We moved to my bedroom. It was here that I labored the hardest. Shakira was right there and Nick was reading constantly. During the start of one surge (contractions for you non hypno birthers!), Nick didn't start reading right away and I said "Don't you know your cue to read?". With Nick and Shakira's help I breathed and relaxed. Whenever I had a moment of doubt, Shakira was there to talk me through it. Mama Sue was still at the house. She came upstairs a couple of times to tell me how proud she was of me.

One thing that was really scaring me was the car ride back to the hospital. I kept mentioning it so much that Shakira actually asked if I wanted to just have the baby here at home! I said no, I wanted to "Move Towards the Pain". (My UC grad friends will get that one!) But I was waiting for my mom and sister to arrive. I couldn't imagine not seeing them before I left for the hospital.

Princess was very connected to me during this time. She wanted to be right next to me. I had to push her off me more than once. I was so sensitive to touch!

7:45
Mom and Missy and Eleanor finally arrived. Eleanor was so excited to see me, she jumped up in bed with me. I gave her a quick snuggle and kiss between surges. I KNEW we had to get to the hospital.

8:00
Mama Sue and Nick made a bed for me in the back of Nick's Venza. I walked out to the car and of course EVERYONE was outside in the cul de sac! I felt them staring at me, like they knew where I was going! That was a little embarrassing! Shakira rode in the back with me, with mom and Nick up front. I only had 3 surges in the car! I was even aware enough to realize we forgot a bag! We were NOT forgetting the technology bag! Not on my watch!

8:48
We arrived at the hospital and Nick dropped me off at the front door. We went to open it and it was LOCKED! After 8 we were supposed to go in the ER doors! Shakira put me in a wheelchair and started to wheel me over to ER. Nick realized what was going on and came back. Just then, some people came out the door and we got in!

9:00
We checked in and I had to go back to triage alone again. Shakira was very upset and didn't want to leave me, but since I had already done this, I told her I was okay. The charge nurse, Fran, asked me all the same questions that Bridget did. Fran really helped me relax through the surges because she told me to relax my shoulder, then the rest of my body would relax. I was 8 CM!!!!

**Time is irrelevant after this point, as I was in total labor land!

We got into the room and Shakira immediately started making friends with the nurses. Bridget was still there and came to check on me. My mom was there and she helped us settle in.

I laid on my side with a pillow between my legs. Shakira was in front of me and Nick was behind me. Nick kept reading and Shakira help me through each surge.

I had to get up to go to the bathroom and it was the worst. The surges were so strong I could not deal with them standing. After I got back in bed I decided NO MORE! I thought it was crazy to relax everything "down there" but hold your pee. So...**warning! dirty little secret right here!** I started relaxing everything during surges, including my bladder. That means I peed the bed a little! At one point, I said to Shakira and Nick, "Do you want to know a secret?" They said, "sure". I said, "I'm peeing during surges". Shakira said, "How do you know it's not your water breaking?" "Because it's pee!" was my response with a giggle! Even at 8 cm, I can joke! I remember the nurse asking me if I had to go to the bathroom and I just smiled and shook my head no!

Dad and Kathy showed up at some point. Dad came over to me and rubbed my leg to say he was here. I was in the middle of a surge and according to Dad, I shot him the meanest look I've ever given him. I had to ask them to leave the room because I couldn't relax with them there and they kept talking. I needed a silent room.

It's hard for me to describe how it felt or what I was thinking. I hurt. A LOT. But it was such a different kind of pain. I said the word OPEN to relax my muscles and low moan through it. The breathing really really helped me through every surge. Shakira helped me relax by putting essential oils and natural relaxers on my face and back.

Close to 11 I was checked and Rhonda our nurse said I was completely thinned and had just a small bit of my cervix that was still thick. She suggested I get on my hands and knees and the gravity would be enough to complete me. This was the position that was suggested to me to help me not tear. Getting on my hands and knees, really knees with my upper body over the top of the bed that was raised to a sitting position was fine. It felt nice to change positions. Nick rubbed my back and forehead with a damp cloth and fed me ice chips. I remember clearly thinking that my mom had quite the view! During surges, I would sway my hips and bear down. At one point, I burped in the middle of a surge and giggled. Nick and Shakira thought it was hilarious that I was giggling in the middle of a surge! I remember Dr. Gennari, our OBGYN on duty that night (she was who I was HOPING for!), coming in and saying I wonder if this baby will be born on the 3rd or 4th, so I knew it was close to midnight. When I didn't have my 90210 baby, Carri told me 90410 was Santa Monica! That was pretty cool too!

Missy arrived just before midnight and took over the video duties. Don't worry, no plans to post the video of the birth. That's for a select few to view! Tracy Cole came over to the house and watched Eleanor for us so Missy could come to the hospital. Nick got out my inspiration flags and read them to me. I was so moved and inspired by the words of encouragement from my dearest friends. Things were getting really intense, but I was able to relax and even fell asleep in between surges. When I was truly relaxed, I could feel my hips opening and I could feel Teddy's head nestling down in my pelvis. I felt like Teddy and I were a team!

I started feeling the urge to push. I would try to relax through a surge, but would bear down instead. I really had no control over my body and what I was doing. My body was guiding me through this process. During one of the pushes I felt my water break. It splashed all over my legs. It sounded like a balloon splatting on the sidewalk, not a pop, but a splat. I thought it was pretty funny. Shakira told me it was going to get more intense and faster. That freaked me out!

Pushing was crazy. I had to push down to what felt like my butt. However, when I got a "correct" push, it felt so good! I could feel Teddy crowning and getting close. I was shaking my hips and swaying them. All those belly dancing classes came in handy!

Dr. Gennari had four moms in labor at one time that night. Two of us were pushing, but the other lady had an epidural so she could stop. I couldn't stop if I tried! As Teddy kept getting close I could feel his nose and chin trying to come out. Here were my thoughts during pushing. I wanted him OUT! I thought of Maria Mongan and how she said "Gently nudge the baby out". YEAH RIGHT! Screw you Maria, I want him out! At this point I didn't care if I tore, I just wanted him out! I pushed with all my might!

Dr. Gennari was with the other mom and I heard Rhonda call her for her over the walkie-talkie. Nick and Shakira could see because they had a mirror. I didn't reach down and feel his head because I didn't want to change positions. But I kept pushing and his head came out! Rhonda freaked out and said "I NEED A DOCTOR NOW!!!!" She had never delivered a baby on hands and knees. They made me stop pushing to wait for Dr. Gennari. She came in and said, "Oh good! Let's see which way the shoulders are going to come out." Then I HAD to push and my body took over and he was OUT!!!!!!

Everyone was so excited. Shakira flipped me around (I was like a deer in headlights and stuck on my hands and knees!) I picked Teddy up. I kept saying "You did it, Teddy, you did it!". He nursed right away for 45 minutes. Nick cut the cord while on the phone with his mom and dad. Teddy was born at 12:50 AM September 4, 2010!

Everyone said what a good job I did. Rockstar. I admitted that I didn't believe them when they said during labor because I was all yeah right, you say that to all the laboring moms! But they did mean it! Rhonda siad she enjoyed our birth and was happy to be a part of it. I loved her because she got me a Popsicle!

We were all packed up and on our way to the recovery room downstairs and Rhonda was so busy chatting with us, she forgot to turn off the alarm! So we set off the baby alarm and all the elevators in our wing locked and shut down! It was too funny.

Shakira stayed with us until we got settled into our room. Nick slept on the pull out chair. Teddy and I snuggled. It was surreal!

The next morning, Bridget came to see me. She was the original charge nurse who was really supportive of me having a natural child birth. She said she was so proud of me! She wanted me to know I proved all the nurses on the floor wrong. Apparently, when I first came to the hospital in the afternoon, the nurses took one look at me, and saw I was 10 days late and said C-Section! Every time I passed by the nurses station, they would say things like, "Why haven't they scheduled her for a c-section?" "Why is she wasting her time and ours?". Well ladies, you can't judge a book by its cover! These hips were made for birthing and that's just what they'll do!

One last really neat coincidence. Teddy was born 10 days late on September 4th. My original due date was September 4th, but I was also 10 days late and ended up born on the 14th! So, it's almost like we share a birthday! How cool is that?