Over the course of the weekend, I began to feel more peace with the idea of induction. It wasn't what I desired, but with having to prepare for someone to watch Preston, induction made it possible to have someone at the house. If I were to go into labor spontaneously like Preston, I would have to wait for someone to get to the house (and run the risk of not getting to the hospital in time!)
The weekend came and went, and Sunday night I could not sleep. I was folding laundry, dusting, vacuuming, whatever I could to make sure the house would look good as I left. I also prepared a little snack box as a thank you to the L&D staff.
We had to be checked in at 5 a.m. Soooo early! How do you like my neon pink socks? Hey, go pink or go home, right?
Ronnie was ready. He's lucky he doesn't have to go through labor.
8:30 a.m.- Dr. Sharon breaks my water. He said I was about 2 cm. I have no idea when they started the Pitocin, but I do remember actually having stomach contractions because of it. They were so easy to manage. I began to have confidence that I could do this without an epidural again. We just killed time until my next cervical check. Ronnie watched tv. He made me watch Married With Children. I remember being upset that he still had control over the remote! I was exhausted from no sleep the night before, so I catnapped and read news stories online.
Moments before my water was broken
10:00 a.m.- Checked again and was at 4 cm. My nurse, Leanne began to get all the stuff ready in case I decided I wanted an epidural. I actually declined it because I was still handling the pain so easily. I was just take a breath when I had a contraction, smiling the entire time.
11:15 a.m.- 6 cm! I could tell I was progressing quickly before I was checked because the pain was getting more intense, and my back started KILLING me! I immediately knew I was going to have back labor again, and I started feeling helpless. I buzzed the nursing station and said "I'd like to put in my order for an epidural please." Ha! Like it's a to-go order! Leanne said that the entire station busted out laughing and commented it was the most polite way she's heard someone request it.
11:45a.m.-8 cm. By then, I really felt anxious. The back labor is the most pain I have ever felt in my entire life...and I had to experience it with BOTH babies! Just my luck! I had scripture in my journal that I began to pray. Below are the ones that I found encouraging for me to memorize and meditate upon.
You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you. -Isaiah 26:3
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Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7
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The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace. -Psalm 29:11
the Lord blesses his people with peace. -Psalm 29:11
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Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. -John 14:27
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I can do all this through him who gives me strength. -Philippians 4:13
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For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
-2 Timothy 1:7
I just kept reading them over and over, praying that I'd find comfort and confidence in them. I remember lying down and beginning to shake uncontrollably. Ronnie was asking me what was wrong, and before Leanne could answer him, I told him it was a sign of transition. I said it in such a calm and matter-of-fact tone, that it's quite ironic since it was an intense few moments.
12:00p.m.-Epidural time. The anesthesiologist finally got out of a surgery and came straight to me. I suddenly felt ashamed to be getting the epidural. I knew I was further along than last checked, and that it was pretty much time to push. I was SO close to doing it without pain relief, but I caved. He was so sweet, but talked SO slowly. I just kept nodding in hopes that he would sense the urgency. This part of labor is such a blur. Two seconds could be two minutes. Once he finally began to get the catheter ready, he had to stick me several times because I have calcification in my spine apparently. Seriously?! I thought the pre-epidural talk was taking forever, but being stuck in the back several times during INTENSE contractions was insane. My feet and legs felt semi-numb. The pain wasn't gone where I needed it though. Go figure! Once he walked out, Leanne checked me again and I was 10 cm!
12:20 p.m.- I started pushing. I had an amazing experience with pushing. Since I have done it before, she just instructed me to let her know when I'm ready to push. I had more confidence because when It was time to push, I did. I never said "I can't do it", like with Preston. I remember saying it hurt and burned, but those were more comments than complaining. Kate actually started crowning, but my midwife was not there yet, so they called her. Kate's heart rate began to drop, so they gave me an oxygen mask and I had to stop pushing to wait for my midwife. Luckily she wasn't too far off and I only had to wait about 10 minutes (which is incredibly hard to NOT push).
12:48 p.m.-We have a baby girl! She was born sunny-side up, and they threw her on my chest. She was not moving at all, and I was so concerned. I kept asking if she was okay and what was wrong with her. They took her to get cleaned up and I remember her first little squawk. I have never felt so relieved that hearing that sound and knowing she was okay.
Welcome Katherine (Kate) Elizabeth Troutman
Born 1/13/2014 at 12:48 p.m.
Weight: 7 lbs (50th percentile)
Length: 19 inches (30th percentile)
Head Circumference: 12 inches (below the 5th percentile)
Once the nurses took care of her to get her active, they brought her over to me and I was immediately able to nurse. It's a very humbling, yet empowering experience to trust you instincts 100%. With Preston, I felt like I needed instruction on everything. But with Kate, I felt totally comfortable in my own skin. Since I had nursing issues with Preston (large chest for me + small mouth for Preston= weak latch, which was painful for over 3 months), I did not have high hopes for anything. I just told myself that I would do what felt natural, and did not drive me insane. Breastfeeding is best for baby in my opinion, but a constantly stressed mother is not good for a baby. Fortunately, nursing felt automatic and she had a great latch. She was alert and just enjoyed looking around at her Mommy and Daddy.
Ronnie was excited to take pics and message them to reveal her name to friends and family.
The nurses were laughing that I didn't even break a sweat, which is weird because labor is tough! I didn't care about that though. It's vain, but I was just so relieved that I pushed the right way, instead of using my face muscles. I had busted blood vessels in my face from pushing with Preston, but not this time!
Ronnie's work sent us this beautiful floral arrangement. Very sweet of them!
I am super bummed that I didn't get a picture with my friend Erin. She and I were texting ALL morning, and the records of those texts are how I actually know the times of Kate's birth story. She was our very first visitor! Thank you Erin!
Our other "first" visitor was Dr. Sharon, my OBGYN. While I saw my midwife most of the pregnancy, I did have to see him a couple times. He does the first visit, the gender ultrasound visit, and I saw him once while she was on a mission trip. He was one who insisted on induction because of concerns of Kate's size. He stepped in to ask if it was a boy or girl (I guess in case he needed to perform a circumcision?), and then asked her weight. When I told him that she was a whopping 7lbs, and laughed and said that he was a little off on his estimates. Ummm yeah! I was worried I'd be having a 9lb baby!
Getting her first bath at a few hours old! The nurse was so considerate to call me and let me know. I was able to go watch them bathe her, and a friend who is also a nurse there took pictures for me too. I missed Preston's first bath because they took him back much sooner after delivery.
She was such a healthy pink complexion.
Doesn't she look WAY bigger than 7lbs here? Also, I am loving her little mohawk!
Nice little head of hair! I had terrible heartburn this pregnancy. I joked that she better have hair down to her toes. Luckily, it was just on her head:)
Us with our new baby girl!
Nan came to watch Preston for us during the day. They came to see us around 5 p.m.. She is an awesome Meme, but she cannot get him down to nap EVER. Preston gets very defiant when tired, so I was a bit concerned on how he'd act when he came. He acted very withdrawn. He was apprehensive to come near me, which broke my heart. I guess it's even more overwhelming than I can ever imagine. I was never raised with my siblings, so I never had to experience the anticipation and the eventual meeting of a younger sibling.
Meme getting to meet Kate
He came near me long enough for me to snap a couple pictures of him in his Big Brother shirt.
Here is a video of Preston meeting Kate. Ideally I wanted the four of us alone for him to meet her, and have someone else videotape it, but obviously that didn't happen. Oh well! I am just glad I got it on video!
It's so funny to me what Preston chose to ask Kate at their first meeting. Weeks leading up to her birth, he would practice shaking people's hands while saying "Nice to meet you. My name Peston!" I imagined he'd grab her tiny hand and introduce himself that way. But nope. He asks her to ride in his car, which is very sweet. We installed her carseat about a month prior, and have discussed that his baby sister would ride there beside him.
Ronnie and Uncle Miller holding my two babies! Preston wanted to tell her goodnight. I won't lie and say that this didn't make me a little misty-eyed!
After Preston and Ronnie left (Preston left to back to our house and Ronnie left to pick up some dinner for us), my friend Emily came to visit. It ended up being a blessing because I got the news that Kate's white blood count was elevated, so her pediatrician wanted to start an iv on her, and we'd have to stay 48 hours. I immediately felt worried and did not want my baby girl in pain, especially having a needle sticking her for 2 days! It was especially difficult to receive that news with Ronnie gone. Emily was the perfect hubby substitute at that moment though. I know she could see my worry and tears welling up in my eyes. I came pretty close to just sitting on the bed and crying, but she offered the encouragement I needed to hear. She was sweet enough to also offer to stay the night since Ronnie had to stay at home with Preston. It was a very kind gesture and meant a lot that she would be willing. She is also expecting, so maybe in was that Momma Bear mode of being a caretaker.
That night, I sent Kate to the nursery while I slept until they brought her to me for her next feeding. I was on that "Ahhh! I just had a baby! I'm so happy!" high, so I didn't sleep at first. I did get several hours of unbroken sleep though, which was more than I had gotten during the last weeks of pregnancy. I do have to say that I really LOVE the L&D staff at Smith Northview. I had a great experience with Preston at SGMC too, but Smith is smaller and is more laid-back. They didn't bring Kate to me on a schedule. They brought her to me whenever she was showing signs of hunger, like rooting. So there were a few hours, where it seemed they were bringing her back sooner than I was ready. It seemed that as soon as I got comfortable, it was time to nurse again. Throughout the concern about a possible health issue, I felt totally at peace about it. I was able to claim those same verses that I used to in preparation and during labor. I knew deep down that God had was taking care of everything. I informed close friends, family, and my bible study group about what was going on so that they could lift Kate up in prayer. Knowing that I had that many people praying on her behalf was very comforting.
Speaking of getting comfortable...my recovery this time around was very different. I didn't need an episiotomy this time, so getting up and down was painless. However, my back was KILLING me. It wasn't confined to where they stuck the epidural needle, but it was an all over muscle pain. Since I didn't have that pain after having Preston, my first instinct was to criticize myself for letting myself get weak enough to request the epidural. I took a hot shower to see if it would soothe the aches at all, but it didn't. After speaking with the staff at the hospital, the pain was from me pushing with all my might.
Kate at 1 day old. See the I.V. in her foot? They said that she put up a fight when they had to stick her with it. It took something like 3-4 nurses to hold her down. They didn't do it in front of me thank goodness.
The morning after they started the I.V., Dr. Griner came to see me and explain why they were treating her with antibiotics. He told me that the nursery staff had commented that Kate was acting perfectly healthy. She was nursing well, already having poopy diapers, and maintaining her body temperature. He said that the most likely reason her white blood count was elevated was due to her birthing position. Being born face-up is very traumatic apparently. He commented that they had begin to go down, so everything was looking promising to go home the next day. Dr. Sharon also came to check on me. He told me that I did a great job and that he heard how strong I was. If anyone knows him, he is not much of a talker. He's nice, just shy and quick to the point.
Our friend and Ronnie's coworker, Gabe, came to visit on his lunch break. His wife is actually a L&D nurse there now too!
Brandi has been a friend of ours for YEARS! Like, over 10 years! She's moving to Savannah soon, and though I'm beyond proud of her earning such an awesome promotion, I am majorly bummed!
Andrew and Jo Ann are good friends of ours. They are like family. Preston calls them "Uncle Anjoo" and "Jojo". It won't be long until Kate will be too!
Leanne, my bomb-diggity L&D nurse! She was amazing! She didn't get to deliver Kate, but she did deliver baby right after us because that patient progressed too quickly!
Wednesday morning, Dr. Griner came to see me again to let me know what he had approved to discharge us that day! Woo hoo! He said he knew for sure that it was the stress of Kate's birth, and not any type of infection. She was a perfectly healthy baby!
2 days old and getting to go home finally! Just waiting to get discharged!
We never could get a family of 4 picture. Ronnie hates pictures, Preston wouldn't come near me, and Nan prefers disposable cameras. That makes it hard to get a family pic! Just goes to show that you can't control everything.
Wearing her initials on her onesie. Preston came home in a onesie with his initials too.
She looks WAY to tan to be my child!
My friend Kristen from my bible study told me that whatever way Kate was born would be beautiful because it would be her birth story, therefore perfect. She was so right! Looking back, I have to give praise to such an awesome God! I had specific plans on how Kate would enter this world. Though I did not want to be induced, it was not a bad experience at all. Having another child to care made me appreciate this induction experience. Nan is very willing to help whenever we need her, but she owns her own business and has a lot of pets. I mean A LOT! A cat, 6 dogs, and 5 horses! She needed to still be able to care for them, and having an induction allowed her to plan to watch Preston during the day, so Ronnie could stay with him at night. The 48 hours in the hospital isn't ideal to anyone, but it allowed me to rest and bond with Kate. Once we came home, Ronnie went back to work the next day (with both kids),so those 2 days alone with Kate really helped to start my journey as a mother of two with confidence.
Also, Preston's birth story is here, if you are interested in reading it!
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