Catharina Rose (The Delivery)

Catharina (Cate) Rose was born on January 2nd, 2013.

We were scheduled to be induced due to my gestational diabetes. I was 39 weeks and a couple days along.

Off to the hospital 

We went in at 7:30 a.m. to get the process going.

The induction was started using a gel to soften the cervix and start contractions. I was feeling pretty good overall, other than pelvic pain/pressure when walking, which I’d had for a couple weeks. So Greg and I walked around the labor and delivery ward trying to help things progress. When I’d get tired, we would return back to our room and I would sit on a labor ball (yoga ball) so gravity could continue to help the process along. The nurse would also hook me up to some monitors every hour to check on the baby’s heart rate and make sure she was doing okay during contractions.

Sometime after noon, the doctor came in and broke my water. This is when things really started progressing quickly! The contractions increased in duration and intensity. I asked for an epidural only to find out that the anesthesiologist was in the middle of a procedure and it would be an hour before he could come. Greg did some math and pointed out that at the current rate I was having contractions, I’d only have to endure maybe 5-10 more. Right after that was said, they started coming one on top of the other. So much for that.

I literally begged the nurse (Kerry) to get me an epidural at this point – they were SO painful and there was hardly any break between them (so it seemed to me). (Greg later told me they so intense that they went off of the monitor’s chart.) Kerry took a measurement of my cervix and I was at a 6. She told me she could get some painkillers to put through my IV until the anesthesiologist could get there. She left to put in the order for the painkillers. And FIVE MINUTES later Cate was born.

In five minutes time, I went from being dilated at a 6 to giving birth.

After Kerry left to put in the order for painkillers, I had a big contraction and I knew things were different. I had my hands down there to help push against all the pressure and then I literally felt the baby coming. I freaked out and started yelling. Greg and I were the only ones in the room! The next contraction was starting and the baby was coming and my first thought was I should try to hold her in because the doctor hadn’t arrived yet. (Crazy, I know, but I was panicking.) Thankfully, Kerry heard me and ran back and a surgical tech (Wendy) who was outside my room also heard and ran in. They ordered Greg to grab my leg and then Kerry and Wendy caught the baby. Only two contractions and no pushing by me and she was out.

Doctor Austin arrived in time to deliver the placenta and stitch me back up.

I never did get my painkillers. The anesthesiologist wandered in as I was being stitched back up. But there is definitely some pride in me that I was able to do it without painkillers, even if that wasn’t what I had intended. (Although I hope I never have to do that again!) And since things happened so fast, we weren’t able to get her birth on video like we did for the other girls. But maybe that is a good thing since I was doing a lot of yelling and it would be painful to watch.

Cate was born at 1:25 p.m. 7 pounds, 1 ounce. The instant she was placed on my chest, I knew it was worth it all.

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