Porter's Prompt Arrival
It was Thursday, August 22, and my husband, Baxter, and I just sat down to a relaxing evening at home after working a full day and attending a committee meeting that evening. We were watching TV when I felt a trickle of water. I rushed to the bathroom and more came out. I was in denial at first, and Baxter was trying to convince me that indeed my water had broken. I decided to wait and see what happened and more water just kept flowing so we called our doula, Bianca.
She told us to get plenty of rest and call her in the morning. I couldn't believe that he was going to come on his due date. I was so sure that I was going to be overdue.
Baxter finished packing our hospital bags and we went to sleep at about 10 p.m. I awoke at 2 a.m. feeling some regular contractions but they weren't painful. I let your my husband sleep while I counted the contractions for the next 2 hours. I decided to go back to bed at 4 a.m. because I knew this was really about to happen and I would need all the rest I could get.
At 5 a.m., I woke up with the first strong contraction, and it felt like from then on they only got longer and stronger. Bianca arrived at about 8 a.m. and we labored at home for the next 5 hours. Those hours were very intense, but Baxter stayed by my side every minute. He kept reassuring me that I was doing a great job and that the baby would be here soon and all the pain would be over.
I had planned to be active in labor...walking around, sitting on the birthing ball, leaning on something. But all of that went out the door because all I wanted to do was sit and recline. It was the most comfortable position for me. I did get in the bathtub twice but it felt like more of a hassle than anything. The things that I remember most from the experience are being extremely thirsty and feeling tremendous relief between contractions. It was also helping me during contractions to take deep breaths and count them. Most of them lasted about 10 breaths so I would know when I was halfway and almost done with the contraction.
The transition stage of labor came at about 2 p.m. I started to get really frazzled and aggravated that we weren't at the hospital already. All I could think about was how there was no way I would make it to the hospital with as much pain as I was in. I didn't want to move from the couch, and I was sure that I would have to deliver the baby right there in our living room.
Bianca tried to check me to see how dilated I was but she couldn't tell because the head was in the way. But she said that it was time for us to decide if we were ready to go to the hospital. Absolutely! Baxter started to load everything in the car while I was trying to get dressed through the contractions. Looking back now I know I must have looked a hot mess with my pink nightie, black and white polka dot pajama pants and slippers.
Before we left I was asking myself why I decided to put myself through this pain and was reminded that it was the best thing for me and the baby. I told my husband and Bianca that I wanted the epidural...I just couldn't take it anymore, but they reassured me that I was doing a great job.
Everyone said the drive to the hospital would be the worst but it really wasn't that bad. There was one time when my husband slammed on the brakes for a red light and I felt like the baby was going to be thrown out of me but other than that it was a pretty smooth ride.
When we arrived, Baxter ran in to get someone to help me and he left me with them while he went to park the car. I was terrified because I felt very alone all of a sudden, but as soon as the nurse wheeled me around I saw Bianca and felt immediate relief. She held my hand all the way to the labor and delivery floor. When we got there, they started asking me all these questions and made me sign all these papers. Ridiculous! Hello, I'm in intense labor people! I remember they asked me what my due date was and when I replied with "Today," everyone chuckled a bit.
When we toured the hospital months ago, I remember the rooms being so large and spacious. But they wheeled me into this tiny room that was soooo hot. They put a gown on me and put me in the bed. Everything was a whirlwind of senses and emotions. It sounds weird but I never even had the thought to mention pain meds or an epidural because I was just so concentrated on the pain itself.
Baxter arrived just before the nurse checked me. She said I was 5-6 cm, and I said "That's it!?" Bianca reassured me that that was a very good number...over halfway there. I was still feeling disappointed. Dr. Daigle came in about 30 minutes later and said that the nurse changed her mind and thought I was more like 7 cm. She checked me again and said that I had progressed to 8 cm and if I gave her a couple of strong pushes she was sure she could get me to 10 cm, which she did.
When she claimed "Alright, it's time to push," I was so relieved. I couldn't wait for our baby to be in our arms, and I couldn't wait for the pain to be over with. Little did I know that the pain was about to get 10 times worse and it was going to take a lot longer than we thought.
At the beginning of each contraction, I felt a strong urge to push and then I was directed to push two more times after that. Each time, everyone in the room was cheering me on and saying that I was so close. So each time I pushed I thought for sure the baby was going to come out. But he didn't. At one point, when everyone was saying "You're almost there," I yelled at them "Y'all keep saying that!" I felt like it was never going to end and I was starting to feel hopeless.
Each time I felt another contraction begin, I was sure that I wouldn't be able to push again because I was so completely exhausted. Baxter was on my right side and Bianca was on my left. Baxter kept whispering to me that I was doing such a good job and that he was so proud of me. Bianca kept telling me, "You're doing it, Kaley, you're doing it!"
I have no idea how I made it through the next hour and 15 minutes pushing 3 times every other minute but somehow I did. Towards the end, Baxter and Bianca started to lift my butt off the bed as I pulled my legs back and I could tell that the baby was making more progress descending. They asked me if I wanted a mirror so I could see, but I told them no because I didn't even have my glasses on so really I couldn't see anything. A couple pushes later they asked if I wanted to reach down and touch the head and I did. Everyone in the room was oohing and awing about how much hair he had. My husband said at one point the doctor was actually styling it as he was crowning and that helped to relax him.
After I felt the head and knew how close I was, I felt a renewed strength and a couple pushes later the head was out and then the rest of the body. It was amazing relief as they placed him on my chest and we looked him over. But then the pain wasn't over as I began to get a cramp in my foot. I begged Bianca to massage it. I wanted to concentrate on the baby but the cramp was all I could think about. Thankfully it eventually went away.
The staff knew that we didn't want the baby whisked away so they looked him over as he laid on me. He was so incredibly alert, and I couldn't believe that I could finally stare into his big almond shaped eyes.
They weighed and measured him, and after about 30 minutes Bianca left and the staff slowly trickled out and there we were as parents all alone with you for the first time. We were in shock and just overcome with joy.
Porter Jonathan Turfitt
8.23.2013
7 lbs. 20 in.
Note from Bianca: Doula's typically do not do vaginal exams. If you are planning to have a doula at your birth, that is not a service they typically offer. More precisely, I am called a childbirth assistant. When I did the exam, her uterus seemed to still be posterior, which is not a problem. I did not want to do the "where is she trying to go" exam that nurses will often do. That is just too uncomfortable and we didn't really need to know exactly how dilated she was. I could feel her baby's head through the front of her uterus and assured her that baby was making his way down. As you can tell from Kaley's description, it was pretty clear that she was in transition, when the self doubt set in and slightly "antsy" behavior. It was clearly the right time to go to the hospital. We arrived 3 hours before Porter arrived.
I really liked Kaley & Baxter right from the first time I met them. It was such a joy getting to know them through the childbirth classes and our meetings. And, watching the love between them grow as they held their baby for the first time, was an honor. Kaley did an awesome job bringing her baby into the world, drug free just as she had prepared for!!!
She told us to get plenty of rest and call her in the morning. I couldn't believe that he was going to come on his due date. I was so sure that I was going to be overdue.
Baxter finished packing our hospital bags and we went to sleep at about 10 p.m. I awoke at 2 a.m. feeling some regular contractions but they weren't painful. I let your my husband sleep while I counted the contractions for the next 2 hours. I decided to go back to bed at 4 a.m. because I knew this was really about to happen and I would need all the rest I could get.
At 5 a.m., I woke up with the first strong contraction, and it felt like from then on they only got longer and stronger. Bianca arrived at about 8 a.m. and we labored at home for the next 5 hours. Those hours were very intense, but Baxter stayed by my side every minute. He kept reassuring me that I was doing a great job and that the baby would be here soon and all the pain would be over.
I had planned to be active in labor...walking around, sitting on the birthing ball, leaning on something. But all of that went out the door because all I wanted to do was sit and recline. It was the most comfortable position for me. I did get in the bathtub twice but it felt like more of a hassle than anything. The things that I remember most from the experience are being extremely thirsty and feeling tremendous relief between contractions. It was also helping me during contractions to take deep breaths and count them. Most of them lasted about 10 breaths so I would know when I was halfway and almost done with the contraction.
The transition stage of labor came at about 2 p.m. I started to get really frazzled and aggravated that we weren't at the hospital already. All I could think about was how there was no way I would make it to the hospital with as much pain as I was in. I didn't want to move from the couch, and I was sure that I would have to deliver the baby right there in our living room.
Bianca tried to check me to see how dilated I was but she couldn't tell because the head was in the way. But she said that it was time for us to decide if we were ready to go to the hospital. Absolutely! Baxter started to load everything in the car while I was trying to get dressed through the contractions. Looking back now I know I must have looked a hot mess with my pink nightie, black and white polka dot pajama pants and slippers.
Before we left I was asking myself why I decided to put myself through this pain and was reminded that it was the best thing for me and the baby. I told my husband and Bianca that I wanted the epidural...I just couldn't take it anymore, but they reassured me that I was doing a great job.
Everyone said the drive to the hospital would be the worst but it really wasn't that bad. There was one time when my husband slammed on the brakes for a red light and I felt like the baby was going to be thrown out of me but other than that it was a pretty smooth ride.
When we arrived, Baxter ran in to get someone to help me and he left me with them while he went to park the car. I was terrified because I felt very alone all of a sudden, but as soon as the nurse wheeled me around I saw Bianca and felt immediate relief. She held my hand all the way to the labor and delivery floor. When we got there, they started asking me all these questions and made me sign all these papers. Ridiculous! Hello, I'm in intense labor people! I remember they asked me what my due date was and when I replied with "Today," everyone chuckled a bit.
When we toured the hospital months ago, I remember the rooms being so large and spacious. But they wheeled me into this tiny room that was soooo hot. They put a gown on me and put me in the bed. Everything was a whirlwind of senses and emotions. It sounds weird but I never even had the thought to mention pain meds or an epidural because I was just so concentrated on the pain itself.
Baxter arrived just before the nurse checked me. She said I was 5-6 cm, and I said "That's it!?" Bianca reassured me that that was a very good number...over halfway there. I was still feeling disappointed. Dr. Daigle came in about 30 minutes later and said that the nurse changed her mind and thought I was more like 7 cm. She checked me again and said that I had progressed to 8 cm and if I gave her a couple of strong pushes she was sure she could get me to 10 cm, which she did.
When she claimed "Alright, it's time to push," I was so relieved. I couldn't wait for our baby to be in our arms, and I couldn't wait for the pain to be over with. Little did I know that the pain was about to get 10 times worse and it was going to take a lot longer than we thought.
At the beginning of each contraction, I felt a strong urge to push and then I was directed to push two more times after that. Each time, everyone in the room was cheering me on and saying that I was so close. So each time I pushed I thought for sure the baby was going to come out. But he didn't. At one point, when everyone was saying "You're almost there," I yelled at them "Y'all keep saying that!" I felt like it was never going to end and I was starting to feel hopeless.
Each time I felt another contraction begin, I was sure that I wouldn't be able to push again because I was so completely exhausted. Baxter was on my right side and Bianca was on my left. Baxter kept whispering to me that I was doing such a good job and that he was so proud of me. Bianca kept telling me, "You're doing it, Kaley, you're doing it!"
I have no idea how I made it through the next hour and 15 minutes pushing 3 times every other minute but somehow I did. Towards the end, Baxter and Bianca started to lift my butt off the bed as I pulled my legs back and I could tell that the baby was making more progress descending. They asked me if I wanted a mirror so I could see, but I told them no because I didn't even have my glasses on so really I couldn't see anything. A couple pushes later they asked if I wanted to reach down and touch the head and I did. Everyone in the room was oohing and awing about how much hair he had. My husband said at one point the doctor was actually styling it as he was crowning and that helped to relax him.
After I felt the head and knew how close I was, I felt a renewed strength and a couple pushes later the head was out and then the rest of the body. It was amazing relief as they placed him on my chest and we looked him over. But then the pain wasn't over as I began to get a cramp in my foot. I begged Bianca to massage it. I wanted to concentrate on the baby but the cramp was all I could think about. Thankfully it eventually went away.
The staff knew that we didn't want the baby whisked away so they looked him over as he laid on me. He was so incredibly alert, and I couldn't believe that I could finally stare into his big almond shaped eyes.
They weighed and measured him, and after about 30 minutes Bianca left and the staff slowly trickled out and there we were as parents all alone with you for the first time. We were in shock and just overcome with joy.
Porter Jonathan Turfitt
8.23.2013
7 lbs. 20 in.
Note from Bianca: Doula's typically do not do vaginal exams. If you are planning to have a doula at your birth, that is not a service they typically offer. More precisely, I am called a childbirth assistant. When I did the exam, her uterus seemed to still be posterior, which is not a problem. I did not want to do the "where is she trying to go" exam that nurses will often do. That is just too uncomfortable and we didn't really need to know exactly how dilated she was. I could feel her baby's head through the front of her uterus and assured her that baby was making his way down. As you can tell from Kaley's description, it was pretty clear that she was in transition, when the self doubt set in and slightly "antsy" behavior. It was clearly the right time to go to the hospital. We arrived 3 hours before Porter arrived.
I really liked Kaley & Baxter right from the first time I met them. It was such a joy getting to know them through the childbirth classes and our meetings. And, watching the love between them grow as they held their baby for the first time, was an honor. Kaley did an awesome job bringing her baby into the world, drug free just as she had prepared for!!!
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Doula, Childbirth Assistant, Childbirth Education and Breastfeeding Support for the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi, Woolmarket, D'Iberville, St. Martin, Ocean Springs,
Vancleave, Gautier, Latimer, Pascagoula, Lucedale
Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi, Woolmarket, D'Iberville, St. Martin, Ocean Springs,
Vancleave, Gautier, Latimer, Pascagoula, Lucedale
