Comerford Chronicles: Kinley's Arrival!

I think it will just be easier to give you a time line of how the day went! Obviously the times are guesstimates - using the time stamps on pictures... It was kinda a busy day!

6:00 am - Woke up with contractions - nothing new.

6:30 am - Max woke up so we both headed downstairs for some breakfast and let Daddy sleep in.

8:00 am - I start to get the feeling today is 'the' day. Nothing tangible, just a feeling.

9:00 am - Daddy wakes up. I share the exciting news and he gets all stressed out because he had plans (mow the lawn, grocery shop, pay bills). I assure him he will still have plenty of time - my contractions were 8 minutes apart at this time. I also call Grandma Joan and tell her to come sooner vs later. She was already planning on coming out for a visit.

10:30 am - Matt and Max head out to grocery shop.

11:30 am - They return home with subs for lunch. Max and Mommy eat while Daddy puts away groceries. Max was a great little labor coach and would rub Mommy's back with every contraction - it was too cute!!

12:00 pm - Grandma Joan arrives. She puts Max down for a nap. Matt mows the lawn. I decide to get in the shower to see if it will help with pain.

1:00 pm - We decide to time the contractions. They are 5 minutes apart.

2:45 pm - I call the answering service because the pain is getting worse. They tell me to head in to triage.

3:50 pm - We pull into the hospital parking garage

4:30 pm - I was contracting every 3-4 minutes, but was only 3 cm dilated, but Kinley's heart rate kept having dips, so they decide to admit me. Because she was misbehaving I had to stay in bed on the monitor, rather than getting into the shower or walking around like I wanted! Ouch!

6:15 pm - They tell me I can get out of bed to the shower, but I have to wear the portable monitor. I was so uncomfortable, but wanted to give the shower a little bit longer!

6:45 pm - Matt and my mom kept pushing for the epidural (lovely coaches!) so I finally decide it's time. Then I wanted the epidural right then and there. I sent Matt running out of the room to find my nurse. Unfortunately anesthesia had just gone back for a c-section, so it would be a while before I got the epidural. I decided to take some Nubain for the pain.

7:00 pm - The nubain worked great between contractions, but did nothing during them. I really wanted my epidural! I also tried hot packs on my belly. Matt and my mom did their best to get me through this rough time! (although I love this pic - I like to say that one labor coach grabbed the camera while the other grabbed dinner while I was in pain!) 7:45 pm - Anesthesia arrives. After several pokes, they believe it is in and begin to give me medication. The pain in the front of my belly subsides for about 20 minutes, but immediately gets worse in the back. They try to give me more medication, but nothing seems to help.
8:30 pm - Still no relief from the epidural. They check me and I am 8cm dilated. They decide to break my water. And let me have more medication in my epidural. We take one final belly shot! 9:15 pm - I am 9cm. Still no pain relief. They give me one more bolus, then tell me I cannot have any more medication in my epidural - they've already given me half the amount they give c-section patients.

9:40 pm - My doctor comes in and checks me. I am 10 cm dilated. She wants me to start pushing, but it hurts too much. She wants me to hold my legs, but I can't. I tell her I want a birthing bar like I had with Max, but she said there was no time, the baby was 'right there.' Yeah right, they told me that with Max and I pushed for 3 hrs. When the nurses start scurrying around and someone shouted for a baby catcher, I realized that maybe she was 'right there!' For ten minutes my doctor is telling me I have to push and I am telling her I can't. For the final minute I am telling her I have to push and she was telling me I couldn't.

9:52 pm - After eleven minutes of pushing, Kinley Elizabeth is born! She had both hands up by her head on the way out! Mommy and daughter are both relieved! 8 pounds 1 ounce ~ 20 3/4 inches long