Eleanor Lucille Birth Story
Dear Eleanor,
Your due date was March 25, 2016. My last shift of work was on the 24th, and it was a very busy shift. To celebrate your due date, your dad and I went on a date and saw the movie “Zootopia.” Up to this point, there was no indication that you were coming anytime soon. However, on Saturday and Sunday, I started having infrequent, painless contractions. This was exciting, but I knew that the early stage of labor could last several days, so I tried to go about normal life.
On Sunday night, after we had been at your Grandma and Grandpa Brase’s house for Easter dinner, I started having contractions that woke me up from my sleep. They were pretty far apart, but they were not longer painless. I was signed up for a Stroke Bootcamp class on Monday morning, but decided to stay home just in case labor picked up. Instead, I baked bread, went for some long walks, and made sure everything was ready for when we needed to go to the hospital. Late Monday night into Tuesday morning, my contractions started becoming more painful and woke me up from my sleep. They were consistently ten minutes apart, but luckily I was able to fall asleep between most contractions. When your dad and I woke up on Tuesday morning, we decided to go for a walk. It was a beautiful, crisp morning. As we were walking out of the driveway, a woman was running down the street toward us, yelling for help. Your dad jogged toward her and then the woman fell to the ground and laid on her back on the sidewalk. Your dad and I talked to her and asked her some questions, and then finally decided it would be best to call the police. After that fiasco, your dad and I finally went on our walk—stopping every few minutes when contractions came.
When we got home, I took a shower and the contractions gradually grew closer and closer together. We turned on the movie Mockingjay, but only left it on for about ten minutes because I wasn't able to focus on the movie at all because of my contractions. By this time, the contractions were about six or seven minutes apart, and I was leaning over the birth ball in the living room, breathing through them. Your dad downloaded a contraction timer app and timed every contraction. Eventually, the contractions were between four and five minutes apart and were becoming more intense. We called our doula, Lindsay, and talked to her on the phone. After listening to me breathe and moan through a few contractions, Lindsay decided to come to our house. Once she got here, I continued to labor and tried to eat some snacks. Within an hour, my contractions were between two and three minutes apart. At this point, Lindsay thought it would be a good idea for us to head to the hospital, so we packed everything up, loaded the car, and left for the hospital at about 3:00 in the afternoon.
I had contractions as we drove to the hospital and as we walked in. Several people in the hospital asked your dad and Lindsay if I was okay or if I needed help, but I just stayed in the zone and leaned on walls and railings when contractions came. When we got to the Labor and Delivery unit at the University of Kansas Hospital, the nurse showed me to my room, helped me get into a gown, put an IV in me, and asked me lots of questions. When the OB resident came in, she checked my cervix to see how dilated I was, and told me I was dilated to 3 centimeters. This was a little discouraging, considering that my contractions were so close together and getting more intense and painful, but I tried to stay optimistic and relaxed. Several more people came in to see me—the anesthesiologist, OB resident, Doctor Steinbis (my OB), the nursery nurse, the mother baby nurse, and your aunt Michelle (who was doing her anesthesia residency at KU Med at the time). I felt bad because people would come in and try to talk to me, but I had to interrupt them when the contractions came and then we would resume our conversation.
Once things settled down, I continued to labor and have contractions. I liked sitting on the birth ball to deal with the contractions. I also liked getting in the shower—contractions were much more manageable with the warm water running onto my back. Around 6:00 in the evening, the contractions became much more intense and painful. I sat on the birth ball and your dad pulled up a chair directly in front of me so I could lean on him when the contractions came. After laboring like this for an hour or so, I got onto the bed and leaned over the birth ball while sitting on my knees. While I was in this position, the contractions were the most intense they had been so far. I was doing my best to relax and moan through them, but it was really difficult to stay relaxed and not tense up when the contractions were peaking. The OB resident asked if I wanted to be checked again, and I agreed to it. She finally came in around 9:00 pm to check me, and said I was dilated to a 6. This was the most mentally difficult part of the whole labor experience. The contractions I had just endured were so painful. Lindsay had mentioned that they looked like transition contractions to her, so when the resident checked my cervix, I was hoping that I would be almost fully dilated. At this point, I wanted to give up and get the epidural. I didn’t think I could go through this for any longer, especially because my body was progressing so slowly. Lindsay suggested that I give it one more hour and take another shower, and then we would reevaluate. I agreed. 60 minutes. In the shower. I could do that.
Your dad came into the bathroom and pulled the shower curtain open a few inches to talk to me. I was sitting on the birth ball and letting the hot water run over my shoulders and down my back. I looked into his eyes and said, “J, I don’t think I can do this anymore. My body is taking such a long time, and who knows how much longer it’s going to be or how much longer it will take my body to progress. I just want to take a nap and rest and then wake up and keep going, but I know I can’t do that. I just don’t want to do this anymore.” Your dad was so supportive and encouraging. He said, “Just use this hour to relax while you’re in the shower and when the doctor checks you again we will reevaluate based on if/how much you’ve dilated, okay? You can do this, Kate.” After a few bites of a coconut almond Luna bar and some sips of blue Powerade, I got out of the shower and felt slightly more motivated to press on.
The next time the resident checked, I was dilated to a 7. The contractions had let up a little bit and weren’t as intense as they were previously, so I kept chugging along. When she checked me, she said that my bag of waters was bulging, which meant that my water was close to rupturing. The resident asked if I wanted her to break my water, so I looked at Lindsay and we decided that we would try to have it rupture spontaneously. I got back in the shower, and when I got out, I was leaning onto the side of the bed having contractions, and some fluid started to leak onto the floor below me. The resident wanted to check to see if my water was still intact, and said that it had partially broken, so she finished the job. At this point, I was over 8 cm dilated, so progress was being made!
Not two contractions later, I started to feel an uncontrollable urge to push. I tried to hold it back, but at the peaks of my contractions I could not resist the urge. The resident had said that there was still cervix on the right side that needed to complete dilating, so I laid on my right side as the contractions came. Because I was feeling like I had to push, the resident came in shortly after and said that she would call Dr. Steinbis to come in since I would be ready to push soon. I wasn’t supposed to push since I wasn’t fully dilated, but I couldn’t help it. You were on your way, and there was nothing I could do to stop it! After a few contractions, I could feel the burning sensation that I had read about in my birth preparation. I knew you were coming soon, and I was so excited to be making progress!
Dr. Steinbis arrived probably 20 minutes later, around 0200, checked my cervix, and said that I was completely dilated and it was time to start pushing. Finally! I could give into these animal-like pushing sensations I had been having for probably an hour! She and the OB resident put their gowns and sterile gear on, a swarm of people came into the room to start setting things up, and it was time for business. I asked for a squat bar to hold onto while I pushed, so one of the nurses brought one in for me. I sat up and they lowered the foot of the bed and attached the squat bar to the bed for me to hold onto. I stayed in this position for several contractions, but I didn’t feel like I was making much progress or pushing in the right spot. Instead, I laid back in a semi-reclined position and waited for the next contraction to come. When it did, I pulled my knees back and pushed as hard as I could. This new position was much better, and I could feel that you were making your way down and closer to meeting us! After a few pushes, the crown of your head was already appearing. You had descended down the birth canal perfectly and quickly, which was exciting and encouraging. Unfortunately, my skin was not as stretchy as it needed to be for your head to come through, so I pushed and pushed while the crown of your head worked to stretch my skin. I could reach down and feel your little head full of hair—it was incredible. With every push, your dad, Lindsay, Dr. Steinbis, the OB resident (Dr. Parisi), the labor and delivery nurse (Megan), and several others would tell me “this is it! One more push! You’re doing great, Kate! You’re so close!” You were crowning for probably 30 minutes before my skin stretched enough for you to come through. I pushed for an hour and 22 minutes, and then you finally came at 3:22 in the morning, after 12 hours of laboring at the hospital. What a relief it was when your head finally came through and I gave one more little push to get the rest of your body out.
The doctors immediately placed you on my chest and the nurses worked together to clean you off and suck the fluid out of your nose and mouth. No one announced the gender, so when they put you on my chest I looked and realized you were a girl! I was completely surprised and so excited. I kissed your slimy head probably a dozen times and told you how much your dad and I loved you already and that you were safe. I remember looking up at your dad, amazed that you were finally here and felt so grateful for him. He was supportive, encouraging, optimistic, and so loving during the entire labor process. I couldn’t have done it without him by my side. Once you were clean and warm, we snuggled and laid together while Dr. Steinbis and Parisi stitched up a few little tears in my skin. You were so alert and awake! You looked around for probably an hour before your little eyes closed and you decided it was time to rest. We were thrilled to find out that you were 6 pounds 9 ounces and 19.5 inches long. I had been measuring small the last few weeks of pregnancy, so the doctors were worried that your growth was being restricted. With many prayers and much faith, you came at the perfect time and your little body was absolutely perfect, too.
Nora, giving birth to you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I've never experienced anything so empowering and miraculous. I’m grateful for my body and what it did to get you here—both during pregnancy and birth. It was incredible to feel you and my body working together to bring you to us. You are sunshine, little Nora. We love you so much and are thrilled that you’re part of our family!
