Labour and Birth Story

We had an appointment on May 29th with Dr. Webster and scheduled an induction for June 2nd. I wasn’t keen on being induced only because of what I have heard about the pain associated with the oxytocin/pitocin. I just hoped I would be ok to go into labour either on my own before then or with the gel. However, I liked the idea of our little guy being born as close to June as possible mainly because the end of May already included our anniversary and my birthday. I wanted him to have as much of his own celebration time in the years to come as possible.

On Thursday (30th) I started to read up a bit on some of the ways to induce labour. Since I had still been feeling pretty good and had no real signs of impending labour, we decided to try some of the suggestions in the hopes that maybe it would help me to move things along by the weekend. This included everything from eating pineapple to ‘enjoying some quality time together’ ;) I also read that if you massage your breasts that it helps release oxytocin, so we watched a movie on Thursday night and I decided to give it a try. Within about 15 minutes, I started feeling slight tightenings in the upper part of my uterus. It was very subtle and barely noticeable so I didn’t know if it was just the placebo effect of me thinking something was happening or not. I figured they were probably Braxton Hicks as I had heard people talk about the tightening feeling, but I had never had them so wasn’t sure. There was no pain or discomfort.

Thursday night I awoke about every half hour to feel the tightening. This time I felt like I had to keep going to the bathroom to poop. The next morning I went online to talk to a few friends about whether or not I could possibly be having contractions. By this time it felt like minor period cramps and the need to poop, but I was still in no pain and very little discomfort. A few friends told me that I would KNOW when it was real contractions, so I figured it was probably just false labour. At least my body was showing signs of something!

Friday afternoon I started to write down when I was feeling this slight crampy feeling. I rated it from a light feeling to a medium feeling, usually hard to distinguish as it was so subtle. I felt like one of those first-time mom’s who was totally reading into things! For the afternoon, they seemed to be happening every 10 minutes on the dot. Even so, because I was still feeling no pain or anything, I didn’t think they could possibly be the real thing.

Instead of thinking about them and getting my hopes up, Nathan & I decided to go out for the evening for dinner and a movie. We knew I was being induced Monday so decided this was a good way to spend the evening. He insisted we keep timing this “feeling” I was having, even though I thought he may be being a bit overreacting. So when I started to feel the “need to poop” (best way I can describe it!), he would time it. We went to Rudder’s and had dinner, and timed it at every 5 minutes. Nathan was getting more convinced that this was the real thing mainly because the times were so perfectly 5 minutes apart. However, I didn’t believe him as I felt pretty good, and didn’t feel the kind of discomfort that I had heard people talk about.

We decided to go to the movie afterwards and that’s when I started to feel them a bit stronger. We were watching Indiana Jones and I wasn’t very interested in the movie, so the discomfort was becoming more apparent. Nathan told me to squeeze his hand when I had the discomfort and then he would count in his head between each one. He kept counting 300 seconds exactly. Since I wasn’t really watching the movie anyways, we decided to leave halfway through (Nathan got a refund as soon as he said “my wife is having contractions” lol) and we decided to go to my parents to ask my mom what she thought. I honestly didn’t think they were contractions, but I was pretty sure that false labour didn’t happen so accurately every 5 minutes.

At my mom’s they seemed to settle down a bit, and were less noticeable again. Nathan still counted them every 5 minutes, but sometimes it was hard to tell if they were even really there because they were so subtle. I felt pretty normal other than this slight discomfort feeling. We stayed there until around 9pm and then decided to go home so I could get some rest in case labour started later that weekend. Nathan said since we lived outside of town, we should stop at the hospital on the way home to see if they would assess me and then I would at least know if anything was happening or if I still had a few days left etc. I tried to protest as I felt like such a goof. Here I was all dressed nice for an evening out, smile on my face, and I would be walking into the hospital asking them to check me. I knew they would probably think I was some overly-eager-naïve mom-to-be who was probably 1cm along and still had at least a few days to go. To ease my husband’s mind as I knew he wouldn’t sleep if we didn’t go, I agreed to go and get assessed. I considered lying when I got there and say I was in bad pain just so that I wouldn’t look so stupid.

When we got to the hospital, a nurse greeted us and I told her how I had been feeling this discomfort feeling like I had to poop but that it wasn’t painful. Since we lived out of town, if she could just do an assessment so we knew where things stood. She explained that the discomfort feeling is a typical beginning and I still probably had a good few days ahead of me before the real labour began, but she said she would just check things out anyways. Since it was night, it was really quiet and nice. I went into the case room and expected to hear 1 (maybe 2) cm along. I got ready for the “see hunny, we can go home now”.

She hooked me up to the fetal monitor to see how the baby’s heartbeat was doing and also if I was having contractions. We watched the numbers, and as I felt that discomfort feeling, the numbers started to rise. Maybe I was having contractions! I started to get excited. She then assessed me and said, ‘ wow, you are 5cm and 100% effaced. Time to get you ready for the delivery room!’. I couldn’t believe it!! Here I was planning to go home for the night. Good thing for my husband’s persistence as I probably would’ve been driving in from Beaver River at 9cm or something!

We made some phone calls, and told my mom to come over. I really didn’t feel like I was really in labour. The nurse – Heidi – was AMAZING! I am soo glad Karsten decided to make his entrance on this night, as she was so good with us. We went over our birth plan and I had mentioned that I wanted the option of an epidural. She mentioned that if I was already this far along and still not feeling any pain, then she was pretty confident I probably wouldn’t require one. We agreed that I would just continue to go with the flow of it all, and that she would work with me to figure out the best options as the time went on. She was so caring, genuine and confident, I felt like I could put my 110% trust in her judgment. That made such a difference as I felt so relaxed.

We made our way to the delivery room and just spent some time – me, mom and Nathan – talking and passing the time. I was a bit bored, so decided to try out the tub and just take some time to relax. It was so nice and I just laid in there with so many thoughts running through my mind. I couldn’t believe that this was actually it! It wasn’t at all what I had expected at least this far.

Once I got out of the tub, the contractions were starting to become a bit more noticeable. I started to walk around a bit with Nathan, but found this more uncomfortable. Instead I used the birthing ball and that was so much better. I felt pretty normal and the nurse couldn’t believe how much I was “still smiling”. The contractions seemed to be coming a bit closer together, so she checked me again and I was 7cm. This was around midnight. I always wondered how people could give birth in the middle of the night as the thought of it made me think you’d be SO exhausted from the day. However, I have to admit I was glad to be there at night now because no one was around and it was so quiet and relaxing. It felt like we were the only ones there.

After midnight, the contractions started picking up pace so I went into the tub again. This helped me to relax. I went back on the birthing ball afterwards and the nurse asked if I would like to try the gas. I hadn’t even thought about it because I wasn’t feeling too much pain, so I asked if there’d be any disadvantages to taking it because I didn’t feel like I needed it. She said there wasn’t because I could control the intake and the effects wore off pretty quickly once I removed it. When I had my wisdom teeth out, I had used the gas and LOVED it. I had dreams of running down the street yelling “I love my dentist! I love my dentist!” So remembering how much I loved it then, I asked if it was the same stuff. She wasn’t sure, so I decided why not try it out. As soon as I started inhaling, all the nostalgic memories of being at the dentist came back. It was so relaxing. It was the same stuff! So I decided to use the gas as it was relaxing and made me want to smile.

Soon after I began progressing fairly quickly and the pain was starting to become much more noticeable. I was SO glad she had me try the gas, as without it I think it would’ve been much more painful than it was. Sometimes I would miss the start of a contraction so by the time the gas kicked in (it takes about 30 secs once you start inhaling) the contraction was already peaking, so I learned quickly when to start inhaling right at the beginning of the contraction. Before too long, the contractions seemed to be happening very quickly one after the other. I was sucking that gas back! The pain was definitely noticeable now!

I was checked again and I was 9cm! She asked me if I would like to go over the toilet. I wasn’t sure as I didn’t feel a need to go to the bathroom, but said that I was fine with whatever she thought. She said sometimes it helped relieve some pressure (and of course get rid of anything still left before pushing). I brought the gas with me and kept inhaling. When I went on the toilet, I felt like I had such a big poop to get out. My body started to push really strongly and she realized I was getting ready to push the baby out. She talked to me calmly and led me back to the delivery bed and called the doctor. I remember her saying “you better get a jingle on quick, this baby’s coming”. I was able to tell what was happening, but with each contraction I was so focused on the contraction and the gas. The contractions were now one on top of the other and my whole body seemed to take over. I was sucking back the gas big time! I didn’t really have too much time to think about the pain, but I knew I didn’t want to let go of that gas mask. The doctor came very quickly and they said I was ready to push. I told them I didn’t know if I could without the gas, but they just encouraged me. My coaches were amazing and they were all reminding me to breathe, and then hold my breathe and keep my chin down to push. I knew those things but in the moment of each contraction it was hard to remember. Their reminders helped SO much. Everyone was so great. I pushed for about 25 minutes, although it seemed a bit shorter to me. Through each push, the head started to emerge and they showed me in the mirror. Then his head came out and it was still in the sack. It wasn’t until his shoulder emerged that it broke the sac and the water went everywhere. I never knew your water could break after the baby started to come out! Then the rest of his body came out without much trouble and little Karsten made his debut at 2:50am! He was so sweet and seemed to be pretty strong already trying to lift his head and roll around on the table. He weighed in at 8lbs 8oz (which was a surprise to me that he was that big!) and 20.5 inches long. Nathan and my mom each cut the umbilical cord and the rest was fairly easy at that point. We finally made it back to our room around 5:30am. I couldn’t believe I had given birth – and even more to such a beautiful baby boy – Karsten Wrey* Parker.

*Wrey comes from Nathan’s grandmother’s name who was a very special part of his life. She died a couple of years ago and we wanted to honour her by using her name. Her name is Winnie (W) Reynolds (Rey) = Wrey.

Week 40 – My Birthday, but doesn’t look like his :)

Here we are at the official due date mark! It’s actually hard to believe the time is here! The last few weeks have been pretty good. I have been eating like a pig though and now have gained 30 lbs. So much for the weight gain slowing down in the final weeks. lol

We had our doctor appointment on Thursday and it was short and uneventful. They didn’t do any checking or anything, just said ‘come back when your water breaks or when you’re having contractions 5 minutes apart’. No check for dilation or anything. It was pretty busy there though! We have an appointment set for May 29th in case I still haven’t gone, in which we’ll be booking an induction for Monday, June 2nd.

How am I doing? Still pretty good. Part of me actually enjoys being overdue 1) because I tend to get things done by the exact deadline, so now that I’m “done” all the things I wanted to finish before the baby arrived, now I have extra time on my hands to do other things I didn’t think I’d ever get to do. hehe and 2) As much as it would be awesome to have the baby on my birthday, I like the idea of him having his own birthday time so he doesn’t need to grow up always sharing his “Happy Birthday” songs with his mom :)

However, we are VERY excited to meet this little guy. We call it “scaredcited”… a bit of being scared of what’s to come (overtiredness!) but excited to finally get to meet this little man that we have waited for. I just wish we knew what day he was making his debut, the not-knowing is the hardest part. lol

On the pre-labour front, not much action happening. On Thursday and Friday, I was really tired for no ‘apparent’ reason. I just wanted to lay and veg all day – no ambition to work my brain or my body. I was thinking ‘oh no, if I have to push now, I’d be no good!’. Then on Saturday morning I woke up with a huge surge of energy and was like an energizer bunny all day. I even tried napping and couldn’t. Today I’m still feeling really good. I wonder if it’s the energy burst before the labour happening?

Other than that, I’ve had no Braxton Hicks (ever!) that I’m aware of, but DID lose my mucous plug (or part of) over the last few days. The baby is definitely bigger and can feel AND see his foot poking out the side of belly. Love that!

This morning we were all ready to go to church and then for a birthday lunch and enjoy the sunshine and what do you know? Our car wouldn’t start! We checked and no lights were left on, so hard to say what it is. Turns out it was our battery, so we finally got it working by the afternoon. Poor Nathan – I am so glad I wasn’t in labour when it happened, I think he would’ve been beside himself. We spent a wonderful day at home with visitors and family. It was such a nice birthday and we are so excited for the week to come!

Stay tuned!!

Week 38.5 - 10 'Official' days to go!!

Only 10 days to go!!

How am I feeling? Oddly very well! Makes me think I will be overdue, because I haven’t yet felt that anxious ‘let’s get this show on the road’ feeling. It’s not to say I’m not noticing this little guy is getting heavier. I have been taking it easier and can’t go a day without napping or else by early evening I am useless. So I have been taking it as easy as I can physically and that seems to definitely help. Most days my energy is good as long as I don’t overdo it and I feel pretty normal. I do find myself out of breath more, especially on hills or if I need to stand in one place for too long. The oddest thing is too that I have found it harder and harder to breathe through my nose at night as the weeks progress. It’s like as the baby grows, my nostrils close in a little bit more. So weird! This week, I have had to sleep with my mouth open more which is a bit annoying. Lol Overall, I am still sleeping at night which is a definite plus.

Our latest doctor’s appointment went well, nothing new to report. I only have one scheduled appointment left. Hard to believe! I have now officially gained 26 pounds and all seems good to go. The baby still moves from side to side lots, so I’m thinking he may be on the smaller side, but probably depends how far I go in this pregnancy too.

The to-do lists are pretty much all checked off except for little things here and there. In many ways, I am feeling very naïve and clueless embarking on this whole new change of life for us, yet I’m excited to finally meet this little guy. Movement-wise he hasn’t seemed as active in the last week (which I guess is a sign he has less room to move around) but he’s still pretty active around the 9-11pm timeframe.

The only other real difference I’ve been noticing lately is bending over is getting pretty tough. I drop something on the floor and it’s a whole plan of action on the best and easiest way to get down there and scoop it back up.

Well, the countdown is on…although I still don’t feel any rush. I kind of like the idea if I’m overdue of the ‘extra’ days of “hmm what should I do today?”… those days don’t come very often and I know will be very far and few between (if at all) once this little guy comes. As long as he doesn’t grow too much bigger, I’m still ok with being overdue. If he comes anytime though, that’s great too. I think Nathan & I are as ready as we’re ever going to be…!! :)

Week 37 - Baby Nephew, Nursery Pictures and 3 weeks to go!

The first news is that my sister finally opened the envelope and we’re having a baby nephew!! We were selfishly excited because this will give our little guy a boy cousin very close to his age which will be great for them both. Now we just need to get them to move back to Nova Scotia! :) My sister is due 10 weeks after me!

Well, 3 weeks to go to our due date!! Nathan and I are guessing the baby may come a bit later…around June 2nd :) We can’t believe how quickly the time is flying by and I am still feeling really great overall. I had a bout of about 3 days where I was starting to get really overtired which usually equals emotional for me, so I braced myself, but thankfully with a few days of extra rest I was feeling back to normal again. Yay! I feel like this pregnancy has treated me really well overall.

What’s new? I am definitely napping just about everyday now, but still feeling pretty good. I usually will be up earlier in the morning, nap in the afternoon and then stay up until bedtime. Has been working well and my body seems to thrive the best that way. I definitely have no problems napping, so hopefully that will be good when the baby arrives too. Other than that, I sleep through the night quite regularly… once in awhile I’ll wake up for a couple of hours between 2-4am but usually do something productive and then head back to bed. I actually managed to put away all the baby clothes at a time like that! It’s only happened a handful of times in my whole 3rd Trimester so that’s good J I haven’t had to get up to go to the bathroom at all at night which is nice (and odd I guess?), but I definitely go lots more during the day.

Everything on the homefront is coming together. I managed to get my hospital bags all packed and ready to go. Nathan has just about finished up the nursery, which is so exciting. Here are some pics!

Our little guy seems to be doing wonderful. Every doctor visit is short and all is great. The doctor said that my pregnancy was ‘by the book’ and couldn’t be better. He says the baby seems to be a good size, not too big or small. He guessed around 7lbs 2 oz. We shall see! Nathan & I were a bit worried in the beginning because we both weighed in close to 9 lbs and my dad was 11 lbs! Yikes! We were both long babies too, so this little guy may end up looking like a string bean for the first little bit. Lol

He continues to move a lot! I’m going to try to videotape it next week. I just love to watch it. Last week we could see his foot sticking out of my hip side. So weird – and cool! He still moves the most between 9-11pm at night and first thing in the morning.

My weight gain has slowed down, I’m now at 23 lbs gained and actually don’t feel that big, although when I see a picture I’m like “whoa belly!”. I have noticed the past few weeks if I’m on my feet too long, I start to feel it in my lower back. As well, turning over in the night takes a bit of extra effort to lift the belly and turn sides.

Who knows, maybe my next post will be welcoming Baby Parker :)

Week 35 - Almost there!

Less than 5 “official” weeks to go! Now that seems REALLY close! We’ve been spending the last few weeks trying to get everything “finished” up on the homefront – between finishing up the last of our renovations, transitioning for the business and getting the nursery and everything ready. The nursery is just about finished, so I’ll probably have some pictures in my next update! Nathan has been working on some mural paintings for the little guy. Hopefully he enjoys animals :)

This weekend we hope to get the bags packed and at least the basics finished to ease our mind in case of any early arrival. So far I’m still carrying high and all seems good. He is quite a little mover, not really kicking but moving a lot. His whole body seems to twist and turn all around so my stomach makes the oddest shapes. It’s actually pretty funny to watch it, although whenever I want to show someone he decides to stop and likes to play shy. How does he know? lol

The last week or so I have started to notice I am more tired. I think my 3rd Trimester tiredness has now hit, so am taking naps often and trying to get as much sleep as I can as per everyone’s advice. I still feel better than when I wasn’t pregnant, so that’s the nice part! It seems to come and go in spurts, so am just doing my best to go with the flow. :) I am still sleeping through the night which is good. Other than a few rotations to turn sides, I haven’t had any trouble sleeping. If anything, it’s usually the opposite. I can sleep anytime!

My belly is quite hard now and I’m now sitting at 22 lbs gained, and the little guy still seems to be growing and my belly just gets tighter. One thing is he gets the hiccups often. It’s pretty cool but can feel weird after you feel this rhythmic tapping-feeling constantly. He usually has them a few times a day!

We’re still waiting to hear the if we have a niece or nephew on the way! :) My sister had the sex of her baby sealed in an envelope a month ago now and it’s been quite an adventure! She wanted to wait until her boyfriend returned from out west, so she left the envelope in Ontario while she came to Nova Scotia for a visit and my baby shower. When she was here, he surprised her and brought the envelope with him. Yay! He was only here for 48 hours before she had to fly back, so they decided the time went way too quickly and they would open it together when they got back to their home in Ontario and have a special time instead of being in a rush. Janaya flew back to Ontario, Pat still had to book his way back since he flew down to NS last-minute. He arrived later that week, and guess what? The envelope was still in Nova Scotia!! So, their friend mailed it to them, but it got returned for insufficient postage. So, it’s currently in transit with Canada Post and ONE MONTH later we’re still waiting :) What a story to tell this child someday! LOL

So that’s been the latest on our end! It’s funny, but I still find it hard to believe I’m pregnant, let alone due in 5 weeks! I don’t think I’ll be one of the people who are anxious to get the pregnancy over with. I find the time just zoomed by so fast!!! It will be nice to meet this little guy though, we’re so curious what kind of personality he’ll have. :)