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Kendra Marie is here (update in post #1)

882 views 17 replies 16 participants last post by  RileyAnn 
#1 ·
I will update more with photos and details, but our little girl was born at 4:32pm today (8/15). We are all doing well, just ready for sleep!

OK, my Mom just took the older girls home for a few hours and Kendra is sleeping, so we will see if I can update this fast.

I started having contractions Monday morning around 2:30, but was able to sleep for an hour after that, then laid in bed until about 5:30. I got up, ate and showered and the contractions kept up, but once the girls got up and we started the day they puttered out a bit. DH stayed home and he took both girls to walk DD1 to school and the contractions started up again, but were pretty pathetic and irregular. I was having lots of bloody show, so I knew things were happening, just not quickly. When DH got home we walked to the corner store to get him a cup of coffee and when we got home I laid down for a couple hours and was able to doze a bit and the contractions came a little closer together. My Mom picked DD1 up from school and they came back here to decide on lunch and do homework. My Mom took both girls to get lunch and go back to my Mom's house around noon. My contractions completely stopped while the house was crazy with the kids and my Mom and sister. Within 15 minutes of them leaving my contraction picked up considerably, I was able to eat a little lunch, but things started moving fast. My midwife has had two other clients in my neighborhood and missed both of their births, so as things started moving I was getting anxious and we called the midwife again to have her come, i did not feel like I could really give into what was happening until I knew she was at least on her way. She got here relatively quickly, took vitals and set up some of her stuff. i was wandering around downstairs while DH set up the birth tub and got the bed ready. He said the bedroom smelt like plastic from the tub liner, shower curtains and new tarp under the tub, so I stayed down stairs a bit longer than I had planned, but I like it. I knew once I came upstairs I would not be going back down for a while and it is was nice and bright and quiet down there (most people like dim lighting, but I really loved all the sun coming in the windows). Once I came upstairs the tub was pretty close to being ready (the assistant had shown up by now and made sure the temp was good). I wandered around a bit and peed a couple times before deciding to try out the tub. This was my first labor in water and i just was not sure about it. The water started out a bit too warm, DH had to go to the basement and get a fan to blow on me. Before getting in the water my contractions were 3-4 min apart, but when I got in the water I did not have one for 10 or 15 minutes and was starting to worry I got in too soon. At this point I think it was around 2:30??? Luckily my contractions started up again, they were about 5-7 min apart at first but picked up within 45 minutes or so. I think the water did take the edge off a bit, I was squatting/kneeling in the tub, which I would not have been able to do out of the water, it would have been too intense. I think my favorite part of the water was the fact I could kneel for so long without my legs hurting, the warm water really helped... and the fact I could just pee at any time. In my past labors i always remember having to time potty trips between contractions and it would stress me out but contractions on the toilet were not fun for me. I think peeing freely really helped me give into the contractions better. I got a bit pushy around 3:45, but not major, it just felt good to bear down a little at the end of the contractions. Around 4:15 my water broke during a contraction. The midwife said the bottom pressure was going to get intense at this point, and despite this being my third baby I was really taken by surprise with the intensity. With DD1 things just happened to fast, and with DD2 I had been pushing so long I think I had lost feeling!!! This was intense, I was so glad at this point my Mom had taken the girls because I was yelling like crazy through contractions, the dog is still traumatized! Once my water broke it was only 4 pushes, but I was being a bit forceful because I could not take it, I wanted to be done! Every time she went back in between contraction I was crying, even though I knew that was what was supposed to happen! The last push was almost too much, she crowned and came out in one long push, I might have stopped and done another push, but she was trying to push her hand out with her head so I just kept going once the midwife had her arm half out so she would not go back in. The midwife did a great job getting her arm out, I did not tear at all (my neighbor was one of the clients whose birth she missed and her daughter also came out with her hand by her face and she wound up with a pretty good tear). Once the head was out I was still having a contraction and kept pushing, the contraction puttered out after her shoulders were out, but I just kept going to get the rest of her out, oh my gosh, the relief! That was literally the most intense thing ever! Her cord was super short, but I was able to swing around to hold her, but it was difficult in the tub, I could hardly feel my legs and could not get them under me to get up high enough to hold her. I sat awkwardly in the tub for a few minutes, then the midwives and DH helped me to the bed where I could hold her better. It took about 45 minutes to deliver the placenta, I always underestimate how hard to push to get it out! It looked good though, a tad bit of calcification, but looked good. The assistant midwife took it to encapsulate for me.

Kendra is adorable and her sisters are smitten! It is really hard for me to stay in my room while they go about their day. Kendra was up most of the night and I felt bad keeping DH up to help when I knew he would be dealing with the girls most of the day! Luckily my Mom came and got the girls for a bit. DD1 turns 5 tomorrow, I am glad Kendra decided to come yesterday and not tomorrow! She is nursing well, but my nipples are a little soar and I hope that goes away! She seems to be latching well, but it has been over a year since I nursed, so I think I am just not used to it. She pooped four times before we weighted her! She was 8lbs1oz, but could a have been a bit heavier when she came out! It was a lot of poop!!! She was 20.5in. Despite being a pound and 1.5inches smaller than DD2 the actual birth stands out as more intense! But postpartum I am feeling so much better! Recovering from 4 pushes is way better than 4 hours of pushing!!! I was able to pee in the first hour and there was minimal stinging and I am not overly soar today.

Kendra is doing great, she seems very healthy and is peeing great, so we are going to wait until next week to do the renal ultrasound.

Sorry this is so poorly written, I am trying to hurry before the baby wakes up.

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editing again to add that I thought I would miss being pregnant since my pregnancy was pretty smooth, but man, I feel good and it is great to see my toes!!!!!!!!
 
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#4 ·
Yay mama and welcome baby girl Kendra!! Hope that you're both resting and snuggling and enjoying these first precious hours together. CONGRATS!!
 
#14 ·
Thank you for the details Sarah. It does sound like it was very intense right at the end.

Kendra is totally adorable, and what a lovely family picture too.
 
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