Kennedy's birth story (jzalinski)

Hi all! As promised, here's the long story about the quick birth of Kenndy!

The weekend of the 26th I decided to really start trying to get things going a little ahead of my Aug 5 due date. I had had my check up on the 25 and I had barely been a fingertip so I figured any attempt might get me dialated enough to sweep my membranes at my next appointment which was the upcoming Tuesday (since my dr was going on vacation starting Wednesday, I wanted to get in this week before she left, rather than waiting for my normal Friday time) over the weekend I walked almost ten miles, ate a lot of pineapple, bounced on my birthing ball and partook in other activities suggested to help with natural induction.
Monday I was still feeling pretty much the same and was starting to get nervous that I wouldn't be dialed enough to get swept so I thought what the heck and went to Olive Garden and got some eggplant parmesan in addition to doing all the things listed above.

Tuesday morning I woke up at 5am feeling some contractions. I tried to go back to sleep but they kept waking me up. So finally I got up and decided to take a quick walk; I was still working, though from home, so only had time to get in a mile or two. I noticed before I headed out that the contractions seemed to be about ten apart, but I hadn't been actively traking them so decided to download an app to do so. The ten minutes quickly turned into 3ish minutes during my walk and I thought no way, that was too quick, plus they don't hurt thaaaat bad. I got home and took a quick shower and got my feet up and the contractions started spacing back out to around 10 apart but every once in a while I would go s bit longer or shorter.

I let my dh know but told him it was probably nothing, but we did have our drs appointment at 10 so we could talk to the dr then. We got to the drs and she checked me, putting me at about 3-4 cms! With the contractions she said we could probably expect K's arrival sometime in the next few days. As a FTM, we all figured it would be at least until the next day and we headed home.

Around noon the contractions started picking up both in intensity and frequency. I still had deliverables at work as I want set to go out until Friday so I started getting concerned about those and began handing them off to co workers. By 1245ish I had reached the point where I couldn't really concentrate on anything and thought talking a walk might be a good idea. In a way it was since my contractions really picked up in intensity. My dh had a meeting at 330 and I started getting concerned about him leaving me as I had a feeling we were going to need to get to the hospital soon.

By 2, my contractions were only 4:30 apart and I knew we needed to head in but was worried they might send me home. On the way there I started having some very intense back labor which made me think that my hopes for an epidural free labor was out the door.

Once we got settled in at the hospital, the nurse checked me and said I was still only 3-4 cms and only 69% effaced. She said I had two options, go home and come back later or try walking for an hour and she would check me again. I obviously choose walking so they sent me out to the halls.

Contractions were still clocking in at 4:30 but my back pain was getting more and more intense. After only 30 minutes of walking I was over it, I felt like my legs were breaking away from my back with each contraction. That pain itself made me scared not to walk more as that meant I hadn't done everything I could to keep myself from going home so I decided we had to at least do the more laps before we could give up. I made it half a lap.

I drug myself back into our room and my dh went and grabbed the nurse. Meanwhile my contractions continued to get more and more painful. I was crying in both pain and fear of being sent home where I'd have to deal with that pain without being close to help. The nurse came in and checked and while I was still thick, I had progressed to 5cm so they decided I could stay. After only two more contractions I was begging for the epidural.
The epi was placed just less than an hour later and I had immediate relief. It was 6 pm so my dh ran to grab dinner to prep for a long night ahead and my nurse left me to take a nap. Longest hour of my life. My contractions, while no longer painful were clearly picking up in intensity as I began getting them more and more through the epi. I started shivering and thinking I was cold, rang for a blanket. My nurse and husband pretty much walked in together and my nurse said I was probably already at 7cm bc the shirts were actually the shakes, not me just being cold, and she guessed K would probably be here by midnight!

She was going to wait an hour to check me again but on a whim decided to do it then. Her reaction was almost as shocked as mine when she said I was complete and that she was going to prep for delivery and call for the dr to break my water. It was only 7pm!

The burst asked me if I felt like pushing and I told her the desire was there but light. She had new do a few practice pushes and apparently that's when my water decided to break (I didn't even feel it). My dr walked in a few seconds later and the nurse let her know that she didn't need to break the water anymore but also not to leave. I was ready to go.

After my first contraction with real pushes I thought no way am I going to make this the two hours my nurse said I should expect, not bc off the pain but bc I thought there was no way i had the energy to do more than a few more of those.

In the middle of the second contraction I was convinced there was no way this was happening, I could not keep pushing like that. At the end of the 2nd contraction, I heard the best news I think I have ever heard, you should have a baby after the next contraction!

At the start of the 3rd, I pushed like my life depended on it, knowing this could literally be the end. Out she came screaming, aware to the world and absolutely perfect! 6lbs 6oz 20"

I honestly cannot believe how quickly she got here, especially for a ftm. The last two days have been av whirl wind! Thanks to all you ladies for the start along the way!