An Induction Birth Story

In anticipation of this spring's opening of The Birth Place, featuring a Level II NICU, we have partnered with Olathe Medical Center and local mom, Sarah, to document her pregnancy and birth journey in this new space.

Wednesday, June 28

3 a.m. Wake up to use the restroom and continue to toss and turn and think about meeting the little guy that’s been growing in my belly for the past 9 months. Will he have hair? Will there be any complications?

4:55 a.m. Still wide awake. Having a couple contractions but nothing consistent. My alarm is set for 5 a.m. so I decide to get up and get in the shower.

6:10 a.m. We are out the door, leaving our two sleeping kiddos with grandma and grandpa. I wanted to go give them one last kiss but I knew it would wake them up, and I had cried enough putting them to bed the night before.

6:25 a.m. We check in at The Birth Place at Olathe Medical Center for our 6:30 a.m. induction and head to labor and delivery floor. The nurses get us into our room right away and get me hooked up to monitor contractions and heartbeat. IV is placed and some lab work is done.   

7:30 a.m. Dr. Blevins comes in to check me and says I am 3 centimeters dilated. She goes ahead and breaks my water. My nurse waits about 15 minutes after that and then starts me on Pitocin. I was having a few contractions on my own so I still wonder if he would have come on his own that day.

9:30 a.m. Contractions having been getting stronger, and I’m contemplating an epidural. Nurse comes in and checks me and I’m at a 4/5. My deliveries tend to pick up quick after I reach a 5 so I ask for the epidural. I don’t want to risk not getting it in time! My mom, dad and sister have all arrived, and we start taking bets on when he’s going to arrive and how much he’s going to weigh. Even my nurse got her guesses in.

10:30 a.m. Anesthesiologist has worked his magic and epidural is in and doing it’s job. For about 30 min. I start to get really nauseous. I’m doing everything in my power to not throw up.

11:15 a.m. My nurse comes in and checks me in case I’m not feeling well because baby is ready. Still at a 5. She said my blood pressure is very low which is probably making me feel nauseated. She gives me a shot in my numb leg to help. She has me flip to my side because baby isn’t tolerating everything that’s going on. It’s not very long before she lets me flip back to my back and things are going smoothly again. We’re all wanting to change our guess for the time he arrives. Noon is looking promising.

11:45 a.m. Derek’s parents come by with the kids for a bit. They are a nice distraction but I start to feel my contractions on my right side. They leave for lunch and a promise that brother will be here when they come back later in the day. Derek, my parents and sister all get some lunch from downstairs in fear of me going into labor if they leave.

12:50 p.m. Still feeling the very painful contractions on my right side. They are coming strong and close together. She checks me, and I’m at a 7.5. You can only press the epidural button so often and it hasn’t been long enough so my nurse tells me to give it another 5-10min and then we’d try it again. Around 1 p.m., I feel pressure. I use that term very loosely because the epidural is still working great down south, and I can’t feel much but I feel a little something. My room was right by the nurses’ desk so Derek goes out and tells the nurse. She immediately comes in and checks me, 10 cm! She pages Dr. Blevins.

1:15 p.m. Dr. Blevins arrives very quickly, and we joke that she must have ran. I push with my next contraction (that I still very much feel) and at 1:17 p.m. Kai Anders arrived! He’s immediately placed on my chest, and we are instantly in love. He gave his parents quite the scare when he wouldn’t cry for a while, but his nurse stayed calm and rubbed him till he let out his first cry. He stayed on my chest while his nurse listened to his heart and checked him over. Daddy got to cut the cord, and we just soaked up our newest family member. I nursed him and then it was time to meet brother and sister and the rest of the family that was there. A couple hours passed and once I had decent feeling in my legs again, I was wheeled to my postpartum room.

The next two days seemed like a vacation. We snuggled our new baby, took naps, had visitors and were spoiled by the hospital staff and food. My husband even made the comment at one point that we should have a date night at Café 151. Such a romantic. The kids were able to climb into bed with me to hold their new brother and the nurses took excellent care of not just me and Kai, but the whole family.

Dr. Blevins and Dr. Baker gave me and Kai the go ahead to head home Friday morning. I was prepared for a lengthy discharge but my nurse double checked the car seat, went over some paperwork, signed a few things and we were out the door by 10 a.m. Big brother and sister welcomed us at the door with welcome home signs and open arms.

Kai Anders
June 28, 2017
8lbs 6oz, 19.75 inch

Photos courtesy of The Studio

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