Kannon Charles is Here--Our Birth Story

Kannon Charles
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Time: 9:24 p.m.
Weight: 7 pounds, 2 ounces
Length: 19 inches

As many of you know, we decided that it was time to be induced and I had several fears about this process as for 9 months I have been imagining the perfect natural childbirth. Now, I realize that every birth is the perfect birth as long as you keep your mind open and take one step at a time!

Our alarm clock buzzed at 4:00 am on Wednesday morning alerting us that it was time to go--of course, Dale and I were already awake, staring at the ceiling contemplating what was ahead of us. We showered, ate, packed the car and headed to hospital to start our induction. Nothing can compare to our excitement and nervousness, perhaps it was like the first day of school or leaving for a big trip. We met our nurses, checked in, and started Pitocin at 6:30 am. At this point, I was still 2 cm and 60% effaced.

The contractions started off great, they were nothing more than a mild stomach ache. We watched TV and were excited to see that a Top Chef marathon would be starting soon! At 9 am the doctor came by and broke my water, at this point I was 2cm and 75% effaced. We were making progress!!!

The contractions got super strong at this point and it took all my focus to work through them. I labored against a wall, as standing was the only position that took the pressure off! Dale massaged my back and coached me through each contraction. The pain was surreal but still manageable. At 12:20pm my doctor officially declared me in "labor", as I was 3cm.

By 2:30 pm my contractions were off the chart. Pitocin increases the strength and effectiveness of contractions, usually showing up at around 100 on the scale, mine were 300 (I cant remember what scale they use...) !! They were coming every 2 minutes and after having made little progress, I decided it was time for an epidural so I could allow my mind and body to relax.

At 3 pm, the epidural brought instant relief, however, it had its hitches, as I could no longer leave the bed and needed a catheter. The pay off was worth it. I fell asleep at 3 cm and work up a few hours later at 6 cm and 80% effaced.

Dale and I were watching Top Chef, excited that the new episode was premiering at 8pm and that we would actually be able to watch it instead of having to wait. At 7:30, I was having bloody show and was checked at 8 cm and almost 100% effaced, I had one little lip that was in the way. The nurse stepped out for a minute and I had a big urge to push. She checked me again at 8 pm and I was 10 cm!!! At this point, I was working through each contraction, trying hard to to wait until that lip cleared and the pressure was intense--even with the epidural! (It really is like having to shit a watermelon!)

We started pushing at 8:40 pm, the doctor arrived just barely in time, as he was still putting his scrubs on as he raced into the delivery room. At 9:24pm, Kannon Charles was born, absolutely perfect, scoring a 9 on both APGARS. Dale and I both cried in amazement and disbelief that we now had a baby resting on my chest. I had a second degree tear that the doctor stitched while we bonded, Dale cut the umbilical cord, and even though I was exhausted, I was flying high with love.

My birth experience was nothing like I imagined it would be---it was better! The contractions were super strong. The epidural allowed me to relax and make progress and I still had the urge to push, which I wasn't expecting! Pushing was the best part, a relief in fact, and I was glad it was only 30 minutes of effort. All in all, we labored for 9 hours (from the time doc declared labor) and needless to say we never did see the new episode of Top Chef.

We are home now enjoying life with our new son, who even in 4 days of life is growing up faster than I can believe. We are loving getting to know him, his personality and needs and are quickly creating a routine for ourselves. Kannon is breastfeeding like a champ and sleeping countless hours! He loves being held, hates being swaddled, and prefers his swing to his bouncer. And, oops, we forgot to cover up, and he peed on our wall!! We cant wait to share more on our adventures!