We are so blessed to announce the arrival of
Kaden Henry Bergen
April 28, 2011
2:44 am
7 lbs. 4 oz, 20 inches long
The weeks leading up to April 28 had been filled with episodes of pre/false labor. Each episode came with contractions that were 3 minutes apart and 45 seconds in length. The contractions were intense and the timing consistent, but they never progressed into true labor.
At my 38 week prenatal, I was 4 cm dilated and Kaden was fully dropped. The weeks of contractions, despite being frustrating, had been working. I had my membranes stripped again and was hopeful that that was the jumpstart my labor needed. I walked, squatted, and danced harder at rehearsal than I had danced in weeks (which wasn’t saying much J)… nothing.
Easter was wonderful, even though I felt like a big waddling Easter egg. Monday came and went. Tuesday came and went. My hormones started getting the best of me. My mom was coming into town on Wednesday to pick up Stephen and if Kaden didn’t come within the 24 hours she was in town, she would have to make yet another trip out to spend time with her grandson. Even though she had reassured me dozens of times that it wouldn’t be a big deal if she had to drive back out, I felt like a huge inconvenience.
My mom arrived on Wednesday, April 27 a little after noon. After putting Braxton down for a nap, we headed to Target to get a few things. While there, my mom got the brilliant idea that she was going to make me walk laps around the entire store to try one last time to jumpstart something. I don't even know how many laps we did, but I’m sure the employees were laughing at us, and I walked until I literally couldn’t walk anymore because of the pressure. But once I quit walking, I didn’t have a single contraction.
That evening, we introduced Mom and Stephen to one of our favorite Italian restaurants. We had a wonderful time but still not a single contraction. We headed back to our apartment, my mom gathered her stuff and headed to Gwen’s (Justin’s aunt and my mom’s best friend) for the night. Even though we had had a fun evening, after she left, my hormones really started getting the best of me. I was mad. SO. MAD. I had done everything I could to try to help labor start while my mom was here. It was obviously completely out of my control and I couldn’t help but start crying. My mom was going to have to make another trip and there was nothing I could do about it. I headed for bed a little before midnight, tears streaming down my face (can we all please say “raging pregnancy hormones??”), and one of the last things I told Justin is “I’m just not a glowy pregnant person!”
I laid down in bed, and attempted to make myself comfortable. I had just started to relax when I got one of the biggest shocks of my life…a warm gush. It was just after midnight on April 28 and my water had broke. I drew a sharp breath and quickly rolled off the bed. Justin, who had been standing at the bathroom sink, managed to throw me a towel. Apparently after almost 4 years of marriage, you can not only ready each other’s thoughts, but also breaths. Miraculously, both the mattress and the floor were saved. I literally was dumbfounded at what had just happened!! My water broke on its own with Braxton, but it was during labor after hours of contractions. Never did I dream it would break spontaneously with this pregnancy. Blessing #1 of this labor and delivery. It looked like Kaden would arrive while my mom was here. Praise God!!
I knew my water breaking before contractions began put me on a timeline. By my OB’s standards, Kaden would need to be delivered within 24 hours because of the risk of infection. If labor didn’t start on its own, I would need to be induced. We debated going in immediately to have them check for cord prolapse, but I wanted to give labor a fair chance to start on its own and avoid being pressured into Pitocin. Justin and I agreed that if contractions hadn’t started within an hour, or if Kaden’s movements decreased, we would go to the hospital to check for cord prolapse and then request to be discharged assuming everything was alright. I tried to contact my “birth team” (my mom, Gwen and SheriLynne) to let them know what was happening. Nobody responded. I called my mom 8 times and she never picked up. I couldn’t help but laugh. I knew she was sleeping in the area of Rick and Gwen’s house that had the lowest cell coverage and I couldn’t help but think how funny it was that the one call she’s been waiting to get wasn’t going through.
I sent a text to a few of my closest friends to ask them to begin praying for contractions to start within an hour. Here is Blessing #2. My friend, Kristin, was one of the people I texted. Kristin lives with Rick and Gwen and is kind of notorious for being a very heavy sleeper. She had told me just a few days earlier how she had slept through the house security alarm going off. I figured she would sleep right through my text, but she was the first friend to respond! Praise God! I immediately texted her back and asked her to go wake up my mom and Gwen.
One needs to be careful when asking their prayer warriors to begin praying. Around 12:30am, I had my first contraction. It felt more like a strong Braxton Hicks rather than a true contraction. The second contraction was enough to make me double over. The third contraction brought me to my hands and knees. The contractions continued to get stronger and longer. Labor had begun!! We started wrapping up stuff at home and gathering the last of our hospital items. Around 1:00am, it got to the point where I couldn’t handle the contractions on my own. I needed Justin to hold me, breathe with me and help me through them. Gwen (who was acting as my doula), Justin and I all agreed it was time to go to the hospital. Justin had a very hard time getting me out to the car. The only position I could comfortably manage the contractions in was hands and knees and I was only getting about a 1 minute break in between contractions. It took several tries, but I finally had enough determination to make a beeline for the car and at 1:20 am we pulled out of our apartment complex.
The ride to the hospital was so difficult. I never realized how bumpy our roads are out here! I was in the front, on my knees kneeled over the seat. I put my head down on the seat and completely focused on getting through the contractions. Justin breathed with me, but I didn’t want to be touched so he was a safe driver with both hands on the wheel. The verse that came to mind repeatedly was Isaiah 41:10. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” I held onto that verse for the rest of the delivery.
When we arrived at the ER entrance around 1:40am and I started trembling (labor shakes) and knew I was beginning the transition stage of labor. The last thing I wanted to do was be left by myself at the front entrance so I opted to walk in with Justin after he parked. Each contraction I had to get down on my hands and knees. Justin was wonderful and didn’t even care if anyone saw and got down with me, supporting me and breathing with me. We finally made it to triage and began monitoring contractions and baby movement.
Here is where Blessing #3 shocked us all. During Braxton's labor and delivery there was one nurse that I loved. She was so calm, funny and we really "clicked." She respected my birth plan, but also encouraged and supported me when I made changes along the way. She was huge in making Braxton's birth a wonderful, positive experience and I knew I was going to miss having Nurse Cyndra at Kaden's birth. Once we got to Labor and Delivery Triage, guess who was assigned to be my nurse? Cyndra! I couldn’t believe it. She moved to the Springs in August and actually remembered us (what did I say on those IV narcotic pain meds to make me that memorable??). As she hooked me up to the monitors, we laughed at how crazy it was and I immediately began to relax mentally. Having her familiar face made me feel so much better about my birth plan and that I would have another positive birth experience. We discussed my plan to go natural as long as possible, but that I wasn't against getting an epidural if things didn't go as planned (Remember the 22 hour labor? Yeah, that wasn't planned...). She checked me and I was 6cm. She left to call my OB and at 2:15am I was officially admitted.
Right after she left, the contractions picked up in intensity significantly. They were one on top of the other and no position was comfortable. This was when it got really hard. I was still on the monitor so I was confined to the bed. I wanted to get out of that little triage room and into my labor and delivery room where they had birth balls, showers, space to move and my birth team. The contractions were coming so strong and I couldn’t seem to get on top of them. Justin tried so hard to help me calm my breathing and maintain the low moans, but the intensity was overwhelming. Poor Justin, we couldn’t seem to get in rhythm with each other. With Braxton’s labor, we had 12 hours at home, getting in sync, figuring out what worked to comfort me during the contractions and being in perfect unison. With this labor, it was progressing so quickly that what brought me comfort during one contraction would have me crying during the next. It was a guessing game each time. Justin ran to get Cyndra and told her I really needed to get to my room as soon as possible. Cyndra took one look at me and could tell things were moving much more quickly than last time and next thing I knew I was speeding down to my delivery room on a hospital gurney. If you're picturing something out of a movie, you're not too far off track from what it felt like.
Once I was in the delivery room and got off the gurney, things didn't get easier pain wise, but they did mentally wise. Gwen and Justin were on either side of me helping me through the contractions. My mom was pacing and praying. Sherilynne was still not there because I told her someone would call her once we got out of triage (I still have no idea who wound up calling her). The contractions were still one on top of the other. I was moaning, breathing, and working through them. It was so different than anything I had ever pictured in regards to a natural childbirth because it was happening so quickly (exactly the opposite of Braxton's). It felt like I was on a roller coaster and couldn’t get off. The next contraction I got the undeniable urge to push. Cyndra told me to try not to push and immediately checked me. It had barely been 20 minutes since she checked me and I was 6 cm, and I couldn't believe it when I heard her say “She’s complete and baby’s engaged. You can push!!”
The room flew into action as they prepared for me to deliver. I had only been in my room a matter of minutes and they had been so focused on helping me work through contractions, getting me off the gurney and trying to get an IV started, that nobody had done anything to prep for delivery. It was terrifyingly exciting that I had made it to the point of pushing naturally. Justin helped me gather my resolve and I moved into a pushing position that would let gravity help me out. After about 5 pushes in that position, Kaden's heartrate began dropping and I needed to move onto my back. I quick got on my back so the OB could help him out if needed, gave a couple more good strong pushes and at 2:44am, Kaden Henry Bergen was born.
After he was born, Justin cut the cord and then Kaden went straight to my chest where we spent a long time snuggling skin to skin. After daddy accompanied him to get weighed, measured and swaddled, he got to meet all the people in the room including Auntie SheriLynne who missed the birth by 10 minutes. I was on such a “high” from the labor endorphins, I didn’t even feel exhausted. I remember telling my mom “I’m not even sweaty!”
The crazy timeline of the birth still astounds me! Here it is in review in case you didn't read my rather lengthy description of the birth. :-)
12:00 midnight – Water breaks spontaneously
12:30am – Contractions begin
1:20 am – Begin driving to the hospital
1:45am – Arrive at Labor and Delivery Triage beginning the transition phase of labor.
2:00ish am – Checked and found to be 6 cm
2:14 am – Admitted to the hospital.
2:44am - Kaden is born!!
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