Kate's birth story - part 1

my 35.5 week belly profile

As I was totally MIA here on the blog during my pregnancy...I figured I should at least start by writing down some of the details prior to Kate's arrival...and do to my inability to ever provide the "readers digest" version...beware of the long post ahead.

Aside from the subchorionic hematoma, my pregnancy was rather uneventful.  I had alot of friends ask me if this was one was different from my pregnancy with Addie...and it really was in a lot of ways...most notably was the feeling I got this time around at right about 30 weeks..."I don't think I can make it another 10 weeks..."  I, along with alot of my friends and family, convinced ourselves that there was absolutely no way this baby was going to term...bets were made...most with Miss Kate arriving at least 2 weeks in advance of her due date.  I was feeling so much....uumm, should we just say "pressure" that there were days I thought she might just drop out of me.  From about 35 weeks on, I had all sorts of labor symptoms...something I never really had with Addie (who was a week and a half early)...and by the time I went in for my first appointment that involved "the check"...I was sure the doc would be preparing me for imminent delivery.

So, I say all of that to say this....I WAS WRONG....really wrong.  My gut failed me this time...that first "check" revealed that I was dilated but Miss Kate...no interest in engaging...was so far up the doc wanted to do an ultrasound to determine if her head was in fact down (which it was).  With each passing week, I hoped for something...anything...progress.  But with each passing week there wasn't much change to discuss.  I was also informed about half-way through my pregnancy that my doctors were not on call every weekend...meaning if I went into labor over the weekend there was a decent chance I might not know the doctor delivering me...cue the mild panic attack on my end.  I understand that many believe they are just there to "play catch" but after some minor complications with Addie's birth...I wanted one of my doctors to deliver me...no thanks to the stranger option.  So...with the Memorial Day weekend approaching and "a stranger on-call"...I was leary and had convinced myself that this would be when miss kate would decide to arrive.  I knew I could probably convince the doctor to induce me prior to the weekend but I really wanted to wait it out and with "the stranger's" name in hand...I did some research and read his patient's reviews and decided I would chance it through the weekend.  Much to my surprise, the weekend came and went...no baby.  As relieved as I was we had survived another weekend without one of my docs on call...I was also at a loss as to when kate would arrive.  I know...I know...I hadn't even reached my due date yet and I should totally have been at ease knowing that we hadn't missed anything but remember...I, along with almost everyone else I knew were convinced that this baby would be early.  So, my appointment that week was on Tuesday and when the doc asked "So, when are we having this baby..." as he breezed through the door of the exam room...I could hardly get out "whenever you are ready to induce me" fast enough.  Yep, I said it..."induce me"....I know....some of you are shaking your finger at me right now...it's not a choice I ever thought I would make...but after 10 weeks of hardly sleeping through the night...pressure....oh, the pressure....and more comments that I can count concerning "when will she be here"....i was ready. After a quick call by the nurse over to the hospital...my induction was set for the next evening...and then the real panic set in....