Katelyn Marie has arrived!!

After tossing and turning for a while, I got out of bed shortly after 3:00am on July 27th with a time-able backache.  I was 39w 4d and was told several times by my midwives that first babies arrive on average at 41w 1d...so clearly I wasn't in labor.

By 6:00am my backache had been coming every 5-10 minutes, so I thought that I should call the birth center to give them a heads up.  I was GBS+ (group beta strep), so needed to get antibiotics in me before the baby arrived.  In addition I am allergic to two forms of penicillin and couldn't remember if I had taken penicillin before.  (IV penicillin is the standard treatment for GBS.)  Also I had just been in for an appointment the previous day, and therefore, they had just put in the order for my special antibiotics...no off-the-rack antibiotics for this preggo...and the special stuff probably wouldn't get there for a few days.  After much back and forth amongst the midwives and back to me, they decided to call in a prescription to the local hospital and had one of their staff go pick it up so we didn't have to (thank you!!!).

We arrived at the birth center around noon.  I got a saline lock (an IV place holder so I only had to be hooked up while getting the antibiotics and they wouldn't have to stick me again for the next round).  An hour later we were on our way home.  Up until that point, the contractions were fairly mild, so there wasn't any reason to keep me there.  I remember Al telling me at one point, "Yay, we'll probably have a baby tomorrow!"  I recall smiling to him and saying to myself, "Screw you, I'm having this baby today."

Al was hungry, so he wanted to stop at Sonic on the way home.  I've since accused Lisa (the midwife) of putting pitocin in the IV along with the antibiotics because the contractions started to pick up after we left.  The Sonic drive-thru took FOREVER!!!  I don't know what they were doing in there (playing Angry Birds?) or what Al ordered (t-bone well done?), but even Al was getting pissed.  It took over 10 minutes after we ordered...or 3 contractions in laboring woman speak until he got his food...enough to make me sufficiently pissed.

After we got home, I called my friend Amelia to come over, and Al got ready to leave...that's right, he had dental work to go to.  I got in the shower, Al left, and Amelia arrived.  By the time Al got home, the contractions were 3-5 minutes apart lasting 1.5-2 minutes long...so back to the birth center we went!

We got back to the birth center at 5:00pm.  The first time we arrived, I was all smiles and "woohoo...baby day!!"  This time I walked straight to the room and to the bed.  Unless I was in the shower, I had to my on my side.  It was too uncomfortable to be upright, and horrible to be on my back.  After getting my vitals and checking on baby, I went to the shower.  Their sprayer was on a handle that came off, and it went directly on my belly...aaahh.  Amelia set up her ipod, Al stayed with me, and Lisa filled up the tub.  At 6:00pm I got in the tub and was really hoping that there would be a baby soon...because this was definitely un-fun.  By 6:15pm I was pushing...at 6:30pm my water broke...and at 6:47pm Katelyn Marie was born!  She was 6lbs 14 oz and 19 inches long.

She was early and fast...and clearly did not read the book about first babies.  Here is our new family!

I would like to thank Amelia for her extra set of hands and calming presence; the Madison Birth Center for all of their wonderful prenatal, birth, and postnatal support; and most of all my wonderful husband and amazing new dad Al.  I only have to take care of Katelyn, but he has been taking care of both of us for almost 10 months now.  I love you and can't wait to watch Katelyn grow up together.