Our Birthing Story

I've been meaning to sit down for over a week now to type out the details of our new baby boy Price's complicated birth story but as new moms know, time is a precious thing to find to sit down and process your thoughts.

Price Andrew Brooking was born at 12:38 Tuesday morning, September 21st at UW Medical Center. Mom and baby both had a complicated labor but the ultimate goal of having a healthy baby, healthy mom was achieved. We are over the moon about our new, healthy, perfect baby boy. We named our son after my father, Howard Price and Andrew is Kadin's middle name and Kadin's dads first name. It's perfect and fits him to a T.

I started having contractions at home Sunday morning about 10:30 am, which at that point we started writing down how far apart the contractions were, how strong and how long. Things progressed as planned, getting stronger, closer together and more routine for the next 15 hours.

  *Ready to pop*

At 3:00 am Monday morning we met our midwife Heike and our student midwife Jacelyn at the Puget Sound Birthing Center where we expected to give birth to our baby. Labor at the birthing center started off quite intense. The midwives and Kadin were wonderful, supporting me along the way and helping me through each contraction. It was at about the 6 hour mark into the birthing center labor where we had our first, what I'd like to call my "Dejected" moment in labor. I was in the tub laboring away, thinking I was in transition labor which means pushing is not too far away, hence baby is not too far away. After many strong, intense contractions, Heike checked my cervix and I was only dilated at a 5. Dumbfounded, confused, dejected. How could I only be at a 5 when the baby was so close to coming out?

*At the Birthing Center working through

 a contraction while my mom rubs my back*

At that point I had to make a decision. As exhausted as I was, should I continue working to see if my cervix could open more or should I throw in the towel and be transferred to the hospital where medical intervention could help me along this process? I decided to rally and see how much farther I could get on my own at the center. With the support from Kadin and help from some energy squares that someone in the family went out and bought, along with a juicy cheeseburger, I had a newly revived attitude, strength and determination to get Baby Brooking out to meet his/her new family. The most vivid memory I have at this stage is being outside with Jacelyn and Kadin, doing stairs and lunges on the stairs while contracting to open up my cervix. No easy task, but one I got into if it meant speeding up the process to see our baby.

After about 6 additional hours, 12 hours total at the birthing center, Heike checked my cevix for the final time. A 5/6......"a 5/6?" After all that work, after all that pain? I haven't progressed past a 6? At that point all I remember is Heike kneeling down in front of me, looking me in the eye and saying "Reenie, you can no longer do this on your own, you have to go to the Hospital to have your baby. You have done all you can, now you need some help" There was no hesitation, confusion or doubt, we were going to the hospital.

Evergreen Hospital is right next door but there were no beds available. UW Medical Center is where we went. Kadin drove, me in the passenger seat and friends and family in tow. Once I was settled into my room and met the amazing nurses and doctors, I knew I was in good hands and felt secure and safe for myself and our baby. An epidural was administered and Pitosin was given to enhance the contractions and to again, open up my stubborn cervix. After a final 9 hours at the hospital of waiting and checking and rechecking my cervix, the ultimate decision of needing a C section to get this baby out was made because for whatever reason, my cervix never progressed past a 5 in the hospital, even with the help of Pitosin.

At about 11:00 Monday night I was prepped for surgery, Kadin got scrubbed up and we were ready to go. It was time to meet this baby and nothing else was going to get in our way. Both myself and the baby have been through enough at this point, it was time to meet our baby!

 *Doctor Kadin ready to go!*

Even though I was awake and aware of what was going on, I could not see what was going on or I could not see our new baby when he was given his first views of the world. Kadin yelled out, "it's a boy!" and I started to cry! 99% of our friends and family believed throughout my whole pregnancy that we were having a girl. A boy was a true surprise but a happy one at that. I could tell in Kadin's voice how overjoyed he was to see our baby boy for the first time. BIG baby boy. That was the second thing I heard Kadin say. "Big, boy!" I then responded, "How big?" A nurse said out loud to us, "9 pounds, 11 ounces." What??? I knew the baby wasn't going to be small but that weight was way beyond my expectations!!

After they pulled our Price from my womb they quickly moved him to a table where many pediatricians and Kadin were waiting. I could see him vaguely and the doctors clearly as they were working on him. He had to be given oxygen as he was having a hard time breathing at first, perhaps from the long labor, being exhausted himself or from what we later found out, his short umbilical cord. Either way, I was not able to hold, touch or see our baby boy until approximately 4:30 am after having him delivered at 12:38 am. Disappointing, but his safety was first and foremost and all the doctors and nurses did an amazing job helping our baby boy.

Since I developed a fever and infection from my water breaking almost 24 hours before delivery, Price had to be given antibiotics as well just in case he developed an infection from me. Instead of coming to me and coming to our room, he spent the next 2 days in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit where he was monitored on his oxygen, which increased back to normal levels very quickly, and his possible infection. Having to go up to the NICU to see and hold our son was a surreal experience. Thursday afternoon he was discharged from the NICU, given a very clean bill of health and we were able to have him to ourselves, in our room to hold and to feed on our own. Friday at 2:00 in afternoon we were, all three of us, discharged from the hospital and excited to go home as a newly updated Brooking family.

*We are HOME!*

He is already almost 2 weeks old as I'm writing this and so far being a mom is the most amazing, challenging, emotional and exhausting experience I've ever been through. Luckily, Price is the perfect baby. He feeds perfectly, only cries when there is an obvious reason and sleeps well during the night already. I think all in all, mom and dad are adjusting very well and having a great time learning new things every day about Price. Kadin is the perfect dad, so patient, loving and kind. He is a natural father and it warms my heart every time I see him with Price. We are so lucky to have him and we look forward to every moment we have with him. He looks just like Kadin, a mini daddy. He's the cutest thing, most perfect human being, I've ever seen. I'm truly in love.

*Sleeping with daddy, look at those chubby cheeks!*

*Looking up at Mama*