Keira's Birth Story

We were all set to pre-induce on Sunday, 9/7, probably delivering the next morning, on 9/8. I went in for one final doctor appointment on Friday, and learned that the baby is breech. The doctor recommended a C-section, and we agreed. We left the boys with Samantha and Jack, their across-the-street buddies.

The next morning, we woke up at 5:30 and went to the hospital. It all did not feel real. With a natural (non-surgical) birth, there are hours of contractions and a million labor-related things that build the anticipation of meeting the baby. This seemed so different. I could not believe we were about ot meet our baby. It felt like we were just going into the hospital... for some other reason.

At 6:20, they gave me an IV, asked a million questions, and the anesthesiologist talked to me about the spinal and how it works. All the nurses were very nice. At around 8:15, we made the walk from our room to the operating room, on the same floor. Jerry put scrubs on and waited outside the door as I went into the OR by myself, just long enough to get my spinal. At about that time I totally lost it and was a bundle of tears. One of the nurses said, "What's wrong? Are you just nervous?" I said yeah, but thought that was a really strange question of her to ask. Does anyone go into have a huge needle put into their spine, in a strange room with people you don't know, about to have your life completely change and meet your new baby without first shedding few tears? No, I wasn't nervous about the surgery, but I was emotional about the huge event that lay ahead.

So I got the spinal, and that really hurt. At least I didn't get it done while having a bad contraction, like I did with Isaac. Still, I'm pretty sure the helpful nurse has 4 nice scratch marks on her arms, and I probably have her skin cells under my finger nails.

Immediately afterwards, I started to get numb and tingly in my legs. The doctor did the "can you feel this" test (where I can only assume she stabbed different areas of my abdomen). And when I said No a few times, they proceeded to start. There was a huge curtain between my head and my abdomen, so that I couldn't see, and potentially freak out.

While they were poking me and sterilizing my tummy, I was still teary (but really not a total basket case... to be clear), and same nurse said, "Let's get her husband now. She's a little... you know... she needs him." Do people really go into C-sections all calm and collected? Anyway, Jerry came in to stand by my head and his eyes were very comforting. I asked the nurse when they were going to start, and she said they already did.

I felt lots of pulling and weird sensations, but no pain. It took about 30 minutes. Then I heard them say they saw her head, and they didn't think she felt like 9 lbs like my boys. Then I heard the word "adorable" a few times, and "dark hair," and "oohs" and "aahs". They took her over to the warmer a few feet away after holding her up and letting me have a quick peek. What a relief! There was an actual baby inside, and she did look like she was ours and she had the correct numbers of limbs, fingers, and toes, and she was a girl. She was really here.

Jerry went over to the warmer to cut the cord and watch as they cleaned her up. I couldn't really see her then, but was so distracted by the surgery anyway. I started to get really naeseous and sweaty and felt like I was floating over the room. I didn't like that feeling at all.

They brought Keira over to me and laid her on my chest, and she looked pretty sweet. My first thought was that she looked exactly like Evan, with her round face and little nose. Not sure how else, but she just looked like Evan and a little like Isaac too. Definitely a Price-Stogsdill.

They took her away to the nursery and Jerry stayed with her while they sewed me back up. I felt sicker and, er, got sick a few times. Right about the time I started to realize that they needed to be done now, they were done. I even made a joke that I hoped they could do a tummy tuck while they were down there, and they laughed. But I couldn't wait to be done. It smelled all clinical and weird.

The nurse wheeled me to a recovery room and I finally got to hold her. This was only 20 minutes or so after she was delivered (it took that long for them to sew me back up). I held her and went to breasfeed and it took 1 second for her to figure that out. It was like she had taken lessons in utero. Since then, she has been nursing every 2 hours. Evan and Isaac were different. They nursed a couple times the first day or two, but didn't seem to be actually hungry. The doctor said that babies who are delivered naturally have a bit more trauma, and sleeping is more important to them. This baby had no trauma (that we know of!), so she was ready to move onto the next step of survival.

When I first found out I was going ot have a C-section, I was so disappointed. That was not how i pictured my birth experience. I kind of looked forward to the contractions gradually getting stronger and all that normally follows. The unknown aspect seems more exciting. But now I feel so relieved. I think this was my hardest pregnancy, and I'm glad it's over. No more false alarms, and no more feeling beat up after delivering. Well, my abdomen is beat up, but that doesn't seem as bad. My mood is seriously improved from the last month. :)

Keira is perfect. She looks so little to me. Even though her face is round (chubby cheeks), her head looks really small and petite. She has a tiny mouth but still with full lips. Little nose, but not too small. We have no idea what her eyes look like, because she will not open them. I think they are dark blue/grey. Her hair looks dark brown in some lighting, other times it looks strawberry blond. I love her little head!

She has a passionate cry like Evan did. Jerry said that when they took her back to the nursery to check her out, she got mad about something and started to cry [scream]. The baby in the warmer next to hers had his heart rate go up everytime she cried. She is little, but mighty.
















"I hate to be swaddled!" (She now likes it.)