Birthing Baby Kruze

Kruze Vernon birth story (typed July 2017)

On Thursday July 13th I started feeling light tightening (contractions) on and off all through out the day. We layed kyzer down for bed sometime past 8:00 and I remember feeling contractions during his bedtime routine and prayer. Kyzer was totally trying to buy as much time as he could, dragging out the routine so he could stay awake longer and Kyle was getting really impatient & walked outside at one point because I got mad at how Kyle reacted to kyzer fussing. How I wish I had thought right then about how that would be the last night we tucked him into bed and prayed as a single child (outside of the womb), I would’ve likely wanted to hold him to myself as long as possible.

9:00 rolled around and I was feeling contractions getting stronger. I began to time them, and they were 5 minutes apart at first, and quickly got closer together. I was sitting on my birth ball, bouncing in my office setting up an online class when I realized I might be in labor. I paused my work when I was contracting, and resumed inbetween contractions. It was nice to have a distraction from the tightening in between contractions. Kyle was down the road having a beer with the neighbors and I had been texting him letting him know I was having contractions. When I knew it was time I called him to come home, and I got really irritated that he had drank a second beer when he knew I likely needed him to drive soon.

When they were 3-4 minutes apart we called my mother in law to ask if she would come stay with kyzer. I was trying to shake my feeling of irritation with Kyle and focus on the most exciting news, I would birth my baby soon and get to hold him. Kyles mom started to get ready to come to our house and I started grabbing last minute things for our hospital bags. Like phone chargers, a diffuser, the boppy pillow, etc. I’m not sure what time exactly we left our house, but at one point around 10:15 I was on our back porch petting my dogs during contractions, my excitement increasing as I looked at the sky. We left not too long after that when my mother in law arrived at our house. When we left here, we went to Walmart so I could buy something comfortable to wear in the hospital during labor. I was contracting through all of this, with the contractions being 2-3 minutes apart at this point.

Kyle was cracking jokes and keeping me smiling through out Walmart, whisper shouting NOW?! ITS TIME! 😂 i had forgiven him by now for walking down the road and having a few beers with the neighbors. By now I had totally let go of my irritation stemming from him drinking a beer and cracking a second one.

A tip from Ina May (the nations leading midwife) “bring your own clothes. wearing your own clothes reminds you, you are not an inmate”

I grabbed a printed nighty with lace at the top on the back and we headed straight for check out. Contractions were getting gradually more painful. Then we stopped at quick trip before hopping on the turnpike and I bought a sandwich & some cheese & almonds. My contractions were getting stronger by the minute. In (my BMW X5) on the turnpike, we listened to music and i ate my sandwich in between contractions. Beyoncés “Crazy in Love” came on the radio a few miles before our exit and totally put me in a GREAT mood, I was jamming OUT between and *during* contractions, car dancing and singing along the way. My adrenaline was building and I was seriously filled with joy. When we exited on Mingo it didn’t take long to get to the hospital. I knew baby was coming soon. I was so happy. My contractions were even closer at this point, I had one as soon as we got out of the car & were grabbing bags then another as we were making our way into the hospital and go the second floor, which isn’t very far.

I got to labor and delivery, walking quickly to the nurse and she said hello & asked what was going on/how I was doing, to which I replied (with a big smile on my face) something along the lines of “I’m pretty certain that I’m in labor. I’ve been having contractions on and off all day but around 9:30 they got closer together and stronger, I’ve been timing them and we headed here when they were 3-4 minutes apart, each lasting close a minute or longer. In the car on the way here they’ve been 1-2 minutes apart and at this point I think they’re even closer than that, I had two in the time we got out of the car & walked into the hospital.” & she asked my name & took us to a labor/delivery room so I could be checked. I was at a 6 and they hooked me up to the fetal monitor to check on the baby and make sure he was doing well.

I had gone to a midwife appointment the day before and Kim told me she was on call that night. I swear I was able to stall my labor mentally until I knew my midwife would be there— my EDD was 7/7/17 but Kim was on vacation from 7/1-7/10 and I was not wanting to push my baby out into the hands of a stranger on call when Kim was gone. When she told me Thursday that she would be on call Friday, I was like “I’ll probably go into labor tomorrow then. See you then!” As I left my appointment.

They told me Kim was not on call, but that it was someone else & that they would call that doctor and ask if I was to stay, or go home and labor longer. I told them I progressed from a 4 to a 10 with my first like that *snap* and asked if they would call Kim. They said they had to call the dr on call first but that Kim would likely be the one to deliver baby, that she almost always does come in even when not on call. (She delivered my first baby too).

They left that dang monitor around my back and on my belly for what felt like forever, the nurse left the room (to call the dr and tend to other laboring women) but before exiting said she would come back and take me off the monitoring as soon as she could see that baby’s heart rate was rising with each contraction (I think? Or something like that?). The contractions were intense enough at that point that I just wanted to GET UP and out of bed and MOVE AROUND. At close to midnight (I remember looking at the clock and it being in between 11:55 & 12) I was like omg Kyle if they don’t take this damn thing off soon, I need to be able to get up and move around and get through these contractions. Kyles mom got there around this time. We agreed that if no one had come in by 12:05 he would go get a nurse. 12:05 came and being the answer to my prayers that he is, he went and got a nurse. This is the last recorded time I have in my memory of looking at the clock, until baby was born. A nurse came in and asked if I needed to pee and I was like “no, I labor naturally without any drugs, I need to get up and be able to walk around during contractions” (like duuuuuuuuh. This was my attitude at that moment 😳😂 like hello I am in pain and don’t want to be laying down in a bed right now) she said everything with baby looked great and set me free.

Soon another nurse came in and said I was staying, & I got my birth plan out and asked the sweet blonde nurse if it was okay that I get my diffuser set up & going & she said yes. Kyle put northern lights black spruce and frankincense in it for me. I grabbed frankincense and kept the bottle close, as well as peppermint incase I got nauseous. (Spoiler alert, I didn’t need the peppermint because it all happened so fast, there was no time for puking during transition).

Some nurse came in and asked me 101 questions. The sweet blonde nurse came back in and had me sign a bunch of consent forms, but one of them was consenting to C section in case of emergency and consenting to drugs if needed and I didn’t want to sign either at all. I said I wouldn’t sign it, because that wasn’t happening. I told her how strongly I believe in the power of thought and words and that I didn’t want to sign it because that was not going to happen. It was not a part of the plan. She assured me she agreed with where I was coming from and the power of thought and words is something she believes in too, but that she needed me to sign it because if it was life or death, blah blah blah. At this point my MIL and Kyle were like tori just sign the damn thing and the nurse was like “I know what you want, a C section isn’t going to happen, this is just hospital policy and you have to.” I signed the damn thing so I could move on with my life and get closer to pushing baby out.

I asked for a birth ball & a birth peanut & the awesome nurses brought them down quickly. I was walking around pacing through all of this to get through contractions, and soon I got on the birth ball. I asked for my phone so I could play some music. I started my birth play list. I was getting in the zone.

I was swaying/bouncing on the birth ball and I applied 2 drops of Clary sage oil to the inner parts of my feet (the vita flex points for female reproductive organs). I remember attempting to read then suddenly feeling like I had to poop, so I went to the bathroom.

I did not have to poop. I was ready to get in position to push, I could feel it. I yelled from the bathroom “Kyle!” And told him to get a nurse and tell them to call Kim (my midwife, she lived within 15 minutes of the hospital). The nurse verbally doubted that I could possibly already be dilated ready to push. She checked me and low and behold, I was at a 10!

I was laying on my right side with a birth peanut between my legs momentarily, squeezing my husbands hand while he did his best to comfort me. Very quickly though the intensity of the contractions were so much I really felt ready to push. The nurse told me “no don’t push, don’t push, wait for Kim” looking back, I don’t know why I didn’t tell her “we don’t need Kim to catch the baby Kyle honey get ready” 😂 but, I listened and was patient.

I was very verbal but not with words, letting out low tones moans while praying to God to please continue to give me the strength, LORD please let Kim get here, I thought. Open palms, relaxed mouth and jaw I kept reminding myself. Focused trusting baby would be in my arms soon. Soon, there was Kim gloving up! I was SO HAPPY TO SEE HER!

“let water break naturally, do not break water” has always been on my birth plan. With baby Kruze, the water broke right as I was pushing him out! He was *almost* born En Caul.

I read that the water sac is sort of a “cushion” in a way, & that it being in tact helps for contractions to be less intense (than they would be if the “water broke” already). I say there’s truth to that 🙌🏼 my labor with Kyzer lasted longer and the INTENSE painful stage of labor with kyzer was much longer for me than with Kruze!

I doubt that it was even 5 minutes from the time Kim walked in the room to when baby Kruze was birthed. I don’t remember what time it was when I applied Clary Sage oil (to speed labor up), but I know for sure it was past 12:05am since 12:05am was the last time I remember looking at the clock.

I remember the umbilical cord (when the placenta had yet to been birthed) was just long enough for him to lay right on top of my belly with his head just perfectly barely meeting my breasts to nurse. Baby Kruze Vernon was born at 1:58 am, fast & ready for breastmilk! His cry was loud and healthy, his latch was strong and I was so so thankful and happy to finally be holding my baby boy. I don’t remember how long it took to birth the placenta or how intense it was, so it must’ve not been too painful. I didn’t tear at all, no issues of any kind for me or for baby, baby Kruze was absolutely beautiful and healthy. We waited until the cord stopped pulsating & Kyle cut the cord.

Praise God in Heaven for his provision & the gift that is the presence of the Holy Spirit!!! ❤️