Kaylis' Birth Story

My husband and I had been trying to get pregnant for about six months but I was told I would never conceive due to my endometriosis. After a laparoscopy and one other procedure, I was lucky enough to beat all odds.

I found out I was pregnant the same week I lost my my younger brother (and only sibling) to a drug overdose. Between the drinking, smoking, and stress, I believe I should have miscarried, but I didn't. I even had a rough pregnancy with several respiratory infections, the flu, and pre-eclampsia. But someone was watching out for this child and me.

My husband worked the third shift and I stayed up often into the early mornings getting the nursery ready for our new arrival. We were told she was a girl, but no one was quite sure because she moved around so much in the womb, the doctors were only guessing. Thankfully, they guessed right!

On July 18, 2005, at 1 AM, I started feeling strong and painful cramps but I was afraid it was false labor and just dealt with it. I was wide awake and it felt like I had to constantly go to the bathroom, so I did, several times an hour. By about 6 AM, I paid closer attention to the pain and decided to time it. The contractions were only two to three minutes apart. I was in labor! I called my husband at work and he rushed home to pick me up. On our trip to the birthing center, I felt like this couldn’t be it because it just didn't feel like the pain everyone talks about. My husband must have known though because he was driving 80 mph!

At the birthing center, they checked me in, and seemed to be in no big hurry so I figured that it was false labor. When the nurse broke my water though, I went into full-blown labor. When I got to the delivery room, I remember my eyes were closed, but I could hear so many voices in the room.

My mother was on one side holding a washcloth on my forehead and my husband was anxiously waiting on my other. My hard labor pains had been going on for about 15 minutes when I told someone I had to push. They didn't believe me and said it just felt like I did. Since this was my first pregnancy, I didn’t know what I was doing, so I pushed, not knowing how to stop.

When I was pregnant, I had repeatedly said there was no way I was going to be able to go through the pain of natural childbirth, but there was no time for any medications because my daughter came out so fast. "The nurse literally turned around and caught her," said my mother and husband. The doctor was still on her way to the birthing center and actually never made it in time to deliver my baby.

I am now a proud mother of a beautiful baby girl that weighed six pounds, two ounces and was 19 inches long. She was born at 8:11 AM on Monday, July 18, 2005 at Mercy General Birthing Center in Muskegon, Michigan. We named her after my brother who passed away. His name was Keith Daniel, and our beautiful daughter is named Kaylis Danielle!