Kayleen's Birth Story

My third pregnancy was a bit different than my first two pregnancies. I have a three-and-a-half year-old son and an 11-month-old daughter. After my daughter was born, I had two menstrual cycles and was not aware when I became pregnant again.

On a Wednesday evening I started to cramp and bleed, which I thought was strange as I was not due to have my period until the following Saturday, and I was usually right on schedule. The bleeding and cramping became more severe and I went to bed. The following day, I spoke to my midwife and told her what had happened. I didn't think I was pregnant, but she told me to take a test the following Sunday before I was to start back on birth control pills. When I took the test, it was positive! I cried and cried. I wasn't expecting to become pregnant so soon; it had taken a year and a half to conceive my son. My midwife thought I was possibly pregnant with twins and that I had lost one. I went in the following day to the office and I had an ultrasound, and sure enough it showed a healthy baby and an empty sac where I had lost one baby. Thankfully, the remainder of the pregnancy was fine. At my five-month appointment, we found out that we would be having another girl.

I was expecting a quick delivery for my third child since my last two labors were both less than six hours long. I went into the office at 39 weeks and my midwife said that I was three centimeters. She stripped my membranes but nothing seemed to happen. Around 8 PM, I started having contractions every 15 minutes or so but then they went away completely. Around midnight I started having very painful contractions that woke me up out of a deep sleep! I woke my husband at 12:15 AM and told him we needed to go. Our pastor's wife and her sister came to stay with the kids. We left the house at 1 AM and I was praying on the way that we would make it to the hospital since it was an hour away. The contractions were coming every one-to-three minutes. My husband called the hospital to let them know we were coming in. When we arrived at 2 AM, I was already at seven centimeters. When my midwife arrived, I was at eight. Ten minutes after she checked me, I was ready to push. I pushed five times and Kayleen Abigail was born at 2:30 AM.

I didn't have any medication and was glad that I didn't! It was probably the best delivery I experienced. I felt like I could do it again as soon as I delivered! With the other two deliveries I was induced and it did seem more painful, but I still did not have medication. I would recommend going as natural as possible!