Katie Carpenter Instagram – Birth story, part 2.
Monday, October 23rd: I was 39 weeks and had a routine checkup. We’d met a warm and kind midwife and I requested all appointments with her. She always gave me a hug. 🥺❤️
My blood pressure was elevated but not more so than my last appointments, so she wasn’t worried. No protein in my urine. 🙏🏼 Baby measured 40 weeks and the heartbeat was “happy.”
I scheduled my 40 week appointment and we went home. I had a headache and felt really tired. We went on a walk but I had to stop a few times. I had no energy. Felt like my period was coming.
I had a headache throughout the night. My cat, Stan, who always lays near me laid ON me.. which was weird.
I woke up Tuesday around 8am, went to the bathroom and started breakfast. Felt another cramp, and then all of the sudden, my shorts were damp. More clear liquid dripped down my leg. I was like… “is this it?” 👀
I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. I put on a pad and waited for Kevin to wake up. He was totally unphased. 😅 I wasn’t having consistent contractions so he went to work.
My mom wanted to chat. I called her, knowing I needed to keep it chill and not reveal my water was leaking. She wanted to talk, and eventually said I had ‘stuff’ to do. Ya know, like have a baby. 😆
I continued to leak and then saw my mucus plug come out. We told the doulas. I knew there was a risk of infection if my water had been broken too long, but I didn’t want to get to the hospital too early, without any contractions to show for it, and potentially be given drugs. (Our birthplan was unmedicated). We agreed to head to the hospital in the AM if things didn’t pick up.
I realized that labor was probably imminent and I should get some sleep. I laid down at 9:00pm.. and then contractions started coming every 5 minutes. They kept coming for two hours. And I realized this was it.
Kevin and I said goodbye to our animals, and I couldn’t help but cry. God, how we wanted this. But our lives and our animal’s lives were about to change forever. How could I not be nervous?! And scared? Birth can be so unpredictable.
We got in the car. | Posted on 08/Nov/2023 20:34:58
