Barrett Family: Korver's Birth Story

Jake Korver Barrett
8 lbs 20 inches
January 14, 2011 8:16 AM

I started in labor at 30 weeks with this little man. It was 32 for his older brother. I didn't bother ever going in though because my cervix wasn't changing. When I hit 37 weeks though I was at a 4 and 38 I was at a 5. I thought it was insane my water hadn't already broken because my water broke at a 4 with Brendan! We really thought he'd make his appearance on 1/11/11 but no such luck! The next day I ended up going in to the hospital because my contractions were really strong and I had already had bloody show for well over 2 weeks and still no baby. My nurse was rude enough to state "You aren't in labor if your contractions stop when you sit down or lay down." OKAY... (I say sarcastically!) So back home I went.

I hadn't slept more than an hour here and there for a total of about 4ish hours a night for about a week-I was exhausted. Luckily enough I got a good night's sleep though and woke up feeling great the next morning (Thursday 1/13). I decided that he'd probably hold on until Monday (the date I originally thought he'd come from the time I found out I was pregnant-my due date was January 23, 2011). We were given a spicy chili mix for Christmas by my Bettridge grandparents so I decided to make it that night because I didn't think I'd be able to stand on my feet for a while to make it. I followed the directions and after it finally got done I found out on the first bite it was VERY spicy.

About an hour after I started eating little Korver started thrashing around-I think he thought it was too spicy too! I started feeling a little leaking but I wasn't 100% sure my water broke because with Brendan it was a big gush followed by MANY other large gushes. I called my midwife. I laid down for about 30 min after putting Brendan to bed. We made lots of phone calls to see if one of our friends would come sit with him if we needed to go in. I stood up and didn't feel a gush but I went to the bathroom and found vernix so I KNEW my water broke. I hurried and finished packing my hospital bag and kissed Brendan (he was already asleep) and told him that when he saw me next I'd be holding his baby brother. Michelle arrived just in time to sit and listen for Brendan if he woke up and a while later Rachelle and her friend Amy arrived.

We got to the hospital just after 11. We had to push a button and call up saying I needed to go to L&D. I had called my midwife on my way to let her know I was going in. After getting all settled in my OWN gown and telling my first nurse that she needed to read my birth plan and I absolutely WOULD NOT have an IV she walked out and got another one. This nurse was awesome! We really liked her (but stupidly enough I didn't write down her name so I forgot it!). She talked me in to getting the IV plug just in case there was something crazy that happened and I agreed as long as it wasn't in my hand and I preferred not to do it inside my elbow. She found a great vein on my right arm on the hairy side on the medial side (standing in prone position with your palms facing forward it's the side closest to your body). I didn't feel her poke me really at all. Best IV I've ever had (and after hyperemesis with both pregnancies I've had a few!). She poked me about 1 AM.

I enjoyed my snacks of string cheese and beef jerky and water and popsicles. I spent some time walking around the halls and bouncing on the birthing ball but every time I sat or laid down my contractions stopped. The leaking had slowed way down so there really wasn't anything at all and by 3 AM my contractions stopped completely no matter what I did (and for a while I was stopping and doing my hypnobirthing breathing through them). My nurse had a feeling that my little man broke the wrong water bag and that he had two around him and unless he broke the one under his head he wouldn't come. We wondered where my midwife was-she hadn't come and when I got to the hospital I was already a 6 (and hadn't made any progress whatsoever since). Days before she thought I'd have my baby within just a few hours of my water breaking or going to the hospital. My nurse called her, she had gone home and fell asleep. She came to the hospital and was there within about 15 minutes (and was there at about 4).

Sure enough, she discovered the bag under his head hadn't broken so she broke that. I got in the tub right after that and labored there for quite a while. I got out to use the restroom because I felt a lot of pressure and while there I threw up the chili-it was just as spicy coming up. I got back in the tub for a bit. I had lost ALL track of time by this point and labor was quite intense. I eventually couldn't get comfortable anymore and decided to get out-I knew there was no position I could be in in that tiny tub to have the baby.

Just before I got out I felt very much like I was in transition. It was quite intense and my mind couldn't relax. I felt like I didn't know if I could keep going. Spencer stayed very positive and told me I was doing a wonderful job. My midwife was also awesome and kept very positive. I got on the bed and they were trying to get monitors on me and I felt quite grouchy and told them I wouldn't have them squeeze that thing on my belly again because it was too uncomfortable. I asked for them to put the squatting bar on but then decided there was no way I was going to be able to stand up again. Before I knew it I felt the VERY strong urge to push and felt Korver moving down. I started pushing on my own as I felt like I needed to and I kept breathing. Spencer kept reminding me to breathe and kept calm as I said "too hot" and he's put the fan on me, "too cold" and he'd move it away, and "water" and he'd give me a sip of ice water. He was doing quite the dance! It didn't take long at all-maybe just 4 or so pushes/contractions before all of a sudden I felt the "ring of fire" which REALLY is what it sounds like. I gasped and kind of stopped and my midwife knew what was going on and said when I was ready to just give one good push through the burning and he'd be there. About a minute later I would guess I felt him pushing down again and felt a contraction and gave one giant push and he flew out. I felt a huge relief-I really would compare it to needing to go to the bathroom REALLY bad and the feeling you feel after you go. I didn't feel 100% myself after he was born but really close. As he came out she put him straight on my belly. I was in complete shock. My first reaction was "I did it?" and Spencer, with a huge grin, said "You did it!" Then I immediately said "His head is REALLY hard and big!" I enjoyed every second cuddling with my freshly born baby. He had his first meconium uh-un-diaper on me and peed for the first time but I could care less! I put my tankini top on before I got in the jetted tub and I was still in that (thank goodness! It was great to keep me cool when I was hot when I got out!) so I just had Spencer help me untie it to get him to latch on. He kind of nursed a little but still hadn't opened his eyes so I just enjoyed cuddling with him with a blanket over us both.

My midwife repaired my second degree tear. I think the stitches hurt a heck of a lot more than having the baby! She gave me a shot to numb it but it didn't really work. I sat there for what felt like forever with my feet now in stirrups (I gave birth sitting most of the way upright and it was quite comfortable) squirming and loving on my baby. I think the reason my I tore again was because the first wasn't ever fixed properly. It was superficial but it took about 8 weeks to heal completely. After she finished we cut Korver's cord-probably about 30 minutes after he was born. We were then ready to deliver the placenta. I wasn't excited to push again but after just a couple pushes it came and I immediately felt like myself again. We were worried about hemorrhaging but my bleeding finally slowed down a bit and everything worked out well.

Korver was tongue-tied but it was clipped really quick after he was born. He was very sleepy though and didn't really nurse until 2 PM. He wasn't interested and wouldn't wake up. The doctor said he had fluid in his lungs so instead of discharging us after he was nursing well she made us stay. My midwife had approved me to leave as soon as we got the OK from the Pediatrician. They thought I was crazy to want to leave within 24 hours anyways (my goal was a max of 12 hours). He spit up all the fluid though and was able to go home the next morning after his hearing test and everything.

He had jaundice. His levels never got as high as Brendan's but he was very very sleepy and very hard to wake and he stayed jaundiced for about 2 weeks and looked yellow the whole time. By Monday he hadn't pooped or peed within 12 hours and he was diagnosed with dehydration but my milk was starting to come in and he ended up peeing in the diaper at the doctor's office which made me feel quite relieved! He was nursing every 2 hours anyways with about a 3-4 hour stretch at night. I had oversupply issues again and ended up having to pump off a little bit almost every feeding for him to be able to latch on. Ultimately he ended up losing a whole pound between when he was born Friday morning and at the doctor's on Monday morning. He had gained back up to 7 lbs 13 oz by 1 week and gained quick after that.

At his 2 month appointment he was 12 lbs 3 oz and 23 inches. At the same time Brendan was 11 lbs 8 oz and 23 inches. Korver is a total butterball and I love kissing his squishy cheeks! I've also really enjoyed having him in cloth diapers since a couple days after he was born (he wore one home from the hospital and then we finished up the disposables they sent us home with before switching completely to cloth).