[ChicaChels]

Brylie Ann Kenkel
August 8, 2009
10:30PM, UNMC
Delivered by Heather Ramsey, CNM & Danica Schaap, L&D Nurse


Friday August 7, 2009 started out like any other day. My weekly prenatal appointment had taken place on Tuesday August 4, 2009. Heather (CNM) had lightened up my bedrest restriction because my blood pressure was great (120/60) and I hadn’t had any protein in my urine for 3 weeks at that point. So that Friday (the 7th) was tax free shopping in Iowa. I got up early with a bit of a headache but got ready to go and was on my way to the city with my mother in law and her friend and her friend’s daughter. It was a normal day but I did feel a little dizzy and I still had that annoying headache. I hadn’t eaten anything though so I attributed it to that.
After a few hours of shopping Sam came to pick me up so we could go to our Friday NST, which was at 11:30AM. I got there and I mentioned to the ultrasound tech that I wasn’t feeling “the best” and I had a headache and little white floaties in my eyes. I called them oil immersion eyes! If you’re into biology you know what I mean by that!!
The ultrasound tech seemed concerned and went and talked to the midwives and an OBGYN. After our NST the tech. told me the midwife wanted to see me, which I expected. What I did not expect was for Pam (the midwife working in clinic that day) to meet me in the hallway and send me straight to Labor & Delivery. The midwife nurse Shylo took us up there and dropped us off at admission. After the crazy hectic 40 minute admission process we finally got taken back to what our nurse referred to as “the ghetto”. L&D was full and so we had to go to the old L&D and it was like a scary movie hospital room – white walls, one bed and a crappy chair!
After about 20 minutes Kate (one of the midwives, the one who was on call until 2:00PM that day). Kate came in and said she was concerned about my headaches and the white floaties, but not so much my BP. They had taken it at my NST and it was 120/57. But the main concern was my headache. It was so bad at that point I couldn’t really hold my eyes open.
They came and did bloodwork and told me they were probably going to admit me to watch my BP for 24 hours and then go from there.
Finally around 3:00PM they came and did my bloodwork and the new midwife on call (Bridget) came in and told us they were definitely admitting me and then pending my bloodwork would possibly induce me starting that day around 4:00PM. My bloodwork came back and they said I would definitely be getting induced and having a baby that weekend. Sam had to haul butt home (1 hour each way) and pack things for both of us. I had a list of most of my stuff out to pack fortunately because I planned on packing that night, but I hadn’t started anything really and none of his stuff was packed! He was gone for a little over 3 hours, but it seemed like so much longer than that! Thank God for texting J
At 3:30 they moved me to a room in L&D (which was much prettier and more comfortable than the ghetto room!) and started an IV of Vancomyocin, Magnesium, and Saline. Then one of the midwives in training (Latrice) came in to check me and start the Cervadril. I was 0cm dilated, 0% effaced, my cervix was firm and long, and they couldn’t feel Brylie’s head at all. I started sobbing at this point because 1. the midwife I really wanted to catch my baby wasn’t there, and 2. I just knew I was going to end up with a c-section because clearly Brylie was NOT ready to come. Bridget was on call and she was nice, but I REALLY wanted Heather to catch my baby. Bridget then came in told me that she had to leave for a few hours, Pam was going to be there until 8:00PM, and then she would be back until 6:00AM when Heather got there!! I started sobbing once again out of happiness. I knew my chances of a c-section with Heather were very low, she knew me the best, I was the most comfortable with her, she was an advocate for what I wanted, and just an all around amazing person. I felt like God planned things this way just so Heather could be the one there for me.
At 4:00 they gave me the first dose of Cervadril (25mg). To me the Cervadril was probably the worst part about the induction! I was really uncomfortable in my bed and I had to lay FLAT on my back for 2 hours after it was put in and laying flat on my back is the most uncomfortable thing in the world to me anyway! And I couldn’t sleep to pass time because I was so uncomfortable! I had to get it every 3 hours for 12 hours. Once the final cervadril was placed, they let me sleep for a few hours before starting the Pitocin. I needed Ambien to sleep because I was so upset about the lack of progress the Cervadril was causing. Sam went out into the hallway around 2:00AM and told them to give me something to help me sleep because I was bouncing off the walls in c-section anxiety. The ambien didn’t totally knock me out, but I did doze off and on until they came in to start the Pitocin.
The Pit was started about 6:00AM and I almost instantly started having small contractions – I couldn’t feel them but they were registering pretty strong. At this point I was still 0cm/0%, high and long but starting to soften and thin out somewhat. Around 6:45 the contractions started picking up in intensity, but definitely not unbearable, but I was excited that hopefully it meant something was happening. Around 7:00AM Heather came in to check me again. I was SO HAPPY to see her! She said she had been there since 3:00AM but wanted to let me sleep. She checked me and I was finally at 1cm but not effaced. I couldn’t help but laugh because she looked at me said “Girl I LOVE your hips! Them’s some child bearing HIPS!” They kept upping my pit and at 1:00PM Heather was back in and I was having REALLY intense contractions at this point. They started coming every minute around 8:15AM and lasting 45-60 seconds. I was SO EXCITED because I figured I would be around 3-4cm and maybe 50% effaced. No such luck!! I was 1cm dilated, 50% effaced, but Brylie was still at -2 station. Heather then suggested putting in the foley bulb to help me dilate further – probably to about 4cm she thought. That was PAINFUL! I hate the speculum with a passion and the foley blowing up was just the weirdest feeling. At 3:00PM my contractions were so bad I was walking around the room with my caddy (Sam, I called him Caddy since he pushed my IV stand everywhere) and literally saying “F you Pitocin each time I had a contraction! At 4:00PM Heather came back to check me and see if the foley had done its job. She said the foley would just fall out, but it got lodged in my vagina and never came out – but it made me dilate to 4cm! Yay! I was still only 50% effaced and Brylie was at -1 station.

Around 6:00PM Heather suggested breaking my bag (even though I was so against it) because I just wasn’t progressing and Brylie was starting to show signs of distress. I agreed to the amniotomy because I trust Heather enough and she knew how much I did NOT want my bag broken. She said we needed to get things going and I agreed because I could look at the monitor and know Brylie wasn’t doing well. She also promised it wouldn’t put me on a clock of having to have Brylie within 24 hours. She didn’t believe in that and she would monitor me with temperature checks, and I was already on antibiotics for GBS so she said that was good. We broke the waters and my contractions intensified almost immediately. Fortunately my water was clear and there were no signs of meconium! My contractions got really bad at this point – and thank God for Sam because all he did the entire time I was in labor was rub my sacrum. I was having HORRIBLE back labor – I assume Brylie was sunny side up because I can’t believe I hadn’t caved for an epidural at this point. I was nauseous the pain was so bad – and if I had eaten anything I would have been sick everywhere!
I was really starting to get exhausted about this time – and I just wanted to rest so I got back into bed. This was about 6:30PM, and Brylie was not doing well. She was having late decells and her heart rate was dropping down before a contraction into the 80’s and not coming back up. My contractions were clustering at this point – I would have two 60 second long contractions (5 seconds between them) and then a 60 second break before the next cluster. I got into bed because I started to feel really weak (this part of labor is kind of a blur to both Sam and I because there was so much going on, and I was OUT of it) All I remember two nurses coming over and flipping me onto my left side and strapping oxygen to my face. I remember telling Heather they were purple smurfs dancing next to her legs and laughing hysterically about it. I don’t remember much else other than hearing Heather on the phone to an OB talking about an emergency c-section. I was so out of it at that point that I didn’t care at all. Fortunately after about 20 minutes on my left side (I slept most of this time too I think) Brylie started doing a lot better. She kept coming off the external monitors so Heather said they were going to put internals on. I was upset and asked her if it would hurt Brylie (They are like little fish hooks that screw into her skull) and she assured me they wouldn’t and she even screwed one into her own skull to show me that it didn’t hurt at all. My contractions weren’t registering either anymore so they screwed one into my uterus (That hurt, I won’t lie, but she was doing it during a contraction). She checked me again at that point and I was still 50% effaced and 6cm dilated. Brylie had moved back to -2 station though!
They turned off the pitocin for about 20 minutes because I was having such horrible clustering contractions and I needed a break. It was getting to be too much at that point. I slept for that 20 minutes and when Dana came in to turn it on again I started sobbing and begging for “just one more minute with it off”. I think this is when I started to enter Transition because just the thought of the Pitocin being back on made me want to die. I was seriously battling myself internally to NOT get the candy. I didn’t care what it was at that point – Epidural, c-section, Stadol…anything to put an end to these God forsaken Pitocin contractions.
Heather checked me after they turned it back on and I was still 6cm, but I had made it to 70% effaced, but Brylie was still at -2 station. Brylie just wasn’t dropping and I am sure she was “sunny side up” because of the horrible back labor I was having. I was starting to lose my composure at this point, but thank God for my nurse, Dana. She had me get in a modified hands and knees position on the bed. She put the bed all the way up and I got on my knees and hugged the elevated part of the bed. This made the contractions really pick up! I stayed in this position for about 20 minutes until I couldn’t take it anymore. I got back out of bed and tried sitting on the birthing ball – but that was worse than any pain I had felt this entire process. I only stayed there for about 5 minutes. It was about 8:30 at this point and I am pretty sure I was in full on Transition because I started feeling like I couldn’t do it anymore, and I made Dana call Heather back in. I was not being reasonable, I was cussing at Sam, did NOT want him to touch me, but if he didn’t touch me I would get angry. He rubbed my back exactly how I told him to but I would just holler at him that he was making it worse and to get his hands off me. Poor guy, he endured so much during this process! No sleep, no food, no bathroom breaks, and a wife who at the time was so unappreciative!
I asked Heather at what point do you just say “I can’t do this anymore, I need some candy?” and she was so great – she kept saying “lets get through the next contraction and then we’ll talk about your options”. She asked me what I wanted and I said “not the epidural, but I want something to help me sleep”. (She had stated she didn’t think I would even be pushing until at least midnight.) She gave me two options – she said I could get the drugs which would confine me to a bed or I could get up and try some pelvic rocks to see if that got things progressing. She said “I can tell you which one is going to work better, but it’s your decision.” I opted for pelvic rocks because I knew being out of bed was the best thing to do to help myself. I rocked for about 15 contractions and then I couldn’t take it. I told Dana I wanted Stadol. I wanted just half the normal dose, just to be drunk enough that I really didn’t care anymore. I had caved because all I wanted was some SLEEP. I know now that I was going through transition severely because I had so much self doubt and nothing was helping! I knew in my heart I did NOT want any drugs and I planned on telling Dana just to hold onto them for awhile once she got back into my room – I wanted to try to make it until the next time Heather came to check me to see if I had progressed, and if I had then I would forget the Stadol.
This was at 9:50PM. Heather came in and checked me before she would sign the order and I was still 70% effaced, 6cm dilated, Brylie was at -2 station. I started crying and I was like “I haven’t even made it to 75% effaced?” She said no that it would probably still be awhile – she would be surprised if I was pushing before midnight and at this point she understood if I wanted something to take the edge off. I was heartbroken, exhausted, and I was dying. I felt like a failure because I was sure there had been a small change, which would have been the motivation to keep me going all natural.
Since nothing had, I told her I wanted the Stadol. I had been at 6cm for hours and I couldn’t take it anymore – I didn’t know how I would have the energy to get through second stage if I didn’t get some sleep. I got up to go pee about 9:55 (While Dana was trying to talk me out of the Stadol, I hadn’t been given anything yet). I told her I knew I had failed myself and as soon as the drugs were in I would fail Brylie but that even in Bradley class we learned that there was a line that once it was crossed, you had to raise the white flag give into the candy. Dana left me and Sam in the bathroom to do our business and as soon as I sat down on the toilet I started pooping (TMI!) (I wasn’t trying to poo, and I wasn’t pushing it along) and screaming for Dana! I felt like Brylie was going to fall into the toilet. She came running in (Stadol in hand) and was told me to calm down. She said Brylie was probably just finally dropping down and since I was so exhausted it felt more intense. I was sitting on the toilet and I said “CHECK ME” so she did. She stood up, and told me to “STAND UP, and DO NOT PUSH!”. She checked me again while I was standing and looked at Sam and said “GET HER *** IN THE BED!” (She later told me she could feel the sutures of my pelvis…or cervix forgive me I can’t remember…but where the bones meet…and she had NEVER been able to feel that before, and she could literally feel Brylie dropping) and went running out of my room 911’ing Heather (She was with a woman who was at 9cm getting ready to have her 4th child). Dana and three other nurses came running in and I was really irrational at this point – I thought no one would be there to catch my baby. A nurse named Erica grabbed my knees and started telling me to calm down, and if I felt like I needed to push then to push. I refused to push until Heather got there and I was starting to get anxious. Thankfully Sam started to lead me into deep breaths which got me calmed down enough to plan on pushing on the next contraction.
All of a sudden I had so much energy and I was READY to go! Heather walked in and threw her hands in the air and said “PUSH GIRL PUSH!”. She gloved up and sat down and I remember her pumping me up. She was like “GET PISSED AT THIS LITTLE GIRL AND PUSH HER OUT!”
During crowning I yelled, “HEATHER! GET YOUR FINGERS OUT OF MY ***!!!!” and she held both her hands up and laughed and said “Chels, I’m not touching you! That’s Brylie’s head! Push through that! PUSH!” They told me to reach down and touch her head and when I did she sucked back in me which really freaked me out! So, on the next push I asked Heather if I was pooping on her. She laughed at me and said “No, but if you were I would just smear it for you to find later!”. I started laughing hysterically. Heather looked back at the nurses and said “This is why I love this girl, even during the ring of fire she laughs and smiles!” Then all of a sudden the monitors started going off like crazy and I saw Dana slap the NICU call button. Heather told me I didn’t have time to wait for the next contraction and if I wanted my baby alive I had to push and push now. Heather asked Sam if he wanted to cut the cord, he said yes but we planned on waiting until it stopped pulsing. She said “Sorry Sam you DON’T have time to wait for that. As soon as she is out, you cut that cord!”. I pushed with all I had and I felt Heather literally rip her out of me. It wasn’t painful or anything – but Sam said she grabbed her by the neck and literally tore her from me. I saw Heather’s face and it was sheer panic. I watched Sam cut the cord, Heather set Brylie on me for 2 seconds – and she was BLUE. I mean the worst color of blue I have ever seen. The cord had been wrapped very loosely around her neck (Which Heather explained can a lot of times be worse than a tightly wrapped cord because it acts as a noose) and the internal monitor cords were also wrapped around her neck. Dana picked her up and sprinted into the Transition Room (it’s where the NICU team comes to take them, it has like a crash cart and things like that in there). Heather told Erica to drop all the pitocin that was left into me and the placenta came right away. I remember asking if Brylie was okay and no one would answer me. Sam was with her and I could see his face was transparent he was so pale.
Heather told me I had one small tear that was caused by her ripping Brylie out – one small stitch. I was really surprised because Brylie came so fast and she was out in 5 pushes, I thought I would tear a lot worse, considering she was literally ripped from my body! And I didn’t do kegals but maybe once a month or so when I remembered!
Finally after what seemed like forever (it ended up being about 6 minutes) I heard Brylie start screaming. The NICU team came in and said they weren’t going to take her, but someone would be monitoring her in our room. I was scared, but really relieved no one would take her. They finally weighed her and measured her and let us see her. I couldn’t hold her because I was shaking soo badly – huge, jerky shakes that didn’t go away for almost 2 hours. Heather said it was a combo of hormones, Magnesium, and not eating in over 24 hours.
Sam got to hold her right away and did a lot of skin to skin so that made me feel better.
After 30 hours of mayhem my whole world changed! I was maxed out on Pitocin for over 12 hours (Maxed out being 26 which is the highest the OB would allow my midwife to take it) It was so worth it!! Without a doubt, it was the most amazing experience of my life. It was really really difficult to do all natural - especially since I was on Magensium I was being constantly monitored by several OB's who kept telling me having an epidural would make me soo much more comfortable, and blah blah blah! The anesthesiologist also came in twice just to make sure I 'Knew" I could have an epi at anytime!
Heather asked me how I felt after she stitched me and I guess my response was “LET’S DO IT AGAIN!”. I don’t remember saying it, but it’s true. I would go through it all again tomorrow just to feel the crazy high that comes with it.

[Vicki...]

Chelsea, so sorry I have not responded to this earlier, I actually read through it yesterday but my wi fi connection went down for an hour or so and then I just honestly forgot that I had not replies, sorry.
I think you are amazing girl, giving birth is definitely allot of work, but definitely sounds like you did really great, especially considering you had to be induced quite early, glad you ended up getting to have your pain meds free birth and sounds like Sam was definitely a trooper. Thanks for sharing your story with us girl, again u are amazing and sounds like your nurse and doctor were also!

[gumonyershoe]

I finally got around to reading this (I haven't been on JM in a couple days) and wow. I don't know why but I had tears streaming down my face by the end of your story. I'm so glad that you and Brylie are OK and that you were able to do it almost how you wanted. Thank you for sharing your story!

[MomtoKatieB]

Thanks for sharing your birth story.

[LBinDesMoines]

That's a great story with a happy ending! Congrats on the natural birth!

[ChicaChels]

thanks ladies!!
annaka sorry it made you cry! it makes me cry when i think about it...how so many things could have gone wrong...God was on my side that weekend!



LB - i live an hour and a half from DSM and there is another girl here that lives in dsm! small world!!

[amberrose22]

Originally Posted by ChicaChels

LB - i live an hour and a half from DSM and there is another girl here that lives in dsm! small world!!

*waves* that would be me! haha

[ChicaChels]

lol amber speaking of...i think we need to get our girls together again soon...maybe someday when youre not working miss brylie and i can come up there

[emsketch]

Thanks so much for sharing your story! I love reading birth stories. I have to admit, I teard up a little too.

[ChicaChels]

awe thanks em

[Donise26]

Brylie is beautiful ( love ur siggy pic )

wow what a birth story woman! glad it all turned out a perfect little bundle in the end

how is motherhood