Lukas’ Birth Story

October 2014

It feels like yesterday I was hearing the words, “There is heavy debris in your amniotic fluid.” Crazy that it was one year ago! It was Monday morning, October 21, 2013. We were two weeks shy of being full-term. This was a miracle in my book since my body had begun contractions at 32 weeks and I’d been laying low since then so as not to encourage an early labor. But nonetheless, those words were still surreal. Walking into this ultrasound appointment, I felt as if something were going to trigger this little guy to be on his way. Here it was.

Since we were 38 weeks, my doctor told me that she would rather deal with him on the outside than leave him in for two more weeks since we couldn’t confirm what that “heavy debris” entailed. As they hooked me up at the doctor’s office to monitor the baby and to call the hospital to schedule an induction, I called Karl to tell him to get ready! His son was on the way one way or the other!

We learned the hospital was quite busy that day so the next morning was going to be our entrance into labor. There was nothing about induction that encouraged me. I called my doula, Nicole, and she had us stop by her home in order to stretch me and put me in some positions that encourage labor. I called for an acupuncture appointment only to learn they were closed for the day. Bummer. Karl and I walked and walked. We….well, I….ate the spiciest Thai dish I could handle. Karl enjoyed a Thai dinner with me...just not spicy. Not. A. Movement. This little guy was quite cozy.

Spicy Thai dish at Phikun’s!

In the midst of the all the attempts, Karl and I tried to wrap our minds around the fact that soon we were to be three. At dinner, he gave me a necklace that is in the shape of an ‘O’ for Olsen with a small diamond in the middle that would represent our kids. He told me he thought of it as our kids would always be close to my heart. Yes, I cried. We’ve since had the idea that we’ll be adding the birthstone of each child to it as they arrive in our world.

Karl also told me I was to get a pedicure. He can be a bit demanding sometimes. I had actually never understood why women would get pedicures before the birth of their child. Now, I’m sold! Those pretty toes always brought a smile to my face the days following labor and delivery!

A Bright & Cheery Red :)

Next was the attempt at sleep. We made sure we were ready to go as we had to be at the hospital at 7:00 a.m. I think Karl slept just fine of course. I was on and off throughout the night. I’d feel Lukas move around and get teary thinking I wouldn’t feel him like that anymore. And then I’d get teary thinking of just of soon I'd be holding him. I knew sleep and rest was best for what was ahead so in between all the movements, hopes that maybe I felt a contraction, and the teariness, I slept.

Arriving at the hospital the next morning was wild. Was this really happening?! I was most definitely nervous at the thought of being induced. Most of what I had heard and read was about the quickness with which contractions and labor can begin. I’d been praying a lot that somehow things would be okay.

By 7:30 a.m., I was hooked up and ready to go. The drip of pitocin began. God is gracious. My body was very, very slow to respond. We walked the birth center. We rested. My back-up doula and awesome pre-natal yoga instructor, Kristine, arrived and we hung out, kept walking and chatted about her pregnancy & possible names while enjoying the beautiful autumn day out the large windows. I know I also kept saying I wanted to get out of the “smiling” phase. Meaning, I knew things really hadn’t started and once I wasn’t smiling anymore, things would be “gettin’ real!” We waited. Not only for my body to respond to the pitocin, but also for Nicole, my primary doula. She was down in Lewiston, which is 45-60 minutes away, at another birth.

I remember ordering lunch and enjoying what I could while also feeling and knowing my body was picking things up with the contractions. Nicole arrived at the hospital with an hour of sleep and a shower. She is a gem! Literally, she was in the room five minutes, when it was as if my body knew she was there and we could really begin things. I remember saying, “Oh, that was really intense” and pushing the food tray away and doubling over in bed while breathing really slow. After hugs with Kristine and expressing how grateful I was to have her with us, she headed out letting us know that if we needed anything, to let her know. I will never do a birth again without my doula’s. What a support team for Karl and I!!

Kristine, left; Nicole, right

As Kristine left, everything gets blurry and time was irrelevant. I do know it was around 3:30 in the afternoon when active labor really began. For most of labor, I had my eyes closed concentrating on what the moment needed. We labored around the bed for awhile. Then we went to the jetted tub. The awesome-ness of Pullman Birth Center is that everything you need is in your room. Unless you want to walk the halls of course. A nurse wrapped my arm with all the cords attached and into the tub I went. I have no idea how long I labored there. I do know  “the moment” when I said, “Guys, I don’t know if I can do this,” that happened in that tub.

My hope for our birth was to do it as naturally as possible. I’d heard and knew enough to have a very open hand to possibilities and things taking a very different course. With all the reading and preparation I’d done with birth classes and meeting with Nicole, that moment was significant to me. I knew I could push through with breathing and “riding the waves” in my mind and being in the moment. Somehow the “not sure I can do it” moment passed and we kept going. I knew the pain was purposeful and was bringing Lukas to us.

At some point, I got out of the tub and we kept laboring on the bed. I have no idea where in the process this happened but I remember a moment when Karl was eating or something and Nicole was a bit away from the bed and I called her over and asked her to hold my hand. Something about having her hold my hand was what I needed to be reassured that I could do this and to keep going. It helped.

As we labored, my hip pain was the absolute worst during contractions. I’d say, “here comes another,” and either Karl or Nicole had to apply hip pressure through the contraction. Talk about a workout for them!  

Karl took all the photos...he really helped a lot too :D

Pushing. I know I pushed for two and half hours. Backing things up a bit, I’d guess I started pushing around 9:30 p.m. Six hours after active labor began. During the pushing phase, Nicole had me in every possible position known to birthing moms. She’d tell me we were going to try something else and, in my mind, I’d cry out to myself not knowing how I was going to get to that position it hurt so bad to move. Nonetheless, I used every ounce of strength and determination to get into that position before the next contraction hit.

Finally, I knew I was wearing down. I. Was. Exhausted. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could go. About that time, Dr. Kim Guidea, my primary care doctor, came over and told me that I’d been pushing for 2.5 hours. She said that Lukas had advanced the first hour but hadn’t done anything for the last hour and a half. That was it. I knew I was done. She said she would encourage a C-section. I was all for it. I knew that every ounce of me had fought and given 110% for a natural birth. I was proud of what I’d done. I was grateful for my body and for the experience. I wanted Lukas to be safe and out. For sensitive readers, don’t finish this paragraph but the following is important to me and something I want to remember. My delivery nurse, Diana, told me later that she knew I was giving all I had with every push because I was pooping with each one. Ha! “Yea, that’s right, you better believe it!”, I thought to myself. Proud of my effort mom moment. Not gonna lie!

They began prepping us for a C-section. Signing papers. That’s hard while you’re still feeling the need to push and riding the waves of contractions. Just trust me! I know Karl and Nicole had to keep me focused on breathing and “pushing” through the pain throughout this process. Not literally at this point...even though that’s super tough not to do with the urge to push that contractions bring!

We were wheeled down the hallways to the operating room. Nicole had to leave us at this point as they would only let Karl through the doors. Cory, my anesthesiologist, gave us some instructions while the nurses and doctors moved and prepped me onto the operating table. Finally, I felt no more pain. Soon, I heard a cry. Wednesday, October 23 at 12:26 a.m. That makes me tear up just thinking about it. Karl left me to be with Lukas, which is what we had decided. Cory was still with me. I asked him to hold my hand. Something about hand holding is obviously very reassuring to me!

After a bit, Karl was able to bring Lukas over to me. What a moment. All those nine months. All that labor. Surgery with a C-section. Every moment worth it. Here he was looking at me. His mama.

They took him away with Karl to do whatever they needed for him. And by the way, that heavy debris that began this process? It ended up that he just had a lot of vernix (a layer that coats the skin of newborn babies) on him that was clumping in the amniotic fluid! Thus, he was perfectly fine. They took me to the recovery room. Nicole came in to see me. She had seen Lukas with Karl and the nurses. They brought Lukas back to me and finally we were able to go back to our room.

In the recovery room

We ended up staying in the hospital until Saturday. We saw no point in leaving until we had to - ha! Nurses around the clock, room service, daily massage for me, tv. We told the nurses they could rent out rooms as vacation get-aways while they were empty to earn extra money. Haha! Speaking of the nurses, we loved, loved, loved our most consistent ones - Kaleb & Katie stand out the most.

In our room during our hospital stay

Lukas ended up having trouble nursing which was my emotional roller coaster more than anything during postpartum. That’s a story in and of itself. Well, that and he wasn’t the greatest sleeper...not horrible, just took 11 months and 2 weeks to sleep through the night ;) Overall, he was here and we were a family of three. Now, he is one year old. The sweetest personality. The best smile. The bluest eyes that take after his dad. And a laugh that you can’t help but laugh with him. We love him dearly.

We chose the name Lukas because of its meaning “light.” Our prayer for him is that he would be a light that reflects Jesus’ love to those around him. His middle name Edward is one that both his great-grandfathers (Karl’s dad’s dad & my dad’s dad) had as well as the middle name of both of his uncles (Karl’s brother Erik & my brother Ryan).

Happy 1st Birthday, Lukas Edward! We are so thankful God gave us the gift of you!