Kensley Noel- Her Birth Story

I know I need to write this down asap before the details fade or I forget something! So  Let us begin this beautiful story of how Kensley Noel came into this world.

Monday September 10th- Ultrasound appt in the AM where they measured/ estimated Kensley to be 9lbs 4oz! yikes! super happy that she would for sure be coming on Thursday if she didn't come on her own!

Mom flies in at 12:15! woot woot! We go grocery shopping make sure we got what we need and snacks for  delivery for Mama and Lance..(and me shhhhh..) lol That night slept good except for a toothache that came on again :(

Tuesday September 11th- the day Lance and I both always in the back of our head thought watch she'll come on the 11th. Went shopping at Sams to finish up last grocery list items and then Mom and I went to this yummy Vegan Cuisine Restaurant which was yummy!! it was a buffet and we both ate way to much! lol for dinner we made grilled veggies and both of us were to full to eat still since we ate lunch late. I ate a yogurt and then we all went of a walk and I noticed this time I was getting some good contractions during the walk came home and off to bed we went! I crashed no nap and very tired!

Wednesday September 12th- 12:58am woke up to my first contraction that was strong so I decided to keep track of my contractions so I got my Ipod out and used the app! 7-5 min apart then they were 5 min and It was about 2:30 am and I thought lets see if I still have them in an hour sure enough another hour goes by with contractions 5 min apart and uncomfortable ones too! so I take a shower and do my hair and make up just in case they keep up and we end up going to the hospital!... another hour goes by and then during the 4 o'clock hour they were 4-5 minutes apart and getting more uncomfortable so I waited til 5 and felt I should wake up Lance and see what he thinks we should do he wasn't sure and we felt we should ask Mom so I opened her door and she says " is it time!" I laughed and told her what was going on and asked her what we should do she said we should head to the hospital aim on the side of caution we called the doctors office before we left to make sure what Doc wanted us to do she called us back and I told her what was going on she said head straight to L and D now. So we did! got to the hospital at about 6 am and Nurse Susan got us in our room and hooked up to the monitor to check baby heart beat and contractions she checked me and if I remember right said I was 4.5-5 cm and 70% effaced Shift change at 7 and we got a new Nurse! Nurse Deborah aka Debbie! aka best L& D nurse EVER! She came in and got me a birthing ball! contractions were consistent and about 3 min apart nothing to painful though They admitted me into the hospital officially after talking with Dr. B. and got me on an IV boo! she tried twice and my veins would turn so she got another nurse and she had to do it twice..4th time the charm! hated that! I'm not a fan of needles!!! 9 am Dr Butler came in and broke my water! that was soo weird! I felt like Niagara Falls! Thats when the contractions stepped it up a knock! I had to start focusing on relaxing and Lance was such a great coach and would remind me to relax and he would say Honey I can see it in your face your not relax breathe and relax your whole body! his reminders were wonderful! He would also remind me to relax my shoulders and breathe. He rubbed my shoulder once and after that I needed him to continue to do that during contractions for some reason it was helping me to relax and breathe through the contraction better. around 12:30pm the contractions were getting much stronger and I really really had to focus on relaxing my body and letting my body relax and open. No talking during these contractions at all! I was getting soo tired I couldn't keep my eyes open they were so heavy I had been up for over 12 hours and was feeling it! Lance and Mom were great about reminding me to relax and breathe and around but the pain was getting over bearing and around 1ish I started asking Mom and Lance that I wanted an epidural. ( side note at the beginning after they broke my water I had told Lance and Mom that at some point I was going ot tell them I wanted an epidural but to not let me that it was the pain talking and not what I really wanted! so try to remind me not to get it) this was the point I started doubting myself I didn't think I could do it naturally The pain was to much to bare I was to tired to keep this up and be able to still push her out when the time came but Mom was so good about asking me why I wanted the epidural and I said cause i'm tired and need to sleep and it hurts so bad...Mom encouraged me and said Brittany you are doing so well! your almost there! so I continued to endure a few more contractions and again I said I want an epidural!! and they both said no you don't remember and I said no I really do I really do want it!!! and I could see in Lance's face he was lookin like he was coming on myside lol but Mom kept saying you can do this Brittany You are almost there! You don't really want it! The nurse came in shortly after that and I asked her if there was any other pain medication besides ones with needles? She smiled and said is the only reason you don't want the epidural is the needle? I said yes. she said its not that bad but also they have demoral sp? and told me it makes me sleeping and the baby sleeping with that one. She also said there was alot of labors so if I wanted an epidural I would need to order it soon..she then suggested let me check your progress and you can decide from there..so she did! 8cm and 90% effaced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was sooo happy!! When she said that she then told me if you want that epidural you have to let me know now so I can order it in and you get it in time! That point I knew I could do it I can finish I was almost there like Mom was saying! I could do it! so I told her no I don't want the epidural ( plus the thought of a needle still made me nervous!! not relaxed)

So Debbie suggested getting a bar over the bed to help with contractions and so forth so she put this bar thing up and dropped half the bed down where this bed turned into like this big chair thing ...this bed was amazing it had all kinds of contraptions! so I sat up with that and so glad she did that! they put a birthing ball in between so I could lean over better and what not these contractions were soooo BAD! lower back pain with them so it made it easy for Lance to apply pressure on my lower back during the contraction and easy for me to focus on relaxing and breathing through the contractions Mom started massaging my feet and calves which felt amazing with lance massaging my Lower back! they would remind me to breath and relax my shoulders and body they would state many times I was doing great! which was very encouraging for me and made me feel better 3:00pm came around and I was feeling like pushing with my contractions so Debbie checked me and baby's head was down but still a little high so she said go for it when I felt like it so I did! After some of the pushes Kensley's heartbeat would drop so She hooked me up to some oxygen and We would have breaks of not pushing during the contractions which was soooo hard not to do! I mentally was trying not to push but my body was saying heck no PUSH! but her heart rate would go back to normal and we would start pushing again after about an hour she checked and baby's head was still high she then asked to give her a good push and realized Kensley kept going down with a push and back up! and she told me she thinks the baby needs to turn I need to get on my side so we begin to turn me to the right and I get comfortable which is rare and Kensleys heart rate drops again on goes the oxygen and she said nope not that side baby doesn't like it so we turn on my left side and she gets these crazy leg things out from the bed and try again to get comfortable before another contraction and then pushes came again oxygen again goes on and I need to take a break from pushing I breath through the contraction super hard not to push Mom and Lance kept saying no Brittany you can't push this time you need to take a break Kensley's heart rate wasn't ready for me to push again so so hard!! Debbie came back to the room and Mom and Lance told her how I kept saying I really needed to push! she said I could so I pushed and something felt different this time we got me back up sitting/ squatting with the bar in front of me and pushing I go that was about 4:30pm and finally just before 5 baby's head was coming out and then I didn't want to stop pushing but Doctor wasn't there yet Debbie called in another nurse she came in and started telling me not to push breath liek this and she would puff out her checks I still wanted to push it was soooooooooooo hard not pushing!! I still gave in and pushed some and the nurse said lets get her legs down and kept saying breath puff out your checks! Mom  said wheres the doctor she better be huffing and puffing when she comes in I heard Debbie tell the other nurse she called the doc 30 min ago and then again when she saw the head so she should be there! Finally the door swings open and Dr. B runs in the room scrubs on and ready I said oh Dr. B i am so happy to see you can i push now! she said just a sec let me get my gloves on so on goes this gown and gloves on her and she said okay! best words I'd heard! finally I can now push when my body is saying push!! I was so tired and felt weak and that my pushes weren't as strong as they could have been but Baby came out 5:06pm! Lance kept giving me updates on her head he would say I can see her head its right there babe! and with every push him and Debbie would say push push push push!!! Debbie would count to 10 and then lance would say her head is half way out babe keep pushing your doing great!! and then finally her head was out! Lance said Her head is out honey I can see her!! out came a shoulder and then the rest of her and I felt so relieved! out she came and Lance said She's out honey! and Dr B lifted her clamped the cord so fast we didn't have time to say wait ! lol then lance cut the cord! and away they took her spot in the room where they rubbed her off and check her vitals and took her blood sugar and what felt like forever Doc was stitching me up while I looked at her and Lance and Lance was talking to her in her little cube and she cried a little but not much but it was such a cute cry! I kept asking can I hold her now! Lance asked how much I I thought she weighed I said 8.5 pounds he said she weighs 7lbs 11oz! 21 in long! She is perfect! Finally my nurse cleaned me up and doc was done.  Lance then finally was able to get her and bring her to me! cutest face in the world was when I saw Lance with teary eyes Hand me our little angel! Our very own Baby!! I couldn't believe she was ours! I put her skin on skin! and she was beautiful! so sweet! I was so overwhelmed with this peaceful feeling and just felt like she had always been mine for forever! She was worth the wait! She got to stay with me for a while and then I let Daddy and Grandma hold her and my nurse brought in cheese and crackers and juice for me and brought me the menu to order dinner! I was SOOO HUNGRY!  dinner came and it was the best salad ever! plus the cran-grape juice tasted sooo good! I hadn't had Juice in so long! lol then 7:15 came and Lance went with Kensley to the nursery I ate food and got moved to postpartum Kensley and Lance finally got back to the room around 9:30pm and it was so amazing to finally have her with me and hold her for as long as I wanted!

 The awesome L & D Room!

 contraction time- Coach Lance is awesome!

 Just seconds after she was born

 Finally Mommy gets to hold Kensley!

 Daddy and Daughter

 Nurse Debbie- I love! me and Lance and Kensley with Dr. B yes I was so swollen from the IV and the sugar water!

  Kensley Noel 

I am so in love with this little girl and words can't describe how I feel or how to explain the feelings I have that I finally have my rainbow baby in my arms and here on earth. She is such a Miracle! Daddy and I are completely smitten by her.