Hey friends! Long time no talk! Little miss Klara will be three weeks old on Saturday and we finally feel like we’ve gotten into some sort of a routine… As much of a routine as you can get into with a sweet little newborn girl. 😉 So I’m back on the blog today to share Klara’s birth story. I want to share it here so I have a record of the day just for myself and a fun memory to share with her when she’s older. But also, while I was pregnant I found others birth stories interesting and comforting at a time when I had no idea what to expect. So here we go!
Klara Beth’s Birth Story
My official due date was still just under two weeks away. We had just celebrated the fourth of July by traveling to a team roping outside Show Low, AZ, several hours from home. I rode home with our friends Dusty and Kayce while Nate went on to another roping because I had to work on the 5th. On the drive home my feet and ankles became the most swollen they had been all throughout my pregnancy. Kayce and Dusty both joked about having dreams that I went into labor on the way home with them while Nate was away… Luckily, I didn’t go into labor on the drive, and was able to write my blog post for Fancy This Fridays that evening even sharing a photo of my swollen cankles… haha.
The 5th was fairly uneventful, I did my work for the day, cleaned house a little bit and waited for Nate to make it home from his second day of roping. Saturday the 6th we spent a low key morning at home, then decided to go to a movie. After all, once baby decided to come there wouldn’t be much time or opportunity for a movie night out. We went to the afternoon matinee and saw White House Down. We both really enjoyed the movie, our popcorn and sodas. I even had a salted pretzel and cheese sauce! (So good!)
After we got home that afternoon, sometime after 5pm, we were sitting on the back steps talking about mowing the yard when I started to feel yucky… I told Nate I didn’t feel very good. Walking back in the house I felt my water break. At the time though it was nothing like they tell you it’s going to be… It was a quick short gush and then it was over. No continual leaking, no obvious – yep that was my water breaking. So we got out the baby books, the pamphlets my doctor gave me and tried to decipher whether that was it or not.
That’s when my stomach started hurting. I’ve been told contractions feel like a tightening of your stomach. That they build up slowly and steadily. My doctor told me not to go to the hospital until the contractions were five minutes apart. These stomach pains were quick pangs of pain right in my lower abdomen. The books all say your back will hurt. You’ll know that they’re contractions. I didn’t. My back didn’t hurt. Honestly, I kind of just felt like I was getting a bad stomach bug or something. Now don’t laugh… Nate had just had a bad bug like the week before, so it wasn’t completely out of nowhere.
In the meantime the in laws called and invited us out to dinner. Thinking that maybe what I was feeling was false labor or just a stomach bug we decided to meet them. If it was false labor everything I read says that it will stop if you get up and move around… So that was the plan. Get up and go to dinner. We met at a Mexican food place and I ordered… wait for it… enchiladas. Yes, yes I did. But I honestly thought I was having false labor signs or nothing at all, and they really sounded good. haha.
When we got home from dinner I was still feeling yucky but not like I was in labor so Nate went outside to ride one of our horses and I hung out in the house just waiting it out. While he was outside the pains I was having started getting worse and more frequent. I tried timing them with my cell phone to see if they were contractions but they came on so quickly and they were much closer together then five minutes… By the time Nate came in I was ready to go to the hospital. I was really hurting by then.
Before we left the house we debated on actually taking the bags I’d packed for the hospital because we were completely unsure if it was actually labor. AGAIN, let me reiterate… I am not stupid. But this was my first child, I had never experienced labor before and the things I was experiencing were NOTHING like they tell you it will be. I’d heard first babies are almost always born close to their due dates or even late. First time labors almost always take more than 8-12 hours… etc, etc. I was still two weeks from my due date , if these were contractions they were coming on too fast too soon, the list of doubts goes on… We decided to take the bags with us just in case.
When we got to the hospital (that was a a little after 8 pm) I told the nurses I wasn’t sure if it was real labor… They decided to admit us and get me checked to see. It took about 20 minutes or so to get us admitted and what not… When the nurse checked me she was shocked. ‘How long have you been hurting?’ she asked… ‘Um… just a few hours,’ I replied. ‘You’re already at 7-8cm!’ she told us… They immediately called my doctor and started getting paperwork signed, and things set up for a delivery.
From there everything happened so fast it was out of control! Neither me nor Nate had anytime to really think about the fact that this was it. We were about to become parents! Speaking of parents we called mine and his. Mine were several hours away visiting my uncle, so they jumped in the car and headed our way right then. Kayli, who had planned on coming down the following day to stay with me until baby time, was also several hours away and decided to wait to come until the next day because it was too late for her to be driving that far by herself. Nate’s dad and step-mom came to the hospital and were there for the delivery.
Now, just a random tidbit… I had wanted to get an epidural. I even told Nate on the way to the hospital that I hoped we hadn’t waited too long to get one. I didn’t want to be one of those ‘dumb girls’ that waited too long and missed the window. Well… I was one of those girls. All I can say is don’t judge… waiting because you’re unsure doesn’t make you dumb!!!
From the time I checked into the hospital until the time I delivered miss Klara Beth was only about 2 hours. Overall the entire labor was only about 4-5 hours long. So take that stereotype that first time labors take forever!!! And because we were too late for the epidural I delivered little miss with nothing but one shot of pain medicine in my IV. There wasn’t even time for a second dose before delivery! So gotta say I felt pretty proud of myself afterward. 😉 All the nurses, my doctors, my husband, everyone there was impressed with my pain tolerance. And there I was just thinking it really, really hurt. haha.
After only about 30 minutes of pushing we welcomed Klara Beth Mortensen at 10:52 pm on July 6th, 2013. She weighed 8 lbs, 2 oz and was 19 inches long.
Her daddy is in love! And he was a champ!! He stayed right there with me the entire time. He held my hand, wiped my face with a cold rag and cut the cord after his daughter was born. He even changed her first three diapers! 😉
FYI, my mom and dad made it to the hospital about 1:30 am to meet their new granddaughter. And Auntie Kayli was able to come early the next morning to meet her new niece.
We are thrilled to be Klara’s mommy and daddy and have immensely enjoyed these first few weeks… Lack of sleep and all! Klara was ready to come whether we thought it was time or not… And she just barely waited for her daddy to get home from roping so he’d be there to greet her! 😉
Moral of our birth story… Women and their labors really are all unique. Everything I experienced was nothing like what the books say it will be. Just be prepared for anything and everything and don’t bank on it being a typical labor and delivery! Also… don’t feel silly if you’re unsure. It’s completely normal and relatively easy to be confused about labor signs!!!
Did you write your baby’s birth story? I’d love to read it if you have the link! Or feel free to tell me about your experiences in the comments! Also, if you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask! I’ll be happy to share what I can!!
beautiful story!!! My daughter’s birth was super quick like that too
we barely made it to the hospital!
ooh I love birth stories <3
It’s so interesting how different they can be or how similar in come cases, right!?! Thanks Paula… it was a really special day for us!!!
Oh be still my heart!! I cried while reading this, you are SOOO brave and youre right, they never really prepare you for what it’s like. my water-breaking was the exact same way 😉
Thank you friend!!! For everything leading up to labor I was completely unprepared. I even took a prenatal class and everything they taught it was the exact opposite it seemed of what we experienced. But it all worked out and now it’s Klara’s special story and day!!!
Congrats again! You’re totally not stupid! Everyone is different…. I’m glad everything turned out wonderful!
Ooh me too! And thanks! It was the perfect day and perfect birth story for our little girl and our little family!
I wrote about mine here: http://www.youarehomeblog.com/2013/06/olivia-kathryn-birth-story-part-2.html?m=1
And that’s awesome you had such a short labor! I’m pretty happy with my 13 hour one!
Aw yay! Can’t wait to read it! Thanks for sharing!
So, I think I missed it if you announced it so: CONGRATS MAMA!!!!!
Thanks!!! Yeah, it was announced in a post a few days after she was born… Along with a giveaway, so it might have been easy to miss! 😉
You lucky ducky!! I’m pretty jealous that your labor was so quick and smooth. And that you had her early!! All I can say is that if you can do it without the epidural… Do it. I know I didn’t get the chance to push my baby out and that my epidural was kind of a necessity, but if I’d been able to have the labor that I wanted, there would have been no epidural involved. That was the worst thing ever just because you have absolutely no control over your body. That’s my personal opinion anyway. So happy for you guys – she is an absolute doll!
Thank you thank you!!! Yeah, after the fact, I was glad I didn’t have an epidural too… I was able to get up right away and get in the shower and I don’t have to worry about any of the possible after side effects… But at the time, I was wanting it! haha…
Congrats! It is awesome you wrote this out! everyone has such a unique story. My baby girl was born on July 5. I had a more complicated and long labor. I wrote our story but not ready to publish yet. Hope all is going well!
Thanks Kimberly! And congrats to you on your baby girl! I would love to read your story once you get it published! It’s amazing how unique each experience can be!
What a beautiful birth story. Klara Beth is one beautiful little girl. Even though my babies are 35, 33 and 31 I still remember each of their birth stories as if it happened yesterday. I don’t think that’s anything any mom ever forgets. However, you have inspired me to write them down for my children. All of my labors were very quick and also nothing like the books. My first was only 4 hours long, my second was just 2 hours and I was induced for the third because my Dr. said if I went into labor at home he didn’t feel that I would make it to the hospital. I didn’t have pain meds for any one them. Back in the day it was the big thing to have a “natural” childbirth. It really is amazing how high a woman’s pain tolerance really is. I loved reading your story and can’t wait to see more pictures of Miss Klara Beth!
Thank you Laurie! You really should write them down! I think that would be something neat to have as an adult from your mother! Here’s to quick labors, right!?! So glad everything worked out exactly the way it did… Even if it wasn’t what I expected!
OH MY GOSH!!!! WOW! I love all the funny tidbits too!! I’ve SEEN, remember I was “allowed” to go into labor and had a C-section, and I’ve seen woman just LOOOSE it! How did you make it to 7 eating enchiladas!! WOW!! I’ve seen friends and my sister scream and cry about pusing the nurse had to tell them over and over “honey you’re only at 5 or 4 or even 3!!!!! I’m so happy for you Kassi. You are blessed!!!
Yeah, I have no idea how it all worked out, but I am SO SO glad it worked the way it did!
Thanks so much friend!!! You are the sweetest!!!
Such a beautiful story and such wonderful photos! What a sweetheart she is – and her daddy seems to be as proud as you are of her! Congrats to your lovely family! xxx
Thank you so much Chrissy!!! We are both completely over the moon! 😉
I don’t think anyone who has ever had a baby would think you were stupid. If I had gone into labor two weeks early, I would have had no clue what was going on! Audrey was almost two weeks late, and we actually went to the hospital the night before and got sent home. My water broke the next morning…and let’s just say, it did NOT stop once it started. She was born really soon after we got to the hospital as well and was almost born in triage! Crazy!
I wrote Audrey’s story in three parts (guess I’m long-winded? lol.) You can skip to part 3 for the actual birth part if you want to read it.
dianameredithdesigns.com/2012/08/audreys-birth-story-part-1/