Kalen Charles

I am so glad that Kalen is here! It was not an easy labor and delivery though. On Tuesday at 7:30 am we checked into the hospital to be induced. They started the pitocin at about 9:30, I was a 1.5. Two hours later they checked me again and I was a 2, they then broke my water. Labor started to get a little more intense, but it still didn't hurt that bad. They continued to up the pitocin and contractions got stronger and stronger. After another two hours I was still a two, and was definitely feeling the contractions by then. At 4 the contractions were at almost full strength. This is when the nurses noticed that after every contraction Kalen's heart rate would dip. This means that he was not handing the contractions well, and was experiencing minor trauma. They would lower the pitocin, the contractions would lessen, and his heart rate would stop dipping. For the rest of my labor the nurses would raise and lower the pitocin to keep Kalen's heart rate steady.

At 4:30 I got the epidural, which I had decided I wouldn't but I was in too much pain. I was only a four, and didn't feel like I could finish labor without it. Fast forward to 9:30. I had only progressed to a 5, and Kalen's heart rate was still dipping after strong contractions. The pitocin was turned down to almost nothing. My doctor said that we were at a stand still. The contractions weren't strong enough for me to progress any further, and they couldn't raise the pitocin without causing distress to baby. We decided to do a C-section to get him out.

By 11 I was prepped and we went to the OR, where he was born at 11:20 pm.  

 He was 7lb 6oz, and 19 inches. He has brown hair, long toes, and although he resembles Alex he is definitely his own person. His apgar score right after birth was a 4, after a few minutes it had improved to a 9. To me this is proof that he needed to come out, doing the C-section was the right decision.

This labor did not go as planned, and never thought that I would ever get a C-Section, I am glad that he is here and healthy.

 After 4 days we are home, and although I am nervous to take care of Alex while healing, I am glad to be with my family.

I am so grateful that Stephen's mom was here to watch Alex on Tuesday. It was also wonderful to have my sister with us near the end of my labor and during the decision to have the C-Section. She helped calm my nerves and not feel like a failure for having to have a C-Section.

Kalen's name has special meaning for us. The city Stephen and I served together in Russia is Kaliningrad. We cut off the ingrad, and changed the 'i' to an 'e' for Kalen. Charles is Stephen's middle name as well as his father's and grandfather's.