Karsten Anders Korynta's Birth StoryIt all started out like a regular Sunday. We went to church and stopped at a cafe to pick up pastries and coffee on our way home. Since it was a holiday weekend, we were all relaxed and planning how to enjoy our Monday off from work. I got ready to do a few errands and Kyle asked why I wanted to go that afternoon, when we would be out shopping the next day anyway. As it turned out, it was good that I went because that shopping trip included buying a belated birthday present, filling up the car with gas, getting a few food staples at Costco, and going to Target to get newborn-sized diapers.
Later that afternoon, Kyle drove up to Lynnwood (about an hour in good traffic from where we live) to play in a hockey game. At home, Annika and I skyped with Kyle's mom and talked about how we had installed the infant carseat the day before and what our plans were for Annika when I went into labor. After ending the call, Annika and I prepared to have a tea party before preparing dinner. Moments later, at 4:30pm, my water broke! No real warn, no contractions, and definitely no doubt about what had just happened. I tried to stay calm and started making the calls. As it was time for Kyle's hockey game to start, I was worried about getting ahold of him. Luckily he hadn't gone out onto the ice and decided to check his phone after hearing it ring. We decided that he should start driving south immediately.
Next I called the midwife and explained that my water broke but I wasn't having any contractions. She recommended that I come in and start antibiotics, as I had tested positive for GBS (not something I had with Annika), which is harmless to adults but can cause problems with newborns. Next I called my brother, who lives about a half hour from me and filled him in. He offered to pick up Annika and me and drive us up to meet Kyle along the way. Luckily he and his family were in town because if it had happened a week later, that would not have been the case. I had started packing a bag for the hospital but hadn't yet included anything for Kyle or packed a bag for Annika. Meanwhile, Kyle was stuff in ridiculously bad traffic because all lanes but one were closed for construction on the highway through downtown Seattle. He was also trying to stay calm and give me instructions on what he would need for the overnight in the hospital. We both were feeling anxious but as I had not had any contractions, we didn't feel too overwhelmed.
My last phone call was to my mom. She was planning to leave Cottage Grove, OR whenever I went into labor and hoping to make it to the hospital for the baby's birth. This had worked out well with Annika. Luckily, she was able to come but also had not packed a bag for the trip. While I was on the phone talking with my mom, Annika kept asking me where my water was. :) We talk a lot about spilling and cleaning things up, so I'm sure she was very confused about this broken water and what was happening.
At 5:30, my brother arrived with his two kids and loaded us and our bags into his car. As we set out on the highway, I heard from Kyle that he was finally through Seattle and we picked an exit to meet at. In the parking lot of a gas station, we put our hospital bag into our car and we said good-bye to Annika. She was happy with the idea that they would get to watch Curious George in the car and she would get to spend the evening with her cousins.
We arrived at the hospital in Seattle at about 6:30. At that point, I had had a few contractions in the car but nothing regular and not any more uncomfortable than the Braxton Hicks contractions that I'd been having since about week 24. Our arrival at the hospital seemed leisurely compared with our first experience with Annika. With her, I had back labor the whole time and was dropping down to my hands and knees to work through contractions all the way to the labor and delivery area of the hospital. This time, we strolled in, all smiles and no rush. We were shown to our room and settled in. The nurses confirmed that my water had indeed broken (no surprise there as it had been quite the gush). They told us to get comfortable and order some light food and something to have later because the kitchen was closing soon. Kyle placed the order for us but by the time the food arrived, my contractions had rapidly progressed and were happening a few minutes apart.
I felt a few contractions in my back and it made be anxious about a repeat experience like I had with Annika. At that point, I started talking about getting an epidural. The midwife came in shortly after I made that request and said that she would put in the order (which I insisted that she do) but that she would also like to check my progress. Since I had not really been in active labor when we arrive, the midwife hadn't checked for dialation. When she checked me, I was at 9 cm! The epidural order must have gone quickly because I remember the anesthesiologist came in to the room but the midwife said that she did not recommend that I get it, as it would most likely not do any good, as I could start pushing with the next contraction. Well, that made up my mind. The contractions are a lot "easier" to handle when I could push and not just have to work through them. After 45 minutes, and some work with the squat bar, Karsten Anders Korynta arrived at 9:26pm, less than 5 hours after my water broke. Whew! He weighed in at 8lb 8 oz and measured 19.25 in. (but we think he was really a bit longer). My mom arrived at the hospital shortly after he was born. We love our sweet little boy and Annika likes giving her baby brother lots of hugs and kisses! Since I was not able to have antibiotics 4 hours before he was born, we had to stay in the hospital for 48 so that Karsten could be monitored for possible infection. All was well and we went home on the 18th.