YAY! This last Saturday (Cinco de Mayo) at 7:39 PM, I became a father to a beautiful, healthy little girl, Kaylee Madigan Folts. She was 7 lbs 4 oz. and 19.5 inches long. Contractions started during the Avenger’s movie on Friday night around 9:30, and got more and more frequent and intense. By 12:00 I had called the doctor, as they were getting closer and closer together. By 2:00, we were loading up the car to head to the hospital.
Once we got to the hospital, Christine’s contractions had died down, she felt we were going to be sent home, but boy was she wrong! We were admitted, and eventually they Dr. confirmed that her water had broken and that she was 3cm dilated! It turned out later, it was only leaking, but enough to relieve some of the pain, and they think that is what caused the contractions to die down. Anyway, we were brought to a delivery room at about 4:30, where Christine was prepped. By 6:30 she was in enough pain for an epidural. Christine’s mom and sister were on their way up from Connecticut at this point, and were expected by 7:30 AM.
Well, 7:30 AM rolls around, and we get a call from Alison (Christine’s sister), and she informs us that they were in a car accident literally at the very last stop light pulling into the hospital. This intersection happened to be on the city lines of Boston and Brookline, and be on a state road. So, after figuring out whose jurisdiction it was, they talked to the Police, and a tow truck came and took their car. Finally, at around 9 AM they made it to the room and which gave me the opportunity to relax a little, as I knew there was more people to help.
At around 10:30, Christine’s epidural stopped working, and the pain was even more intense than before, as they had given her medication to help with the contractions. Turns out, that the epidural was able to work its way 4 to 5cm further than it was originally intended. The reason for this seems to have been that during the first procedure, Christine got light headed so the Dr. let her lay down before applying enough tape to be sure it would not slip. Luckily, it slipped further in, as they could simply adjust it and reapply tape (more thoroughly this time). Then the pain went away.
The rest of the day was pretty much sit and wait. The Dr. checked her progress around 2:45, at which point she was only 4cm, so the Dr. investigated further and determined that the water was still (partially) intact. At 3:30ish, they properly broke the water, and again we waited.
Eventually, the Dr. decides that enough time had passed and went to check how things were progressing. “Hmmmm” she says with a big smile, followed by “You’re 10cm dilated.” This is when my adrenaline peaked higher than it has ever ever ever been before. To the point where I had to sit down. All I could think is “Wow, this is about to happen.”
While I was freaking out, I tried (pretty miserably) to play it cool and make Christine not worry. Christine’s mom was calling Alison, as she had left to get some dinner with her dad. Turns out, they had just sat down, and she was just served a large margarita (which was very appropriate for Cinco de Mayo). From her accounts, she downed the whole thing while she was standing up, and then she sprinted back to the hospital.
Luckily, the Dr. had kindly asked Christine to hold off on pushing, as 3 other people were in the process of delivering at that exact same time. That super moon seemed to put everyone in labor, to the point where nurses were working double shifts.
Finally, at around 5:45, we were told she could start pushing. I was taught the count, and away we went. I counted and counted and counted… to the point I was sick of my own hypnotic voice. “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 <with a downward stress>, 10 <with and upward stress>”. At one point, I felt like I was speeding up the count as to help out Christine, turns out the nurse agreed and helped me find my pace again.
The top of the head became visible about an hour into the battle, 15 minutes after that, Kaylee decided it was a good time to get the hiccups… right there in the birth canal. With ever hiccup, you could see her little head jump. It was hilarious!
Pushing continued, and so did my counting… until finally one last big push at 7:39 PM, and there she was. My daughter! I cut the umbilical cord (something I was unsure I could do without passing out, as I almost passed out when I saw Jesse cut Ashlyn’s during her delivery), and then Kaylee was placed onto Christine’s chest.
Welcome to the world Kaylee! You have made me the happiest man ever! Can’t wait to see you grow up and to experience all these new things that we will get to share!
