Katie and William are parents now, having welcomed their beautiful baby girl, Aria Jamey on July 7, 2021! From our initial meeting, I got the feeling Katie was mature for her age. She also had a strong desire to do the best for her daughter, embracing the pregnancy as her first responsibility as a mother, and keeping her daughter’s well-being in the forefront of her mind. After all, the fact that Katie got pregnant was a miracle since she had been told by her doctor that it wouldn’t ever happen! So this pregnancy was an extra precious gift. Katie and Will attended an intensive one-on-one class with me in their home to learn all they could about pregnancy and the birth process. They wanted to be sure they were prepared for welcoming their baby girl.

But when Katie noticed reduced movement in the final month of pregnancy that brought her to the hospital twice, she and her providers agreed that it was a prudent decision to induce labor. Better to be safe in that regard since she was just a few days shy of her due date. Katie and William understood that an induction is typically a long and drawn out process, especially when the cervix is not very dilated. Katie’s midwife encouraged her to eat, and after determining cytotec for ripening, the potential for another food break hours later between doses.

At 10:00 pm Katie was dilated 3 cm so her providers felt it was a good time to begin pitocin. She was thankful for a good night’s sleep and a nap that afternoon! Several hours (and several increases to the pitocin level) later, Katie was feeling erratic contractions. But she was feeling them in her back and they were surprisingly painful. She labored in various positions and made use of the birth ball and dilated to 4 cm over the next couple of hours. Her contractions got close and intense quickly, and Katie had a difficult time relaxing and staying focused through the intensity. After back to back contractions, and even some dry heaving, Katie requested an epidural. Her hope was that she would be able to regain her focus and rest up for pushing. However, the epidural was not as straightforward as it usually is, and ended up taking several tries to get the needle placed properly.

Once that was sorted out and Katie’s pain was managed a bit better, her contractions had spaced out and needed some oomph. Pitocin was the plan for intensifying her labor so it was initiated at 11:45 am. And it was incrementally increased until her contractions were more consistent. Katie’s cervix dilated to 6 cm and then her water broke. This was an emotional moment for Katie. Suddenly it all really got real. She would be meeting her baby soon!

Her contractions came on more consistently but they brought with them some nausea as well as hip pain. Katie focused and breathed through them and used her PCA button as necessary for the breakthrough pain. And by 2:30 she was fully dilated! No wonder her sensations were intensifying! Katie’s first push came five minutes later and we could already see the baby’s head. A mirror helped to motivate her along with reaching down and actually feeling her baby’s head. That’s a tried and true inspiration to push well, if you ask me! And ten minutes later the midwife was uncovering the delivery cart. Needless to say Katie pushed very well. Aria was born at 2:51 pm, after just 15 minutes of pushing!

Katie held her daughter close and spoke directly to her about all the people (and pets) who already loved her and couldn’t wait to meet her. “You’re the most perfect thing I’ve ever done,” she said sweetly. Will said, “There is a world of people waiting to meet you.” It was precious to hear the loving words these new parents lavished on their newborn in her first moments. She was born on 7-7 in room 7. How lucky is that?

Katie went about sending pictures of her sweet princess to loved ones and settled into her new role as mother. She took to it well and Will was likewise a doting father from the very start, gazing into his daughter’s eyes, and bragging to his excited mom about how perfect Aria was. There is no doubt this little girl was surrounded in love through and through. And to think there was a time when Katie believed she might have a difficult time getting pregnant. And then she had Aria without trying! What a perfect unexpected gift with a lifetime of joys to come.

The Birth of Aria Jamie 7/7/21