A.K.K| A birth story | <3

Like every other mom out there, I remember the day we welcomed Asher into our lives like it was yesterday, even though in reality, it was two years ago. How could I not? I was looking through his “birth”day photos and remembering that day. And remembering that the best moments in my life were the days I met my babies for the first time.  I could have that experience over and over and not ever get tired of it. If the raising them part was not so challenging, I’d have a hundred more. It is the best.

I wasn’t blogging when I had Asher, and started after his birthday last year, so I don’t  think I’ve gotten his birth story down on paper.
So I don’t forget-
I had an appointment early in the morning the day I went into labor, I was in early labor at that time. I was a four cm(I think) and 80+ percent effaced at the appointment this morning. This day was about a week before my due date. Depending on which on you go by…I had several. It was odd to see how my body was preparing it’s self days out(I know it prepares it self out months out in most pregnancies) But I mean, outward physical signs. Like I was really nauseated two day before, stuff like that. With the other boys labor started from a full stop.

They whole day was uncomfortable. Lots of pressure, lots of contractions, too many to rest, and not enough to go in. So I did what any good mom would do and cleaned everything one last time. I carried out all my normal stuff including getting Keegan from school. If I had not been where I was living (with these specific hospital procedures) there is no way I would have labored that long at home(unless I choose that). I would have gone it, most likely, because I’m impatient. And well, because I knew we were going to have to cross a flight line with the possibility of getting stop for awhile waiting for a plane to land. Also I was going to have to call someone to come over and watch the boys, and well…day time hours are just easier.

But no, day turned into night, Greg went to sleep, the boys went to sleep, but I was too uncomfortable. Every time a closed my eyes a contraction came. So I sat online, chatted with a friend. And tracked my contractions with a contraction tracker. That was a first for me. No need for that in the past. Induction for number one, water broke for number two, and any other hospital would have taken me in the state I was in. But I was not about to get sent home.

Finally before midnight they were three-five minutes. I called my friend who so graciously swooped her baby out of bed and came to my house---at midnight! I will never forget that sacrifice. It means so much to me that she would do that for me. I woke up Greg who for the first time in labor history I wanted to slap him. Because he had been sleeping and was disoriented, and wasn’t taking this as serious as I wanted because he thought he was a pro. Basically, I was one edge because I was in so much pain, and terrified of getting sent home, and having to turn right around and go back. Because I knew I was in real labor, but I knew the trend at Yokota is to send moms home so they can go into labor on their return trips, in cars, elevator, the like.

But we made it, I was contracting every two – four minutes, I was completely thinned out, I was still four. So they mentioned sending me home.  I could barely walk at this point, and they said I had to wait an hour before they would decide. Because they didn’t want to call the doc for nothing. This means and hour without calling blood work, the anesthesiologist, etc. That means on my third baby there would be no time to get that stuff once they decided if the would actually keep me.

Within that hour I went into full-blown violent labor including the worst shakes of my life, my water breaking, and vomiting(I know tmi), that part wouldn’t have happened if they wouldn’t have given me the foul tasting drink for reflux. Will you keep me yet? Oh yay, they are going to keep me. Now we can order the epidural. The worst anestigologist comes in rants off all of the risk. I would have though he was going to try to paralyze me for life because I made him come in at three a.m. Welll soooo-rrrrrrrey.

Once it was in, I mean, right when it was in  he was crowning. I had to push. I could feel it but it was fine, because I hadn’t had Pitocin and this is what our bodies are supposed to do. I am so happy I did have to wait for real labor, and that had a Pitocin free birth. I was surprised at how tolerable it felt. I was surprised, until my worst fear from watching Discovery Heath came true. Asher head was out. Completely out. And that is all. Pushing has always been easy for me, and pushing was doing nothing. At this point there aren’t a lot of options. The baby can’t go  back in , you can’t do a C-section at this point. Some babies collar bones break, which is a good scenario compared to death. Sometimes the doctors have to break them to get them out.



I don’t know how long he was stuck like this, but its seemed like the longest minutes, it felt more like hours. I will never forget the silence in the room, how the doctor looked my right in the eye and told me what to do. Its almost so awful I want to delete this and not recount this event. And this point I was wishing I had an epidural, one that had long enough to take.  Plan B Two nurses practically jumping on me, pushing so hard on my stomach to avoid pressure pulling on his neck. I can live without that again. They got him out safe, and showed me, they might have laid him on me for a brief second, but they had to take him faster than the other boys to check him. I didn’t care that they had to take him, as long as he was fine. But I did want to see his face. And it seems like they had him a long time.


I can’t be thankful enough to God, to my doctors good direction, fast thinking and experience, in a situation that could have resulted in losing our baby. Oh and our nurse. I will never forget. Even when I was calling to try decide about coming in, when I expected to me treated like a problem , and a big dummy, she was so kind. And that means a lot.

He was here at 3:42 a.m. And our lives haven’t been the same since. The brother came to visit first thing.  He was 8 lbs. 11 oz. and broad chested which explains the shoulder-dystocia. He was Asian. No Eskimo? a sumo wrestler. He looked huge, he had rolls, and no, he wasn’t just swollen. He was a rolly polly, sumo wrestler, lump of love. Olive skin, dark hair, pouty lips and kissable cheeks.

We were and are so blessed to have Asher Kai complete our family on November 6th, 2009. Thank you God for giving us this this boy. Our lives wouldn’t be nearly as full of joy without him.