Birth Story 4(Smantha & Kaydence & Bryson)

As you all know, yesterday was LABOR DAY and this is "Empowered Birth Awareness Week". So, in honor of that, we present "BIRTH STORY WEEK" here at The Mom: Informed.  Remember, some of these are happy, some are sad, some are typical and some are intense. Please use tact when commenting. 








Hi, My name is Samantha Felger.  I am the mother of a beautiful 23 month old little girl Kaydence, and a handsome 4 month old little boy Bryson. Let's begin with the birth of my oldest!


I was given an EDD of September 29 2009, which happens to be my mother's birthday.  I should also add that my father's birthday is September 27th.  When I was told my EDD I had a strong feeling that my baby would be born on the 28th, smack dab in the middle of my parents' birthdays.  I was certain that I was going to have a boy but my ultrasound at 20 weeks said otherwise.  Either way I was thrilled to be having my first child.  As my EDD got closer and closer I became more and more nervous, thinking this baby would never come out!  On September 27th 2009, my parents came over to drop off a couch and I said happy birthday to my father.  Later that day my fiance's father took us out to eat dinner (I had steak, ribs, a baked potato, and steamed broccoli...I was STARVING!! haha).  Within a half an hour of my fiance's father leaving I felt my first contraction except I wasn't entirely sure that was what it was so I just decided to lay in bed and relax the best I could.  This was about 8:30 P.M. I took a hot shower and continued to time my contractions until they were 5 minutes which was about 2:00 A.M. on September 28th.  I might have my baby exactly when I knew she would come!  We decided to go to the hospital.  We checked in at triage and were taken into a room quite quickly.  The doctor checked to see how dilated I was: 5cm!  I was excited but I still had a bit to go.  They called my doctor, who was out of town and unable to make it.  It was disappointed but knew I was in capable hands.  I was given and IV for antibiotics because I was sick, and I did get something later to take the "edge" off.  I felt like I was in triage forever!  The doctor busy delivering another baby and there were complications with that delivery.  By the time the doctor had come back to check me it was 5 A.M. and I was now 7cm.  In the short time it took them to transfer me down the hall to labor and delivery I had progressed to 9cm!!  It was almost time! My fiance, who was beside me the whole time, went into the hall to call his parents (who lived 2 hours away) so that they could drive up to be here after the baby came.  He called my parents as well only to hear my mother say to call her back when the baby was actually born.  She was in labor for days with me and was not convinced the baby was coming right that second.  An hour passed and I was finally 10cm and ready to push!  After a few pushed my water broke (which is a pretty odd feeling I must say).  I pushed and pushed but the baby just wouldn't come down farther into the birth canal.  I gave up on laying down and squatted.  I kept saying "I can't do this" even though I knew I could.  Within minutes she was crowning.  I lied back down and after pushing for a mere 45 minutes her head was out and with one more push at 7:04 A.M. on September 28th 2009 Kaydence Joy MacArthur was born: 7lbs. 14oz., 20 1/2 in. long.  She didn't cry right away but within seconds she let out a wail.  They put her right on my chest and I was in awe.  She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.  She was born so quickly after I had gotten my IV that she may not have gotten the antibiotics and I never felt the effects of the medication to take the "edge" off.  I only snapped at my fiance once when I told him to shut up (he was telling me how great I was doing).  He called my parents back and my mother was shocked that her first grandchild was born already!  I felt every part of the birth and wouldn't have it any other way. 

My son was a completely different experience.  I was given an EDD of May 4, 2011 but I guessed he would come April 24th.  I was carrying very very differently this time, so I anticipated a boy and TADA, the ultrasound confirmed my suspicion!  Well I was not as nervous with this birth since I had been through it before.  We were living with my parents at this time to save money to buy a house.  Well, April 24th came and went and still no baby.  I was as anxious as ever!  April 26th came and my fiance headed to work early to drop off some paperwork beforehand.  Not long after he left, around 1:00 P.M. I went to the bathroom and noticed a bloody discharge in the toilet.  My mucus plug had dropped!!!  I called the doctor to see if she wanted me to go to the hospital.  She asked if I had felt any contractions.  I actually had to think about it because I was so excited that my mucus plug had dropped that I wasn't really paying attention to anything else.  I was pretty sure that I felt a contraction when my mucus plug dropped but had not felt one since then (it had only been about 15 minutes).  She decided I should wait until my contractions were closer together.  She also informed me that she was leaving to get on a plane and would be gone all weekend.  She was going to miss this birth too!  I came to realize that as long as my birth plan was implemented and the baby came out healthy I did not care who delivered him.  I text my fiance to let him know what was happening but not to come home yet and that we had some time.  My mother didn't think I had time.  Her thought was that my labor with my daughter was less than 11 hours and that this baby was going to just fall out!  Within an hour my contractions were 5 minutes apart and I text my fiance to come home now!  My mother was going to watch our daughter and bring her in to meet her brother after he was born (she knew that there was a baby in mommy's belly and he was going to come out and say hello today).  My fiance said traffic was horrible and he did not show up to the house until about 3:30 P.M. that day.  We headed to the hospital and waited in triage for what seemed like forever.  When I was finally put in a room the doctor checked me and I was 7cm dilated already!!  This little boy wanted out!  The doctor went to get the paperwork for me to fill out and checked me again before transferring me over to the delivery room.  And just like that I was 9cm!!  It was about 5:00 P.M. My fiance made some phone calls just like last time.  Soon I was ready to push.  After the first or second push, my water broke.  I was pushing for about 15 minutes when we (the doctor, my fiance, and myself) noticed my baby's heart rate had dropped significantly.  Then and only then did they give me an IV (which turned out to be useless because he was born less than 15 minute later) and an oxygen mask.  I felt like I couldn't breathe.  Something was wrong!  Soon his head was out and as soon as it was he was screaming.  This kid has some lungs!  With another push at 5:51 P.M. on April 26, 2011 Bryson William MacArthur was born, 7lbs. 13oz., 20in. long.  He was put on my chest immediately and I was informed that not only was the cord around his neck (which happens quite often), there was an extremely tight knot in his cord!  They said most babies that they see with cords knotted that tight do not make it!  I never knew something so small could be that strong but my son was a fighter!  I wasn't sure if I could love another baby as much as I love my daughter but my son proved it to be possible.  And while he didn't exactly fall out, he was born quite quickly: less then 5 hours of labor.