Kalika and Sophia's Birth Story

Written by: Kalika Erickson
This is her first child

I had my 40 week appointment a few days before I was actually 40 weeks pregnant (my due date was July 15) and my cervix was completely closed and thick.

I was devastated when my doctor told me that because by that point I was so ready to be done being pregnant. 

I walked every night, ate spicy food, took evening primrose tablets, and tried some other things. I considered induction at first but decided to give the baby one more week. I’m so glad I did that now because on the morning of July 14, at about 4 a.m., I woke up in the night with the feeling of having to pee extremely badly. I peed and then couldn’t go back to sleep because I was feeling a weird pain. It didn’t really hurt but it felt strange. It went away after a few minutes and I went back to sleep.

At about 7:30 when my husband was leaving for work I felt the pain again. I told him to make sure he had his phone on him (because he never does) because I just had a feeling that something was going to happen. This part of the story is a little gross, so just bear with me. The morning was going along as normal until I had to go to the bathroom. I went to the bathroom and noticed something that looked like phlegm in the toilet. I called my mom and asked her and she said from what I described that it sounded like my mucous plug. By this time I was having noticeable contractions but I refused to believe that anything was happening. I went for a walk around the block, which got things moving more, but after I got home things slowed down. I continued to just go about my day and started timing the contractions. My mom came over for a while and made me lunch and my contractions still weren’t terrible. Jeff came home and we continued to time them. I decided that I needed to walk but it was dark outside so we drove to town (we live about 12 miles from the town where the hospital is) and walked around Wal-mart. Then, I convinced Jeff that I needed A & W food. I didn’t know it at the time but it was a horrible idea. So, I ate my A & W and as I was eating I called Labor and Delivery and told them that my contractions were 5 – 7 minutes apart. They told me to wait until they were 3 – 5 minutes apart until I came in. I decided to just go home for a while because I didn’t feel like walking anymore. We went home and my husband (Jeff) tried to get some sleep. I tried to also but the contractions were getting pretty painful by then. I went into our basement to give Jeff some quiet and worked through the contractions by myself for a while.

At about midnight I decided it was time to go to the hospital. We drove and I had quite a few contractions on the way there. Jeff missed the first turn to the hospital and I was so mad!

Anyway, we got there and got checked in and went into the first room. I was only dilated to a 1 so they gave me the option of staying or going home and waiting a while. Since we live far away I decided to just stay. I walked and worked through the contractions for a while. I don’t even remember what time my doctor decided to break my water but it must have been around 7 a.m. because it was just getting light outside and I remember that it was a normal time for a doctor to be getting to work. She broke my water and it was the most disgusting feeling I’ve ever felt in my life. I proceeded to barf up my A & W (told you it was a bad idea!) and I just felt awful. My contractions were getting worse and worse so I decided to get into the tub. That helped for a while. Now, I’m telling all here so once again you’ll have to bear with me. I had to get out because I had to poop. This was a relief since one of my biggest fears was pooping when I pushed. So, I pooped. That was a great feeling, haha! Then things really started getting bad.

I hadn’t slept in two nights and was really starting to get exhausted. 

At about 11 a.m. I was checked and was at 4 centimeters. I remember thinking “4 cm and I’m this exhausted? I’ve been doing this for so long. I can’t do it anymore.”

I told myself I wouldn’t get the epidural. But by this point I was just so tired. The pain was still bearable but it was the exhaustion that did me in. My mom kept telling me “no” about the epidural. I wanted to punch her. I almost did. She stopped the anesthesiologist in the hallway and asked him a billion questions before she’d let him in the room. Finally he came in and gave me what I needed. I got almost instant relief and was able to sleep. I slept for a while until the nurses decided I needed pitocin.

I didn’t want it but they convinced me that it was needed. 

Finally at about 8 p.m. it was time to push. I asked the doctor to back my epidural off so I could let my body tell me when to push and he looked at me like I was crazy. I think he did though, because I definitely felt my contractions while pushing and I knew when to push. They didn’t have to tell me. I pushed and pushed and pooped (even after I thought I’d taken care of that!) and pushed some more. I wanted apple juice so badly but nobody would give me any. Honestly, that’s all I thought about the entire time I was pushing. The ice chips just weren’t doing it for me.

At about 10:15, after more than 2 hours of pushing, my doctor decided to get out the vacuum. At 10:18 on July 15 (her due date) after two contractions with the help of the vacuum my beautiful little girl was born.

I looked at her and was overcome with emotion. I didn’t know it was possible for something to be so beautiful and to be so in love with somebody I had just met. 

I cried and laughed and hugged Jeff and then I chugged my apple juice. I delivered the placenta and they took Sophia away to check her vitals. They brought her back to me and I nursed for the first time. She was a pro!

The minute labor was over and my baby was in my arms I forgot it all. It was the most beautiful moment I have every experienced.