Kelli

Birth Story

By Kelli Powers

          On  a  sunny  Tuesday  evening  of  July  6^th  2010, I  was  twenty years  old.  Lewis, my boyfriend,  drove  us  to  Porter  Hospital  in  Middlebury  at  six pm.  We  went  inside  the  hospital  to  meet  Dr.  David  Turner  in  room  # 241.  While  I  waited  for  Dr.  Turner,  nurse  Wendy  gave  me  a  gown  to  change  into.  She  hooked  a  baby  monitor  to my bursting belly that  would  read  Ryan’s  heart  beat and  keep  track  of  his  movements.  After  I  was  ready,  the doctor  came  in  to  induce  the  labor  by  putting  a  white  string  in  my  vaginal  area.  Then he  went  home.  I remember those who stayed.  The  night  nurse  Wendy  sat  near  my  right  side  all  night.  Lewis  slept  near  my  left  side  in  a  chair. As I listened to Ryan’s heartbeat, it reminded me of a  galloping  horse.     

          The  hospital room  felt  very  homey,  it  was  like  a  comfortable hotel with a  TV,  closet,  bathroom,  bed,  chair,  table. It wasn’t what I imagined for  hospital  room. 

Labor lasted forever, again and again I kept thinking, “This pain is  never  going  to  end”.  Dr.  David  Turner   tried  to  have  me  do  a  natural  delivery.  It didn’t  work  that  way,  something  wasn’t  right.  He  decided  to  do  an  emergency  c- section  for  “the  baby’s  sake”. Those words sounded serious and I heard nurses and doctors sat it over and over.  The nurses  helped get  me  ready  for  surgery. Quickly, I  was   being  wheeled  into  another  room. Excitement, fear and the unknown was right in front of me. After  being  in labor at  least  six hours,  it  was  a  sigh  of  relief. I don’t remember who did it, but a hand came down and put an  oxygen  mask  over  my  mouth. It  was time to relax, time to  put  me  to  sleep.

 I  woke  up  an  hour  later  looking  for  Ryan  and thinking, “Where  is  my  baby?”  I was a bit confused but so ready to see Ryan.  A nurse wheeled me into the room and there he  was,  Lewis  was holding him.   Lewis  carefully handed  Ryan into my arms. ****

            It was such a deep sigh of relief to see him, there was excitement and giddy happiness rushing through my body as I held him for the first time. I  was  so  happy  and  excited  to  finally see Ryan. He   smelled   so  sweet   like  a baby  should.  He was  adorable  and  healthy.  His skin  was  so  soft  like  flower  pedals. But my medical details were not over. The doctor  put  a  catheter  in  me  so  I  could  pee.  What a weird feeling  peeing  in  the  bag. But this was not stranger then having  my  stomach  stapled. 

          We  stayed  at  the  hospital  for  five  days; I  had  to  recover   enough  before  going  home.  On  the  second  day  of  being  in  the  hospital,  Dr.  Turner  took  the  catheter  out. This gave me a kind of freedom to get   out  of  bed,  walk  around  and  go  to  the  bathroom.  A nurse  showed  me  how  to  give  Ryan  a bath  and  swaddle  him.  There was so much to learn but watching and listening and talking to Ryan gave me the best teachings.

           Saturday was the last day in the hospital. I remember this day clearly. I woke up,  took  a  shower  and  got  dressed  while  Lewis  watched  Ryan.  I never lost  focus of Ryan; changing  his  diaper,  dressing him, cuddling with him.  I was  so  ready   to  go  home.  But  not yet. Grandma was excited to see Ryan so we stopped at Lewis’  Mom’s  house  first. I  was ready to get  some  sleep  and  take  care  of  Ryan. I was ready to begin our life with Ryan.