Baby's Name
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Kayla Marie
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Date of Birth
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May 11, 2001
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Congratulations to the Proud Parents:
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Barbara and Clint
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And to their Special Surrogate
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Kathie
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Baby's weight
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5 lbs
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Baby's Length
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18 in.
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Proud Surrogate's Comments:
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Doing this surrogacy was the most fulfilling thing I have done in my life, with the exception of the birth of my own children. I wish Barbara and Clint all the love and happiness that their new daughter can bring them. See, dreams do come true!
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Birth Story:
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On the night of May 10, I had an awful time. My husband Patrick spent all night up with me, because of an INSANE backache. I had backaches through most of the pregnancy, but this one took the cake! My wonderful DH rubbed my back off and on all night, and held me when I cried through the pain. Eventually, about 6 am, he called my mother and told her what was going on. My mother’s response? “She’s in LABOR! Get her to the doctor!” Well, I thought this was silly, but I took her advice, and called the Midwife, who said to come to the office about 8 am.
When I got there, and was examined, I was found to be 5 cm. dilated already! Yes, I WAS in labor… BACK labor that is. Heck, this being my 4th baby, I had never had back labor, how was I supposed to know what it felt like? Needless to say, it was far too late for me to get in the car and rush to Georgia, where I was SUPPOSED to have the baby, so my Midwife admitted me to the hospital here.
Labor was going smoothly, and I was coping with the now evident contractions well, but I decided to go ahead and get an epidural, because my 9 year old daughter was going to be there for the labor and delivery, and I didn’t want her to see me suffer too much. The guy who came to give my epidural didn’t do a very good job of it, and I knew it soon as he stuck me. I only felt it in my left hip, and not at all in my right. I was supposed to feel it in BOTH hips. I was right too… the rest of the labor, I felt numb on the left, but felt everything in the right. Well, this was better than nothing, and for the sake of my girl, I made the best of it.
My IP’s made it to the hospital in their mad dash to Jacksonville, in record time, and arrived there about 3 hours after I was admitted (this was with them having to pack last minute, and drive 2 ½ hours!). It started to look like a party was happening in my room when they AND my best friend arrived with her boyfriend!
About 5 hours after being admitted, I was at 7 cm. and holding. My midwife suggested we augment with a bit of pitocin, since everyone was now there (let’s recap: My husband, daughter, best friend w/ boyfriend, both IP’s, Midwife and nurse adds up to 8 people in the room!) and I was complaining about not wanting to be there all night. I agreed, and after another hour I was at 10 cm!
Suddenly everything became surreal…. As if I were dreaming, I watched everyone scramble into position, warmer bed being pushed into the room, instruments being laid out, nurses and midwife scrubbing at the sinks, then getting gloves on.
Mindy, my midwife sits down into the position to catch the baby, calls my daughter, India over to her side to watch, and asks me to push. I looked at my husband, and I am suddenly, for no reason, terrified. He grabs hold of my hand, and tells me that everything is fine, and that he loves me. I am reassured, grip his hand, and PUSH with all my might! OOOOOH boy! Even with the epidural, I FELT that child’s head come through! Mindy tells me to stop pushing, so she could ease Kayla’s head out, without tearing me. I take this chance to lie back, and let my body do this work on it’s own. My body is still pushing a little bit on it’s own, and I felt her head ease out slowly. Next contraction, and I PUSH again as hard as I can, and I felt her shoulder pop out! OMG this HURT!!!!!!! The kid will be a linebacker if mommy lets her play football!
After that, the rest of her slithered out all on her own, and she was BORN! All of a sudden, there is hardly a dry eye in the room, including my own. I am sitting up, looking at her where she lay between my legs, while Mindy is wiping her off, stimulating her to breathe. For a few seconds I felt fear, because she was so tiny, and not breathing.
Finally, she took a breath, and the sweetest, tiny cry came from her! I am crying, my husband is crying, and hugging me with all his might, and my IM is cutting the baby’s cord. The best moment of all came when the midwife handed Kayla to her mommy, and I watched them begin to bond.
I then ask the nurses if there is an empty room for Kayla’s parents to take her to, for their one hour alone, before going to the nursery. I felt this time was special for them, and they deserved to have it alone with her. They are led off to a room, and they begin to clean me up.
NO STITCHES! Mindy announces. I didn’t tear, not even a skid mark! “Wow, you are made for birthin’ babies!” she says, and I puff up with pride. After a while, they bring the baby back to me, for a short visit before going to the nursery for her first bath. They tell me she weighs 5 lbs., is 18 inches long, and breathing VERY well, despite being 5 weeks premature. I am so relieved she is okay. I was scared there would be problems with her being early, but she was fine.
Finally I am ready to go to my room, my husband gives me a huge hug, and tells me how proud he is of me. My daughter climbs on the bed with me, and cuddles up to me for a kiss. When I asked her what she thought of the delivery, she said “It was pretty gross, but cool!” I laughed when she said this, such sweet honesty!
After everyone was gone, and I was in my room, my IP’s came to me and told me how thankful they were for this gift. I feel so proud and happy to have been able to help them finally become parents. This baby girl will be so loved and cherished, she will never want for a thing, this I am sure.
I was given all the time I needed alone with her, and I was discharged from the hospital 18 hours after giving birth. If I had it to do all over again, I would, in an instant!
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