Cate's Birth Story

At about 10:00 am on Saturday, February 4, 2012, I felt a cramp, and I knew immediately that I was going into labor. It was a new pain, but it was just like my body knew what to do. By 12:30 I had showered and curled my hair, as was my plan for labor all along (don't judge me). Chris had been scheduled to work 9-5, but he told his boss, "My wife is going into labor!" and clocked out. My mom tried to talk me into relaxing by watching a movie or just trying to labor at home a little longer, but I said Nope it's time to go.

Smiling in between contractions on the way to the hospital.

Yep I wore a robe and boots to the hospital!

We arrived at the hospital at about 1:00 pm. I was checked out at maternal triage and at 1:45 my water broke spontaneously! It was the strangest feeling. Chris said he was so glad it didn't happen in the car!! They quickly got me into a labor and delivery room and pumped me full of Nubain. I had been vomiting from pain, and the Nubain didn't stop the pain entirely but it made me just loopy enough not to care haha. Within a few minutes they also sent in an anesthesiologist to give me an epidural. I quickly realized the epidural wasn't working on my left side, and the anesthesiologist returned and replaced my epidural line. Again, it had no effect on my left side. At that point my contractions were quite close together. Most of what I remember from that hour is blackness because I just closed my eyes and gritted my teeth through each contraciton and had terrible thoughts like, What kind of crazed lunatic would choose to do this unmedicated?! (Sorry to my dear friends who were brave enough to have natural births. Wow you are incredible.)

At some point during the blackness, my nurse Amy shoved an oxygen mask in my face and said only, "I'll explain in a minute." She called for backup and another nurse arrived. I said, "Why are you here?" She stupidly replied something like, "Amy called me in here. We help each other." I then yelled at her, "No I mean why did she have to call you in here?!" Meanwhile Chris came to my side and smiled at me in an obvious attempt at encouragement but I was still worried. Eventually I learned that Baby's heart rate had been low, in the 80s, and briefly dropped to 40. By the time I found out what had happened, everything was back to normal. After that hiccup it was "out of the question" to have another try at placing my epidural.

Before I knew it, it was 6:00 pm and time to push. After 45 minutes I felt completely drained and knew the only way to end it was to keep pushing. Chris and I were told in birthing class that at this point of labor, women go one of two ways- they either get very determined or very discouraged. I really thought I was the determined type. Well it turns out I'm the cry-and-beg-not-to-go-on type. Hmm. Well between Chris's face genuinely lighting up at the sight of baby's head and my mom yelling something like, "Get mad! Get mad and push!!" I got the last bit of umph I needed to get Baby out. It was 7:02 pm.

She was covered in meconium, but since they'd seen it when my water broke the NICU team was ready and waiting to clean Baby up when she was born. I couldn't even sit up to see her, but I did catch a glimpse of her tiny foot as they suctioned her on the foot of my bed. Chris bravely cut the cord, and the NICU team whisked Baby across the room and worked on her for an excruciating 15 minutes. Chris could watch them as they worked on her and cleaned her, but I had to be stitched up and wasn't about to hop out of bed anyway. It killed me to wait for her. The trauma and emotion of going through childbirth followed by worry for my child and desperately wanting to be with her and hold her was a lot for my body to handle. I asked Chris to take a picture of her and bring it to me. He did, and I just sobbed uncontrollably. She was so beautiful.

What happened in the next 30 minutes is a blur, but I eventually had Baby in my arms. She was perfect and so calm. I really didn't know newborn babies could be so relaxed immediately after birth.

Beyond exhausted after 9 hours of labor including lots of vomiting and pushing and crying! But never happier.

Love my little girl.

Daddy and daughter. Such joy.

Chris and I were given some time alone after Baby passed her tests. We needed to choose a name! I told Chris I really wanted to name our daughter after my sister, Erin. Erin had pointed out a few months ago that the name Catherine has a secret Erin in it: CathERINe. Loved it. Chris thought Catie Coonradt was the cutest name he'd ever heard, and I've always thought Cate was a very chic and elegant name. We picked Elaine for her middle name. My paternal grandmother is Norma Elaine. Elaine also is a derivative of Helen, which is Chris's paternal grandmother's first name, and my maternal grandmother is Dorothy Helen. So we settled on Catherine Elaine Coonradt and couldn't wait to introduce our Baby Cate.

My mom, aka "Nan" had been with us through the entire delivery, which was very special to us. We video chatted with my dad, aka "Granddad," who was with my sister, Auntie Erin and Uncle David-- Cate is their first ever niece- just wonderful. We also made video calls to Chris's parents, aka "Nana" and "Papa," Uncle John and Auntie Liz, and Auntie Lolo, who just cried as soon as she saw Cate's precious face.

Nan and Cate

Then Great Gramma Dot, aka "GG," and Cate's other great grandparents, Grammy and Grampy, and Great Aunt Becky and Great Uncle Todd came to visit in person!! It was a perfect night.

Giving birth was the most difficult thing I have ever done, but WOW what a payoff. Chris and I could not be happier. Cate is so beautiful and calm and delightful. She is a good eater, a good sleeper, and so far we have been able to communicate well with her. We can't wait to really share our whole lives with her. We are so grateful to be sealed to this precious angel forever. We have never felt the peace of our eternal marriage as overwhelmingly as we have even in our first day with Cate.

Catherine Elaine Coonradt

Born February 4, 2012

7:02 pm, 7 lbs 11 oz, 20 1/2 in