KENDRICK'S BIRTH STORY

I started getting high blood pressure and feeling really sick (dizzy, headaches, blurred vision, exhaustion) at 36 weeks, which led my midwife to keep a closer eye on me since I had been on baby Aspirin my entire pregnancy to prevent hypertension and said symptoms. On my 36w+4d midwife appointment on August 29th, my blood pressure was higher than usual, so my midwife ordered bloodwork. The results came back showing similar levels of elevated liver enzymes, so she ordered more blood work and an ultrasound. I went in for more bloodwork on August 31st and those results came back slightly more elevated than the previous, so she suggested we consult an OB at the Red Deer Hospital. At this point, I had already called SOS on my family to come and help, and since my parents had just gotten back from Utah, they couldn’t come right away, so Jan stepped in to help. She came on August 31st after work so she could help out the next day.

​On September 1st, Jan drove me and came with me to my ultrasound in the morning, while Mitchell handled Jackson and Naomi for lunch and quiet time, and she stayed with Jackson while Mitchell, Naomi and I went to the OB consult in the afternoon. The OB on-call that day was Dr. Wiebe, who was the doctor that delivered Jackson and the OB that I was transferred to at the end of my pregnancy with Naomi. Between my midwife Jenn, Dr. Wiebe, and Mitchell and myself, we all agreed on getting an induction sooner than later to prevent me from getting sicker than I am now (blood-pressure-wise) and risk not having another natural delivery, let alone water delivery, like I intended to - especially since baby is already full-term. Now the question is, WHEN do I get induced? I didn’t want to get induced the next day since that was my dad’s birthday and I was really hoping to push the induction to September 7th, so baby and his/her Ate (Naomi) can share a birthday day (ie the 7th of the month, since Mitchell, Jackson and myself were all born on the 20th).. BUT I didn’t want to risk pushing the induction date too far out and end up getting really sick in the waiting and having my birth plans get more shaken up than it already was.

Ultrasound at 37 weeks. Taken by Jan.

OB Consult at Red Deer Hospital with Daddy and Naomi

My parents and brother-in-law came that evening. On September 2nd, my family took Jackson and Naomi to the Dinos Centre in Innisfail for the morning so Mitchell and I could finish prepping for baby’s arrival as efficiently as we could before I get induced the next day. We went to Barkada Grill for dinner to celebrate my dad’s birthday (also that day), and Mitchell and Jackson picked a strawberry New York cheesecake ice cream cake from DQ for my dad. I remember taking a video of my belly while Naomi and I waited for the boys, and I remember documenting my belly just in case this was my last pregnancy. Before Jan and Ephraim left for the night, we all sang happy birthday to my dad, had some cheesecake, and prayed for myself and baby. That night, when the kids were down and Mitchell and I were getting ready for bed, I took a few more photos of my belly while Mitchell was doing our finances for the week.

Final selfie with a very pregnant belly (at 37 weeks)

Taking a final side-profile photo of my belly while Mitchell does finances in the back

​September 3rd. Induction Day. We were scheduled to go to the Labour & Delivery for a Non-Stress Test at 7:30 AM and then meet with Dr. Wiebe for an induction around 8 AM. Mitchell and I woke up extra early to leave before the kids woke up, said goodbye to my parents, and took the Honda Fit to first get muffins and coffee at Timmies before heading to the hospital. Walking into the L&D Unit brought back so many memories both from Jackson’s and Naomi’s birth, which really wasn’t that long ago. We also ran into Dr. Nechifor, who was my prenatal doctor with Jackson and Naomi, and I think she was quite surprised to see me very pregnant and not under her care. I briefly mentioned to her that I was with a midwife this time around, but that my blood pressure started elevating at the 36-week mark, much like it did with Jackson. I also mentioned that I didn’t know baby’s gender, but seeing as my symptoms were like Jackson’s, it leads me to think that baby is a boy. Then she said that scientifically, there is nothing that says that baby’s gender can cause the mother’s blood pressure to get elevated.

Another fun fact about that day - I finally got to meet Mel, the charge nurse on shift while I was in labour with Naomi + follower on Instagram who messaged me shortly after Jackson’s birth. After meeting Mel, I was triaged and prepped for an NST by nurse Heidi. During the NST, nurse Heidi was telling us that we may have to wait a while until a room and a nurse opens up for me, since there aren’t any available at the moment. Jenn joined us shortly after, and from there I find out that there’s a room and a nurse ready for me! We quickly moved into the room to get settled, where Keshia, my doula (and friend at this time), met us with Starbucks for everyone!  ​

Induction day POV - a box of times muffins, hospital bag, and water birthing kit

Jenn worked on preparing the Pitocin for the induction, and while she was doing so, I quickly remembered that Mitchell and I forgot to bring THE COMB that I’ve brought to and used with every single delivery. I was hesitant about sending him home to grab it at first, fearing that things would progress quickly and that he’ll miss everything, but I ended up sending him back home to grab it. I remember Jenn taking a few tries to get the needle/vein positioning right, but of course she eventually got it. Once the IV was in place, Jenn broke my water and shortly after I started feeling the contractions kick in. Once Mitchell was back at the hospital, it didn’t take very long for the contractions to feel familiar. Of course they’re nothing I’ve never felt before, and although I had less time to practice my breathing, my body remembered it very well and before I knew it, I was breathing in for 4 counts and breathing out for 8 counts. We kept on with our conversations (about post-secondary education and student loans lol), and shortly after I started feeling the contractions get stronger. I then asked to go on the exercise ball with Keshia giving me hip squeezes. After about 10-15 minutes, I asked to go to the hospital tub. We had purchased the water birthing kit in hopes that I would deliver in the birthing pool, but the room that was dedicated for the pool was occupied and Jenn wasn’t sure if the timing was going to workout with us moving to that room. Nonetheless, I wanted to be in the water one way or another.

​I laboured in the tub for about 5 hours, changing positions from lying down to kneeling to squatting; and also taking pee breaks. Keshia and Mitchell stayed in the tub room with me the entire time, while Jenn checked baby’s heart rate every so often. I remember asking Jenn every time she came in, what my chances are of being able to use the birthing kit/birthing room, and I also remember hearing the other mama labouring in that room groan and scream so loudly. At one point, Keshia was even like, “You are so calm, Gian. Most moms I have worked with sound like that throughout their entire labour.” Of course, being the over-achiever that I am, that statement gave me a confidence boost and helped me deal with the pain without any medication.

At some point in the 5 hours that I was in the tub, my contractions started getting much stronger and closer together, and based on Jenn’s Doppler positioning, and the depth of my groans. I can also tell that baby has descended quite a bit and that we’re getting closer to meeting baby. At this point, I was also passing soooo much gas. Like it felt like I was farting every minute. Keshia said that it was all a good sign as it is my body making space for baby’s descent. I remember asking Jenn one more time if there’s a chance I’ll be giving birth in the birthing room (as opposed to the tub room that I’m currently in) and she said that based on how slowly the other mama’s labour is going, that I won’t be able to give birth there. I asked what my options were, seeing that I really wanted to give birth in the water. She said that she could advise me to move back to the room right before pushing, just in case baby needed urgent care (it would be easier to give both mama and baby urgent care in the room vs having to take me out of the tub and wheel us back to the room), but that overall I could refuse her advise and demand to stay in the tub. Being that I really wanted a water birth and that this COULD be my last birth, I demanded to stay in the tub. After I told Jenn that I refuse to leave the tub and want to give birth in the tub, she left the room to talk with the charge nurse, Mel. When I started feeling like I needed to push, I told both Keshia and Mitchell that I’m getting the urge to push, but that I wasn’t sure if I should start pushing because I’m not used to not being told when to push/not to push.

When Jenn got back to the room, I asked her if I should/could start pushing, and her response was, “Sure, if you feel like you need to.” I remember being so confused and having to pause mid-contraction to really think about whether I should start pushing or not. When I finally decided that I should start pushing, I went on my knees, knees apart, facing perpendicular to the tub, and I started pushing. Keshia was giving me hip squeezes and I was holding onto, and squeezing, Mitchell’s hand with every push. However all I could feel come out was loose stool. Even with all the pain, I was aware enough to know that I was passing stool, and even aware enough to be ashamed of it. All I could hear in the back was someone scooping the stool and dropping and flushing it in the toilet. After a few failed pushes, I felt like my legs were falling asleep so I moved my right leg out (like in a proposal position) and pushed some more. Again, more stool came out. And then I asked to rotate so that I was facing the faucet (but still on one knee), and before I could start pushing, Jenn reminded me to take a deep breath and breathe the baby out. At that instant, I remembered how to push properly (and breathe baby out), instead of just pushing (stool out). I could still hear someone scooping and dropping poop in the background, but I was so honed in on my breathing and pushing, that once I started feeling the ring of fire, I heard Jenn say, “I can feel the head! Take another deep breath and breathe baby out!”. With one final push, Jenn guides my hands in between my legs to catch baby, and out baby’s head comes! After one more push, the rest of baby’s body came out like flubber and I caught him with my own bare hands as he swam in between my legs! It was so surreal to feel baby’s whole body “blob” out of me, for lack of a better term, especially since I didn’t feel Jackson or Naomi’s body come out of me in the same way! Mitchell, Keshia and Jenn all guided me, as I was holding baby, to lay back on the tub. I laid baby on my chest and someone put a towel over his little body, and shortly after I was settled, I gave Mitchell the go signal to find out baby’s gender. He lifted the towel off of baby’s back, while I held baby up, after which he revealed, “It IS a boy!” Everyone in the room cheered, esp me, because I kept telling everyone that I had a feeling that baby is a boy based solely on my symptoms, and I was right!

Moments just after I pushed baby out and moments just before we found out the gender!

Mitchell and I decided that if baby was a girl, he would have the final say on baby’s name; and that if baby was a boy, I would have the final say on baby’s name. And since baby was a boy, I decided on the name Kendrick Gio Graza Lee.

After being wheeled back to the delivery room

Kendrick was born at 37 weeks + 2 days weighing 6 lbs 5 oz (just like his Kuya) and measuring 19.75 inches long. He came out at 5:05 PM on September 3rd, 2023, Mitchell cut the umbilical cord, just like with Jackson and Naomi. We were discharged by my midwife 8:30PM and I can’t even describe how marvellous it felt to be home and to sleep in my own bed, after giving birth to my son.

Just before we were discharged to go home 3 hours after delivery!

KENDRICK GIO GRAZA LEE: THE MEANING BEHIND HIS NAME

KENDRICK means “champion”.
​
GIO. After Giovanni, my dad and his Lolo (Grandpa in Filipino) whose birthday we just celebrated before Kendrick came into our lives!

GRAZA. We want our kids to carry the Filipino tradition of bearing their mother’s maiden last name to honour their Filipino heritage.

LEE. Our last name, our famiLEE name.