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Sunday, June 12, 2022

Ayker Alexander : Birth Story

This story is not like our others, sweet baby three really wanted to be unique!!


39 Weeks 4 Days - Saturday, June 12, 2021


I was woken up by a gush around 12am, Saturday. There was more where that came from so I was certain my water broke but my contractions were few and far between and not intense. I tried to go back to bed but around 1am I woke up again and told Steve we should head to Fargo. Living 1 hour from the hospital and this being our 3rd baby I really didn’t want the baby to be born in the car. 


Grandma Teresa got to our house a little after 1am and Steve and I headed to Fargo. 


Around 2:30am we got to Essentia and were brought up to 6th floor. The intake process seemed to take forever. When they checked me I was at a 4 but the nurse didn’t feel baby’s head like she wanted to. Immediately I thought baby turned breech and really hoped that was not the case. The on-call midwife came in and did a bedside ultrasound and thankfully baby was still head down, just pretty high up there and tucked into my right side, my contractions had some work to do. 


Finally around 4:30am we got checked into our birthing room, number 612 for a baby that would be born on 6/12 - it seemed fitting!! 

I continued to labor with mild contractions and tried to take a little nap. At 5:12am I texted Dalayna, our birth photographer, that I was at a 5-6 and she could head to the hospital. My midwife thought there was still some water bag that hadn’t broke but I knew once that went, I would go fast. 


And here comes the part of the story that we hadn’t prepared for. 


Around 5:45am my midwife checked me again. The nurse made a comment that baby’s heartbeat was doing opposite of what they’d expect because it was stronger when I was on my back vs my side. 


I was dilated to a 7 but still had some water bag that wasn’t fully broke. I had a contraction while she was checking me and with that, the rest of my bag broke. When all that fluid came out, and there was a lot, she said the 3 words that (unbeknownst to me at the time) no one wants to hear: I feel cord


Now, if you are like me and never researched “cord prolapse” then you might be thinking, just put the cord back in up past baby and baby will come out … hah well that was my thought and ya, that’s not a thing. With every contraction now, baby’s head pinned the cord and cut off oxygen supply. Baby’s heart rate plummeted. 


While my midwife’s hand was still inside me trying to keep baby’s head off of the cord she had me flip onto my hands and knees. I asked her the plan and she calmly explained that the baby’s heart rate was back up now in this position and we would be headed to the OR for an emergency c-section. 


Not. The. Plan. 


I had no time to mourn another beautiful natural delivery - it was time to save our baby. I gave Steve a kiss and we just stared at each other not really knowing what was going on with the blur of codes being called and an influx of people in our room. 


So there we were, me in my bra (yep, that’s it) on my hands and knees with my midwife behind me on the bed with her hand inside, holding baby’s head off of their lifeline - getting rolled down the hallway (with an audience no less) to the OR. 


Since I opt for a natural birth, I wasn’t numb but we were going try and do a spinal when I got into the OR. If they couldn’t get a spinal done, then Steve wouldn’t be able to come into the OR because they would have to put me completely under. Steve was in the OR waiting room getting scrubs on and I was on the OR table while the anesthesiologist was assessing my back. He asked me if I had scoliosis and I said yes slightly, he said I was the 3rd one that night, and I jokingly replied, that was perfect because he knew what he was doing then. In order to do the spinal I had to move from my position on all fours to sit back on my heels - and yes all this time I am still having contractions and my midwife still has her hand in me keeping the head off the cord. 


So, while I was on my knees kind of sitting on my heels I had a contraction but with it, more cord came out, “a whole loop” if I remember my midwife correctly. It was a super fast “you need to roll over - put your right arm under your body” move. They had to put me out. I was praying so hard for me and my baby. Staying calm and doing my best to breath. I got a mask over my face and was getting put to sleep. One of the last things I remember before I slept through our child’s birth was iodine. Haha seriously it was everywhere, I felt like each person in the room had a squeeze bottle of it and was taking turns at squirting my belly!! I squeezed a nurses hand wising it was Steven and then, I was out. 



At 6:14am our sweet third baby was pulled from my stomach, in a room full of life-saving strangers, while I was out and Steven was pacing in another room. Around 6:25am back in our birthing room, Steven was handed our newest son. Ayker Alexander, 9lbs 6oz 21 3/4”. I started coming out of anesthesia and am told I asked a lot of questions multiple times, but around 7:20am I can consciously remember getting to set eyes on the little face I carried around for almost 40 weeks. 






It all happened so fast but I was super calm. I keep waiting for this rush of emotions over the whole thing but I think I’m just so happy we are both alive that I’m okay with how it all went down. This was not the birth story we envisioned but after two beautiful natural births I'm glad we still decided to go with the midwife team at Essentia because the third time isn't always a charm. It really threw it into perspective for me when the on call OB came in the next day and said “now you had a true emergency C-section, sometimes that term is thrown around lightly but yours really was an emergency.”


Photography by the amazing Dalayna McKnight



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Friday, May 10, 2019

Blake Douglas : Birth Story

A sweet little boy was born and made us a family of four. This is the birth story of Blake Douglas!

39 weeks 3 days - Wednesday, March 13, 2019

I had a midwife appointment Wednesday and decided to get checked to see if I was progressing any. I was at "a good stretchy 3", the baby was tucked into my right hip, my belly was measuring 40 weeks and the midwife said with some good contractions I would open right up.

We were forecasted to get the storm of the century and since we are 70 miles from the hospital, as a precaution Steve and I were staying with his sister, Jess.

Wednesday night around 11pm I started to have my bloody show and possible loss of mucus plug along with some noticeable contractions. I went to bed but that was the end of those labor symptoms and I slept through the night with no issues.

39 weeks 4 days - Thursday, March 14, 2019

We stayed warm and cozy at Jess's and that included the baby. We binge watched Game of Thrones and I really didn't have any more signs of labor.

39 weeks 5 days - Friday, March 15, 2019

I woke up at 7:30am to a little jolt and what I thought could have been my water breaking but it was very little fluid so I thought I probably just peed.

Steve and I ran some errands around Fargo as the roads hadn't been opened up yet for us to go back home. Around 2pm we decided to go to the hospital just to make certain my water didn't break.

Swab test came back positive for amniotic fluid so we were admitted and I couldn't even go get my bag from the car. I was feeling great, was dilated to a 4 and contractions (that I hardly noticed) were 3 minutes apart.

Around 3:45pm we were all cozy in our room but not much was happening on the baby front, I was still super content and hadn't had much more come out for amniotic fluid. The midwife checked me at 5:30pm and could still feel some of the bag so she was scratching the baby's head trying to get it to break the rest of the way and ... break. it. did. Now it was go time!! I seriously wish I would have had a video of the water coming out because I felt like a fire hydrant haha it is a feeling that is unexplainable.

This time around I tested negative for Group B Strep so I didn't have to be hooked up to anything. They did give me an IV just incase something were to go wrong and they needed to give me meds, it was there. I labored naturally sitting on the bed and then laying on my stomach over the peanut ball. I did all this without pain and just kept talking with God and praying over my body singing along to Fear is a Liar. I let my contractions do their job!




At 7:45pm I was at 8cm. At some point I remember being on the peanut ball and I asked if there was a head there because I felt a lot of pressure - the midwife hopped up to come check and sure enough it was time. That is one of the main reasons I love the midwife team is they let you do your thing, and also a reason I'd like to try home birth if we have another! I turned around to use the birthing bar because that worked so well with Quinn but we couldn't get the bed to drop down far enough for me to get into a squatting position. So around 8:30pm one nurse grabbed one leg and Steve grabbed the other - 3 good pushes and we welcomed our son at 8:46pm.







This was another wonderful pregnancy, labor & delivery and I thank God for this experience (recommend the book Supernatural Childbirth to anyone trying to get pregnant).
I'm still a little shocked we have a son - what a wonderful addition to our family he has been!!

8 lbs 10 oz 20.25 in
Family of Four



Photography by our wonderful friend and photographer Dalayna


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Sunday, March 10, 2019

Growing Baby Rote2: 39 Weeks

How far along: 39 weeks

I’m feeling: really good and excited for baby but trying to soak up every ounce of Q that I can!

Total weight gain: 32 lbs

Baby Rote’s size: about the size of a honeydew melon {19-21 in, 7-8 lbs}

This week: We had a good midwife appointment on Wednesday and despite pending bad weather I decided not to get checked this time around - baby measured right on at 38 weeks and heartbeat was 148-150bpm.

I got a little annoyed this week with people thinking I should have my baby, women are supposed to go to 40 weeks for a reason and that is my intention!! So, I am fully preparing myself for another week of constant "oh you're still here" comments.

Got a little head cold the start of this week but made sure to really doctor up with oils and felt great at the end of the week.

We survived another winter storm this weekend and feel like we are overdue for Spring ... but more pending rain/snow forecasted this week.

I finally packed my hospital bag and washed baby clothes so now it won't be a mad dash when baby does decide to come. I will say I am way more calm this time around and I don't think I was that high strung the first time but there is a lot more uncertainty that first time around.

Maternity clothes: bought a new pumping/nursing bra so I'm excited to get that

Sleep: more middle of the night bathroom breaks but otherwise still good sleep

Best moment this week: pamper day on Wednesday. Baby appointment, Nails done, Massage, Bangs trimmed!!

Movement: still a lot of good movement

Food cravings: nothing

Food aversions: nothing

Belly button in or out: flat/out

Looking forward to: Spring and this weeks baby appointment





39 weeks with Quinn
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Sunday, March 3, 2019

Growing Baby Rote2: 38 Weeks

How far along: 38 weeks

I’m feeling: Good and ready for baby

Total weight gain: 32 lbs

Baby Rote’s size: about the size of a mini watermelon (19-20 in, 7 lbs)

This week: Was good and fast. My group B Strep test was negative so that was exciting news since last pregnancy it was positive, not that it was a huge deal but I plan to have a natural birth again so hopefully this time I won't need an IV.
Midwife appointment was good, she thought baby had dropped even more than last week and heart rate was 152bpm.

I was pretty emotional this week - really trying to soak up all of Quinn lately. She will always be my firstborn but the thought of her not being my baby anymore just really got to me this week! That and we sent her for a sleepover with my parents on Tuesday night and I missed her something terrible.

Our photographer came out on Saturday, so now that we got some family maternity pictures this little babe can come at anytime.

Today our oldest niece turned 11 - a great reminder that time FLIES and I need to cherish every bit of my babies, while they are still babies and not able to wear the same shoe size as me!!

Maternity clothes: same, same. However I think I'll be in the market for new nursing bras - favorites welcome!

Sleep: Not as many bathroom wakeup calls this week so that was nice. Got a charlie horse a few mornings ago and my leg is still sore from it.

Best moment this week: Maternity pictures - Quinn called our photographer "Auntie" the whole time, haha safe to say she is well liked!!

Movement: Movement and jabs are feeling more intense these days as baby's space is limited. I do think I've been having some light contractions here and there, you'd think I'd know for sure being the 2nd time around and all but it is so minor I'm really not sure!

Food cravings: just wanting chocolate shakes on the regular

Food aversions: nothing

Belly button in or out: it must be more out than flat because Quinn always likes to push on it

Looking forward to: Baby. Quinn is changing her mind and now says she is going to have a sister so I'll be excited to see.





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Sunday, February 24, 2019

Growing Baby Rote2: 37 Weeks

How far along: 37 weeks

I’m feeling: finally hitting that mark where I feel quite large and now that baby has moved lower I have a pretty good waddle-walk going on

Total weight gain: 30 lbs

Baby Rote’s size: about the size of a canary melon (19 in, 6.5 lbs)

This week: seemed to really fly by. I had Monday off from work for President's Day so Quinn and I had a wonderful day hanging out together. Wednesday had a good midwife appointment baby is still head down heartbeat 148-150.

Maternity clothes: My options for shirts are running low but no need to buy new stuff, just a handful of tunics to rotate through and as always paired with leggings

Sleep: had a few nights of 3:30am bladder wake up calls but other than that sleeping like normal throughout the night. One thing though, turning from side to side is getting harder and harder and I can't wait to sleep on my back again!

Best moment this week: more snow - ahhhhh NOT! This was just a really good week with Quinn, she was in a great mood and it was very refreshing!!
Oh and tonight we finally got some things hung on the wall in our bedroom, like family pictures from Quinn's newborn session ...that I'll have to change out in a few months haha!

Movement: lots of full belly movement and jabs at my bladder

Food cravings: nothing

Food aversions: nothing

Belly button in or out: out

Looking forward to: midwife appointment on Wednesday (time for weekly appointments) and our rescheduled family/maternity photos on Saturday (better not snow)




37 weeks with Quinn

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