Daily Record Article

March 14, 2009

Rockaway couple share story of birth on TLC program

By Rob Jennings
Daily Record

ROCKAWAY -- Datnee Smith is sharing the birth of her daughter, Kimberlee, with a national television audience.

Smith, 31, of Rockaway, her husband, Kimani, and Kimberlee -- born Jan. 16 at Morristown Memorial Hospital -- will be featured starting Tuesday on "A Baby Story."

The episode featuring the Smiths -- the 1,116th during the show's 11-year run on The Learning Channel -- will chronicle their lives through the latter stages of her pregnancy and Kimberlee's birth in Morristown.

The couple said video cameras and crew in the hospital delivery room were not a distraction, mostly because they were so focused on what was happening.

"After a while, you forget about them," said Datnee Smith.

Met in college

Smith was born in Puerto Rico and graduated from Nyack College in 2002 with a degree in psychology. She met Kimani Smith, now a quality assurance technician at Alcoa in Dover, while both were in college. They married and have a 5-year-old son, Nehemiah.

The episode, which will be repeated several times on TLC, will run for the first time at 3 p.m. Tuesday. Datnee and Kimani are holding a viewing party with family and friends at their Hillside Avenue apartment.

Smith said she is a longtime fan of the show and, upon becoming pregnant a second time, applied online to participate.

"We were really excited to have conceived again," she said

Smith explained that she was diagnosed with endometriosis following Nehemiah's birth and that doctors initially believed she might not be able to have another baby.

Smith, who delivered Nehemiah by Caesarean section, made the unusual decision -- in accordance with her doctors -- to deliver Kimberlee by what is referred to as a VBAC -- vaginal birth after Caesarean. Most woman who become pregnant after having delivered a baby by Caesarean section opt not to proceed with a vaginal delivery due to potential complications, such as rupturing, that are more likely due to the previous surgery.

Smith's obstetrician, David Garfinkel, said that "VBACs, in general, are always a little stressful," adding, "A lot of physicians are not offering VBACs because of medical liability issues."

But everything turned out fine. Garfinkel, who estimated he has delivered about 150 babies per year for the past 15 years, said the delivery was mostly uneventful with the exception of minor fetal distress.

Kimberlee arrived weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce, and was 19 inches long.

TLC provided the following synopsis of what viewers will see and hear on television starting on Tuesday:

"Datnee's plan is to deliver this baby naturally. She felt like her right to labor as a woman was taken away from her the first time around, so she is bound and determined to get it right this time. And when she is a week overdue, the doctor decides to induce her.

"As the pitocin begins, Datnee is feeling good and thinks she can handle this pain for sure. She and Kimani walk around the halls of the hospital to kick labor into high gear. But as soon as the doctor checks her and she is 5 (centimeters) dilated. He decides to break her water, which throws Datnee into very active labor and the pain intensifies. Datnee's cries for help go unanswered as she quickly dilates to 10 and is ready to push!

"As the pushing begins, everything happens very fast and furiously. It took about four pushes before baby Kimberlee finds her way into the world. She is welcomed with cries of joy as this family is thrilled to finally meet her. Kimani is so proud that is wife was able to birth this baby just as she had planned! And when Nehemiah meets his baby sister for the first time, he has nothing but love for her."

Kimani Smith said he was glad to have participated in the show.

"I thought it was a wonderful experience, to show the whole behind-the-scenes," Smith said.

TLC declined to say what, if anything, the family was paid. Datnee said they were given a pack of diapers, two boxes of Clorox wipes and were promised a DVD of the show.

Additional Facts

When to watch
The Smith family's "Baby Story" will air for the first time at 3 p.m. Tuesday on The Learning Channel.