Elijah's Birth Story-Part 2

9:35 AM

Monday, April 16, 2012-


We wake up early to get ready to go to the hospital. I had not slept very well at all the night before because I had been having contractions.

I ate a bowl of cereal and a cheese stick.

I helped put stuff in the car.

Made sure the address was right in the GPS.

Checked and re-checked to make sure we had everything.

All the while it is this surreal feeling that today I will be having my baby boy. I will be meeting him within 24 hours. Am I ready for this?

Then the realization that even if I do not feel completely ready it does not really matter because I am going to be having him anyway :)

So we get in the car and make one last trip to Daytona. I had driven that road so many times and yet, this time, it was so different realizing that on the way home Elijah will be in that car seat in the back seat!


So we got to the hospital and got registered. I was absolutely amazed at how stunning the hospital was. Absolutely gorgeous! Definitely not like the little country hospital I was used to back home.

We finished getting registered and they took me to my room. It was all so surreal!

At around 11am they started getting things ready for the induction.

Once they got my IV in (can I just say OUCH) they started giving me fluids right away to keep me hydrated. Then they started antibiotics (I needed them every 4 hours because I had group b strep). Then they started the pitocin and the wait began.


Honestly I really do not remember all that much of those hours. Time seemed to just stand still. I had already been having contractions and was dilated and effaced so at first nothing seemed to really change. Some mild cramping and that was it.

The worst part for me was that I was starving hungry. I had not thought about the fact that in the hospital I would not necessarily be able to eat. Sigh. Not cool. The nurse gave me ice chips. I was snuck (is that even a word lol) juice and honey.

Time went on. I tried to sleep. Jason watched t.v. The girls went out to eat. They came back. My midwife came then left. As time went on I just wanted things to be still. And quiet.

Hours passed.

And then.

The pitocin kicked in.

Ouch.

I went from feeling not very much at all to:

contraction.

30 second rest.

contraction.

30 second rest.

Wave after wave of pain.

I tried to go to the bathroom but that didn't help so then I tried standing but I could not really move around that easily because of everything I was hooked up too plus I was so swollen that it was even more painful to stand for a longer amount of time.

So I sat on the edge of the bed and cried.

The nurse told me that the doctor was going to be in to break my water. I knew it was about to get way worse.

I had been so trying to avoid the epidural. I wanted to prove I was "woman enough" to handle the pain. But I knew I couldn't. So I cried. From guilt-feeling like I was not a good enough Mama because I wanted/needed the epidural. I looked at Jason and then decided I would get it. I knew that I had reached my limit.

I got the epidural.

Bliss.

I took a nap.

I woke up and talked to people and waited.

Around 1am I started to feel a lot more pressure. And then all the sudden-it was time to push!

I did not have to be put in stirrups which was a blessing my husband helped support me instead which was really neat. The room suddenly came alive with nurses and all the sudden my doctor came in. We were ready to have this baby!

Time stood still.


Jason was my rock! He was right there coaching and encouraging me. Funny thing is I just pretty much tuned everything out! All I could think of was hold my breath for 10 seconds, push, relax and repeat. They gave me oxygen to help me breath better and because (I didn't realize this at the time) Elijah's respiration's were going up and down.

I have bad lung capacity anyway so the holding my breath part was torture! Plus there was this one,  very sweet, student nurse who counted for me off and on and it seriously felt like: 1.............1 1/2................1 3/4......I WAS DYING FOR AIR! Lol :)

Contraction after contraction...for an hour and then all sudden at 2:22am when I truly felt I could do it no longer I gave one last push...


 ...and Elijah Samuel came into this world protesting loudly! :)


Literally the moment he was born hence the look of utter exhaustion on my face
 as I tried to breath normally again lol :)


In awe that he is HERE FINALLY! Jason fell in love instantly with him! 
There was such joy in the room! 


 8 pounds even.


21 inches long.


Perturbed at the world hehe!
 I am pretty sure he was upset we made him come out! :)


All cleaned up! 
My nurses were amazing!


First real look at my sweet little man! 


In awe of the MIRACLE of life! To think I carried him for 
nine months and all the sudden he was in my arms!


Our first family picture! 
So in awe! 
We did it!!! :) 


L-R: My sisters Jen and Abby, Me, Elijah Jason, Jason's sister Sarah and our student midwife Peachy :)
Neat story here: My sisters had traveled from NY to be with me for my HOME birth. So when we got to the hospital they told us only THREE people (including Jason) where allowed in the room. So it was looking like one of them was going to have to not be in there. BUT, my amazing nurses did not say a word and let them all stay in my room! Probably the fact is was after 1am had something to do with it as well! What a blessing it was for all of them to be there to support us!


Love<3


We are parents!


My tan little man! Seriously-he came out looking like he had a tan! He obviously got his Daddy's skin!


I did it. I am a Mama. Utter awe!




God is so amazing! No, my birth story is NOT what I wanted it to be. I wanted an all natural, at home, drug free labor. I wanted to move around as I labored. I wanted a water birth. I wanted him born on the 16th of April. I did not want to labor on my back. I did not want an episiotomy or an epidural.

Well, the Lord had other plans because every single thing I did not want to happen DID happen! And I believe it was to keep me humble. To help me realize that just because I did not get what I wanted in how I delivered Elijah did not mean that I was any less of a mom just because I got an epidural because I physically could not handle the pitocin. And now-I am thankful.

My birth story is not what I wanted it to be but it is still my birth story. In the end I was still holding my precious baby boy. And for that I am most thankful!

The neat thing is also that because Elijah's heart rate went down and his respirations were down they had to monitor him that first night and they were able to watch him closely and give him the care he needed. Then they realized that he had jaundice so they were able to give him what he needed then as well.

God worked it all out! He is so good and His ways are so much better than ours!


Daddy reading him his first proverb.



Cuddles with Mama :)


Daddy changed the first diaper.


My boys-fast asleep :)


Aunt Sarah :)


Aunt Jen and Aunt Abby :)


All three of us. And yes-I was out! :)



Adoring Daddy :)



The light bed for his jaundice. 



I am so thankful. God is so faithful! 
And that is how Elijah Samuel entered this world... 




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11 Thoughts

  1. Thank you so much for sharing Elijah's story with us Katy! :) What a blessing and a treasure he is...
    Praise God that His ways are higher than ours and He knows the best path for us to walk - what was best for you and Elijah for this birth!

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    Replies
    1. He truly is a blessing :) I am so thankful for the way the Lord ended up having his birth happen. It truly was best :)
      Blessings!

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  2. April 17th? Elijah and i share the same birthday and the same birth hour ^_^


    Blessed Be the Name of the Lord <3

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  3. Remeber Sweetie, there are many ways to safely deliver our precious babies...many ways from point A to point B. What we WANT and what we NEED sometimes are not aligned but what you described is the perfect way to labor and deliver Mr. Elijah, with your body chemistry at that particular time, with his body position, and all the other million things that make each delivery unique. Hang on to the perfection of His Story and I pray you never have even one molecule of regret when you remember how Little Man was born!

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    1. Thank you so so much! I am realizing just how perfect the Lord orchestrated it for OUR story and there is a peace that comes with that for sure :)

      Blessings!

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  4. Best post EVER - I love a post with a lot of pictures, especially those sweet baby pictures :) You have an adorable son. Thanks for sharing your experience. I can tell it was hard letting go of expectations, but don't feel like you failed or weren't 'good enough'! Pretty much every woman I talk to says Pitocin causes much more intense pain than regular contractions, making it SUPER hard to go through with it all without some kind of pain relief. And besides, I'm sure Elijah doesn't care HOW he got here - he's just happy to be your son!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for sharing! Yeah expectations are hard to let go of but there is peace when we do for sure! lol :) And yeah pitocin was ROUGH! Not at first but then it just SLAMS you and it really intense that is for sure :)

      Blessings!

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  5. I'm a first time commenter here, but I've been lurking in the background for some now. :o) This post has brought me 'out of the woodwork', so to speak, because I can relate so well to it. We planned to have our first child at home, but after 36 hours of labor headed to the hospital per our midwife's advice. I too had pitocin as well as an epidural... We ultimately had to get a c-section as our little girl had her head cocked wrong and was firmly stuck. I have to admit that I could easily have become upset over the way her birth turned out (I wanted NO interventions and a calm quiet home birth) but I realize that this was all in the Lord's hands. He knew what was best for my husband and I (and our little girl) and as a result used it for good in our lives. I have no regrets because this was his plan and His ways/plans are always best. I'm so thankful that He saw fit to give us an amazing set of nurses for labor and recovery that made our stay literally the highlight of our year! We're still talking about it a year later!

    ~Ashley

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  6. Love your story!! it is so beautiful and encouraging that it is totally no OK to admit that we need help! :) I struggle with asking for help- because I don't want to be a burden. But I realize it is ok!

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  7. Awww! Congrats! He is so cute. I LOVE the picture of Jason reading the Bible to him...too precious.

    xo
    purpsoelyathome.blogspot.com

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