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...






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!

Disclaimer: This is indeed a birth story (hence the title). Obviously I am going to be discreet but there are some things that are just going to have to be said just because, well, it is a birth story. So consider yourself warned :)

As I sit here staring at the computer screen I hardly know where to start. My little man is sleeping on my chest. How is it possible that he is a month already? When did that happen?


Thinking about the events that surrounded Elijah's birth two things come to mind:

#1: I was miserable.

I am sure that all woman feel that way the last few weeks of their pregnancies. You know like it is all a big joke and you will never ever ever get to meet your baby but instead will remain this pregnant and miserable for the REST OF YOUR LIFE! Ahem.

#2: God's ways are not our ways.

 You know the quote "You want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans." I feel like that pretty much sums up my entire birth experience! And you know what? I am so thankful that His ways are not my ways! But more on that and the lessons I learned later.

A few days before my due date my sisters and Jason's brother and sister came to stay with us for three weeks. It was so nice having them with us!

At this point I was swollen. Sore. Huge. Unable to get comfortable. Unable to really sleep. In pain. And yet, nothing really was happening.

We were planning a home birth and had the supplies and everything. I was getting very excited. We had a christian midwife who we absolutely loved and trusted. Early

My lovely sisters trying to compare to me...there was no comparison!  :)

Thursday, April 12, 2012:

I started having a lot of braxton hicks contractions and I knew from my previous visit to my midwife that I was starting to dilate and was 80% effaced. Jason went to work and I tried to go back to sleep but the contractions started getting consistent and more painful. So, I went over to the other house where my siblings were staying and started walking the floor taking breaks for the contractions.

Finally I called my midwife and since I had an appointment anyway and was wondering if my water had broken the night before she told me to just come in early and she would check me. So. We hopped in the car for the hour and a half drive to Daytona. Not fun when you are having contractions. Sadly though part way through the drive they stopped.

I got to the office and she checked me and nothing had really happened. It ended up that the contractions were, we think, him changing positions (he had been head down but facing the wrong way). I was so disappointed.

So because the girls were visiting and we were already there we went to Daytona beach. I was planning on walking out that baby but...got hungry instead plus I was so swollen it was painful to walk long ways.



So my due date was April 12, 2012. You know sort of the magic day that I am pretty sure almost every mom feels at some point is when the baby will automatically come. On that day. Never later. Ahem.

Well, that day came and went. To say I was somewhat devastated disappointed (remember the whole feeling like you are going to be pregnant forever stage) was an understatement.

Friday and Saturday-

Still waiting. Wanting this child to come so very badly! But my little man apparently was very content where he was!

Sunday, April 16, 2012-

I wake up later and start to get ready for church. Jason goes over early for Sunday school. I am putting on my make up when I realize that my face looks more swollen then usual. I text my midwife and she says to go and get my blood pressure taken.

I quick go and get Jason and we go to Publix and it is in the 140's. I let her know and she tells us to go home and sleep then take it again later on.

I get home and start feeling stranger so about 1 1/2 hours later I text her again and she says to go back and get my blood pressure again. This time is is in the 150's.

I call Karen and she says that we need to head to the hospital. She also prepared me for the fact that I was quite possibly going to be induced.

All the sudden I realized that I could be having my child THAT DAY. I also realized that it would probably not be the birth that I had wanted or planned BUT I was so ready to meet my baby that frankly I did not care one bit! I figured the sooner the better!

So off to the hospital we went.

Before we went in we got one last picture of me pregnant (just in case).


Yes people. It is true. I really did look like I had a watermelon under my shirt. I was so done and just wanted my baby boy out!

So we got to the hospital and thankfully my blood pressure went down as they monitored me. The doctor on call decided that due to my swelling and the blood pressure fluctuating so much that she wanted me to be induced. However, they could not do it at that hospital because my midwife was not under a doctor there.

So it was decided that I would be induced the next day in Daytona at the hospital my midwife is from. I went home realizing that I was going to have my baby. Like. TOMORROW!

There was so much to do but so little time! The funny thing is I was more relaxed then Jason who promptly started to clean EVERYTHING.

Tomorrow was the day!

And that is where I am going to leave you all....look for part two coming soon :)