It's been two weeks to the day that we walked into the hospital to be induced, something I prayed against the entire pregnancy. (Okay so three weeks, I started this a week or so ago but ya know, newborns) You hear horror stories of induction. My Mom carried me an extra two weeks, and after laboring for two days on Patocin, ended up delivering by Cesarean. Another fear... that I too wouldn't be able to deliver vaginally. Something else we all had prayed against the entire pregnancy.
The last time I wrote, I shared how Sawyer wasn't here yet, and though I really wanted her to be, I knew that her birthday was a divine appointment.
This birth story is one of triumph and victory - an account that is laced with blessing as Jesus walked us through this answering prayer after prayer along the way. We went in trusting His plan, though completely unsure of what that was, and we walked out with a baby that was delivered vaginally and completely healthy.
The picture above is Jake and I walking in, hand in hand. Our parents had met us in the parking lot and at the sight of my Mom, I lost it. I was like a little kid again, needing the comfort of Mom to let me know everything would be fine. She held me and prayed for me, and we walked in. Again, completely unaware of what to expect but trusting Jesus. I had been sent to Hospital because my blood pressure was elevated. Sawyer was 4 days overdue at that point so instead of waiting a few more days to see if she came on her own, my Dr decided it would be best to get the ball rolling.
When we walked in, there was only one other Mom on the L&D floor.. we were put in the corner room, the "penthouse" the nurses called it. It was huge and had an awesome view of Tradition. Felt like we were in a hotel room. My first nurse came in, got my IV started, explained what would be happening. My Midwife came in (one of two I loved from the practice I'm a patient of) explained that they would be inserting something to thin my cervix.. this medicine would work over 12 hours and then they would check me to see if I needed another dose or something else. Many people do.. She stated that we may not meet this baby until Saturday.. IMMEDIATELY we rebuked that. We claimed that by Friday afternoon we would have her.
 |
| Auntie Em |
The medicine was inserted, I had to wait two hours before I could move around, and after that I was free to walk, bounce on the peanut, or sit wherever as the medicine did it's thing. At 7pm my nurses changed and in walked Emy - my best friend for years and just a blessing in general. She literally labored with me for 12 hours as I was her only patient. Jacob slept through the night.. which SERIOUSLY ticked me off for a minute.. but Jesus reminded me that the next day would be intense, and I would want him rested. Emy sat up with me as the meds to help me sleep just didn't work. I was contracting consistently, but at an intensity that still allowed me to carry on conversation. At 3am Emy was to check me and see if my cervix was thinned. With the shift change my Midwife also changed to the Midwife I really wanted to deliver me, Kristen. (You see how God is working all of this out...) Emy checked me and I was 3cm dilated and 70% effaced! Kristen came in and confirmed, kind of surprised as most people need two doses of that medicine to get the same result. (Jesus, thank you.) My Mom had gone home for the night and showed up that next morning with my Dad at 6am - they never left. They were there all day. (Jesus, Thank you.) Jake's parents also came the next morning and stayed all day.. my brother came by lunch time and didn't leave either, as did Jake's brother and girlfriend. (Jesus, thank you.)
They started me on Patocin at 3am and the contractions gradually got more intense. Sawyer never showed ANY signs of distress the entire labor and every nurse or doc that checked her was impressed with how "happy" she was (Jesus, thank you.) We recognized later what a blessing this was as if she would have showed signs of distress, a C-Section would have been pushed, and again, we didn't want that.
 |
| I spent the last two hours before the epidural standing like this. |
As the contractions got more difficult to withstand without any meds - my Mom would rub my head as she used to do when I was little to calm me down. We had Elevation's "Your Kingdom Come" album playing and my essential oil diffuser working in some aroma therapy. My Mom and Husband kept those going consistently and everyone who walked in our room complemented on the atmosphere and how good it smelled. At 7am they broke my water and there was a shift change, Emy was no longer my nurse.. but not being on the clock didn't stop her from continuing to do her job. She went home and showered, then showed right back up and never left until Sawyer came. (Jesus, thank you.) My new nurse for Friday 1/5 was Theresa. She was WONDERFUL and loved Jesus too. She agreed in prayer with us and she and Emy worked so well together to help me labor through. By 9am I was asking about the epidural.. at this point only 4cm dilated.. but no longer could I talk through the contractions and I was exhausted from not sleeping the night before.. we decided that at 9:30 they would pump me full of fluids so I could get the epidural by 10am. Theresa came back and was sad to say that it would be 11:15 before the nurse anesthetist could get to me to put it in as he was currently in a C-Section. I remember looking at Jake and then Theresa and stating "It's okay, I can handle it."
And I did - Jake was wonderful at walking me through and my Mom and Mom-In-Love were there to rub my head, my shoulders, talk me through. The support I had was beyond what I could have asked for. (Jesus, Thank you.)
At 11:15 the Nurse Anesthisist came in to give me the epidural..everyone but my nurse had to leave as it was a sterile procedure. I was nervous about this but everyone prayed over me before they walked out and I was confident that all would be well, in Jesus name. During the epidural they have you sit on the edge of the bed and lean forward, curling your back out towards the guy who's going to insert the epidural. They raise the bed up high enough that the nurse isn't working bent over but at standing level so you feel like you're going to fall off of the bed. Everyone I had talked to stated you should just "hug your nurse" to keep you steady but Theresa wasn't the tallest and that wasn't going to work. She stood with both hands on my shoulders to help support me but there was a moment when she needed to check the monitor and step away from me. She asked if I was okay and I stated I was fine, and as she stepped away something supernatural happened. Something that happens more often than we realize but Jesus gave me the eyes to actually see it. When Theresa stepped away, two angels stepped in on either side of me and held my shoulders. It was so natural that it didn't even click as to how supernatural it was until about 20mins later when I told my Mom. Even then, again, it was so natural. Because that's what God does.. He protects us. He sends angels to surround us, and even in something so small, He allowed me to see how He does that. What a reminder it was of how protected we were in that room, that God had already gone before us, was there with us, and was using His angels to walk with us as well. (Thank you, Jesus.)
Once the epidural was in, I could sleep. It was amazing. Over the next several hours I only progressed a cm every few hours. But every time we would thank Jesus that we were moving forward and would claim by the next check we would be further along. Keeping a positive attitude and trusting Jesus all the way. Not focusing on the slowness of the progression but thanking God that there was progress, though slow. (That's another blog in itself...) By 7:30pm I was only at 6cm and Krsiten started looking at the clock and thinking possible C-Section. Thankful for wonderful nurses especially my Emy, who advocated for me, I was not in distress, baby was not in distress, my body just needed more time. At that moment my Dad came back in, brother, etc, and they surrounded me, laid hands on me, and claimed that THIS was going to happen SOON, that I would progress QUICKLY and a C Section would not be necessary. At 9pm Kristen came to check me and I had jumped from 6cm to 9cm dilated!! We had a party! Kristen was suprised herself, I looked at Jake and squealed "I'm at 9!!!" My Mom jumped for joy screaming "She's at 9!!" She went into the hallway where the rest of the crew was and they got excited too! Then I was asking for another bolus in my epidrual as I was feeling more than I wanted to. A new nurse anesthetist came in and immediately was uncomfortable as my Mom had blared some praise and worship and we were literally having praise party, we laughed and turned down the music and by the end of the encounter the nurse complemented us on the fact that we had a sound system and the oils diffusing.."Never in my 20 years have I seen a family do this, this is awesome." Were his words.
I then slept from 9-10 and woke up with intense pain in my left lower back. Jake was right there at my side. He had my hand, and my face, and talked me through each contraction. They were the most intense I had had, and I kept feeling them in that same spot in my back. At this point in Labor they tell you to pay attention to "pressure" - pressure to push, pressure to "poop" - none of which I was feeling, just this pain in my back. After about 40mins of these contrations and asking if I was feeling the "pressure" I finally said "No! I don't feel any pressure just this pain." My Mom and Emy asked, "When you're contracting? Or all the time?" My response "ALL THE TIME." Emy said "That's it, that's her pressure, it's just showing up somewhere else." Emy ran out and grabbed my nurse and Midwife. Kristen came in and said "Umm she's complete, and crowing, we're having a baby!"
Everything changed, people left the room, more people entered the room, lights came on, my legs came up and it was Game Time. I was ready to get that kid out!!!
It was 24 mins of pushing. Mom holding my left leg, Emy holding my right, Jake at my Head, and a bunch of other nurses (it felt like) surrounding. 24 mins and she was out. They laid her on my chest and I looked at Jake first "I DID IT, I ACTUALLY DID IT!!!" then at my Mom "AND I DIDN'T DIE!!!" - Mom replied "YES!! You didn't die!!" Bahaha the things you think about..
Once she was out, they laid her on top of me and I just cried. I couldn't believe she was mine. They took her to be weighed and measured, mind you they kept estimating her weight at 7.5 or 8 pounds. NINE. She was NINE pounds. 22inches long. Head full of blond, curly hair. Perfection. She was perfection.
After she was out, part of my placenta didn't come out right away and I was still bleeding pretty badly.Three people were pressing on my stomach HARD - and honestly it was worse than pushing. There was a look of concern on my Midwife's face and my Mom boldly asked. "What do we need to pray for now?" Kristen explained that we needed to get the rest of the placenta out or I would have to go into surgery - immediately my Mom started boldly proclaiming that whatever needed to be out of my body would be out - and it did. It came. No surgery was necessary and I was able to recover without it. (Thank you, Jesus.)
There is so much more to this than I could even type.
The entire process was one walked through prayerfully.
Each corner we turned we claimed victory and felt the triumph when God came through.
The song that got me through was this one "Your Promises" by Elevation Worship - I sang it through contractions, I sang it after delivery, and I'm still singing it now.
"Doesn't matter what I feel
Doesn't matter what I see
My hope will always be, in your promises to me.
Now I'm casting out ALL fear,
For your love has set me free
My hope will always be, your promises to me."
I proclaimed it over and over. No Fear. Complete Trust. No matter the circumstance.
Once the epidural was in, I could sleep. It was amazing. Over the next several hours I only progressed a cm every few hours. But every time we would thank Jesus that we were moving forward and would claim by the next check we would be further along. Keeping a positive attitude and trusting Jesus all the way. Not focusing on the slowness of the progression but thanking God that there was progress, though slow. (That's another blog in itself...) By 7:30pm I was only at 6cm and Krsiten started looking at the clock and thinking possible C-Section. Thankful for wonderful nurses especially my Emy, who advocated for me, I was not in distress, baby was not in distress, my body just needed more time. At that moment my Dad came back in, brother, etc, and they surrounded me, laid hands on me, and claimed that THIS was going to happen SOON, that I would progress QUICKLY and a C Section would not be necessary. At 9pm Kristen came to check me and I had jumped from 6cm to 9cm dilated!! We had a party! Kristen was suprised herself, I looked at Jake and squealed "I'm at 9!!!" My Mom jumped for joy screaming "She's at 9!!" She went into the hallway where the rest of the crew was and they got excited too! Then I was asking for another bolus in my epidrual as I was feeling more than I wanted to. A new nurse anesthetist came in and immediately was uncomfortable as my Mom had blared some praise and worship and we were literally having praise party, we laughed and turned down the music and by the end of the encounter the nurse complemented us on the fact that we had a sound system and the oils diffusing.."Never in my 20 years have I seen a family do this, this is awesome." Were his words.
Everything changed, people left the room, more people entered the room, lights came on, my legs came up and it was Game Time. I was ready to get that kid out!!!
It was 24 mins of pushing. Mom holding my left leg, Emy holding my right, Jake at my Head, and a bunch of other nurses (it felt like) surrounding. 24 mins and she was out. They laid her on my chest and I looked at Jake first "I DID IT, I ACTUALLY DID IT!!!" then at my Mom "AND I DIDN'T DIE!!!" - Mom replied "YES!! You didn't die!!" Bahaha the things you think about..
Once she was out, they laid her on top of me and I just cried. I couldn't believe she was mine. They took her to be weighed and measured, mind you they kept estimating her weight at 7.5 or 8 pounds. NINE. She was NINE pounds. 22inches long. Head full of blond, curly hair. Perfection. She was perfection.
After she was out, part of my placenta didn't come out right away and I was still bleeding pretty badly.Three people were pressing on my stomach HARD - and honestly it was worse than pushing. There was a look of concern on my Midwife's face and my Mom boldly asked. "What do we need to pray for now?" Kristen explained that we needed to get the rest of the placenta out or I would have to go into surgery - immediately my Mom started boldly proclaiming that whatever needed to be out of my body would be out - and it did. It came. No surgery was necessary and I was able to recover without it. (Thank you, Jesus.)
There is so much more to this than I could even type.
The entire process was one walked through prayerfully.
Each corner we turned we claimed victory and felt the triumph when God came through.
The song that got me through was this one "Your Promises" by Elevation Worship - I sang it through contractions, I sang it after delivery, and I'm still singing it now.
"Doesn't matter what I feel
Doesn't matter what I see
My hope will always be, in your promises to me.
Now I'm casting out ALL fear,
For your love has set me free
My hope will always be, your promises to me."
I proclaimed it over and over. No Fear. Complete Trust. No matter the circumstance.
For weeks I feared this process of labor, but it did nothing but show me more of Jesus. I was so anxious just to get her here, but her birth really was a divine appointment. Every nurse I had was the exact nurse I needed. Emy was there the whole time. The Midwife I wanted to deliver me was on call and she did! I didn't require surgery, Sawyer was healthy, I recovered quickly. Jesus came through. And even if there would have been complications, I trusted that he would have come through. Trusting His timing instead of my own. It all worked out. And it couldn't have been better.
Thank you Jesus for this girl, for this story of your faithfulness.
Now that I'm three weeks postpartum, no longer breastfeeding, and semi feeling normal (but still weepy and hormnonal..) There's so much more I want to share. So there will be a few more blogs to come in the upcoming weeks.. keep an eye out!
Final thing -
HUGE Thank you to my family who literally labored with me. To my husband who was sweet and supportive, my Mom who was there to rub my head, pray powerfully, and claim the blood over and over, for my Mom in Love who was there the entire time, quietly in the background but up and ready for whatever I needed her for, my Dad and Dad in love, who were there pacing the hallway and cracking jokes when needed - My Dad especially for all the praying and claiming he did, I can picture him pacing the hallway. To my brother for coming and hanging, and brother in love and sister friend for the same thing. It really was a party, and the support I had was beyond wonderful. (Thank you, Jesus.)
No comments:
Post a Comment