George's Birth Story.

Note: I wrote this story a few months ago while the details were still fresh on my mind.  I wanted to remember everything.  I fully intended to edit it down later so it would be more concise and suitable for public consumption, but the toddler and the infant don't leave me much time for eating or showering, let alone editing, so I'm going to throw in a few pictures (warning: there are pictures) and post it as is.  Since my "birth junkie" friends are likely the only ones who clicked on this link anyway, I assume you won't mind the additional detail...

On April 24th, after sleeping for only about an hour, contractions woke me up at 12:30am. I got out of bed, walked around the house quite a bit, and anxiously waited to see if the contractions were falling into any kind of pattern.  They were four to five minutes apart, so I woke Tim up around 1:30am.  We timed a few more contractions, and I called my mom around 2am to ask her to come over to sit with Ben.  I'd had a "false alarm" with some early labor three days earlier.  As afraid as I was that this could fizzle out again (and mom would have to go to work the next day), I was also afraid of things picking up quickly and not having people in place. 

A few minutes later Tim called Ashleigh, the doula we had unofficially “hired” after Saturday’s early labor event.  We hadn’t signed any paperwork or paid her yet, but she was still gracious enough to answer her phone at 2:30am and start making her way to our house.

While I waited for Ashleigh to arrive, I went in to check on Ben.  My baby.  He was sprawled out in his little toddler bed, covering almost the length of it, sleeping peacefully in his fleecy, footy pajamas.  He looked so big.  He had no idea how much his little world was about to change.  I gave him a kiss and cried a few overwhelmed, sentimental tears. 

By the time Ashleigh arrived at 3:30am, the contractions were spacing out.  I was so frustrated.  And exhausted.  Ashleigh believed this could be more false labor. The contractions were so strong, if this wasn’t “it” I didn’t know what I would do.  I was tired from chasing a toddler, from being so pregnant, and being awake for so long.  I was afraid of having to deliver a baby on one hour of sleep.  I hated that it was 4am and my mom and my doula were standing in my living room and I didn't even know that I was in real labor. Ugh!

Ashleigh suggested everyone try to rest.  From 4:30-5:30, Mom, Tim, and Ashleigh slept.  I rolled around in bed fitfully and finally got up to take a bath.  I felt so restless and uncomfortable.  I got out of the bath, tried to lay down in bed, and then got up again to take a shower.

Pacing the house, breathing through contractions

That 6am shower was the fastest shower of my life.  While I was in there I had three really good, strong, long contractions. I yelled to Tim, “Okay, here’s another one!” and he asked, “Are you sure???” as he started the timer again.  They were really intense and they were coming really fast- two minutes apart.  I abandoned all the intentions I had to fix myself up so I would feel "normal."  I got out of the shower and told Ashleigh and Tim we needed to leave right away.

We left around 6:40 and Tim drove very, very quickly. I knew he was nervous, but he prayed for us while we drove.  I think I had four or five contractions in the car, but praise the Lord that the heavy morning rush-hour traffic was moving along pretty well.

When we pulled up to the hospital, Tim handed the valet our keys and helped me out of the car. The valet paused and told us the $5 charge was pre-pay.  Tim said, “Look, my wife is very much in labor…  I don’t have any cash.  I will bring it back down to you, but I am leaving my car here one way or the other.”  The valet looked annoyed but he scrawled “Not Paid!” across our ticket and took our keys.  Tim grabbed my bag and left everything else (a “labor survival kit” a sweet friend had made us, Tim’s bag, the camera bag…) in the car.

We walked in to the hospital at 6:55am.  The sign just inside the door said all obstetrics patients arriving before 7am should skip maternal observation and head right to labor and delivery.  Score!  It was a long walk, and I felt the eyes of everyone in the lobby, the hallway, and the elevator looking at me like a ticking time-bomb. 

We got to the check-in desk at L&D and I signed my life away.  I’d pre-registered and was slightly annoyed that they still had me signing multiple forms.  The ladies at the desk asked me all kinds of questions as I tried to concentrate on both the forms and the breathing.  When I finished the forms, one of the ladies asked if I wanted to walk or if I needed a wheel chair.  I assumed we were going right around the corner into a delivery room, so I said I’d walk.  Much to my surprise, they lead me way, way, way down several halls, back over to maternal observation.  I was so frustrated the be shuffled around, but in hindsight, I’m sure the walking really helped things progress.

Once in maternal observation, I got changed and checked.  It was 7:05 am and I was 6cm, 100% effaced, 0 station.  Not bad!  When that nurse said “6 centimeters,” I heard the angels singing.  I'd already decided that I’d be thrilled with anything over 3 centimeters, so this was great news.  

I don’t remember how many times I stopped on the walk back down to labor and delivery, but the contractions were too intense for me to walk through.  Tim and Ashleigh encouraged me to go slowly and they helped me breathe through each one.

We got all the way back down to labor and delivery and I immediately asked to get into the birthing tub.  I didn't necessarily want a "water birth," but I did want a natural birth, and I’d heard the tub referred to as the “midwife’s epidural.”  Let me stop right here and suggest that the person who decided to equate warm water with the glorious pain killers they inject directly into your spine has probably never had an actual epidural.   

My nurse monitored George’s heart rate a little more while a few other nurses went to work filling the birthing tub. They asked how hot I’d like the water.  Um?  Were they looking for an actual degree?  I remember feeling so irritated and impatient.  “Um, hot, I guess?” Then Candis, the same precious midwife who delivered Ben, came in. Candis was an angel during Ben’s birth, and I felt blessed and comforted to have her there again.  

I quickly got in the tub and told Candis I wanted to push on the next contraction.  I could tell she was skeptical but was willing to humor me, so she told me to go ahead and try to push and see how it felt.  On the very first push, my water broke.  Candis checked me and called me complete at 8:02.  I’d gone from a 6-10 in the last hour!

The pushing was the hardest part.  Really, really horrible.  I felt so weak and defeated.  I’d had one hour of sleep in the past 24 hours, and I hadn't eaten anything in twelve hours.  I sucked down both cups of apple juice Ashleigh offered me between contractions.  I was working so hard, but each contraction left me feeling more tired and more convinced I wasn't making any progress.  

Despite how compassionate and encouraging Candis was, I argued with her.

Candis: “You’re doing so great, Meagan!  He’s coming!”
Me: “No, no he’s not.  This hurts so badly.  How many more contractions?”
Candis: “Probably 2 or 3”
Me: “I know you’re lying.” 

Nice, huh?  I’m sure midwives could fill books with the ridiculous things they hear while delivering babies.  Tim pointed out after the fact that I never cussed, though there was quite a bit of yelling.  It occurred to me that all the women down the hall could probably hear me yelling, but I didn’t care.  All the ladies I’d seen in the birthing videos were all focused and “zen” and channeling their energy into every push.  I just had to yell through the pain. (Candis later told me that George was most likely posterior with all the back pain I was experiencing.)

I kept my eyes closed almost the entire time.  I literally couldn't process anything aside from the pain. I remember feeling a cold rag on my forehead and hearing Tim sniffling right behind me.  Otherwise, I was totally focused on getting. that. baby. out.  The handful of times I did open my eyes between contractions, I was surprised to see how many nurses were standing around the tub. Each time I made eye contact with one of them, they would smile and nod encouragingly at me, and then I’d close my eyes to push again.  

Ashleigh (on the right) and Candis (second from the right) didn't slap me when I argued with them.

I hadn’t decided ahead of time that I necessarily wanted to have a water birth, but I found that it was a really positive experience.  Probably my favorite thing about it was that I felt less vulnerable than if I’d been up on a table with my feet in stirrups and a bunch of people gathered around my nether regions.   I had some personal space and the walls of the tub separating me from everyone else, and I felt like I had a little more control that way. 

Another contraction came and I pushed and pushed again.  It didn’t feel any different than the ones before it, but Candis yelled, “Look at your baby!”  I looked down in the water and there he was!  I think Candis expected me to wait until the next contraction to finish delivering him, but I kept pushing and he came out all at once.  George David was born at 8:48am.

The relief was instant!  Candis quickly put George on my chest.  I was in such disbelief that the whole thing was over!  Tim caught the birth on video and I am so thankful to have that moment (and the moments leading up to it, when I was screaming like a banshee) captured forever.   After spending a few minutes snuggling our new boy, Tim cut the umbilical cord.

Recovery was such a breeze.  I stood up and walked into the next room and nursed George right away.  Tim sent pictures to our family while they cleaned George up and did his apgar test.   

Tim’s parents arrived from Houston right after we got to the recovery room.  Kyle couldn’t believe I was up and moving around already.  Mom brought Ben up to see us around noon. 

George meeting his Nana and Papsy

Ben was only mildly interested in meeting his new little brother

George meeting Gramma

Our first photo as a family of four!

Bringing George into this world was one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. It was hard work.  It was exhausting and it was painful, but I absolutely believe it was the healthiest, most low-risk way I could have delivered him.

So many prayers were answered that day.  George came relatively quickly (about 8 total hours in labor), I had a wonderful support team around me, George was born naturally, he was perfectly healthy, and he nursed well.  The experience was everything I had hoped for.  Thank you, God, for hearing our prayers, meeting every need, and giving us George!