Ezra's Journey to Our Arms (a.k.a. Labor and Delivery details)

So, as Ezra turns a month old I realize that I haven't posted what I promised, though I wrote it a while ago. The exciting labor and delivery story! So...here it is...

I was scheduled to be in induced Wed. night, 11 DAYS past my due date. I was praying SO hard that I would go into labor on my own. I even posted a plea on FB to all my friends and family to please pray that I would go into labor without having to be induced. I was induced with my Amelia and was so shocked by the difference in my labor with Micah (who came on his own at 9 days past his due date.) I had officially tried everything known to man to start labor. I had taken a whole bottle of 5-W herbs, a whole bottle of Evening Primrose Oil, stripping of my membranes, lots of squats, pelvic tilts, hip rotations on the exercise ball, walking, a visit to the chiropractor to align my pelvis, and even my last resort...Castor oil. While most things caused me to have strong Braxton Hicks contractions, they all eventually stopped. I went to see my Dr. the day before I went in labor and I was still 70% effaced and 2 cm dialated. My doctor was so sweet! He actually allowed me to wait almost 2 weeks past my due date, but told me that he would really need to induce me within the next couple of days if I didn't go into labor on my own. I felt that I could ask for just a few more days and he would comply, but to be honest, I was in so much pain at the end there. My pelvis hurt just to walk much. I never experienced that with either of my other two. It may have had something to do with him being nearly 10 pounds. As a matter of fact, I could not find anyone else that had experienced that kind of pelvic pain at the end except my one friend, who, ironically had a 10 pound baby boy! My doctor was so wonderful. Throughout the pregnancy he would let Amelia help him at my appointments. He taught her to listen to the baby's heartbeat, weigh me, and had her put my info in my chart and add my appt. to his ipad. He even got her to test my urine in the lab, which she was pretty mortified about, but it was a great home school science lesson as he called everything. I am just so grateful for his sweet demeanor (he reminded me of Mr. Rogers)and patience making such sweet memories for Amelia!

Anyway, back to the big day. I actually started in very early labor on Monday and was having contractions all day. I lost my mucuus plug on Mon. morning and was hopeful things were getting going, but after going to the Dr. and finding out that two days of contractions resulted in one cm of dialation, I knew things needed to progress much faster than that to have this baby. In talking to a friend of mine who spoke with her midwife I was told to try taking the maximum dose of Castor Oil (4 tbsp, I think it was. Whatever's on the bottle) So, about 9:00 that night I took the Castor oil, mixed it with orange juice and prayed! Within the next couple of hrs I began having contractions. They were close to 5 min long, uncomfortable and increasingly painful. They continued through the night and I just stayed up on the computer, organizing things and doing some last minute Mary Kay orders and paying bills. Thankfully, I did not have to use the restroom like I feared. ;) I have no idea why, but I only had to use it a few times, thankfully. It wasn't bad at all. The contractions were too strong to sleep through so I stayed on the computer working until I couldn't think straight anymore. About 4 am I woke Michael up and told him they were about 2-3 minutes apart. I wasn't too concerned b/c I wasn't sure if they were legitimately "labor contractions" because I had taken the Castor Oil, but as I found out later, they were! I showered, did my hair and makeup, got dressed and by that time was sure that we needed to hurry and get to the hospital.

We had read the book "The Bradley Method of Childbirth" as well as "Husband Coached Childbirth" by Dr. Bradley, and were really set on having Ezra naturally with no drugs and using the Bradly methods we had learned about which included really getting out of the way and allowing your uterus to do the work for you. To embrace rather than fight the contractions. I had Micah and Amelia naturally years ago, but all that we knew was what we had been taught in childbirth classes, which was mostly Lamaze breathing, and while that had helped, I really liked the Bradley ideas. I highly recommend the above books. I also read "Natural Hospital Birth" which was really good for helping me write my simple birth plan. 3 great books! One of the things that Dr. Bradley suggests is to look for the sign posts on a women's face to know when to go to the hospital, not just how far apart her contractions are. Since I was still able to move around and talk, we knew we had some time, hence the time it took to leave the house. We really wanted to get to the hospital right before transition, and that's exactly what happened!

When we got to the hospital, checked in and got to our room, I went to change into my gown. We were still cracking jokes between contractions. All of a sudden while in the restroom changing...my water broke! Usually my water does not break until right before I push, so I knew we were pretty far along. That was about 6 am and I ended up being 4 cm dilated when we got there. By 8 am I was down to business and was concentrating really hard on not tensing up during the contractions. I did not want to slow the process down by tensing up, so I tried so hard to relax and see it as a wave to float with. Sounds wacky but worked! I was really blessed to have the nurse in the room be a midwife. A really good one! Since I was delivering at Shands hospital where they take most problem deliveries from other hospitals, they told me flat out they didn't see alot of natural births. This midwife was such an answer to prayer, I think she may have been an angel. She would get in my face and tell me to trust my body, allow it to do the work. Every time the pain would get stronger, she would say, "This is good. This is what you want. It means you are that much closer to seeing your baby boy." Michael was such a good coach, as always! He was giving my a cold rag for my head, giving my water between contractions and encouraging me. Things didn't get too hard until I started feeling pressure and they checked me to tell me I was 6 cm dilated. I was SOOOO discouraged. The contractions were really strong then, they were coming two at a time, and I was starting to feel the sensation of pushing! I just kept saying, "Only 6. I can't believe I'm only 6?" The doctor on call (My dr. hadn't made it yet, and actually, never made it)told me that we should have a baby by noon. (Little did she know that I would be delivering within the hour.) Things felt much further along than 6 cm. Thoughts ran through my mind of how crazy I was to be doing this drug free. Thinking I had hours left to go, I heard Michael say how proud he was of me and I thought to myself, "You are going to be so disappointed, because I am about to give up. I can't do this." Lol, like there is really that option there. I was definitely at the "self-doubt phase" also known as transition. The most intense part of labor and the last stretch. The midwife got right in my face and told me not to worry about the number. It could all go really fast from there. She and Michael were very encouraging. She was right because within 20 minutes I was feeling the urge to push. Actually my body was pushing whether I wanted it to or not. I told the nurse and she had the Dr. check me. She told me I was 8 cm already and I was SO relieved things were going so fast. The contractions were still two together and then a small break. Within a couple of minutes my body pushed again, though I tried with all my might to breath through it. I was so thankful the midwife did not tell me not to push, because I don't think it was possible! All of the sudden I felt the baby coming out! I told the midwife who did not even have time to get the doctor. She literally could see him already. With just two good pushes out came the newest love of my life! I had no tears, and the quickest labor I've ever had! Such an answer to prayer, because I WAS REALLY SCARED knowing that he was a big boy!

I am really thankful for friends who showed me the Bradley Method. I really believe all those squats helped things go so smoothly as well as the herbs that I took that were supposed to induce labor (that didn't work) but also were supposed to help soften the cervix and make contractions more productive by getting the uterus muscles strong and ready for labor. I am so thankful for friends and family that prayed though. It was so beautiful seeing him baby Ezra for the first time! They immediately put him on my chest and he was just perfect! He started nursing immediately and latched on like a pro! He nursed for nearly an hour as we stared in awe of him. He came out with beautiful skin and he wasn't all cheesy looking like most babies. His skin wasn't wrinkled, you would have never known he was almost 2 weeks late (except that he was huge!) The midwives couldn't believe how smooth everything went, especially considering how big he was. I kept saying, and still am saying, "He's real. I can't believe he's real." :) Michael was just mezmorized with him, as were the kids who showed up shortly after he was born. I stayed on such a high after he was born. I was so happy and excited. I didn't sleep at all the first couple of nights and hardly the whole first week! I was just so thankful, and there is such a natural high that comes from bringing life into the world, and especially when there are no drugs involved (including pitocin) it really (for me anyway) was such a great experience. I always feel so privileged to be a woman and not only carry life while God creates it in the secret place of my womb, but to have the honor of bringing that life into the world. There really is nothing like it. I have always been such an advocate for natural childbirth, but even more so now after learning so much in preparation this time around and having another beautiful experience. If it is at all possible, I highly recommend it. So worth it!

About a week later, I woke up exhausted, and my body did remind me that I had indeed, just had a baby, but more than that, had just carried a big one for nearly 11 months! My pelvis still hurts, my shoes don't fit yet, and I am so very tired. As everything in my body is going back to normal, and I am eager to start exercising again and have a waistline, I am thankful that I have gone through two previous pregnancies so I am not hung up on worries about getting my shape back or ever getting a full nights sleep again, because I know it will all happen in time. Right now I am trying to cherish every moment, to relish in the closeness of every breastfeeding session, every smile, the tiny toes and hands, everything! I am so much more aware of how fast time flies and how silly it is to complain about the small things because one day I know I will miss them all. We are so thankful for friends and family that have provided meals for these first couple of weeks, who cleaned and took care of the kids so that we can enjoy this time with less stress from the demands of life. We really realize again how blessed we are to have this faith family here and such supportive and loving family and friends. What a joy to share our little miracle with you all!