Eviction Notice: A Birth Story (Part 2)

Need a refresher? Check out Part 1 here.

So when we left off, I was getting frustrated and had made very little progress. I had forgotten to mention in the last post (See? Already forgetting things) about how hungry I was! I was a bad patient, (don't be like me), and had eaten some breakfast before coming in at 5:30 because I knew it'd be a while before I got to eat again. Well apparently, my apple and Spark was just enough to rev up my metabolism and my body chewed through that in about 45 minutes. From that point on, I was absolutely ravenous! Thankfully, Dr. Canterbury lets her patients have popsicles during labor, and I literally went through every flavor in the freezer and multiple cups of ice chips.

But enough about being hungry, lets get back to Isaac.

I had kicked my family out of the room and had a little pity party as I was coming to the realization that I may not get the "dream delivery" that I was hoping for. I was running very low on patience, was tired and hungry. I began mentally preparing myself for a possible c-section and kept reminding myself over and over again that at the end of the day, ideal delivery or not, our baby would be here. I spent some time in prayer, thanking the Lord for his unending faithfulness to me during this pregnancy. He had graciously granted my every desire for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby and allowed me to be surrounded by sweet friends and loved ones on the day of this baby's birth. I knew that his loving faithfulness was not gone from the situation and asked for renewed faith in His plan.

A short while later, Dr. Canterbury came back around and checked my cervix once again. I was now 6.5 cm dilated. That wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear. I can't be sure, but I don't think that baby boy had dropped any at this point. I was still unhappy and frustrated at my minimal progress. We were doing everything imaginable to make progress happen and progress was being evasive. Carin was helping me reposition routinely, the pitocin was cranking out, and we were still waiting. On top of that, I was starting to get a little uncomfortable. It was easily tolerable, and I didn't want to be any more numb than I already was, so for the most part, I just stuck it out.

A little bit after we learned I was 6.5 cm, I sent Jordan out to hang out with the family in the waiting room. I wasn't interested in having visitors, but I knew he probably needed a break. A few minutes shy of 6pm, Dr. Canterbury came through once again to see how things were going. She checked my cervix and a big smile spread across her face and she excitedly announced that I was an anterior lip (like 9.5cm!!!!) and the baby was very low! Relief washed over me and I let out a few weepy laughs. With just a few good laughs and sniffles and some manual manipulation by Dr. Canterbury, I was 10cm and ready to push! Carin was a ball of energy, getting the room prepped for delivery and calling in a special friend/nursery nurse to attend to my little one. Jordan was summoned and I think just as relieved to hear the good news as I was. I let our family come in for a minute for hugs and well wishes and then got to work.

I still was a little uncomfortable with my contractions and could feel a little baby pressure, but could also feel baby bottom and legs up in my ribs. How in the world was this baby so "low" and yet still making me feel like I couldn't breathe?! This was especially frustrating when I began pushing and felt more like hurling than anything else. But with the help of Carin and Jordan, I hoisted my dead legs back and started pushing with all my might. It was a little past 6pm and it was go time. After a few pushes, Carin announced that this baby had some dark hair. After a few more pushes, she tells me that I'm getting pretty close. I still felt like barfing with every push and spent my time between pushes trying to keep my popsicles down. We discussed pushing only twice (instead of 3 pushes) with each contraction to try to keep my nausea in check. Well that would've been a great idea if I'd actually gotten a chance to implement it, but with the next push, Carin called for the delivery team!

My legs were in stirrups, and the spotlights were on, and the team was in place. It was time to meet our baby and finally know if baby M is a boy or a girl. I only pushed a couple more times and heard Dr. Canterbury say, "Open your eyes and look at your baby!"

And like that HE was here! Our perfect boy.

The very first thing I said (before we caught a glimpse of those boy parts) was "Oh my gosh, you are huge!" Little did I know how huge he actually was!

To say that I was completely and entirely shocked that this child that I just pushed out (in 35 minutes!) was NINE POUNDS & SIX OUNCES would be an understatement. Never in a million years would I have ever dreamed that this boy would be such a bruiser! I guess I feel a little vindicated for that whiny post a few weeks back! And no wonder he still felt so high -- He was 22 inches long! It's totally obvious now why the labor took a little longer than I was anticipating, although in hindsight, I realize it didn't take nearly as long as it felt like at the time. Crazy kid.

A little father-son bonding time

And just like that, we became a trio. We were completely smitten with our big boy. Even though both Jordan and I were anticipating that this baby was going to be a girl, almost instantly, I couldn't imagine having anything but our sweet guy to snuggle.

One of the very first to learn of this pregnancy, Dr. Canterbury has been apart of this baby's life from the very beginning! I wouldn't have wanted anyone else by my side on this special day. 

My amazing friend and labor nurse Carin who has been praying for this baby from the very beginning. She was at the hospital at 5am, stayed until almost 8pm and never faltered. She will always have a special place in my heart.

So, after all that worrying and anxiety, I truly got the "dream delivery" I had envisioned for 9 months. From being delivered by my own doctor all the way to having a great IV in the ideal spot, everything was absolutely perfect. My coworkers were amazing and gave the 3 of us the royal treatment. I even got to stay in labor & delivery for the duration of my stay (we left Friday night), where I felt most comfortable. I couldn't be more thankful to everyone who was apart of our special day. We had several people come in from home on their day off just to be there for us, and for that, I am so very grateful. And most importantly, I am reminded of and humbled by the Lord's faithfulness to our family. Blessed with a healthy pregnancy, healthy baby, and beautiful delivery, the Lord has certainly shown us His great love and grace.

I am so unbelievably thankful. And in love.