The Birth of Sarah Nicole

The Birth of Sarah Nicole

For a few weeks I had been having bhc and they were getting a little more closer together, harder, and uncomfortable. The Thursday before I was 37wks I was 3cm, 75ffaced and soft, so we thought labor would start soon. Over the next few weeks, the contrax didnt start hurting at all, so I thought they were still bhc. At about 38-39wks, Mike and I tried everything to stimulate labor. We had sex, I ate VERY spicy food, and I walked A LOT! I still went to church and did all of my normal activities. The last week before my due date Mike didnt want me going anywhere alone (without him) in case labor started. On June 19th, Fathers Day, we still went to church, both Sunday school and worship. Everyone was amazed I felt good enough to be there, I was too and that was starting to really frustrate me. I thought that if I started feeling more miserable then that meant SOMETHING was happening. The day before (on Saturday) I was praying to God and asking Him why nothing was happening and to please give me a sign that labor was starting, pain, water breaking, SOMETHING. All He told me was that something was happening and that I wouldnt feel any pain until she was about to be born. All I thought was Yeah right! Ok back to Sunday, Fathers Day. I was feeling great! Mike and I had sex to see if that jump started anything. Well, night came and nothing. We put Elisabeth to bed and Mike and Rachel fell asleep on the couch while we watched a movie. I went to bed about 10:30pm. At about 1:30am on June 20th, my due date, a contraction woke me up. All I thought was, Ooh, that didnt feel too good. I went to the bathroom to see if that helped, I saw streaks of blood when I wiped and after that on the way to the living room to wake Mike up I had another one. I woke him up and asked him to come to bed in case another one woke me up and he could massage my back. We both laid down but I popped back up, there was another contraction. Mike told me to come back to bed to sleep during the contractions but I told him I couldnt right then. I tried leaning on my birth ball but that lasted for about 15 sec. I asked Mike if we should call my parents (who wanted to be there for the birth) and my midwife but Mike said that he thought we still had some time. I went to the bathroom again and I peed A LOT(it was just pee) and I started having diarrhea. So I thought we still had some time. . I came out of the bathroom and went to hands and knees position because I was having another one. This was about 1:45am. I started moaning pretty loud and I was right beside Elisabeth, who was sleeping on the floor by our bed. I got up right away and peed and had diarrhea again, plus another contrax and more bleeding. I dont really remember getting on the floor in the bathroom but I did. I was on my side, perpendicular to the tub. I was using the tub and hamper as counter pressure for my legs. I started moaning pretty loud and Mike said VERY stern to me, Do you want to go to the hospital?! He thought I was overreacting and we didnt know I was as close as I was. He has since apologized. I just told him to call my midwife and get me something to drink. Actually I yelled it. That was the last time I remember feeling pain. I started singing Trading My Sorrows and Victory Chant. I was also reciting Phil 4:13. I did all of that over and over again. All of a sudden, I decided to try to feel her head and I could! I told Mike, who was on the phone with my midwife, that I could feel her head. But when he came in, the contrax had ended and she went back up. So he left the bathroom to get more chux pads (Thank the Lord we got them Friday). My midwife was still about 45min away. I called him back in and said I felt her head. He looked at me and said to my midwife, Well, her head is out. I wasnt even really pushing, I dont even remember pushing, but I do remember coughing. This is what Mike told me that he and my midwife were talking about. She told him to check for a cord and when he did her chin popped out, then she cried, then her shoulder and then all of her @ 2:12am, 42 min after my first contraction. Mike wrapped her in a towel and handed her to me. She looked just like Rachel but with dark hair. Well, I thought the placenta was coming and I pushed but it was a large blood clot. I passed 2 of those. My midwife wanted us to call 911 because she couldnt assess the bleeding over the phone and she was still about 30min away. Before she and Mike got off the phone I delivered the placenta. Mike hung up with 911 when the EMTs got there. He got back on the phone with my midwife. The EMTs asked me which hospital and I looked at Mike and asked, Do I have to? and he said yeah. The ONLY picture we got at home was when they were about to wheel me and Sarah out of the bedroom on the stretcher. We wish the birth environment in Georgia was better because then we could have asked the EMTs to look and check my bleeding and if it was ok I would have just waited for my midwife. My midwife would have to double back to get to the hospital so Mike told her to go home and get some rest and come see me later that day. Our neighbors were walking over as I was about to get in the ambulance. They knew we were having a homebirth. They looked scared and I told them everything was ok, that I just had her REALLY fast. This was the first time I had been in an ambulance. Sarah started nursing on the way to the hospital and nursed for about 45min. The EMTs were great and so were the L&D nurses. I did have a 2nd degree tear, but just bottom one (had top and bottom with Elisabeth). Everyone in L&D called me their hero and everyone in the hospital kneweven the janitors! While the L&D nurses were cleaning me up, they asked if I knew how much Sarah weighed. I said no and they told me that she weighed 9 lbs 11 oz! I couldnt believe it! They just said wow and with no meds. I thought they were lying. They measured her too and she is 21 in long. We just cant believe how big she is. I didnt stay at the hospital 24hrs. I signed an AMA and was released about 15hrs after I was admitted. Which to Mike, my midwife and me we that it was too long considering Sarah and I were doing great! The ped released her at 10am but she still stayed with me.

It makes me feel a little weird that they called me their hero and that I am some woman because I didnt do anything on my own. I could not have done this without Jesus. Mike was so calm and that helped me a lot too. Well, thats about it. Mikes entire vision about labor and birth has changed so much. He wouldnt change the birth for anything and neither would I (except the tearing part). It is still so surreal. Mike wasnt too excited about this pregnancy and we believe this was the Lords way of bring excitement and bonding with our 3rd child. We are truly blessed and praise God everyday.