Levi's Birth Story

I find it hard to believe that I'm already writing another birth story! It seems like I just wrote Lily's. Ha!

Levi's due date was December 24, 2010. I pretty much assumed he would be late like Lily was - and that was totally fine with me. I was happy to be able to participate in both our family's Christmas get-togethers, especially since it was Lily's first Christmas. As soon as Christmas was over though, I was ready to have the baby!

I had been having contractions, some sporadic and some consistent, for a few weeks. When my midwife checked me on December 27th, my cervix was up behind the baby's head  but it was very thinned out. I ate 3 pineapple cores between December 26th and December 29th, I exercised everyday, did tons of squats, and got my house somewhat cleaned.

On Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 29th) I just started feeling funny. I don't know how to explain what I was feeling - there was no pain, and I wasn't really having many contractions - I just felt weird. As we were leaving the house to go to prayer meeting, I told Jacob that I wouldn't be surprised if we had a baby that night. I think I was more "hoping" to have a baby that night than I was really thinking we would.

We headed to bed just like normal, with me still feeling "weird" but having no grounds for the feeling. I was up and down all night using the bathroom. Then at 4:55am I was jerked awake by a very intense contraction. Once it was over, I got up and just walked around a little, got a drink, and sat down in the living room to check my email. At 5:00am I had another contraction, then at 5:05, 5:10, and 5:15! After the one at 5:15 I went back to bed to see if they would continue. I had one at 5:20 and then at 5:25.

The one at 5:25 was really hard and long. I started trying to wake up Jacob during that contraction. It sounded something like this,

me: "Uh, babe...I think we need to head to the clinic" {deep groaning and breathing to get through the contraction}
Jacob: snoring
me: "Babe! ... I really think we need to head to the clinic" {followed by more groaning and breathing}
Jacob: snoring and rolling over
me: while shaking Jacob - "Babe! Don't you want to go have this baby?!!!" {groaning through the end of the contraction}
Jacob: wide awake now and jumping out of bed - "Are you serious?!"

So Jacob called my mom (she was coming to the clinic to take care of Lily), we quickly got dressed, got our last minute things packed in our bags, got Lily, and headed to the car. I had several more contractions in the midst of all the hurry. Each one was growing in intensity and I told Jacob we needed to hurry - since we had a 45 minute drive ahead of us.

During the drive the contractions slowed to 7 minutes apart, but they were still just as strong and long. Thankfully there wasn't too much traffic at that time of morning, and Jacob only had to use his flashers and blow the horn once - and that was because there were these two cars, one in the left lane and one in the right lane, driving super slow side by side and we couldn't get around them! Ugh!

We got to the clinic around 6:30am and just sat and talked through a couple contractions. Then we headed back to the bedroom to listen to the baby's heartbeat. His heartbeat was good and my blood pressure was good. Then Linda checked me - to our utter surprise, I was completely effaced, 8cm dialated, and +2 station! We were both shocked! I was basically in transition.

While I waited to push, I sat on the birth ball - which helped ease alot of pressure, and ate peanut butter toast. My sweet mom rubbed my back and Jacob held my hand and encouraged me through each contraction. Lily was so precious - she knew I wasn't feeling good and she just kept coming over and hugging me and putting her head on me. It was so sweet! She went down for a nap before Levi was born, so she wasn't actually in the room then. The craziest thing about this labor was that my contractions stayed pretty much 7 minutes apart up until I was pushing. With Lily, they went from 7 minutes, down to 5 minutes, down to 3 minutes apart.

Around 8:30, my midwife checked me again and I was fully dialated. Right after that, my water broke and I started feeling like I needed to push. The contractions got a little closer together, but it seemed like I would push and then wait and wait and wait for another contraction. The waiting was seriously wearing me out! I was ready to hurry up and get the baby out! Ha!

It only took 5-6 pushes to get him out, but like I said it seemed like forever. Levi was born at 9:22am!

Linda immediately laid him up on my chest. My heart was so full of joy and thankfulness. I was bawling and just thanking God for giving me His strength to bring this precious boy into the world.

Then I heard the words "cleft lip" and my heart stopped. I've seen very sad pictures of babies and children with severe cleft lips and palettes, and that's all I could imagine (I hadn't seen Levi's face yet).

In an instant my joy plunged into sorrow. I started losing lots of blood and I was given a shot of pitocin to help get it stopped. Then my uterus wasn't hardening or coming back up and the bleeding continued, so I was given another shot of pitocin. Finally the bleeding was under control.

When I saw my sweet boy's face I realized that his cleft lip is not severe - we are SO blessed! It is only a cleft lip, and not a cleft palette. God is good!

A little while after Levi was born Jacob brought Lily in to meet him, Andrea (Linda's wonderful apprentice) weighed and measured Levi, then I got a shower and ate some lunch. I stayed in bed most of the afternoon because I was a little faint feeling from the blood loss.

I've been really surprised (in a good way!) that I've hardly even been sore from having Levi. I mean seriously, even though I didn't tear at all with Lily or Levi, sitting was uncomfortable for like a week after birthing Lily. This time I haven't had an uncomfortable-ness. I must say, it's definitely a blessing!

Psalm 139:14

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well.