This is a really long post. Just warning you ahead of time!
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Nearly two weeks before Lily's due date (December 28th), I started having contractions; they were not painful at all, my belly just got hard as a rock. Some of them were consistent, but most were irregular. I continued walking, exercising, cleaning my house, and trying to be patient. After two false runs to the midwife's clinic about an hour away, I was determined that the next time it would be the "real" thing. All during that time, I was dilated 4-5cm and 80% effaced and Lily was at +2 station. We figured that once active labor started, it wouldn't take too long to get her out! Ha!
As Lily's due date came and went and the next several days went by, it was really hard not to get discouraged. My Dad left the country on December 31st for a 2 week preaching engagement, and we also missed the tax credit since Lily Grace didn't come before 11:59pm on the 31st.
When Jacob and I woke up New Year's Day, I was feeling kind of down and I told Jacob that I really hoped Lily would be born that day. For breakfast I ate the entire core of a pineapple because someone had told my sister, Myra, that it is a natural labor inducer. Who knows if it had anything to do with me going into labor...at that point I was willing to try just about anything!
Later that morning Jacob went over to his parent's to watch a football game with a bunch of guys. I stayed home and started the Bible in 90 Days Challenge (side note: I have since fallen very far behind, but hope to do it later this year). I was still feeling down especially since Jacob only had a week before he started back teaching. We really hoped Lily would be born soon so we could have some family bonding time before he started up his insanely busy schedule. I sat there and poured my heart out to the Lord and told Him everything I was feeling and ask Him to please let Lily come that day if it was His Will. As I was sitting there reading the first 16 chapters of Genesis, I noticed that I started having "very different" contractions from what I'd been having for the last two weeks. I was contracting, but having really sharp pain down really low. It was the same kind of pain I've had over the years with Endometriosis. The contractions weren't regular, so I pretty much just brushed them off and continued with my day.
We went to my family's for New Year's Dinner and spent a while hanging out with them. I noticed that I was having the sharp pain contractions more frequently, but I didn't time them or anything. Jacob and I came home around 3:45 or so and I decided to go walking at the mall. I thought walking might help whatever the sharp pain was to go away.
Well, just about the time I was about to get in the car to head to the mall, I had a really really strong contraction with sharp pain that made me sit down and focus. I told Jacob that I didn't think I should go walking, but I would call my midwife and just let her know what was going on. She advised us to come to the clinic and let her check me to see if I was dilated anymore. I called Mom and Myra to let them know we were headed to the clinic, but I was still skeptical that this was the "real thing," so I told them they didn't need to come right away.
During the 50 minute drive to the clinic, the contractions got closer (about 3 minutes apart) and much stronger. Jacob called Mom and Myra about half way to the clinic and told them that they should probably come as soon as they could. Once we got to the clinic at 5:13pm (according to our trusty GPS) my midwife took one look at me and knew I was in active labor. She checked me and I was 7cm dilated, 100% effaced and Lily was +2 station. One midwife guessed that Lily would be born by 8:00pm and the other guessed 8:30pm.
Every contraction seemed to get harder and I just breathed/groaned through them and focused on relaxing. I sat on the birthing ball which really helped and Mom massaged my back. Jacob was right by my side the whole time, holding my hand and telling me I was doing a great job! My midwife started filling the tub because warm water massage sounded really really good to me! Right before I was going to get in the tub, my midwife checked me again and I was completely dilated and she knew it was only a very short time before I would start pushing. So I didn't even get a chance to get in the tub, but that's really ok with me! Ha.
I got on my hands and knees on the bed for a couple contractions before I felt the urge to push. I started pushing at 8:00pm and Lily Grace was born at 8:24pm! With the first or second push, my water broke (that was such a weird feeling!). After a couple more contractions and pushes, Lily's head crowned and came out. The cord was around her neck, which Jacob saw and it scared him to death. My midwives very skillfully got it off and with the next contraction, Lily Grace was born! What joy, relief, and love swept over me as they laid her on my chest! Such an incredible feeling! I seriously couldn't believe that I'd done it, birthed this sweet little one completely naturally with no drugs! Amazing. Another thing that's absolutely amazing is that I didn't tear at all and I lost very little blood! Let me just say, I have amazing midwives!
Pushing was definitely the hardest part for me, but God gave me so much grace! I felt Him with me the entire time. I had made some verse cards to help keep me focused through labor, but I ended up not even using them. One verse I kept quoting to myself over and over was
Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. I remember hearing one midwife say something like she couldn't believe I was ready to push because she hadn't heard me say "I can't do this!" Well, even though I didn't say it, I'd definitely thought it and felt it, but quoting that verse helped keep me focused that I could do this with the Lord's strength.
Overall the labor and delivery was much easier than I anticipated. Yes, it was hard, hard work, and it hurt like none other...but I'm up for having another baby sometime in the future!
Lily Grace
6lbs 4oz
20.5 inches long
Born: 01/01/10 at 8:24pm
Jacob changing her first diaper.
I got up and got a shower a little while after Lily was born, we ate supper, and spent the night at the clinic. Lily had a hard time nursing at first, but my midwife was an incredible help and pretty soon she caught on.
Right before heading home with our sweet baby!
Here are a few things I did to help prepare my body for a healthy labor and delivery:
1. I drank 1 quart of Red Raspberry tea (not the tea bag kind. I bought the loose leaves from
bulkherbstore.com) everyday from the time I was 12 weeks pregnant, all the way to the end.
2. I took Juice Plus capsules for the whole pregnancy
3. I took Liquid Chlorophyll everyday since I was about 20 weeks pregnant
4. I took 5W herb blend the last 5 weeks of pregnancy
5. I walked 2 miles at least 5 times each week from start to finish of the pregnancy
6. I worked out at Curves 4-5 times each week from start to finish of pregnancy too
The Lord has done great things for us; whereof we are glad!
Psalm 126:3
