Well, here I am 4 months later finally sitting down to write about our precious Charlotte Mae born Sept 19th. :) Her Birthday began with a typical doctor's appointment that morning. I had started having bad headaches over the weekend and while I was out running errands, I had checked my blood pressure Sunday and noticed it was very elevated for me. My dr had me head to the Labor & Delivery just to be monitored. After a few hours, they sent me home and said tonrest and follow up the next morning at my routine check-up. So, Monday morning all 3 kids and I headed to the doctor's office! Charlotte wasn't behaving on the stress test so they did an ultrasound...and she wasn't doing the expected movements o that either. As soon as my doctor saw me, she said she was admitting me to the hospital and we were having this baby today! I was 37 weeks and 6 days....the doctors always tend to be extra cautious with me since I have 2 blood clotting issues....so off I went to the hospital with all 3 kids in tow! Never ever a dull moment when you get to check yourself into deleivery with a 6, 4 and 2 year old! Jeremy quickly met us up there...it was a family affair!
My parents we're actually on the plane to Columbia that morning and they arrived just as I was being induced! Jeremy's mom was already visiting his brother's family in Augusta so she was close by also! We had all our reinforcements ready to jump into action....
The birthing process began around 1:00. So, I was 3cm and about 90% effaced when the doctor came in to begin the induction. I had shared with my doctor and the nurse that I preferred to go natural without and epidural. This being my 4th, I had a fairly good idea of what all that entailed. Lots of work, lots of pains.....but then a beautiful blessing in the end! The doctor came right in and broke my water. They started my pitocin and I always insist they start it very low at a 1-2. The first hour or two wasn't bad at all....just contractions becoming more regular. My parents arrived and it was so good to have them in the labor room as my. Odd continued to prepress. Within just a couple hours I had progressed to 6cm.....I was walking, sitting and chatting up until then. Around 6cm is when things begins to get intense. My mom and dad left and it was just Jeremy, myself and my doula...side note is that this particular hospital offers free doulas to any mom who requests!! So awesome! My mom came back and I had told Jeremy to please ask her to come in and stay for the delivery! We hadn't even discussed this since everthing had happened so quickly but I've always know it was one of my mom's dreams to see a grand baby brought into the world! So what better time than the present! Jeremy did want her that while she was gone I had started having hot flashes and had de-robed! lol I'm telling you that being in those huge hospital gowns along with the IV can get pretty annoying and hot! I was all tangled up so I just took things into my own hands! Ha! Jeremy brought my mom in and had her sitting in the corner with some headphones on...he didn't want her to be traumatized so he had worship music playing for her.
In the meantime, I was laboring hard.....I rotated side to side using the peanut ball. That thing is painful akin every way it it certainly helps the baby labor down....I knew that the more uncomfortable the quicker she would be in my arms. I labored for another hour or so....I alway feel like that is the absolute hardest of the entire process. I dilated from 6-8 during that hard hour. I used the methods that had helped me in the past. When I felt a contraction, I would close my eyes, focus on relaxing and breathing deeply for those 45-60 seconds. As soon as Infelt the contractions easing up, I would relax, breath and make any position change necessary (rotate, restroom). I typically had about 2 minutes in between each contraction. After about an hour, the doctor told me I was 8cm and just a little more labeling and it would be time to push! This is the most intense time....no matter how many times you've done it, you always get to the point where you just don't think you have the energy or stamina and right when you are to that breaking point it is time to push! So, around 9cm....I hit my wall....I remember telling the doula I just didn't have anymore energy....and she quoted Phil 4:13...You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you! That was the verse I had quoted during my previous 3 labors when it got to unbearable! At this point I was now sitting in Indian style, just laboring her down through the birth canal. Hard hard hard........with all my kids there's always a little lip of my cervix that I have to wait to thin before I can push. But the good news this time is after you've had 4 kids, the doctor can just use her finger to slowly stretch it.....so it was time to push!! I looked over at my mom and she had eyes full of excitement...with Jeremy at my head and my doula on my side, I began to push. Now this is my most very favorite part of labor! It just feels so natural and my body just goes into action! Deep breaths, pulling my legs and pushing with all my strength! It Toom about 3 rounds of pushing.....just when I think I can't do it one more time....the dr says "just one more contraction and we will have this baby!"....Jeremy says, "Come in babe you can do it...she's almost here!" I muster up all the strength I possibly can and pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed....and out she came as fast as a bullet!!! My mom was tears, I'm tears, Jeremy's teary and they place her on my chest. Sweet precious baby girl!! She had finally arrived!! 4:53pm, 6lb 15oz, 20 1/4”
Within a few seconds, they realized she wasn't transitioning well and had to sweep her off to the corner of the room. She had come out so fast that it put her little body into shock! The same thing happened with Tucker. The special care team came right in and had to work with her for about 20 minutes and then observed her in the nursery. Within and hour they brought her to me and she was doing great! A little hiccup in the transition, but she never turned back.
I will always remember this special moments in He labor and delivery room that day.....so special to have my precious mom there....oh! And the funny part....I asked her how the worship music was.....she said, "oh I never turned it on...I wanted to hear and see it all!" Oh Mimi!
God is so good and those hours in the delivery room are so dear to me....the labor is intense, the pain seems unbearable....but to experience the strength and stamina that only the Lord can give a woman is such a gift. To know that He alone was my strength through it all! We knew this would be our last child, so I tried to savor every smell and experience from that delivery room. I'm so so blessed to have had 4 natural births....the Lord was so gracious to allow me the privilege to bring my children into the world just the way I had hoped and prayed. We had some scary moments after Tucker and Charlotte's quick birth, but I will ever take for granted the healthy babies the Lord has given me....every moment of it all is a treasure that I have hidden deep in my heart.
