This is a birth story that is a little hard to write. Though I did have another vaginal birth, it was my hardest yet. On Friday, August 12th I went into labor early on in the day. Though the contractions weren't regular yet, I felt like it was the day and did some walking. I had taken some blue and black cohosh the day before and had taken the evening primrose oil often prior to this day. I think it tired my uterus out and intensified the pain greatly... just a feeling that both my husband and I have. I wish I would have just rested in the Lord and enjoyed the last weeks of my pregnancy. Maybe there will be a next time.
Anyways, at 10:00 pm my contractions were hurting pretty good. I waited until 11:00 and drove in to labor and delivery. Because we don't have any family or close friends nearby, we didn't have anyone to watch the kids so I wanted to let my children sleep and get in before the contractions got too bad. I arrived at the hospital and was only at 3 cm. My contractions hurt as if I was at 7 cm, I was embarrassed as this wasn't my normal situation other than while laboring with Hannah when I had a quick labor. The nurse assigned to me I had many difficulties with which made me miss and need my husband all the more. I am very grateful for the doctor and anesthesiologist... if it weren't for them my birth really would have been a hardship all the way around. The doctor is a woman who I like as a person and respect and trust as a doctor. She is great. She spent much time with me while she could have been sleeping during those hours. I saw her yawn several times and knew she was going out of her way for me to try and give support and comfort. The epidural did not take as usual and the anesthesiologist tried with her best efforts to give me several more dosages over the hours until we finally decided that a spinal might be the best option - and it was. It worked for a little over 2 hours until I was at the last and hardest stages of the labor. But, I was so very grateful for the rest from the pain and for her efforts.
Early in the morning at 5:30, I called my husband to come in with the children. I needed him then. I felt for all he would have to endure to get the children up, dressed and in the truck. I knew he would have such a long day ahead. The doctor then came and checked me and was concerned about Miriam's heart rate as it didn't have the peaks that are supposed to be on the chart. Her heart rate was up about 20 beats per minute too indicating an infection from my water leaking earlier. I had a temperature as well and the contractions weren't as strong as she would like to see as well as the progress being a bit slow. This was when she mentioned the possibility of a c-section. My husband arrived later and we discussed this further and she shared that she was hoping to see some progress by 8:00 that morning. In the meantime the nurse shared something about when the children would be here and I informed her that we weren't going to have the children in the delivery room but hoped someone could watch the kids for just 5 minutes when the baby crowned so my husband could see the baby be born. She shared that they were just too busy. I felt so heartbroken that someone couldn't take 5 minutes so that my husband and I could share in a memory to the grave, it just drove in me all the more why we want to move to Missouri and be with our people and church there. I shared with her, "This is why we want to move." I cried for several minutes with my husband over the phone about this and then for some time afterwards. It is the thing I believe I will remember the most about this birth. The shock of it still hurts deep and reminds me of all the years of living here in an ungodly land with a cold people. But, we have great hope for a future in another land with our children that they can be with like minded people.
At some point another nurse came in. I was so happy to see her as she had supported me with Matthew's birth. She found that the other nurse had had me in a laying down position for hours and promptly got me to sitting up to help make my contractions more productive. At this point I was feeling everything as if I had never had the spinal so it made the pain even more severe but I was happy through it all to have a chance at some progress. Soon thereafter she had me move to another position and my contractions intensified greatly on the chart and the baby's heartrate stayed steady. Though the pain was terrible, I knew progress was being made. The doctor checked me at 8:00 and I was told I was ready to push. She came out in only 4 minutes. I was so happy to have it all over with. Baby Miriam looked beautiful and healthy and it felt so good to have the pain gone right away.
Unfortunately, I did have some pretty bad postpartum hemorrhaging afterwards that required 2 bags of pitocin and some other means of medication over the next 4 hours to make it stop. The doctor shared that if it didn't stop they would have to get me into surgery for a D&C but she felt confident that things would slow down on time and they did. She shared that this was pretty common in women who have had a lot of children and are older as their uterus gets tired.
Anyways, I am grateful for Miriam's health as well as mine with this birth. It was really heartbreaking not having my husband there and our separation for that evening and the next has brought us closer together. Our marriage has really grown over the past months and is growing much more so since the baby has been born. This is the best part of Miriam's birth and so worth all the little hardships that went along with it. We are in a place we've never been before in our marriage and we both feel so well and at rest in it. I wake up from napping or sleep a lot lately and am so glad to wake up in a good home and good marriage with children who are truly blessings to our lives.
Here are the pictures of our new baby Miriam. The newest are last (I put them on here backwards). The last two pictures are of Miriam at 1 day old.
