birth story! for those interested...

so on january 25th around 9pm...i started labor. but i didn't think it was labor. not until 3 hours later when the contractions were painful and 3-4 minutes apart. go figure. you'd think someone who's been through it before would know she's in labor...nope...it took my doctor saying to me over the phone, "well i think it sounds like you should go to the hospital...". we grabbed our bags and headed out. the car ride was pretty painful and once we got to the hospital, we ended up parking on the wrong side and had to walk around the whole side of the hospital...in the cold...in labor. (to be honest, i think it helped progress me). i get checked in, got put on the monitors, and i was already 5 cm dilated. that was a good thing, since i was going to be very sad if they were going to tell me i was still at 3. so i get moved to a room and hooked up to an iv...and the contractions started to get closer and stronger. they came in to check me and decided to break my water, which took a couple of pokes during the exam, no hook. after that the contractions got stronger, but i was still doing good. not in excruciating pain...yet. at that point i was at 6 cm dilated and 80% effaced. my nurse kept saying i was very smiley for being 6 cm. shortly after that, they gave me a little pitocin to move things along...that's when things began to speed up...quickly. now, as you know i decided i wanted to do this all natural. no epidural, no pain meds...the full childbirth experience as God designed it. so by this time i'm having to breath and manage my pain the best i can...cold rags, shoulder rubs, silence...all very helpful, but it was hurting pretty bad. this was about the time i started praying and asking God for guidance as to whether or not i should still do it natural, because the pain was pretty intense...so i waited for His answer...for like a second, and then decided on my own to throw my birth plan out the window and just ask for the epidural. well...in a VERY short amount of time following that decision, i went from 6cm to about 8cm and 100% effaced...oh, and i felt like i had to push. that was when it was made very clear that God wanted me to do it natural after all. and this was when i was told by the nurse that i was going to have the baby before the anesthesiologist would even make it there. at this point i was really feeling like i had to push and i'm being told by numerous people not to...yeah...you try holding something the size of a watermelon inside you when it's coming out. so began the crying...the "i can't..i have to push! i can't....i have to push." let me tell ya, the pain wasn't even an issue at that point, it was the sheer difficulty of their request. i felt this baby coming out of me and they were still "prepping" and telling me "don't push, just breath...". well before i knew it, i was in stirrups and being told what to do and how to breath and FINALLY they said it, "push." it was a relief for a moment...until i felt the burning and the poking and the cutting (episiotomy)...so i pushed harder. i was done with this pain, and just wanted to see my baby. i have to say, this was the most painful thing i have ever experienced in my entire life, but when that little baby boy popped out of me at 4:21am and started crying...all the pain went away. and i was happy i had done it naturally...thankful the anesthesiologist lived 30 minutes away... well...until the stitching started, that was quite painful...but it didn't last long and that was the only battle wound i incurred from this wonderful birth. so, in the end, the whole thing lasted about 7 hours total and it was worth every second. no complications, no slowing, just quick and smooth! Praise the Lord!

Jacob Elijah...7lbs 9oz...19 3/4 inches

1.26.2011