Friday, December 1, 2006 - my babies are growing up!
Little Elizabeth turns 3 today and my baby Paige will be 1 on Monday.
Where does the time go?!
This week marks the anniversaries of the best and worst births I've ever had...Both planned by me to be water births at a birthing center, but both so overdue that I was sent to the hospital for inductions.
Elizabeth's birth was the amazing natural birth I had hoped for, just not in the place I hoped for. She was born on the floor in a cold hospital room rather than in a warm tub in a more homey environment. George finally bucked up and was the perfect labor partner. I was disappoineted to end up in the hospital and didn't understand why God allowed it to happen that way...16 hrs later when it was discovered that I had retained some placenta, I was thankful that His plan was better than mine. I can't imagine how things would have progressed if I were at home at that point, as I had planned to be.
I have to admit that I lied to my midwife (the same one that delivered Elizabeth) about my due date with Paige. I was so desperate to have that "perfect" out of hospital birth I had hoped for that I told her that I was due two weeks later than I actually was. Boy was I shocked to still be pregnant 27 days after my *actual* due date.
Since I was so overdue even by my poor midwife's (false) records I ended up in the hospital again. I was scared out of my mind at the prospect of birth this time. I don't know how to explain it. It's not like this was my first rodeo...I had done this 4 times already, twice with no meds. Huge babies at that! I was a birthing pro by now, but something didn't feel right this time.
The night before my induction my oldest daughter, all of 6 at the time, came to me and asked if she could pray for me and the baby. She laid herself across my bump and said, "Dear Jesus, please help mommy's baby come out right. Amen". I thought it was sweet, but never really gave it much thought until that next morning when an ultrasound showed that Paige was breech. It was decided by the midwife that we should just do a c-section. I freaked on her and she had the nurses dope me up to silence me.
I have a moment alone just before the meds kicked in and I tell God that I can't do this...I can't just lay there awake while they gut me. I hear a voice say, "My grace is sufficient", and peace washes over me...or maybe it was the drugs...but still-I was okay.LOL!
The midwife's back-up Dr. comes in and does another ultrasound and suddenly Paige was where she was supposed to be. The pro's chatter about what to do now...c/s or no c/s...and Doc looks to George.
George says, "Hey, I'm not the Dr. in this situation." Even sedated, my inner smart-alec kicks in and I think to myself, "So George, just what situation *are* you the Dr. in?!", but the words couldn't come out...lol!
George tells them that we want another natural birth and that he knows I don't need a c/s.
Suddenly a wave of clarity comes over me and everything in me has to fight for the c/s...I'm still too doped to talk straight, but I manage to say that I want the c/s. George argues with me and they all seem to dismiss me, but I wouldn't give in.
Next thing I know I'm being prepped for some sort of spinal thing. That was always my biggest proponent to wanting natural birth....I'm bad with needles and just the thought of one in my back freaks me out. I get through it all right, though I do recall being yelled at at some point.
Suddenly I'm lying down and strapped to the table. Boy were there alot of people in there. A man sits by my head wearing all white, only his eyes are showing. I think to myself that he has the prettiest brown eyes that I had ever seen...a girl could get lost in eyes like that...he touches my face and speaks...
It was George!
I seriously had *no* clue until he spoke.
Minutes later everyone is excited, but I'm dozing happily. I hear someone say, "Better show Mom." I look as a little purple monkey is proudly being presented to me as our newest daughter.
The funniest part is despite the fact that I thought she was a purple monkey, I was thrilled to meet her and call her my own.
Everyone questioned my descision for the c/s, even me, but the midwife told me later that it was clearly a good descision as there was a knot in the cord that could have complicated things...possibly leading to an emergancy c/s if I had tried a natural birth.
I remembered my daughter's prayer not 18 hours earlier...c/s wasn't *my* idea of a baby "coming out right", but I believe in this case it was God's plan.
Happy birthday(s) babies!!
Comments
Sunday, December 3, 2006 - Untitled Comment
Posted by weareqf
What a sweet story!! Isn't the Lord just A-M-A-Z-I-N-G??? I sometimes wonder how much stuff we don't catch that the Lord orchestrates on our behalf--a LOT I'm sure!! Well, duh! I guess everything!! Ha Ha!! Give the birthday girls a big hug from me!! And yes, they do grow up way, WAY too fast!! Love, Kris
