Here he is! And here's the story:
I wake up with cramping around 6:00am. I doze on and off until 7:30. I get up, which must've really kicked things off b/c I started into contractions that were 2 minutes apart immediately. By 9:00, it was decided that I should head to the hospital. So much for laboring at home! When I arrived, my midwife checked me and found I was already 5-6 cm. "Alright!", we thought, "we're halfway there and it's been no time at all!". The rest of the labor took forever, however. I was in labor until 5:30 and finally the midwife said I could start pushing. Now, mind you, I had spent the whole day contracting at 2 minutes apart. By this time, I was exhausted. Pushing was SO painful. I spent the next 2.5 hours running through these contractions that never gave me a break (it was just once contraction after the next). Finally, my midwife ordered me an epidural. It was the greatest thing I have ever experienced in my life :). Once the pain disappeared, I was given 2 hours to relax and then try pushing through contractions. I got a lot of energy back (I was also seriously dehydrated and was given 6 L of fluid through an IV!). The doctor gave me one hour to push before she was going to order an emergency c-section. The one hour came and left and the baby's heart rate was up to 180 beats/minute. She decided she didn't want to take any more chances and ordered the c-section. I was SO disappointed. All day I had spent working and finally, in the end, I had a cesarean. BUT, once the doctor pulled Carmen out, she exclaimed, "Wow! This is a big baby!". Carmen weighed 8.5 lbs. but that's not the whole picture. He had a huge head that would've never made it. The doctor was so glad she had ordered the c-section when she did b/c he had been stuck. I was glad that she had also once she explained why labor had been so long and tedious. In the end, Carmen was born on August 31st at 12:12 am. We finally crashed at 4am and we are pretty tired. Carmen is doing great and the girls can't wait to meet him!
Wow Janna what a wild ride you had, and clearly God was in control the ENTIRE time!! Praise God for a healthy baby and momma b/c in the end THAT is what's most important :) Carmen is just precious by the way.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!!! He is precious. So happy for you all! Our first baby's birth was almost identical to what you just went through- I know you're wiped out! The others have been born v-bac with much less drama!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! And thanks for sharing the birth story! You did an amazing job!!!!! And I know exactly what you mean when you say that the epidural is a wonderful thing--I felt the same way. :) Sooooo thankful that you and little man are both healthy and safe, and praising God that the midwife/doc ordered the c-section at the right time! God is so good!!!!
ReplyDeletemodern medicine is a wonderful thing; so happy to hear you are both doing well. what an amazing experience, eh? he's adorable. every time a baby is born we should all just shout hallelujah. i hope sleep is in your near future!
ReplyDeleteCongrats! I don't know if you got to read my email but I mentioned packing an open mind in that bag of yours for the hospital- you clearly needed one with all those ups and downs!! I'm sure you were amazing through it all because it sounds like you've quickly accepted the way the Lord wanted it to look. He's beautiful! (Don't worry Curt- all baby's can be called beautiful :)) We will be praying for you all as you enter yet another transition and praising the Lord for a safe delivery into the world for Carmen...
ReplyDeleteIn Christ- Becky, Jason and Evelyn