So I realize that I don't post on here much anymore but I don't really have another spot to share the unique birth stories of my children so here I am!
Bethany Hope was born on Sunday, August 26th at 1:25am. The month of August was easily the longest month of my life! We had originally thought that she was due July 31st but um, obviously we were wrong...lol! I had hoped to still make it to VA for my family's annual beach trip but that didn't happen. Each day that went by without her here yet was discouraging but Jesus had much to teach me about HOPE and waiting for His timing.
Anyway, back to the story. After such a long wait I was semi convinced I would just be pregnant forever until Friday, August 24th. I had a midwife appointment that morning but nothing was happening. Later I went for a two mile walk pushing the stroller with a friend (as I had been doing rather frequently) and I began feeling a little extra crampy afterwards but nothing too out of the ordinary. I did try to schedule a chiropractor appointment just in case this weekend was go time but they didn't have any openings. The rest of the day/evening went normally but then around 1am Saturday morning I started having light contractions (I knew they were contractions because they were all in my back...again...). I had to breath through a few but it wasn't too bad. Around 3am I went to the bathroom again and inserted some evening primrose oil capsules vaginally to see if it would help speed anything up but it actually slowed them down and I was able to sleep for a few hours. By the time the rest of the family was up my contractions had stopped and I was discouraged. But my midwife encouraged me that sometimes the body does that when the baby is settling down in a better position for birth. So I tried to go about my day as normally as possible. After we layed the kids down for a nap Dylan and I had some "quality time" together and I napped for a little. That seemed to jump start things into what I would classify as officially early labor. It was around 4:30pm and my contraction were about every 10 minutes. Getting strong enough that I did stop and breath through some but not enough for me to be confident I was in labor. We did decide to go ahead and drop the kids with his parents just in case. On the way down there contractions started coming every 4-5 minutes but I just had to use the restroom and then they spaced out again. By the time we got back home around 6:30pm contractions had stopped again so we ate dinner, went for a fast walk around a nearby park and came home to nothing really going on. We decided to get in bed about 9:30 and try to sleep...I even let family know that I wasn't sure it was happening tonight. Well, we started watching some Christian comedy in bed and contractions came and went. Frequently I would find myself laughing at the video and trying to breath through a contraction. Finally we decided we should really sleep now so I went to the bathroom one last time around 10:45 and that's when I immediately started shaking and feeling the transition into active labor. I told Dylan it was time and to call the midwife (she lived in the same town as us but I felt like things were moving quickly)!
Between 11-12:30 I walked up and down the dark quiet hallway in our house, stopping to have Dylan rub my back during contractions. They were strong but bearable. I had my midwife check me then and I was excited I was already 7 1/2 cm!! Baby's head was a little cockeyed so I lunged through three contractions on each side and felt her settle into a better position. Between 12:30-1:15 I rested against the wall when contracting and Dylan would squeeze my hips while my midwife rubbed my lower back. That helped a lot but they were definitely getting closer and stronger. At 1:15 I decided to try to get on my knees and lean against the couch through contractions. I still didn't think I was close to birth yet but boy was I wrong! I had one contraction in that position and then I felt my water break. I started to tell my midwife but immediately my body started pushing. Within just a few minutes of panicked breathing/pushing she was out and I finally could see that little face!!
Dylan kept saying she was such a pretty baby and I was in awe of her tininess and adorable pouty lip! She latched on right away and nursed for well over an hour. I delivered the placenta in that time frame and transferred to the bed and she still nursed for almost two hours! She weighed 7lb 11 1/2oz and was 21 inches long. I didn't tear at all and she was by far my easiest, quickest delivery! She was my firat baby to actually stay in the optimal position for birth, LOA and I think it made a huge difference in the transition stage of labor! She has been a great sleeper and eater from the start and I'm once again amazed at this new precious gift from above! God is so good!!
Bethany Hope was born on Sunday, August 26th at 1:25am. The month of August was easily the longest month of my life! We had originally thought that she was due July 31st but um, obviously we were wrong...lol! I had hoped to still make it to VA for my family's annual beach trip but that didn't happen. Each day that went by without her here yet was discouraging but Jesus had much to teach me about HOPE and waiting for His timing.
Anyway, back to the story. After such a long wait I was semi convinced I would just be pregnant forever until Friday, August 24th. I had a midwife appointment that morning but nothing was happening. Later I went for a two mile walk pushing the stroller with a friend (as I had been doing rather frequently) and I began feeling a little extra crampy afterwards but nothing too out of the ordinary. I did try to schedule a chiropractor appointment just in case this weekend was go time but they didn't have any openings. The rest of the day/evening went normally but then around 1am Saturday morning I started having light contractions (I knew they were contractions because they were all in my back...again...). I had to breath through a few but it wasn't too bad. Around 3am I went to the bathroom again and inserted some evening primrose oil capsules vaginally to see if it would help speed anything up but it actually slowed them down and I was able to sleep for a few hours. By the time the rest of the family was up my contractions had stopped and I was discouraged. But my midwife encouraged me that sometimes the body does that when the baby is settling down in a better position for birth. So I tried to go about my day as normally as possible. After we layed the kids down for a nap Dylan and I had some "quality time" together and I napped for a little. That seemed to jump start things into what I would classify as officially early labor. It was around 4:30pm and my contraction were about every 10 minutes. Getting strong enough that I did stop and breath through some but not enough for me to be confident I was in labor. We did decide to go ahead and drop the kids with his parents just in case. On the way down there contractions started coming every 4-5 minutes but I just had to use the restroom and then they spaced out again. By the time we got back home around 6:30pm contractions had stopped again so we ate dinner, went for a fast walk around a nearby park and came home to nothing really going on. We decided to get in bed about 9:30 and try to sleep...I even let family know that I wasn't sure it was happening tonight. Well, we started watching some Christian comedy in bed and contractions came and went. Frequently I would find myself laughing at the video and trying to breath through a contraction. Finally we decided we should really sleep now so I went to the bathroom one last time around 10:45 and that's when I immediately started shaking and feeling the transition into active labor. I told Dylan it was time and to call the midwife (she lived in the same town as us but I felt like things were moving quickly)!
Between 11-12:30 I walked up and down the dark quiet hallway in our house, stopping to have Dylan rub my back during contractions. They were strong but bearable. I had my midwife check me then and I was excited I was already 7 1/2 cm!! Baby's head was a little cockeyed so I lunged through three contractions on each side and felt her settle into a better position. Between 12:30-1:15 I rested against the wall when contracting and Dylan would squeeze my hips while my midwife rubbed my lower back. That helped a lot but they were definitely getting closer and stronger. At 1:15 I decided to try to get on my knees and lean against the couch through contractions. I still didn't think I was close to birth yet but boy was I wrong! I had one contraction in that position and then I felt my water break. I started to tell my midwife but immediately my body started pushing. Within just a few minutes of panicked breathing/pushing she was out and I finally could see that little face!!
Dylan kept saying she was such a pretty baby and I was in awe of her tininess and adorable pouty lip! She latched on right away and nursed for well over an hour. I delivered the placenta in that time frame and transferred to the bed and she still nursed for almost two hours! She weighed 7lb 11 1/2oz and was 21 inches long. I didn't tear at all and she was by far my easiest, quickest delivery! She was my firat baby to actually stay in the optimal position for birth, LOA and I think it made a huge difference in the transition stage of labor! She has been a great sleeper and eater from the start and I'm once again amazed at this new precious gift from above! God is so good!!
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