A birth story

I've been meaning to write out Eliana's birth story for 7 months now... so here it is:

Eliana's due date - October 1st, 2009

Eliana born - September 30th, 2009, 9:14am - 8lbs

Monday, September 28th, 2009

I went for a swim that morning and had an ordinary day. In the afternoon I felt on and off cramps - something I hadn't felt for 9 months. I walked into the kitchen and told my sister and mother, (we were all living under the same roof at the time) and they seemed pretty sure that this was the beginning of labour.

I slept fine that night, but woke 4 times to use the bathroom. Each time I felt a "contraction" and at about 2am I had a "show". My sister assured me later that if you can sleep through contractions, they're not really contractions:)

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

The contractions got stronger throughout the day but I could still breath through them easily. I went for a long walk before lunch. Nate called from work while I was out to see how I was. He got a bit worried to find that I went out on my own. I was great, however. I sat by the ocean enjoying God's creation and praying for our little 'he or she'. It was midday when I got home and the contractions started stopping me in my tracks. It felt better getting on my hands and knees to breath through them. I was very glad when Nate got home at 4pm. My contractions were 5 minutes apart by now, and lasting about a minute. I'd had many "shows" through the day and they continued right through until Eliana was born. I was very calm and thinking that labour was a breeze. (Ha! Did I have a lot to learn:)) Nate cancelled his tutoring session and I rang the hospital. The midwife probably heard my calm voice and told me to take a bath and ring back when the contractions got stronger and closer together. "Stronger and closer?" I thought, "do they get stronger than this?" I was a bit upset but realised that the midwife probably knew what she was talking about. She sure did!

By 6pm I couldn't eat dinner with everyone as the contractions were incapacitating me. Nate rang the hospital for me. The midwife asked to speak to me but I started crying (more from fear of rejection than the pain). After asking Nate a few questions, she said it would be a good idea to come in. We arrived in the birthing unit about 8pm. I started crying again but the midwife told me that the baby would be hours yet. I again doubted this, but of course, she was right.

They checked my dialation and I was only 3 cm dialated (you need to get to 10cm before you give birth). I was sure that I'd be 8cm! This was very disappointing for me but they let me have a room anyway. Contractions continued to increase in intensity. I could still breath through them but only just. I would drop to all fours and my champion husband tirelessly rubbed on my lower back, which helped a lot! The midwives changed shift. My new midwife came in. Did you ever have a very strict, over worked, unsympathetic teacher in school? I think that's how I would describe my new midwife. She checked my dialation at midnight. I was still only 3 cm dialated. Oh, how this crushed all 3 of us (I was blessed to have both Nate and my mother in the labour room with me). My strict midwife told me that I really should be at home but that she'd let me stay because it was 1am. She told me to take some every day paracetamol (it was like putting a band aid on an amputated leg, if it did anything at all!) and try and sleep. I obeyed like a good student. My contractions were varying anywhere between 2 minutes and 6 minutes apart. My faithful husband was at my back with each one. I tried to cat nap between each one (there was no sleeping through these babies!). I could no longer breath through them and would generally moan "Ohh Nate, it hurts." I threw up after one because of the pain. We were all very exhausted.

I commanded Nate and Mum to try and sleep while I had a shower. Amazingly, the shower helped a little. Whenever my midwife came to check on me, she reminded me that I should be at home and that the baby might not come for days. This didn't help. She didn't bother checking my dialation at 4am. I asked for happy gas (like what the dentists use. They use happy gas in Australia because it has no side effects and wears off as soon as you stop breathing it). She turned me down and basically told me that my contractions were too irregular for me to deserve any pain relief.

At 5am it was time for a new strategy. I had been trying to relax for my mum because she had all four of her babies under 3 hours and relaxing was how she did it. This wasn't working for me so I started bouncing on the swiss ball. Nate asked to take me for a walk but I was too scared in case I saw my strict midwife frown on me. I started crying again. Nate and mum convinced me to not worry about anyone else. We walked the hospital corridors, stopping for my very painful contractions. After one particular intense one I had to rush back to the birthing unit and throw up again. I only just made it!

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

At 6am we were all extremely exhausted. I was feeling discouraged from the constant reminder that my baby was going to be days away. Each contraction floored me and all I could do was moan. Nate was always at my back and trying to encourage me to breath. I had really wanted a natural birth but sleep sounded better at this time. I could hear the lady in the next room SCREAMING. It made me think "I can hardly bear my contractions now, and I still have days to go - and I still have to experience that kind of pain... I think I need an epidural so that I can rest." I asked Nate, who was hesitant but consented. I started crying again from exhaustion and being down hearted. My Mum rang our family and asked them to pray.

At 7am the midwives changed shift again. In came midwife Leanne, sent by God. After reading the report from my strict midwife, she told me that she would ask the doctors at 8am if they could break my waters, otherwise the baby may be days. My contractions were still irregular - from 2 - 5 minutes apart. I asked her for an epidural so that I could sleep. She said no because my contractions were still irregular and I hadn't even tried gas yet.

The next series of things seemed to last 5 minutes.

Leanne hooked me up to the gas and checked my dialation. "This isn't working!" I quietly and calmly (not) told Nate as another unbearable contraction engulfed. Leanne checked my dialation and said - "Woah, you're not going anywhere! You're 6-8cm dialated!" Eliana had also 'done a meconium' inside the womb which made Leanne worry. She broke my waters without waiting for a doctor's consent and said - "O.k. you're 10cm dialated - you're ready to push!" That was the end of the gas. It was 8am.

"Praise the Lord!" I cried out! After being told an hour ago that my baby may not come for days, but now being ready to push was an absolute, wonderful miracle to me. Leanne told us that she was a Christian too and asked if she could pray for me before I started pushing.

Somewhere in all of this my strict midwife came in. She had been held up by another difficult birth and came to say goodbye before she left. I thought she had given up on me long ago. She looked down on me proudly as I was preparing to push and simply said, "Good girl." I felt a gush of pleasure. It's funny the type of people we long to please...

Pushing was by far the hardest part of the labour for me. One, because I was spent of all my energy, and two, because I thought it was meant to be the easy part. It wasn't. I had Nate and mum by my side. I started pushing with all my meager might and screaming at the same time. Apparently that's not the way to do it. Leanne taught me how to position myself, and to concentrate my energy on the pushing, not the screaming. Oh, it was tough. My mum later told me that my face went beet red and the veins by my temples looked about to burst. Nate and Mum were so encouraging through all of this. I think I would have given up without my amazing husband's strong and loving affirmation that came each time I needed it. After an hour of pushing with each contraction, then snoozing in between (I was sooo tired) a little head came in view. This was good news.

15 minutes later, at 9:14am, that longed for sound could be heard. The sweet cry of a new born.

Nate pulled the baby out and cut the cord. They put the baby on my breast. "What are you?" I asked. Nate looked and told me she was a girl. God had given us the perfect little Eliana Ruth.

The story only half ends there though. A lot goes on after the baby comes out! The best of it was that Eliana was healthy and never had to leave my room. The worst was that I lost just enough blood for it to be called a hemorrhage but it was too much blood loss for my body to handle. Women can lose more blood than I did and be on their feet in a few hours. I still couldn't get out of bed the next day. I had tried twice the day Eliana was born. The first time Nate had to catch me as I fainted in the shower and the second time the midwives had to catch me as I fainted while trying to get in a wheel chair. The midwives allowed me to stay in the birthing unit, which was wonderful because it meant that Nate could stay the night with me. He was still tirelessly caring for me and even held Eliana to nurse on me while I slept. The next day a doctor tried to get me up. He apparently thought I was a softy and wanted to show everyone that I was fine. He had to catch me too.They ended up giving me 2 blood transfusions. After this I was tip top and on my feet.

Thank you to everyone who prayed. Thank you to my Nate, who proved to me again through the whole labour that he is the most amazing husband who ever lived. And thank you to my Heavenly Father, who allowed me to give birth in Australia, to have my mother with me and family around me, and who gave us Eliana Ruth. 7 months later she still gives me so many reasons to praise our mighty Creator.