The Story of Elijah’s Arrival

(Amy, here are your much anticipated details!  It is long and full of detail, so you should be happy.)

I wish I had written this down sooner to get all my thoughts and memories down before they turned into old news and jumbled sleep-deprived memories, but here is my best recollection.

A little after midnight Saturday morning, I woke up feeling a little funny, so as usual I got up to use the restroom.  I realized I felt different than normal, almost as if this baby was sitting low and was going to make his appearance now, though nothing hurt.  By the time I got back into bed to wait and see what would happen, I suddenly felt extremely nauseous.  I woke Jacob up and told him what I felt, then went to hang out in the bathroom awhile.  While there I developed severe shakes and generally felt terrible.  After all this passed and we were back in bed I had a few more less intense episodes all prior to painless contractions.  Finally this all faded and I fell back to sleep.

I woke up Saturday morning unable to believe I was still pregnant and feeling nothing.  I went to Mom’s to get some eggs to cook breakfast and as I got in the car I felt a pop, but no wet rush, so I went on (still don’t know what that was).  On the way there I remember thinking that if I didn’t have the baby that day, then I might not make it mentally (physically I was fine and in no rush) much longer because I was tired of all the weirdness my body was doing and trying to figure it out and how it affected each day's activities (more on that in another post).  When I got back home, by the time I walked up to our porch I thought the pain in my abdomen was strange and by the time I reached the steps to our house I had to stumble up them and through the door to lean on the first available thing I could hold onto. That was about 8:20 a.m. Jacob met me at the door and I told him I thought this was it.  His response?  With my ok, he went ahead and made, and ate, the pancakes while I went to our room to have and time contractions while I got dressed.  Each one was strong enough to make me lay down or go to my knees and they were roughly 3 minutes apart.

When I was dressed, I went back to find Jacob and handed him my phone, which had been tracking the contractions, as another one hit.  I think he then realized I was serious because he started to pack the car and called Mom to say Josiah was on the way.  Once the car was packed, Jacob came back in to get me and at that point we switched roles as I went into denial and he insisted it was time.  I wasn’t in denial because I didn’t want it to happen, just that I wanted to be sure first and I had been fine a half hour earlier.  God showed me it was the real deal then, though, because I had the worst one yet!  At that point I agreed I should at least be checked out.

At 9 a.m. we had Josiah dropped off and were on our way.  I told Jacob not to speed because I was fine, but when we went to pull out on 121, there was a series of 4 cars we had to wait on and I mentioned I hoped they were going fast!  They weren’t and after passing them all at once, I looked at the speedometer and could see the “70”, but no needle.  When I asked how fast he was going, he said 70 and when I called him out on it he just grinned.  Then we got into town and were slowed down by traffic created by the March of Dimes, of all things!  I thought Jacob would lose it.  I didn’t tell him that I was starting to feel the urge to push!

Once at the hospital, there was no time to park, so we just left the car in the drop off area and made our way in.  They started the check in process and asked me ridiculous questions and decided to put me in Triage.  Triage?  Are you kidding me?  Thankfully the nurse in charge said, “she looks pretty uncomfortable, lets just get her into delivery.”  Oh thank goodness!  I didn’t quite make it there without visiting the floor again.

When I was finally changed and in the bed, the nurse checked to find I was ready to push, but since I was ok, they went ahead and started to place the IV catheter.  Unfortunately soon after I wasn’t so ok and couldn’t hold still for the poor girl.  I remember the doctor saying I couldn’t push until she was done.  Hmmm…watch me!  She also asked if I had wanted an epidural and I wondered if she was teasing me or if that really was still an option.  I said something to the effect that I hadn’t planned on it and had come this far, so no.  Soon after I got that reprieve you read about between the hard labor of the transitional phase and time to push.  The contractions were there, but not with the same intensity and I could ignore the desire to push.  I commented on how much better it was this time around and we agreed it was because I had pitocin last time.  (Ugh!  Bad memories!)  We were kind of laughing and joking and I was complaining of having no intensity to work with.  I remember the nurse saying to the doctor “when is the last time you saw someone on the verge of delivery smiling?”  Now I’m feeling like this just isn't real.  Soon after the doctor broke my water and immediately there was the intensity I needed and we were down to business again!

The rest is kind of a painful blur that I’ll keep to myself since it is hard to explain or remember something where you were in your own world.  There was one contraction in particular that stands out that was particularly painful.  I had been listening to my MP3 player this entire time but at this point I was oblivious to it.  During this contraction when I had my eyes closed to the world while pushing, the song called “Untitled Hymn” by Chris Rice (a beautiful song) was playing and the words “fly to Jesus” that repeat during the chorus came through and at first I couldn’t help but briefly plead with God in my mind not to let me die!  Then reality came back and I had to laugh.  I do also remember crowning clearly.  It involved me practically climbing up the back of the inclined bed on my back – not sure how I managed that.  And I remember them telling me I had to come back down and give one more push.  It was at this point that I swore to myself I’d go for the epidural if there was ever another (I did this with Josiah as well).  I laugh now because everyone I talk to who have had epidural-free deliveries have moments where there fight or flight response kicks in and they respond differently than expected.  Some scream like crazy, others say crazy things or cry but then they get it back under control.  With Josiah I started to hyperventilate.  With Elijah I tried to escape!  But I soon came back to my senses and realized the only way out was to push, so I did!  Meanwhile they pulled me back down by my legs :)  I heard crying and wondered why I was still in pain if he was out.  Then one more push and it was over.  Turns out he came out screaming as soon as his mouth was free to do so!

Then I felt them put this warm wet thing on me but it didn’t really hit me what it was because I was busy resting with my head back being relieved it was over.  I remember someone saying “Abby, look – he’s here”.  I looked and thought, “Wow, he’s pink but I’m tired” (head went back again).  Then “Abby, look at him, he’s perfect.  Hold him.”  I half responded and told Jacob he’d have to hold my head to see.  Then I saw this beautiful healthy boy that was already a very healthy color and had BLONDE hair!  How did that happen?  Jacob cut the cord and all that followed was sweetness.

He was born at 10:22, just 2 hours after my very first contraction and about 45 minutes after arrival at the hospital.  Jacob finally parked the car about an hour later.  I signed the permission forms for delivery later that night :)

I am still in disbelief at how much better my experience has been this time.  Not just the delivery itself, which was much less painful and traumatic, but also the recovery.  I have to remind myself that I just had a baby and should rest and occasionally I get a physical reminder, but things have been great and I’m grateful for that.

We were discharged the next day when Elijah was just 26 hours old.  I couldn’t believe they allowed that, but there was no reason to stay and I knew I’d rest better at home, so off we went!  On discharge, the doctor told me that I was one of those people who could have a home delivery if I wanted to.  Yea, I’ll keep that in mind.