Answered Prayers

A while ago, I promised to post about our son's birth. Well, time went on and the memories aren't quite as clear and still I didn't get the story written about. Finally, I intend to do just that.

I looked around at the clean rooms. My house isn't normally neat and clean, but thanks to my family and friends, we got it all ready for the arrival of our baby boy. When we come back, our baby will be with us, I thought.

As we drove towards the clinic for my 38 week check up, I continued to think about our baby. I found comfort in his kicking and squirming inside of me. We had our bags packed and a cute Air BnB booked so that we would only have 5 minutes to the hospital when the time came. Would he make us wait until the due date when we had a scheduled induction, or would he come early? 

The fears surrounding what was to come tumbled around me. Memories of Pearl's birth were still real in my mind... the painful contractions, the fear and uncertainty that I felt before we knew anything was wrong, the epidural that took away physical pain so that my brain could start understanding that my baby was dead.

I knew that this was a different story, but I still felt fear looking ahead.

At my appointment, the midwife's assistant started looking for our son's heartbeat with her doppler. I heard the swish swish of my placenta. No heart beat. But he had just been squirming around, so he was okay, right?

My midwife took a turn. No position. No heartbeat. 15 minutes must have gone by. Finally the midwife recommended that we get an ultrasound done, just to find baby's position. I just wanted to hear his little heart beating. Allen held me as I tried to regain my composure. The ultrasound tech started to get the equipment up and running. They couldn't get this ultrasound done fast enough for my liking.

Then we saw his little body and yes, his heart beating away. 

"Yup, he's breech" she said. 

Not even caring, I just was so excited to see that little heart beating.

My midwife was a bit concerned though, a breech baby this late in the pregnancy? In my mind, I almost laughed. Our baby had been somersaulting throughout my pregnancy. This was just the first appointment he decided to be wrong side up.

Monitoring was done. They didn't know if he was stressed in there, causing him to flip around. By the time they determined that he was nice and healthy, kicking hard, heart rate accelerating the way they wanted, it was around 8 PM.

We had been moved to the labor and delivery floor of the hospital. Walking in there, I felt sure I wouldn't be getting to sleep in that comfy Air BnB waiting for us. 

They recommended that they try to turn him and if they could, then they would induce me, if they couldn't we would go in for a c-section. We had to decide. It was getting late and the night ahead looked long. We decided to stay and hoped the baby could be turned. 

Allen did a great job communicating with family. They in turn asked friends to pray that baby could be turned and delivered soon.

We didn't want to have to go through with a c-section, but we wanted our baby born healthy. We prayed that he could be turned. They told us they give it three tries. After the third attempt, the doctor said he didn't think it worked. I moaned inwardly, but then he checked with the hand-held ultrasound and his head was down! 

We went straight from there to a comfy room for our baby to be born in. Over this time, we invited my sister to come and be there for the birth. She joined us with snacks and encouragement. She and Allen hung pretty lights in the room and it felt so cozy.

I dreaded induction, especially pitocin. With Pearl, my labor started fast and hard. That's how I heard that pitocin births went and I was scared. Throughout the night, my midwife started me on cytotec. This comforted me, knowing I might be able to skip pitocin altogether. 

I was hooked up to monitors that were movable so Allen and I took lots of walks around and around the halls. I could hear my baby's heartbeat the whole time and I loved it. Unfortunately by the next morning not much had changed. Contractions were coming but not strong enough for me to feel. They decided to start me on pitocin. Allen prayed with me. God's presence was there, giving us strength. 

I waited for the strong contractions. They didn't come. We walked, I bounced on the birth ball. We rested. We sat around playing "take one" and listening to music. My nurse came in and kept us entertained. We listened to baby's heartbeat. Evening came. Still, no contractions that I could feel. 

Staff changed over and my midwife stopped in to see me. Now she was recommending that they break my water to "speed up" the process. Again, I was scared. I wanted my body to do what it needed to do in its own timing. We waited. 

When my midwife came to check me again, later that evening, I was at a 6 and still had no contractions that I could feel! We were so excited! Here this whole time, my body was getting ready to birth my baby. 

After a short celebratory walk, I came back to my room and slept for the first time since arriving at the hospital. I woke up with a gush of liquid and knew that he would be there soon. The nurse got the bath tub filled for me and that's where I labored. After about an hour in the tub, I moved back to the bed and our baby was born within 15 minutes! 

Over and over I asked if he was okay. He started screaming and we knew all was well. He was placed in my arms and I couldn't stop rejoicing. 

So many prayers were answered. They were able to turn him out of breech position. My contractions came without any pain until my water broke on its own. When the strong contractions did come, I was given strength and it was short. Best of all, in the end, there was a warm screaming baby in our arms. 

Jasper Beau Nolt