Having Henry, September 23

Please forgive the lack of posts! To make a long story short, we now have a new computer that makes posting soooooo much easier. I thought that I would backtrack a little and tell Henry's birth story. Four months ago I looked like this:



We were planning for a homebirth and everything was going well until the last couple weeks when I started having tremendous pain in my pelvic bone. When Henry would kick, it would really hurt and I would just lie in bed trying to relax through them. My due date came and went, and the pain continued. I went in for an ultrasound when I was a week overdue to make sure that the baby was okay when it was found that I had low fluid. This explained the huge pain I was having. Henry's head was right in my pelvic bone, almost grinding up against it, because there wasn't enough fluid to cushion it. This rocked our world because having low fluid disqualifies you from having a homebirth. We went in for a second opinion ultrasound and found that my fluid level had dropped even more; it was time to get induced. We deflated the pool that I was planning on giving birth in, and rushed around trying to get things ready for the hospital.



To make a long story short, the hospital I wanted to be induced at wouldn't take me and we ended up at Shands in Jacksonville, a totally ghetto hospital with terrible white walls. It was the most unattractive place to have a baby in. My midwife went with me to check in while Jason and Margaret Mary checked in at a hotel. It took FOREVER for the hospital to start the induction,. We checked in a 9, and they didn't hook me up to the pitocin till 3 am!!! I was having small small contractions and they kept on changing their plan of induction based on that. When the pain started getting intense, the anesthesia people came and gave me a GREAT epidural. I had wanted to go naturally, but pitocin changed all that! I was so happy with my epidural. With MM I couldn't feel my legs, it was terrible. But with this epidural, I could still move them. I was very happy. By now it was morning time and Jason and MM were at the hospital with me. Having the epidural gave me some great time with MM, like below, where we got to spend some quality time together.



As time progressed I could feel my body working hard and so I asked for some quiet time to relax. Within minutes I felt like pushing. I was so happy that my epidural allowed me to feel that, and to later, feel my son coming out of me. With less that 20 minutes of pushing, I pushed out my 9 pounds 3 ounces son. Jason announced it was a boy and we had some great nursing time. Below is our first family picture. :) MM loved Henry and gave him lots of kisses.






I was sad when he had to go to the nursery. One of the reasons why I wanted a homebirth was to keep him with me after the birth. When he came back from the nursery, he cried non stop for a day and a half. Nursing was the only thing that would calm him down and soothe him. Poor guy. We signed an AMA to go home early and I am so thankful we made that decision. As soon as we got home, Henry calmed down and turned into the chill, sweet baby that he is today.





I had been praying my whole pregnancy that God's will would be done with the birth of my child. I was praying that mostly because I was scared of the pain of childbirth, and was asking for the grace to surrender totally to the pain out of love and gratitude for our little blessing. It took on a whole new meaning when we had to go the hospital to be induced. When I was checking in at the hospital I wanted to cry. It was so ugly, I felt so awkward, I wanted to give birth in my house with my family nearby, not surrounded by nurses and docters I didn't know. While praying and wiping away tears, I found peace in God's will for me. I realized that he loves me sooo much and that this birth plan was the best gift that he could give me. Although it wasn't my plan, I know that his will for me is always good, and that fact brought sweet rest to my heart in the middle of hospital chaos.

Happy birthday Henry! What a joy your are in our life!