My 13th birth story

Sunday evening, three days prior to my lmp due date, I was having contractions.  Not at all regular or frequent.  Not strong either.  Strong enough to get my attention, but not strong enough to make me think a baby was on the way.  I thought, this stupid red raspberry leaf tea stuff is for the birds.  It makes false (pre) labor hurt.  That is what I thought Sunday night.

I went out to dinner with my brother, my sister, my husband, and my parents.  Cheesecake Factory (you know, the place people go to try to go into labor) (not).  I got full and ate half my food.  Had low carb cheesecake.  Yum.  Ate all my cheesecake.

I had contractions through dinner, maybe 6.  Didn't clock them, but they got my attention. 

On a notebook by my bed, I have a list of times that contractions started.  10:32, 10:47, 10:55.  Went to sleep.  Either they went away or weren't enough to wake me.  Before I went to sleep I wrote the following in a journal entry, "I think I will not be pregnant for more than 17 more days."

And when I woke up sixty eleven times through the night (standard operating procedure for 9ish months pregnant) with contractions and the thorough emptying of my bowels and other possible clues, I thought, hmmn, maybe this will happen sooner than I think.  But still, I mostly thought it would be a while. 

So between 4 and 6a.m. I began to think, and say to my half asleep husband, if we are at the beginning of early labor, it would be good to confirm that the baby is pointing the right direction still.  I couldn't tell.  I was pretty sure the head was down, but wanted to confirm it.  I also wanted to make sure the placenta was doing ok, because my only other experience with going into labor early was because of some early separation. 

At 6 I called my doc and he agreed with my thoughts about making sure.  My contractions were, I thought, about 15 minutes apart (I was only counting the REAL ones).  So my husband finished a couple things, we told my family (who God had provided to be with my children during this time, He's so good to me) that we would be back in a couple hours, and we went to the hospital with this prepared statement:  I know I'm probably just in very early labor, but we had a breech position before and wanted to make sure the baby is still right, and I wanted to make sure the placenta is ok. 

I was 6-7 centimeters dilated.

Unbelievable.  Sitting there a few minutes in the women's evaluation unit (the W.E.U., affectionately pronounced Wee-U) we learned a couple other interesting things.  One, my contractions were really more like 4 minutes apart (and stayed like that through delivery) and two, my blood pressure was through the roof (and stayed like that through delivery).  I was not going anywhere.

(Baby was still head down, and my labor did not indicate issues with the placenta, by the way.)

So that was around 7:30 in the morning.  My water was broken maybe around 9, 9:30? and he was born at 10:11 a.m. 

So, I owe a profound apology to red raspberry leaf tea.  I think it probably does actually tone the uterus and make contractions more effective.  I also think the couple week's worth of evening primrose oil I took helped soften the cervix (and maybe helped my rosacea, which is why I told myself I was taking it).  I'm sure it helps that I gained 6 or so lbs instead of 30 some.  And mostly, I feel the favor of the Lord who has blessed me again and again and again.

Little guy is healthy, no blood sugar or temperature issues, no jaundice, nursing well, and looks as different as can be from previous baby boy (who had fair skin, spikey blond hair and blue eyes, this one has lots of dark hair, a darker complexion, and will likely have brown eyes).  We are in a state of stunned happiness here.  I am 4 days postpartem, wearing my skinny pants, and feeling pretty great.  The fam is helping grandly, and I have had minimal hormonal blowups (like when I found a full laundry basket of damp stinky clothes).  I am enjoying the ability to go fall asleep when the need strikes me, which is less and less.  I've taken less drugs for this post partem time, pooped sooner, and feel my humanity returning to me. 

Thank You Jesus for a seventh son, for a healthy nursing and pooping and peeing baby boy, for elder children helping with diaper changing and food prep, for baby amazingly born with out of state family in town to welcome him, and for other gifts so wonderful besides.  How delightful is Your favor Lord.  Help me remember on hard days how wonderful Your love is, and how worthy You are of all my confidence.