Sarah's Birth Day

Or, How I Accidentally Became a "Blue Ribbon Birther".

A B.R.B. is someone who gives birth 'naturally' or without the miracle of modern pharmaceuticals. With Jay,  I was induced on a Wednesday evening.  We had 3 DVDs rented, mood music selected, hard candies packed.  The pit drip started at 6 a.m., hard contractions starting at noon, drugs at 1, epidural at 3:30, baby boy at 5:09 p.m.  The epidural progressed my labor from 3 cm dilated to complete and ready to push.  It was a wonderful birth and there was no time to be anxious.  With Sarah's birth, I was hoping to experience going into labor on my own, and I sure got my wish!

I began to feel mild labor pains sporadically beginning Wednesday.  I got Jay's leftover stomach bug Thursday, which I really thought was early labor.  By Saturday, I was having a contraction about once an hour.  I tutored for a few hours, did regular Saturday chores.  I had that last nesting impulse and we got all Sarah's princess pictures hung at 8 p.m. and we turned in at 10.  I was thinking to myself that I wished I had gone to bed earlier because labor seemed around the corner.  By midnight, I knew it would be a sleepless night.  I hemmed and hawed about calling our friends from Sunday School, who offered to watch Jay due to the hospital's ban of kids under 17 visiting because of  the H1N1 paranoia.  But I really didn't think we'd actually be dropping off the wild man around 2:30 in the morning, very much awake.  They have two young children and have earned extra jewels in their crowns in my eyes!

So, we gas up the mini-van on E at 2:45 a.m., and walk (hobble) into the hospital.  Now, we had pre-registered, but still had to sit in the dumb waiting chairs for 20 minutes reiterating the same information.  Don't you think a lady who says she's in labor deserves to be wheeled back and the paperwork handled bedside?  I do.

Thankfully, I seem to get very self-controlled in extreme times.  The nurse that examined me said she thought that we'd be sent home because I wasn't acting like a raving woman.  Because when I got into my hospital gown, I was already 8 cm dilated!  I was moved to the labor room (still without a wheelchair) and got all the needed personnel and supplies order 'cause the baby was a-comin'.  Now, since I had a great experience with an epidural, I was hesitant to go without one this time, though I knew that I was so close to delivery.  Sure enough, I was about 30 seconds away from the big shot when my water broke.  Alex could hear me moaning outside the room and was a little scared to come in.  His exact words were, "I wanted to cry."  Right before my body took over and my fear crept in, I reminded him with humor, "I want diamonds."  Girlfriend don't do natural labor for nothin'.

It was go time.  The kicker was that my doctor wasn't at the hospital. Meaning I was expected to "hold it".  Mmm, hmm.  Telling that to a laboring woman is like telling her to be a blue elephant.  I can sure try, but it ain't gonna happen.  I held on for maybe 2 contractions, and then Ms. Sarah decided she was tired of waiting.  I got the "go" to push because her head had already made its entrance.  I gave a half-hearted push, and out she came, caught by the sweet nurses. 

I AM WOMAN.

I never thought I would say this, but in the words of many a B.R.B., a woman's body is designed to give birth.  You can do it!  Now, I would never dissuade someone from availing herself of pain relief.  I had both experiences and both were wonderful.  But, I definitely had a very demonstrative and heartfelt worship session when Sarah was born. And didn't look stoned.   It is probably the closest thing to an out-of-body experience I'll have.

 That's my labor story.  A wild and hairy day.  A best day.

Look what the LORD has done!