since the beginning of this pregnancy, i have been saying that jonah feels more like an ezra (in other words, the kind of baby that is too big and may want to arrive earlier than scheduled). just as when i was pregnant with ezra, i have spent the last nine months achy and tired in a way that i simply was not with gabe and titus. unlike my pregnancy with ezra, however, i was never proven correct by too-large ultrasound and fundal measurements, so i worked really hard to ignore the gut feeling that jonah was big. i simply didn't want to be horribly disappointed if he didn't come early.
as it turned out, jonah was just being sneaky. here's how it went down:
:: be warned: if you dont care to read details of birth and such, stop reading and enjoy the pictures ::
{wednesday, april 17th}
i went to the midwife for a regular 37 week appointment. she checked me and found i was already dialated 2 cm. because of the speed with which titus made his entrance, we decided together that the best course of action (and the one that would prevent me from giving birth at home in the bathtub, alone with three kids) would be to keep a close eye on my progress and head to the hospital as soon as it looked like my body was ready. we set another appointment for monday and planned to check again.
{thursday, friday, saturday and sunday, april 18-21}
steadily contracting on and off throughout each day, but never with any pattern. we spent the weekend preparing ourselves and the house for an earlier delivery than we had originally anticipated. i got a little knitting done (though not nearly as much as i had hoped to), and we finished a few things around the house that we had been putting off.
{monday, april 22}
i left the boys with friends and headed to the midwife unsure as to whether i would return to pick them up or just head to the hospital. 3 cm and making definite progress, we made another appointment for wednesday, knowing that it would likely be soon.
{tuesday, april 23}
contractions here and there. there was even moment when i thought i may end up going into labor, but instead went to bed and woke up pregnant the next morning.
{wednesday april 24}
again, i left the boys with a friend and headed to the midwife. i tried really hard not to get too excited so that if we didn't end up at the hospital, i would not spend the day disappointed. Missy checked me right away... 4 cm. so we made a plan to meet at the hospital after the boys were in bed that night. i spent the day tying up loose ends and preparing dinner. i had almost no contractions (that i noticed) and began to wonder if we were going to be sent home after arriving at the hospital. after dinner, a friend came to stay at the house and we were on our way to labor and delivery! upon arrival, i was shocked to find out that i had dilated another centimeter (to 5) during the day and i began to hope that perhaps the delivery would be quick and relatively easy.
we were admitted and paperwork completed around 10 PM. at this point, i was still having no significant contractions, so Missy thought it best that we walk the halls and stairs for a bit. I was not optimistic, however, that we would see any results as i had been very active all day and had not gone into actual labor yet.
at 11 PM, i was pretty exhausted. i asked to have the nurse check me to see if i was actually making any progress. as i had suspected, none whatsoever. at this point, all i could think of was how much i wanted to go to bed and start over in the morning. this was, of course, not really an option, but i was falling asleep in the chair as i waited for Missy to come. when she arrived, we discussed and decided to go ahead and break my water. we were all certain that it was the push my body would need to go into acitve labor. i hoped that the fact that i was already at 5 cm would mean that i would have a quick delivery (maybe even under 2 hours, like i did with titus) at 11:15, my water was broken and contractions started.
for a the first few hours of active labor, contractions were bearable enough. i labored for a good long time in the tub (we opted to use the new low intervention room and to go mostly unmonitored). at some point (maybe 2:30 or 3 AM or so) i could sense the contractions changing. they were getting much stronger and harder to handle and i was sensing the need to bear down during them. i knew i was not ready to push yet, but i decided it would be best to go ahead and have the nurse check my progress. much to my discouragement, i was only at about a 7/8.
since i was already in the bed (and since it had been so difficult for me to get there from the tub while having contractions) i decided to stay lying down for a while. at this point, i was not my best self. poor steve was doing his best to give me what i needed and soothe me through the contractions. i was only really strong enough to mutter a quiet command here or there ("water," or "ice," or "chapstick," or the occasional "no" to whatever he was doing) and i was so exhausted that i was sleeping between contractions (something i had heard of but didn't really believe was possible).
once the contractions were pretty unbearable, i had steve help me back to the tub. at this point, i was getting a bit panicky. eventually, i reached my breaking point and i am pretty sure i ordered steve to run for the nurse because i had decided that only she could calm me down. she checked me again. still only 7/8. two hours of transition and no progress whatsoever. i lost it. and begged them to come up with something that would end the pain, knowing that an epidural was not an option (or at least that it would take a lot of work and time to get it there and that they would have to transfer me to another room) and that there was likely nothing that could be done. i was going to have to tough it out.
they called Missy and she suggested that i try rolling over onto my side. she thought that maybe we would luck out and the change of position would make just enough difference to achieve the last couple centimeters. almost instantly, my body started pushing. just a few pushes, and our jonah franklin sivyer was laying on my chest.
in the end, he weighed in at 8 pounds 5 ounces and was 21 inches long. not too shabby for a baby who arrived 10 days before his due date!
although i did not get to enjoy quite the quick delivery that i had envisioned (almost 6 hours total, two of which were spent in transition!), i am slowly realizing just how proud i am of myself for sticking it out and doing it naturally. i have terrible pain tolerance! and of course, i am amazed, as always, in God's incredible provision of a husband who was so patient and supportive of his crazy wife, especially considering he has only slept 2 hours out of the previous 48. steve is amazing and i am so glad he is mine!
jonah is incredibly relaxed and at home in our loud and crazy house! he is also a mix of all three of his big brothers (and just for the record, they all think he is amazing!)
we are blessed and so very grateful.
as it turned out, jonah was just being sneaky. here's how it went down:
{wednesday, april 17th}
i went to the midwife for a regular 37 week appointment. she checked me and found i was already dialated 2 cm. because of the speed with which titus made his entrance, we decided together that the best course of action (and the one that would prevent me from giving birth at home in the bathtub, alone with three kids) would be to keep a close eye on my progress and head to the hospital as soon as it looked like my body was ready. we set another appointment for monday and planned to check again.
{thursday, friday, saturday and sunday, april 18-21}
steadily contracting on and off throughout each day, but never with any pattern. we spent the weekend preparing ourselves and the house for an earlier delivery than we had originally anticipated. i got a little knitting done (though not nearly as much as i had hoped to), and we finished a few things around the house that we had been putting off.
{monday, april 22}
i left the boys with friends and headed to the midwife unsure as to whether i would return to pick them up or just head to the hospital. 3 cm and making definite progress, we made another appointment for wednesday, knowing that it would likely be soon.
{tuesday, april 23}
contractions here and there. there was even moment when i thought i may end up going into labor, but instead went to bed and woke up pregnant the next morning.
{wednesday april 24}
again, i left the boys with a friend and headed to the midwife. i tried really hard not to get too excited so that if we didn't end up at the hospital, i would not spend the day disappointed. Missy checked me right away... 4 cm. so we made a plan to meet at the hospital after the boys were in bed that night. i spent the day tying up loose ends and preparing dinner. i had almost no contractions (that i noticed) and began to wonder if we were going to be sent home after arriving at the hospital. after dinner, a friend came to stay at the house and we were on our way to labor and delivery! upon arrival, i was shocked to find out that i had dilated another centimeter (to 5) during the day and i began to hope that perhaps the delivery would be quick and relatively easy.
we were admitted and paperwork completed around 10 PM. at this point, i was still having no significant contractions, so Missy thought it best that we walk the halls and stairs for a bit. I was not optimistic, however, that we would see any results as i had been very active all day and had not gone into actual labor yet.
at 11 PM, i was pretty exhausted. i asked to have the nurse check me to see if i was actually making any progress. as i had suspected, none whatsoever. at this point, all i could think of was how much i wanted to go to bed and start over in the morning. this was, of course, not really an option, but i was falling asleep in the chair as i waited for Missy to come. when she arrived, we discussed and decided to go ahead and break my water. we were all certain that it was the push my body would need to go into acitve labor. i hoped that the fact that i was already at 5 cm would mean that i would have a quick delivery (maybe even under 2 hours, like i did with titus) at 11:15, my water was broken and contractions started.
for a the first few hours of active labor, contractions were bearable enough. i labored for a good long time in the tub (we opted to use the new low intervention room and to go mostly unmonitored). at some point (maybe 2:30 or 3 AM or so) i could sense the contractions changing. they were getting much stronger and harder to handle and i was sensing the need to bear down during them. i knew i was not ready to push yet, but i decided it would be best to go ahead and have the nurse check my progress. much to my discouragement, i was only at about a 7/8.
since i was already in the bed (and since it had been so difficult for me to get there from the tub while having contractions) i decided to stay lying down for a while. at this point, i was not my best self. poor steve was doing his best to give me what i needed and soothe me through the contractions. i was only really strong enough to mutter a quiet command here or there ("water," or "ice," or "chapstick," or the occasional "no" to whatever he was doing) and i was so exhausted that i was sleeping between contractions (something i had heard of but didn't really believe was possible).
once the contractions were pretty unbearable, i had steve help me back to the tub. at this point, i was getting a bit panicky. eventually, i reached my breaking point and i am pretty sure i ordered steve to run for the nurse because i had decided that only she could calm me down. she checked me again. still only 7/8. two hours of transition and no progress whatsoever. i lost it. and begged them to come up with something that would end the pain, knowing that an epidural was not an option (or at least that it would take a lot of work and time to get it there and that they would have to transfer me to another room) and that there was likely nothing that could be done. i was going to have to tough it out.
they called Missy and she suggested that i try rolling over onto my side. she thought that maybe we would luck out and the change of position would make just enough difference to achieve the last couple centimeters. almost instantly, my body started pushing. just a few pushes, and our jonah franklin sivyer was laying on my chest.
we are blessed and so very grateful.
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1 comment:
those big brother photos are precious! Such happy happy news of little Jonah. I'm so glad you all are home and doing well!
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