That Mom Flow: she's here! mayah's birth story

...she's finally here...

Now I know this is a little late, but recovering from a c-section reeeaallly messes with your time frame for getting stuff done! Ha!

wow.

here is mayah's birth story...

After two back to back losses in 2011, my pregnancy with Mayah was surprisingly and amazingly healthy. I was so so grateful. God blessed us out of no where with a long and healthy pregnancy and by his grace, she was born full term, healthy and is absolutely perfect!

At week 34 I was told baby girl was breech. My heart sank. I know the breech presentation is just a variation of a baby's position and baby wasn't in any harm...BUT-what I also knew was breech=c-section. I was terrified of a c-section. For months Chris and I had prayed and read scripture and key books concerning a natural and med free birth. It's all I had planned. So as the appointments came and went and Mayah wasn't turning, I grew more anxious. I tried for those last few weeks to flip her on our own (I didn't want to do a version). I stalked spinningbabies.com, saw a chiropractor who was certified in the Webster Technique, I did inversions and pelvic tilts like no bodies business.

Nada.

She wasn't turning...I begged God to let her turn, I coaxed Mayah, "please funny..turn love, turn.." I became obsessed, stressed and was at my wits end. I didn't want surgery. I didn't want the spinal. I wanted immediate skin to skin and delayed cord clamping and no meds....but she wouldn't turn. Chris tried to help me see that in the end, everything would happen just as it should no matter how she was placed. We decided to stand on God's word and his promises. God knew our hearts, he knew what I most desired birth wise and what we had hoped for. We decided to stand on all of that and know that IF Mayah wasn't going to turn, then God didn't want her to. IF she wouldn't turn, she wasn't supposed to. Maybe if she DID turn, something would go wrong with the cord and something even worse could happen. Maybe God was protecting our baby with not letting her turn.

I had planned to work until my due date...Chris wanted me to leave work as soon as January turned to February..we settled in the middle and February 8th was my last day of work-at 39 weeks exactly. That would give me a week before she came to just be home, finish her room, relax finally..

That Thursday Chris left for one of our biggest events with our youth, the winter event (AMMO Conference) and my sister had planned to stay with me while he was out of town. Of all the weekends for me to go into labor this was the ONE we prayed I wouldn't...

About 40 minutes after I got home, I finally sat on the couch to watch some t.v and felt a tiny gush. A few seconds later, another small gush.

No...this cannot be happening...

Just then my sister got to my house, I met her at her car and told her those infamous words, "I think my water broke" I call labor and delivery and they tell me to go in. Between getting everything together to leave and driving there I felt a few more gushes. I had called Chris and told him not to leave yet until I was sure it was my water. He was about three hours away and I didn't want to cause a stir if it was nothing. But deep down, I knew this was happening. I was in such denial. This wasn't what I had pictured at all..breech baby, for sure c-section, husband out of town and her room wasn't even done.

We got to the hospital and was told that it would be a little bit before the doctor could check me. I called Chris and told him he should probably come; he was already on his way :)

The doctor finally checked me, I was contracting and my water had in fact broke. I was told I had to wait about 6-8 hours to have the procedure because I had eaten a big meal just before my water broke and I thanked God. Because of that, we were able to wait for Chris to get to the hospital.

Chris finally arrived just as contractions started to pick up. At about five hours into labor I was at the point of breathing and working through some of the contractions. Laboring med free without being able to change positions, stand up, use a birth ball or basically be in any position but my back was irritating to say the least. On top of that, I couldn't eat, drink water or even suck on ONE piece of ice..nothing. So, I labored med free for nearly seven hours before the doctor said everyone was ready and it was time to go! Chris did amazing helping me through the contractions. In the midst of the intense contractions and the impending c-section, my brain was somewhere else and I forgot to ask to be checked to see how far a long I was. I knew it wouldn't matter in terms of the surgery but I really was curious to see how dilated I was. Darn!

I hated every part of the c-section process...the anesthesiologist took about three tries to get the spinal done (she it a nerve twice and my right leg jumped/twitched involuntarily, it hurt so much!) Being THAT numb in so much of my body was the weirdest feeling. Between the oxygen, all the nurses and doctors, that blue curtain, the cold room and bright lights I just wanted to see my baby...

I heard someone say, "there she is!" and all I could hear were voices talking..no baby crying. I heard Chris start to cry and say, "Oh my gosh babe, there she is! She's beautiful, she's perfect. She's here babe." I kept asking where she was, why wasn't she crying? Where is she? Where's my baby? I felt as if I was yelling and no one was answering, Chris said later that I was just barely whispering. I guess between not being able to have ANY water the entire time I was at the hospital and having the oxygen mask on my voice wasn't what I thought it was. Finally out of the corner of my eye, there she was...there was this little person I had known for the last 39 weeks...I could finally look upon her face and kiss those hands and feet...she was here...our miracle baby, our biggest little blessing..she was here.

I was able to see and kiss her really quick while still on the table and then couldn't hold her for over an hour after she was out. But when I finally did...it was as if I was meant to do that my whole life. Recovery was tough, a c-section is no joke! I have a lot to post about a recovery from a c-section, all the issues I faced right away with breast feeding (engorgement, thrush/yeast, etc) and just taking care of a newborn in general but thats for another day....

Here's a glimpse of that day...