Hair Peace: Birth Peace

I'm still reeling over the events of the past week. I feel like I have been caught up in a whirlwind that is just now starting to settle.

I am no longer pregnant.

I now have a squirmy, delicious baby to hold on the OUTSIDE of me...and I'm still in shock.

After 42 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy, I feel an incredible relief to have my long desired baby in my arms.

This is the story of our sweet Baby #3, Sage Nehemiah:

After 41 weeks of pregnancy, I started to undergo standard and noninvasive testing to determine how baby was tolerating his uterine home. All of the tests showed he LOVED it. He was thriving and perfectly content.

I started to really think that I might be the first woman in the history of women to be pregnant forever.

Sure enough...I would not be.

On Saturday, the 18th, I started noticing my Braxton-Hicks contractions were coming at a steady rate. They were not painful by any means, just noticeable. Remembering back to my labor with my daughter, we decided to let the kids spend the night with the grandparents, just in case.

With each postdates pregnancy, I have been on the schedule at the hospital to be induced. The first two pregnancies, I came in, on my own, no more than 24 hours before. This time was no exception.

Around 3am on Sunday morning, I had a contraction that woke me from a hibernating bear kind of slumber. I passed it off and settled back in bed.

The next contraction threw me out of bed.

I had four of those in about an hour and felt like labor was really about to kick into gear.

Oh, it did.

The contractions started coming at 4 minute pace each about 1 minute long.

Part of me was still in denial.

The hubs woke up to the sound of me working through my contractions...

I was still in denial.

We texted our doula and told her we'd be going to the hospital soon.

Still in denial.

We stopped at McDonald's to load up on a healthy labor breakfast. I got about halfway through my sausage biscuit before I was slammed with a big contraction and, yes, I was still in denial.

The on-call doctor checked me around 7:00 and said I was probably about 6-7 centimeters dilated and 75% effaced (or thinned).

Guess what???

I still didn't believe it.

My doctor came in and we chatted through a few contractions and talked about the days events. Then I was moved from triage to a room and labored for a little while longer before my Doctor came in and said he was going to go with his wife to church. He wanted to check me first, and when he did, found my cervix was much thinner but still about 7cms dilated.

I decided I was officially D-O-N-E being pregnant and had him break my water in hopes it would speed things along. He went to get ready for his church's service and I was left with high hopes that things would get moving and I would have a baby.

Well, let me tell you, the second contraction I had after he broke my water nearly threw me across the room.

It was intense.

And it kept getting intense.

All of the sudden I was on the side of labor where things get REEEAL.

They called the doctor back after half an hour right about the time I felt like starting to push. I was still at 8-9cm, but able to push to a 9-10. I didn't realize this and, despite being told otherwise, I had it in my head I was still at 7 centimeters and could be sent home.

Seriously.

These are the crazy thoughts that go through a laboring woman's head.

When I heard the whole room, teeming with people, giving me words of encouragement and telling me to "PUSH", I was so confused. I felt like pushing and really wanted to push, but I missed the part where the doctor mentioned I was a 10. In my head, I thought it was too early.

So in my confusion, I asked, "Am I even complete yet?"

In unison, the room hollers, "Yes!"

"He's coming!" I hear.

"His head is right there!"

I was in disbelief. All of this had happened from 9:20, when my doctor broke my water, to about 10:30. It seemed like minutes!

So...

I pushed

And then I stopped.

That hurt.

A lot.

The kid was not coming out that way. They were going to have to shove him back in and I would find another way.

I hear,

"You can do this!"

"Only you can push him out!"

"Almost there!"

I was staring at the ceiling debating with myself about whether or not I could muster up the strength to birth this baby for whom I had been waiting so long.

"You're doing this!"

"He's almost here!"

"You've got this!"

I took a few deep breaths in and gathered the strength that could only come from God and brought my sweet Sage into the world.

Relief when his head emerged.

Relief when his shoulders were born.

Relief when all of my sweet man was finally ready to greet the world.

Relief when the organ that sustained my beautiful baby for 10 months came loose.

My husband was able to help bring him into the world. He helped deliver and, as strange as it may sound, it was comforting to know that my husband played a part in Sage's delivery.

There he was.

The arms and legs I had felt for months within me, were now holding onto my skin.

I waited so long for his arrival.

For his squishy, wiggly body to fold up in the crook of my arm.

I am exhilarated and spellbound by our little man.

Sage Nehemiah Mason was born at 10:46am on Sunday October 19, 2014.

He was 9 pounds, 11 ounces and 22 inches long.

Sage's birth was hard but it was amazing and empowering.

I felt loved, supported, and encouraged by the amazing people in the room. By my doula, who kept me focused through the most difficult parts of the labor. My sister who kept me laughing and encouraged in between contractions. My incredible husband who I can't even begin to describe. He has remained my rock and my support through the whole pregnancy. When I was so sick I could not get off the couch, he took care of the kids and made everyone supper. When I didn't think I could make it to the end of the pregnancy, he reassured me and supported me through the defeated tears. When I thought I could not deliver my son alone, he helped me in the best way...he literally helped deliver him.

I'm floored and emotional about it all.