Eliana's Birth Story &heart;

This was written the day Eli was born :) December 9, 2009 Yesterday I went to the doctor. They checked my cervix and took a urine sample and found that my blood pressure was high. So they wanted to check my urine for protein, which is not a good thing. If a woman has protein in her urine while she is pregnant, it can eventually become serious and cause the placenta to stop being effective. Plus after Dr. Suga checked me and everything, she told me I was already 2 cm dilated and that my amniotic sac was already bulging so my water was going to break any day anyway. She talked to me about inducing labor-the next day! She gave me her pager in case Nathaniel, my husband didn't get back to me with his answer before the clinic closed. I was so excited but so nervous too and trembling. I was going to be a mommy the next day! I called Nathaniel and he decided to go in for an induction the next day. I called the clinic back as soon as he gave me his answer and the hospital told me they would call when there was a room available in the morning. We hadn't even packed our hospital bags yet; just Elianas bag. In the morning, the hospital gave us a call, letting us know when we could come in. They called at about 7:30 am, and we arrived about an hour later. we were filling out paperwork for like 45 minutes and after that we went up to our room. They broke my water-which was really uncomfortable and a little painful-at exactly 9:39 am. After they broke my water, they put a nice diaper on me (not nice at all). I felt like I was peeing myself uncontrollably throughout the entire labor. Plus I was bleeding too. Oh! Did I mention that I had my bloody show right before they broke my water? That means I would have had her today or tomorrow anyway! My contractions began about 3 or 4 hours later. Well, they started intensifying that is, about 3 or 4 hours later. In the beginning I was just relaxing and joking around with Nathaniel and sister and mother in law. I didn't think the contractions were going to get much worse. Boy was I wrong…when they intensified, they felt like my worst period cramp times ten! I felt like my insides were being ripped out. I was 6 cm dilated for about 2 hours and I didn't think anything was going to happen. About and hour before Eliana was born, I was in so much pain that I was begging for an epidural. I felt like I couldn't go on without it. It was awful. I don't know how to explain the contractions. I know that when I was having them though, I could barely breathe. I had to force myself not to tense up and take deep breaths. In 2, 3, 4 out 2, 3, 4 in 2, 3, 4 melt 2, 3, 4 and so on. The melting part was close to impossible. My mother in law was my doula and every part of my body she felt tensing up, she would touch and I would try my hardest to relax that part of my body. It was so hard. Let me tell you, they call labor 'labor' for a reason. It is definitely hard work. Hard painful work. So I was finally ready to push and they called my Doctor in. She came like 20 minutes after I had started pushing. Pushing was so painful, but it was kind of relieving at the same time. I don't know how that works. :) There was so much pressure on my rectum and to tell you the truth I just felt really constipated. But it with this, you couldn't stop pushing because it was the only way to get the baby out. It was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced…next to the labor contractions that is. So they would tell me to push like I was having a bowl movement and I would. I could only do it for a little bit though. I would use the gas mask to breath in between pushes because it took the edge off of the pain I was feeling. They finally told me that they saw the crown of my babies head and told me to keep going! I started to rip so they told me to stop and my Doctor gave me an episiotomy. It was a little painful and felt like a pinch but I didn't really feel it because of the pressure. After she gave me the episiotomy, it helped me push the baby out with a few final pushes. Finally! I was so relieved when I heard her first cry! She was completely healthy! No umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, she was positioned right, and she was perfect! Beautiful too :) After I finally got her out, they placed her on my tummy and my Doctor pulled the placenta out. That was a relieving. But I felt empty. It was an odd feeling. Eliana's godfather called on of his friends and I talked to her while the Doctor was stitching me back up. They say that you can't feel when they're stitching you up, but I felt it! It was painful! They tried freezing me down south but I still felt it. It stung…now it feels like I have worlds heaviest menstrual. I know a pad won't hold all the blood I'm loosing from the stitches. My backside hurts so bad. I think the after birth pains are worse than before birth pains! I could actually move before I had the baby and now because I'm in so much pain down south, it's very hard to move. I move slow, and whenever I have to go to the bathroom, I have to get my diaper changed. Haha! Never thought that I would ever be wearing one of those again! Anyway, the birth pains were worth it. My husband and I now have a beautiful and perfect little daughter named Eliana Grace. She is everything I prayed for and much more :) Anyway, I was in labor for 8 hours. That is amazing time for a first birth. Plus I went completely natural :) Eliana was 7 lbs 10 oz and about 19 inches long :) I gave birth to her at approximately 5:07 pm. I'll tell you one thing; I am so glad it's over. I thought I would never get her out and I honestly almost gave up. But with those last few pushes I knew that God would help me and I just kept reciting this verse in my head. 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' You really CAN do all things through Christ :) I trusted him and prayed for a safe, uncomplicated labor and delivery, and healthy baby, and that's exactly what He gave me.