We were both really excited to be having a baby. We wanted children, several if God saw fit to bless us with them. Each phase was so amazing. I still remember the first time I felt him move. It was a Sunday morning, Ben had left for work and I was still in bed, just enjoying not really "having" to get up. I was so excited to feel this little one that had been growing inside me for almost 5 months now, that I stayed in bed for another hour hoping to feel him again! Telling family was fun too. Ben devised a unique way to share the news with his family. He used a power point display to the song "Baby, Baby" by Amy Grant at church announcing the "soon to be" grandparents, aunties and parents! My how surprised everyone was! Precious memories!
There were challenges, though. The house was not ready. My job was stressful and would not be an option for financial support after little one arrived. Ben's job, while stable, did not provide enough to support us completely. And then there were all those decisions to make medically, and it seemed very few people agreed with our decisions. We turned down most testing and an optional ultrasound. We moved ahead with plans to birth him at home, while registering at the hospital and keeping emergency options open. We weren't following 100% of medical protocol. But we weren't following 100% of "standard" home birth plans either. We were making our own plan based off our own research, thoughts, feelings, opinions, beliefs, etc. It is not easy when you don't "fit" into any ones mold!
The decision to birth our baby at home was not taken lightly. The issues of home birthing are lengthy and while I plan on taking that up in a future blog, for this story, what is important is that as parents we have been faced with many decisions. Each time, we take the information we have available or can research at the time and make the decision we think is best and feel we can live with. We could spend a lifetime second guessing ourselves, however, we chose to move on, learning as we go and passing on these lessons to those interested in our story.
Our little guy was due in November, the 7th actually, so when back labor started just after lunch on October 25th, I dismissed it as another pregnancy discomfort. I barely slept that night and by the next morning was pretty miserable. My mom thought it could be early labor and kept reassuring me that it would either go away or progress. By early evening it had progressed. Looking back now, I understand that is when his head moved from a posterior (face up) position to a transverse (more sideways) position, which is partly why labor still moved slowly. Another reason is that he was holding his little hand on his face and was actually delivered head and hand (with shoulders) in quick succession.
I should pause here and share that his paternal grandpa had a speaking engagement this weekend and had asked grandma if he should go or cancel so he could be sure to be here for little ones arrival. Grandma assured him first babies often come later and she had no inclination that I would deliver before November, so to go ahead and go. Needless to say, I'm grateful someone else called to tell him his grandson had arrived and would be more than 30 hours old before he could meet him.
Baby J was delivered just before 6 am on Saturday, the 27th, his maternal grandma's birthday. It was a beautiful, crisp fall day. Daddy, both Aunties and both Grandmas were here to welcome him. One Grandma caught him and the other cut his cord. Tears and laughter and love filled the room in our home, still mostly unfinished. It was the perfect birth experience for me! And it is his special story.
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