Adelyn

First Sparrow’s Birth Story

-Holding my first baby for the first time-

Does anybody else feel like the pregnancy and labor/delivery of their babies aligns up with their child’s temperment and personality? I have found that in all three cases, my pregnancies and births are so in-tune with who my kids are.

Adelyn’s birth was exactly as I needed it for my first time around. I don’t like to talk about it, really ever, but she was our rainbow baby. Due to our first loss, this pregnancy was filled with so much fear and trepidation about any pains, feelings, etc. My confidence, and my soul, was pretty rocked and delicate when I became pregnant, that multiple times… ok hundreds of times… a day, I would have to repeat “I trust you God. I trust you God.” I would say that over and over until either the pain or the fear stopped. She was incredibly healthy praise God, but I was sick every single day until she was born. Each day of those 40 weeks, I threw up. At least once. Thank God, I got pregnant between jobs, and he gave me the wisdom to tell what would have been my next job, that I just didn’t feel like it was the right thing for me. I had no reason for feeling that way, but the week after I did, I found out I was pregnant. Which happened to be Father’s Day 🙂 We decided that it was probably best that I not start another job, when the plan was for me to become a stay-at-home mom. Which worked out for the best, as I continued to be sick each day. I could usually muster up one outing a day, and then returning to the couch until my husband came home.

As her due date approached, I began having weekly appointments with my OBGYN. At the 38 week mark, my blood pressure was incredibly high. My OB asked me to come in two days later to see if it was resolved or not. Two days later, on a Friday, I enter her office and again, my blood pressure was super high. She asked me to go admit myself into the hospital across the street, where I was planning to give birth. They admitted me, checked my blood pressure, and then checked for pre-Eclampsia. The doctors there did not think I had pre-Eclampsia, but asked me to store my urine in a container and keep it cold, and return in 24 hours to have it tested. We were supposed to have dinner with some friends that night, so I told my husband, there is “no way I am bringing my pee gallon to their house. We need to reschedule.”

We got in bed around 10 that night, but I couldn’t really fall asleep until about 12 for some reason. At about 2:30, I woke up tossing and turning, and I remember feeling like maybe I needed to poop. (They teach you in birth classes that’s a sign of labor, but I was so sleep deprived I wasn’t thinking or remembering that). I stood up to go to the bathroom, when my water broke. And let me tell you, it wasn’t like a little drip. It was like Niagara Falls folks. So I rush to the bathroom and try to make sure it wasn’t just pee. But I could not stop the water. So I knew, it was go-time. I shouted out to my husband “Babe, wake up. I’m okay, but my water broke and we need to go to the hospital.” He threw off his blanket, and ran into the bathroom. For some reason, he grabbed his toothbrush. He then began running around our small two-bedroom house with his toothbrush in hand saying “ok. Ok. Ok” I looked at him calmly and said “babe, you need pants. Will you call the on-call OB and my mom and yours to tell them?” My parents were in San Diego which was about a 7 hour drive, and they said that once their friends woke up, they would head out back to AZ. The on-call OB was not mine, but a man named Dr. Eisenberg. He advised me not to shower as they need to test the water, and to not eat anything. My husband got dressed, and I grabbed a towel to roll up and put between my legs, and threw on baggy sweatpants. We drove the short mile to the hospital, into the 24 hour entrance for labor and delivery. On the drive, it rained and was cloudy. My kind of weather! By the time I got into the hospital, the towel was drenched and my pants just fell to the floor from being so wet. The nurses took one look at me, and said “yep! Your in labor.” They admitted me, and was confused as to why I was admitted earlier that day. Thankfully I was not pre-Eclamptic, I think it was just my body gearing up for labor. I was 38 weeks and 6 days at that point, so baby girl was healthy and ready to come.

I began shaking from the adrenaline, and having minor contractions. I was texting with my mom, sky’s mom, one of my best friends Cate, as well as our mentor/friend Cindy who was going to be a support person in my birth. Cindy is a labor-and delivery nurse, and provided so much Godly wisdom and support to me in my pregnancy. Cindy, Cate, my mother-in-law all showed up around the same time. As contractions began, so did my fear. Anytime I felt pain, like in my pregnancy, I became afraid and locked my body up to try and protect it I guess. Once the contractions started getting stronger, I asked for the epidural. No way was I prepared to feel or experience a natural birth with so much fear in me. P.S, getting an epidural during contractions is so tough. You have to sit still and not move, and the anesthesiologist messed up my epidural, thus going through my spine into the fluid. He had to re-do it, and once it kicked in, it was instant relief.

We spent the day playing cards, watching movies, listening to country music,and waiting for labor to progress. My sister-in-law was texting me, and was so surprised I was so verbal and alert. Again, the magic of an epidural. Meanwhile, my parents raced 90 MPH down the freeways to AZ to get there in time.

At about 2pm, they arrived to find me trying to push. I told them I was so happy they were there, and to get out 🙂 We had started around 1, but being that my epidural was wearing off, and I had no idea what I was doing, it took a llloooonnnggg time to push that baby out. Thankfully, the delivery OBGYN came in, saw me, and said “stop. You’re not pushing. Your holding your breath and hunkering down. Your burning energy.” We then tried it a different way, and made progress. But after each push, Adelyn was turn. The nurses were constantly trying to keep her in place so she was aligned properly. After 2.5 hours of pushing, Adelyn finally was born. I remember being SO tired from pushing, I could not keep my legs up. But I will never forget the sight of seeing Dr. Eisenberg holding her up to me as she screamed. It was unreal. They placed her on my chest, and as any parent can attest, no matter if its your first, second, or third child, there is no euphoria like that of holding and feeling your baby for the first time.

Family and friends poured in later that day and I just stared and stared at this little miracle. Nursing and postpartum was a whole other battle, but we got there. Looking back on her birth, it was exactly as I needed. She came early, I got to have my water break like I really wanted, I had an epidural, I got to feel the pushing, it was a rainy cold day, and I got to listen to country music! We also had nurses, doctors, and receptionists we knew, so there were plenty of friendly familiar faces.

Birth is such a miracle, and I was beyond blessed to have her. God redeemed my loss and provided me with the sweetest soul. She truly is unworldly compassionate, and such a healing balm in my life.