Nathanael's Birth Story, part 2

So, where were we?

I rushed home from CVS, antibiotics in hand. On the way home I called my friend Melissa who was my on-call person to take Georgia whenever I would go into labor. This was it! She was at the mall with her kiddos, so she rushed back to meet me at our apartment. I got home to be greeted with stares from my mom and Broun as if to say "ok, now what, captain?" ...at least from what I could discern, that's the read I got on their faces. I decided I wanted to take a shower to freshen up before making my debut at the hospital. Also, I just wanted to ensure a stay at the hospital without getting sent home due to false labor!

I thought I would die from my contractions in the shower, or have a baby, but neither happened. We all proceeded to gather things for our unpacked hospital bag, and potential 3 night stay. Oh, and Georgia's overnight bag for Melissa's!...finally, we head out the door.

At this point my contractions are about 2 minutes apart, and .....breathtaking. Literally. We rolled the windows down for some summer breeze and sped to Beverly Hospital. Mom and Broun we texting and making calls while I was concentrating on breathing. It was a beautiful, sunny, 75 degree afternoon as we made our way into the hospital parking garage. By the time I actually walked in the hospital doors, I was certain I would have a baby pretty soon because of how intense and frequent my contractions were.

4:30pm we checked into the L&D floor and they quickly escorted us to the largest delivery room in the hospital. Much to my excitement, we were the only people in Beverly, MA going into labor at 4:30pm on June 3! (by "we" I mean "I").

I got to the room, after stopping to have a contraction, and begged (again) to wear a nursing cami while I labored/delivered. Sure! They didn't seem to mind at all! The nurse came to check me once I was sitting with the doppler on my belly and I was at a 5. I felt great when I wasn't contracting :). The nurse was SO sweet, and would rub my back and legs to comfort me every time I had a contraction. My sweet husband turned the fan on in my direction and fed me cough drops and ice. What a gem.

So, we were all settled in and watching LiarLiar, and I decided I wanted an epidural. This was around 5:15pm. 2HOURS LATER, the anesthesiologist FINALLY showed up. Apparently the OR needed him more than I did. Try to explain that to a pregnant lady writhing in pain. It's 7ish, and the doc puts in the IV for the epidural. Nothing happens. I lie on one side, nothing happens. I turn to the other side. Still, no relief. Really, I was just thinking what a waste of a huge hole in my spine it was.

I clenched hands around the bed rails every 2 minutes for an hour or so while my contractions got more painful. Sometime during that hour, the midwife came and broke my water. In the meantime, National Lampoons European family vacation was entertaining me, my mom, and Broun. For some reason, I enjoyed the comic relief/distraction from contraction pain. So, I progressed to an 8 at around 8pm, and we had called the doc back in to see what the deal was with my non-helpful epidural. Literally at the moment the doctor stepped in, I was feeling tingling run down my back to my legs. It's working!!! My epidural, which I think was really just the pure grace of God intervening, worked from 8cm-9.5cm, basically the most difficult part of labor, called transition. Thank you, Lord. 

Then, it shut off again completely. Oddly, though, I felt completely at peace. I wasn't afraid of my contractions or the thought of pushing out a baby and being able to feel it. I knew how the pain would feel (given the last 4 hours), and my body was created to do this! I really wish I had embraced the pain a little earlier in the process, but glad that i was able to embrace it at the end. At this point, it was about 9:30pm, and almost time to push. 

Finally, around 10pm, I started feeling the baby's head push down further and further. I called the midwife in to check me and she excitedly said, "yes! He's right there and coming out! You can push at your next contraction." so, a contraction came, and I pushed. Broun called out something like oh wow! I can see his head! Come on, you got this! The midwife told me to reach down and touch his head...I knew I would regret it if I didn't, so I reached down and felt his little head as he was about to enter the world. (TMI? Sorry I'm not sorry. ) 

About three pushes later, and ten minutes, out came baby Nathanael Charles Stacy!! She put him on my chest immediately and I fell in love all. Over. Again. Praise Jesus for sweet new life and birth. It truly is an amazing thing to partake in creation with our Lord. Think about it. What a privilege and pure joy! At 10:11pm, He was a perfect, healthy, beautiful 8 lb, 11oz and 21.5 inches long. We are so so grateful to God for letting him join our family. 

Overjoyed to have our son. ,