Joshua's Birth Story

For some reason I find birth fascinating. Labor, delivery, the story behind it all is so intriguing to me. Not that everyone is as interested as me, but if you are, here's Joshua's birth story:

My due date was March 20, 2015. My first son was 12 days late, so I was trying to be patient and wait for little Squirt to come whenever he was ready. But going into labor late is difficult. So when my doctor told me at 38 weeks that she thought I only had a week or two left, I was ecstatic! I was trying to cram a lot into the last few weeks of pregnancy, so I was very busy & active. I had a final girl's night out celebration on Friday, March 13th. That Saturday and beyond, we had nothing planned and I was hoping little Squirt would come any day!

Well he must be a good listener, because that night, the 14th, I had just put Isaac to bed when my water broke around 9:30pm. I was sitting on my bed and stood up and it felt like a bubble of water escaped, and when I went to the toilet I told Michael, "I don't think this is pee- it just keeps coming out!" We decided to go to bed and get as much rest as possible. Of course, Michael was able to fall asleep and I wasn't, which is nothing that I haven't come to peace with since Isaac was born.

My contractions started mildly within an hour. I quickly downloaded a contraction timer app and began timing my own contractions. I walked around the living room a little, and I was able to lay down in bed through most of them. They were regularly about 8 minutes apart and very mild. I would just breathe slowly through them and be fine. Actually, Isaac woke up around 1am and I was able to go in his room and rub his back until he fell back asleep. I probably had 2 contractions in his room. They were not really uncomfortable at all, clearly!

Then suddenly, at 2am, it's like my body turned a switch. I woke Michael up because my contractions were getting stronger. I took a quick shower, put in my pearl earrings, and got dressed. Michael started timing my contractions and they went from regularly 8 minutes apart to regularly 3 minutes apart in a span of 15 minutes. My sweet husband. He woke up quickly, called his parents and our doula, started packing the car, and getting us ready to go to the hospital in one minute intervals while he wasn't rubbing my back during contractions.

Just like my last labor, most of it was in my back. I had a heating pad that I had used during pregnancy on my neck for a pinched nerve, and there was nothing I wanted more than the heating pad pushed into my lower back. I was conscious enough to pack the heating pad for the hospital. I pretty much just stayed near the bed and leaned on the bed during contractions. It wasn't long, however, until we realized it was really time to go. I do remember thinking that I just knew he was coming soon.

I'm not sure if Isaac heard me, felt me, or just happened to wake up, but he woke up right as we were leaving. It was a chaotic transition, with Grandma & Grandpa taking Isaac, me trying to console my grumpy, sleepy 2 year old, having contractions, and just trying to get the heck out the door. Thankfully the hospital is less than 5 minutes from our house, so we were there in a matter of minutes. I do remember Michael driving over a speed bump in the parking lot and me screaming at him, "MICHAEL YOU KILLED ME! YOU JUST KILLED ME!!" But soon we were in the door and the front desk attendant is asking me for my driver's license. I have no idea where my driver's license is, can we maybe do this later?? I think they quickly realized I was pretty advanced so I was brought to a labor & delivery room. At this point, the contractions were just coming right on top of one another. At points there was no break- they just continued from one to the next.

We got into the labor & delivery room and I'm like seriously about to push this baby out and the nurses start asking me admittance questions. I know it's part of the process and all, but it's very distracting to answer questions during the transition phase. "Are you currently using recreational drugs? When was the last time you smoked a cigarette?" Even, "what's your blood type?" is a difficult question to answer during a contraction.

After satisfying them as best I could, they start monitoring the baby's heartbeat and this one nurse could not find it very easily. So, they put me on oxygen, which was horrible. I felt like I just wanted to rip the thing off my face and breathe normally, but since the nurse couldn't find the heartbeat I didn't really have a choice. After about an hour in the labor & delivery room, it was time for me to push. It only took about 2 contractions and maybe 4 pushes for Joshua to make his grand entrance!

Joshua James was born at 5:01am and was 7 pounds exactly. We were in the hospital for about a day and a half, then have been home comfortably for two weeks now!

From water breaking to baby was 7 1/2 hours; almost 11 hours shorter than with Isaac. I remember having moments where I swore I would never do this again, and I remember questioning my sanity for doing this naturally again. But looking back, it really was a relatively easy labor, and I did feel the same empowerment and general euphoria after birthing Joshua naturally. *If* we have another, I would like to do a natural birth again, but possibly at home this time... Stay tuned, there's a lot of convincing I'd have to do with the husband on that. All to say, the experience was beautiful and I'm just so grateful to have a healthy, strong, happy baby boy. He has been a blessing and a beautiful addition to our family.

I have to share one last thing about Joshua's story. We had asked Isaac during my pregnancy what he thought his brother's name should be (we had given him a few options). From day 1, he said his brother's name was Joshua and he rarely, if ever, said anything different. It's like Isaac knew this baby was to be Joshua. Also, Michael & I started a Bible reading plan that took us through the book of Joshua in the month of March (we didn't know that when we started). And finally, on the day of Joshua's birth, this was the reading, from Psalm 127:

Unless the Lord builds the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early
    and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
    for he grants sleep to those he loves.

 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
    are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
    when they contend with their opponents in court.

 

Welcome to the world, Joshua James Hollar! May your life be full of the presence & blessings of the Lord!