Jonah's Birth Story

(Warning - if words like "cervix", "mucous", and "placenta" bother you, you probably don't want to read this.)


On the morning of Friday the 19th, i woke up feeling a little sad and lazy. I was, as far as i was concerned, a day overdue (they told me the 18th was my DD, but for some reason it was written in my charts as being the 20th...), and being overdue is NEVER fun. The crankiness and discomfort seems to triple, and life is put almost completely on hold while we play the waiting game. I tried to think of something to do to distract myself - it's extremely difficult, but worthwhile, to make myself think of anything but pregnancy.

But that morning i started passing what's called "bloody show", globs of blood-streaked mucous (sorry for the mental image), and i began to wonder if that was significant. I looked online, and in my "What to Expect..." book, and flipped through the copious amounts of paper the doctors and nurses keep sending me home with, and learned that such a thing is usually a sign that labour will begin within 24 hours, but also could simply mean the next few days. Okay, so, labour is coming. At least it's something, right?

I didn't dare get my hopes up that the baby was coming that day, because I didn't want to crash (mood-wise) that night if nothing happened (a too-often occurrence). I went about the day as normal, though double checking the hospital and overnight bags and other preparations "just in case", while doing my best not to think too hard about what i was doing.

The contractions started later in the afternoon - i'd been getting contractions off and on for two weeks, so i just ignored them. I'd heard Braxton Hicks contractions stop when you get up and move around, so i made sure to do a bit of walking when the contractions hit. By 4pm they were quite regular, and getting more urgent, so I began taking them a bit more serious. I called our friends, who had offered to watch the boys, to check in and see if tonight was good for them because it MIGHT be, but i'd let them know. They have three boys - one slightly younger than Elijah, one slightly younger then Riley, and a brand new baby - so even though they'd offered, and the boys were excited to have a sleep over, i felt it courteous to give as much notice as i could, in case things were rough or her husband wasn't around to help. I hate being an inconvenience to people, even at a time like this.

When Josh got home from work at 5, i told him what'd been happening, and debated for a while whether or not i should go into outpatients to see if i'm actually in labour or not. I just didn't think i was in enough pain yet (as odd as that sounds), but we did have a long drive ahead, and last time the labour progressed very quickly.

Eventually, i decided to go while Josh looked after the boys. I remained skeptical, however, not willing to allow myself to hope too much. I almost felt silly, being bothered by these tiny little pangs, and even sillier when they stopped just as i lay down on the gurney, ready to be hooked up to the fetal monitor.

The nurse did an internal exam, said she could feel the head, that i was three centimeters dialated, that the cervix was soft, and after keeping me on the fetal monitor for 20 minutes decided i was in labour. The doctor advised me to go to Peace River as soon as possible. So i went home and calmly told Josh what they'd said, and we started getting ready to go. We made the phone calls and finished packing up. Trying to kill time and to move the labour on, because i still didn't feel the labour was progressed quite enough yet, i also picked up the toys, made the bed, and tidied the living room. We stopped to put gas in the van, then had to go back home to get the list of phone numbers we'd accidentally left behind. We drove the kids out to our friends' house and chatted for a few minutes. Then we began the hour and a half long drive to Peace River. Josh seemed a bit frenzied, but i felt very calm, and kept praying in my mind that the contractions would progress - i still felt an uncertainty, that perhaps this wasn't quite it yet.

We rolled in to Peace River at 9 pm, and by then the contractions were strong enough and regular enough that i was finally sure that i was in labour. They showed us in to the labour room (incidentally the exact same one I had delivered Riley in two and a half years before!) and gave me a gown. They hooked me up to the fetal monitor (which i call "the evil machine" - oh how i hate that thing!) and proceeded to do the same test High Prairie had just done. The doctor came in and did an internal exam - he told me i was only 2 1/2 cm, my cervix was still very thick, and that the head was not yet engaged. We stared at each other for a moment, and thought, "Don't you DARE send me home!"

Thankfully, he didn't send me home. He told me to get some sleep and perhaps the labour would have progressed enough by morning that i could deliver sometime in the afternoon.

Stubborn to the end, I refused to sleep. I got up and walked around - the contractions were too painful for me to rest anyway, and laying down hurt more. I tried some pelvic rocking to try and get the baby's head engaged, and did some squats. When i was in labour with Riley, i'd found squatting and bouncing a little during contractions helped a great deal, not only in pain relief, but in moving the labour along (there's a reason Riley's labour was only 4 hours long!).

Now this labour was probably the strangest so far. When i'm pregnant, i often wish that i could see through my skin, simply curious as to where everything is - how are my organs rearranged now that there's a big baby taking up space? Never did i wish for this more than when i was in labour this time. For all the rocking, squatting, and sometimes pushing I did, i could not get his head in the proper place. It felt as if something was blocking the way, stopping it from dropping any further. Every contraction seemed to push the baby against the front of my pelvis instead of back toward the cervix. He must have been hard against my bladder, because it was extremely difficult (and PAINFUL!) to pee. The nurse kept reminding me to stay hydrated, but i didn't want to drink anything - it hurt!!

At 2 am the doctor came back in and asked me why i wasn't sleeping. I resisted the urge to be snotty and simply replied, "I'm in pain!"

"Are you in labour?" he asked. What kind of a question was that??

"I hope so!" i replied, "I hate to think all this pain is for nothing!"

He had me lay down and he felt my belly. The head still wasn't engaged, so he insisted that i get some sleep, and then left. Sleep? yeah right!

The nurse was very kind and sympathetic. The doctor hadn't even checked to see if i'd dialated, and she must have known i was disappointed - after doing the hourly vitals, she said she'd come back later and check my cervix.

I tried my best to get some sleep, but the pain of the contractions quickly put an end to that. I compromised by sitting on the bed or in the chair in between contractions, which i was lucky to get two minutes of. At 3am the nurse came in and checked my cervix. Three centimetres. Argh!!

So i kept working. I tried to lean back as much as i could, attempting to ease the pressure on the front and drive the baby's head back into the proper position, but all it seemed to accomplish was back pain that felt like my spine was being crushed. I spent a lot of time in the shower trying to relax the pain away with hot water, which helped a little. When i wasn't in the shower, i kept myself plugged in to the mp3 player i'd brought, which had some audio talks on it that helped to distract.

At 5am the nurse checked my cervix again, and happily announced that i was about 4-5 cm! Finally, some progress!! I asked her at what point breaking the water becomes an option (with Riley it hadn't broken until the very end). There was so much pressure in my belly, I felt like an over-inflated balloon, and also had a thought that perhaps breaking the water would force the head down into the right position. She said they preferred not to do it, because i was progressing fine on my own. I was disappointed, but figured she was probably right. It's best not to mess with things unless you absolutely have to.

So i spent two more hours trying desperately to cope with the pain. it was so much more intense than my last labour. I had refused the gas and fentanyl, because neither had worked much in the last two labours, but at this point if they had offered me an epidural, i probably would have taken it. I'm glad now that nobody offered. I still felt like an over-full balloon and longed desperately for the "pop" of relief. In my mind i kept urging the baby to "pop the balloon!".

Around 7 am the nurse said i was 9 cm, and went to call the doctor! Waiting for the doctor was the longest, hardest part of the labour! With every contraction i found myself muttering wearily "no more, no more!" Finally he came in, felt my cervix, and got out the amnihook (i think that's what it's called?) and broke my water. I waited for the gush of relief - it didn't come. The baby was blocking it all!

In my last two labours, pushing was the easiest, least painful part. There was such comfort and release in being able to actually do something during the contractions. Not so with this one. This one HURT, and i finally know what women mean when they say pushing was the hard part! Even so, it only took about three minutes before he was out, all the water following swiftly and finally releasing all that pressure. The nurse jabbed me in the leg with a needle - a dose of oxytocin to help the afterbirth come out easier. It was the first time in my life that i was able to watch a needle enter my skin without getting nauseous. I didn't even feel it!
Sitting up as i was, i was able to see little Jonah immediately as he plopped out onto the bed into the amniotic fluid that had pooled in the waterproof sheets. i heard one of the nurses chuckle, "he's going swimming!". My first thought upon seeing him was "Look at all that hair!" shortly followed by, "He's HUGE!!" He was dark red, chubby, and beautiful!

After his nose and mouth were cleaned out, they let me hold him briefly before cutting the cord and taking him over to clean and weigh him. Doctor Degraad (who, to be fair, is actually a very nice man and a very good doctor), asked Josh and the nurses how much they thought he weighed. Remembering how big Elijah was when he was born (8 lb 14 oz), knew he must be at least that big. Still, i was shocked when they said 9 pounds, 3 ounces! He WAS huge!

I was again shocked several minutes later when they said i wouldn't need any stitches! I had stitches with both Elijah and Riley, and totally expected more this time. My biggest baby, and i didn't tear?? Though i must say, i don't regret it one bit! How wonderful recovery has been without stitches!

Jonah showed off his lungs right away, screaming loudly for a good several minutes. Josh commented, "and Jonah enters the world with a wail!" (hahaha!) Jonah was bubbling at the mouth for several hours after his birth - he had fluid in his lungs, and actually had to be suctioned again later that day. Apparantly the trip through the birth canal helps to squeeze the amniotic fluid from the baby's lungs, but since Jonah came out in just a few minutes, he hadn't been "wrung" properly. He also had bruises on his left cheek and chin - whether from being born so fast, or from being pushed up against bone instead of cervix during the labour, i'm not sure.

I spent all Saturday in the hospital, enjoying the rest and attention. No cooking, no cleaning, people waiting on me hand and foot - oh yeah, i loved it! I was so glad to get a chance to heal up a little before heading home and chasing toddlers. This labour really did some damage - my back and bladder hurt immensely for days, and the first few times i nursed the afterpains were so intense i felt like i was in labour again! But I recovered relatively quickly, and by Tuesday i was achey, but ready to try going out.

Nursing went beautifully, aside from the afterpains and the long wait before my milk came in. I had to give him some formula for the first two nights because after two hours straight of nursing, i was a little sore, not to mention empty.

We came home Sunday afternoon, and Josh went back to work Tuesday morning. We had expected my mom to come up, and she was on her way on Sunday, but had to turn back AGAIN because of weather and car trouble. So, only three days after the birth of my third boy, I was on my own with all of them. I wish we had asked for a couple more days, but we didn't want to push it, as he had only been working his job at the bank for three weeks. But i feel that i have been blessed with added strength and a rapid recovery, not to mention great friends, so that i could make it through without feeling too overwhelmed.

This little boy has been an answer to prayer in so many ways. When i hold him, look at him, or even think about him, all i feel is an overwhelming sense of gratitude to my Father in Heaven for all that he is, and all that i have gained in experiance through the pregnancy; though wading through your own personal Hell is never a joyful journey, the things you learn through faith and endurance are worth so much more than early relief. Jonah simply eminates peace and joy and love; I have not felt a smidgen of depression since he was born. Life is chaotic and stressful, I'm still a little achey and a lot tired, but to be able to manage the ups and downs without the added burden of guilt and depression is absolutely wonderful. There are some rough roads behind me, and certainly more ahead, but for now, we are enjoying the peace as much as we can.