Silas' Birth Story- Part 3

After we found out I had transitioned, we waited for another contraction to hit and as soon as it finished we headed into the room I'd be delivering Silas in. We got in there a little after 7:00pm and baby boy was born at 9:05pm - jsut three hours short of his estimated due date.

Since I wanted this to be as natural as possible, and both Silas and I were doing great, I was allowed to only have a port in my hand (in case of emergency). Try sitting completely still having humongous contractions while a nurse makes several artempts to get a needle in. Wow. After blowing the veins on both of my hands (and not because I wasn't still!) she gave up. Not sure if she was planning on trying again later or what? 

I was going to sit in the shower since I'd read warm water helps with the pain, but right before I got undressed I realized I probably wouldn't be in there very long and I didn't want to get all wet just to get right back out. So I sat on the bed while Aaron put pressure on my hips and back.

I switched positions sitting with my legs in the butterfly stretch and used my arms to push my body off the bed during each contraction. My arms were starting to get pretty tired and I know Aaron's were, too. The nurse also took a minute to monitor me and baby boy.

Aaron had been trying to press on my hips while I was sitting in the bed, but it was an awkward position, so the nurses lowered the back of the bed and Aaron sat behind me to continue the counter pressure. We weren't planning on laboring this way, but I am SO thankful we had the nurses we did and that they suggested it. (Actually, we had ALL the nurses on Labor & Delivery. We were the only ones in that night.)

Being able to literally lean on Aaron between contractions, hear his encouragement right in my ear, and have him laboring with me using all his might to press on my hips made me realize this is how it's supposed to be done. THIS is how God designed it.

I wish I could have gotten a picture from my view. 

By this point, they had turned down the lights.
My mom, all the nurses, and my midwife were making a half circle around the bed, well, away from the bed of course. Sitting and standing. 

Everyone was calm and quietly cheering us on.

I remember thinking between contractions "is this really happening? Is this really me?" I felt like I was watching it all. Then another contraction came and I was quickly reminded, yep! It's me. It's happening.

 

Apparently this is the face I make while pushing a baby out. 

I remember looking over at my midwife. She was sitting near the window. She smiled and nodded as if she were saying You're doing it. You're doing great. Keep going. She told me I could try bearing down and I would feel some relief.

And yes. Bearing down brought relief. It also brought a baby. Ha ha!

She broke my water a few minutes before baby boy was born. Once they saw his head it took four or five pushes. (Can't quite remember.) The head took a few and the body came out on the last.

Now, there was a point when I looked at my midwife with the "crazy eyes" and said I couldn't do it. That was while I was pushing his head out. 

And I'm telling you... 

I morphed into another creature.

I felt like I was going to rip through those hospital walls to get myself out of there!

Even Aaron said he was shocked at how strong my legs were. He was trying to hold them back, and for a minute there, I was trying to put them down. In my mind, I knew I needed to pull my knees back, but my body was seriously objecting! 

Ha ha.

But really, that was all maybe a whole minute? I'm guessing that's what they call  "the ring of fire." 

Yeah, ow.

I never screamed or yelled really. Mostly moaning. Then loud moaning and grunting I guess? 

My midwife and mom kept saying I wasn't very loud and that I did a really great job. That was nice to hear. Still felt like I was turning wild though! ;)

And then we caught our baby. We.
Silas Grayson Byrd 8lbs 1oz, 20"

As soon as Silas was out, we scooped him up and laid on my chest. And I sobbed. Immediately, I began sobbing. Looking back at the videos, they weren't loud cries, actually... they weren't cries I have ever recognized myself do before. I felt an overwhelming amount of emotion, and that was the hormone of love, oxytocin. I hadn't felt that with Sophia and I'm certain it's because of the situation we were in and the fact that I had an epidural. Aaron was also filled with emotion. Through tears he kept saying "my baby boy. My boy. You did it. You're here!"

One of the nurses had been in Labor & Delivery for over thirty-five years. I'll never forget what she said to me. She said, "Thank you for letting us be a part of this. We don't get to see this anymore." (Remember, all the nurses were in our room watching.) I thought that was really cool. Then again, it's sad... It's sad because today's birth looks nothing like this. I just want to shout natural birth from the roof tops!!!!!! We were made to do this. It wouldn't be called labor if it wasn't hard work. But we women were so perfectly created to birth and nurture our babies. Natural birth IS possible. It is emotional and spiritual. It is empowering. Rewarding. Intimate. And it should be normal. I so wish women had more encouragement about it.

Later that night I realized again that this is how marriage, birth, and families are supposed to be. If Sophia were a bit older, she would be welcome to be in the delivery room, too. And just like the nurse thanked me, I thanked my heavenly father. Thank you, Lord! Thank you for letting me be a part of this.

I could get all mushy and gushy but I won't. ;)

If you would have asked me if I thought God would use a birth to strengthen my marriage I would have said no, but He DID! Aaron and I were on cloud nine for weeks after Silas was born and there is still something there that won't ever go away. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is... An understanding of each other? A respect? A deep bond between us? All the above. He always lets me know how proud he is of me and thankful for the way we brought Silas into this world. And then again, when I nurse Silas, even though we've had some challenges. 

I am blown away at how beautifully God designed it all. I wish I were better with words... I wish I could better express the way I felt about it all...

After we spent the first hour with Silas the nurses checked him out, then we brought Sophia in to meet her baby brother. She sat on the bed to hold him and used her most gentle voice to sweetly sing Twinkle Twinkle. It was PRECIOUS.

It was pretty late when she came in. I'm thinking around 10:45pm. She hadn't napped and she was ready to see mama. So I held and loved on her some and let her play with my bed stuff, then we let everyone else come in to see us.

While everyone was in they decided to move us up to the third flood. They pulled the big curtain in the room so I could get up and into the wheelchair. Everyone was on one side visiting and holding Silas, and me, the nurses and I think mom and Aaron, were on the other side. When I stood up I fainted. Aaron told everyone to get out and when I woke up I was back in my bed and my hands were clenched, curled up facing inward laying on my stomach. I asked what happened and how long I had been out. It was only about 15 seconds, but long enough to really scare Aaron. Poor guy.

They said it was because I had heavy bleeding and was a little dehydrated. They ended up giving me an IV with a bag of Pitocin and three bags of fluids. I also slowly started to eat and drink so I could try again in an hour to get back in the wheelchair.

An hour later everyone had already gone home so it was just me and Aaron. With the help of the nurses and Aaron, I made it to the edge of the bed, stood up and sat down in the wheelchair. Then I fainted again. I woke up vomiting into a bag. Talk about a scary way to wake up. It was really scary... We ended up spending the night on Labor & Delivery and moved upstairs the next morning. 

Aaron and I talked for a little while, which was mostly me crying, thanking him for helping me stick to the plan of waiting for Silas to come when he's ready and birthing naturally.

Aaron finally dozed off around 3:00am. He slept on and off for a few hours and somehow I managed to stay awake until 5:00am. One of the sweet L&D nurses offered to hold Silas up at the desk so I could get some sleep. Somehow I managed to stay awake for almost 36 hours straight without feeling that tired. And you know what, the extreme exhaustion I had with Sophia and was waiting to hit never came. OK, maybe it did, but that wasn't for another few weeks. I still believe 100% that having a natural birth and having my body and all my hormones do exactly what they were created to do had every bit to do with it. And I'm not one to skip on sleep. EVER. Mommy adrenaline at its finest. Thank you, papa God.

This has by far been the sweetest moment of my life and I'm not sure there will ever be one sweeter.

Silas' birth taught me much more than I had anticipated.

God taught me more.

I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord. And he worshiped the Lord there.

- 1 Samuel 1:27-28