~ Isaiah's unmedicated hospital birth (1st baby - BIG baby!) ~
We found out on November 1st that we were going to have a baby. This news was very unexpected, but extremely exciting at the same time. This was my first pregnancy and would be my husband’s second child. My pregnancy progressed very smoothly. There were times that I wished I would feel some type of nausea, just so I knew that it was real!! We went to our regular checkups throughout the pregnancy where I explained that I wanted to have a natural childbirth. Each visit I would ask the doctor if he thought our baby was going to be big because I was a big baby (10lb1oz) and all of the babies on my father’s side of the family had been that size or larger. Each visit the doctors told me that the baby was measuring just as he should. At our 20week ultrasound we found out that we would be having a little boy! We were extremely excited and couldn’t wait to meet him. As the weeks progressed, I was sure that I was going to deliver him early. I know that this does not happen often in first time pregnancies, and of course I was wrong!! My EDD was July 6th. Throughout my pregnancy I was extremely active, walking every day, helping with home repairs that were going on, etc. During the last week of my pregnancy I had two false alarms. I realized after being sent home twice that I was dehydrated, which was causing me to feel like I was going into labor. By Wednesday of that week, I knew that I was in labor for real. I waited at home until the contractions were about 4 minutes apart. We arrived at the hospital with my birth plan, which stated I did not want to have any medication. We got ourselves settled and I began to walk some more, do squats, and get down on all fours, and whatever else seemed to make the contractions more bearable. It seemed that I was stuck at 7cm for a very long time. The nurses (Colleen and Carolyn, who I will never forget) did several different techniques to try to help move my son along. Finally it was time to push. When the top of my son’s head crowned, the doctor said to me, “Oh this isn’t a big baby, look at his little head!” Well, we found out minutes later that that was only a small portion of his head (19cm). My son was born on July 12, 2007 at 11lb 9oz and 24 inches long. After I gave birth, my doctor said, “Wow, you just gave birth to a toddler!” Holding Isaiah for the first time was the most amazing feeling I have ever experienced. I am proud to say that I did not have any medication and my birth went exactly as we had hoped! After I was in labor for about 5 hours. It is truly amazing what our mind and bodies are capable of and I am sincerely looking forward to doing it all the same way with my next child!
We found out on November 1st that we were going to have a baby. This news was very unexpected, but extremely exciting at the same time. This was my first pregnancy and would be my husband’s second child. My pregnancy progressed very smoothly. There were times that I wished I would feel some type of nausea, just so I knew that it was real!! We went to our regular checkups throughout the pregnancy where I explained that I wanted to have a natural childbirth. Each visit I would ask the doctor if he thought our baby was going to be big because I was a big baby (10lb1oz) and all of the babies on my father’s side of the family had been that size or larger. Each visit the doctors told me that the baby was measuring just as he should. At our 20week ultrasound we found out that we would be having a little boy! We were extremely excited and couldn’t wait to meet him. As the weeks progressed, I was sure that I was going to deliver him early. I know that this does not happen often in first time pregnancies, and of course I was wrong!! My EDD was July 6th. Throughout my pregnancy I was extremely active, walking every day, helping with home repairs that were going on, etc. During the last week of my pregnancy I had two false alarms. I realized after being sent home twice that I was dehydrated, which was causing me to feel like I was going into labor. By Wednesday of that week, I knew that I was in labor for real. I waited at home until the contractions were about 4 minutes apart. We arrived at the hospital with my birth plan, which stated I did not want to have any medication. We got ourselves settled and I began to walk some more, do squats, and get down on all fours, and whatever else seemed to make the contractions more bearable. It seemed that I was stuck at 7cm for a very long time. The nurses (Colleen and Carolyn, who I will never forget) did several different techniques to try to help move my son along. Finally it was time to push. When the top of my son’s head crowned, the doctor said to me, “Oh this isn’t a big baby, look at his little head!” Well, we found out minutes later that that was only a small portion of his head (19cm). My son was born on July 12, 2007 at 11lb 9oz and 24 inches long. After I gave birth, my doctor said, “Wow, you just gave birth to a toddler!” Holding Isaiah for the first time was the most amazing feeling I have ever experienced. I am proud to say that I did not have any medication and my birth went exactly as we had hoped! After I was in labor for about 5 hours. It is truly amazing what our mind and bodies are capable of and I am sincerely looking forward to doing it all the same way with my next child!