40 Weeks and 5 Days Pregnant

So, today(August 23) is D-Day.  I unfortunately have not gone into labor on my own.  So, since I can't be induced due to a previous c-section, I am automatically getting a c-section on this day.  It's not the way I was hoping to deliver Little Cub, but what I ultimately wanted is about to come true - "Healthy Baby, Healthy Mom."  It's rather surreal that I will have a baby in my arms in a few hours without having to labor.  I even had time to shower, and do my hair and make-up. So, as soon as my parents arrived to watch Little Bear while we were in the hospital, we loaded up and made the trip.  We got there 15 minutes ahead of schedule.  We were told to wait in the waiting room while they finished getting things ready.  So, Papa Bear and I made ourselves as comfortable as possible.  An hour later and we still hadn't been called back.  Then, another hour went by and still no word.  The worst part for me was the fact that I hadn't been allowed to eat or drink since midnight.  I was HUNGRY!!!!  Finally, a nurse came out and informed us that she was sorry we were having to wait, but there were several emergencies that came up.  I wasn't upset about being pushed back when someone else was needing medical attention more than I.  I was just hungry and wanted to eat so badly.  

I finally got back to the holding room 3 hours after I should have been there.  And then, I finally got to the hour 4 hours after I was supposed to.  Despite the delay, everything went very well and Little Cub was born.  The moment I heard her cry, tears of joy came to my eyes.  I was able to hold her within minutes after her birth.  As soon as I was taken to the recovery room, I was able to breastfeed.  And, my prayers were answered.  Little Cub took to nursing right away without any problems.

40 Weeks and 5 Days - hours prior to Little Cub's birth

Mama Bear and Little Cub just hours after she was born

Micah's Grand Entrance

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has expectations that often don't get met.  I have numerous examples of how I've planned or expected things to happen a certain way only to be "disappointed."  As humans, our minds are so finite, while God is infinite.  We see only pixels, while God can view the entire picture.  I often wish I could see the big picture.  But, if I did, where would my need for faith and trusting God be?  Micah's birth story is yet another situation that I had planned out, but ended up being completely the opposite.

Despite the fact that I am a pediatric ICU nurse and push drugs all day, I have a huge fear of drugs when it comes to me and my body.  I have always had such an intense fear of epidurals because of the bad side effects I've hear of people having.  So, when I was deciding on a birth plan, I wanted to have a natural birth so I could steer clear of my fears.  How many women before me gave birth without drugs and made it through?  My mom one was of those women.  So, in an effort to make sure I had all the tools possible to achieve my desire, Mark and I enrolled in a 12 week natural birthing class.

We both learned so much and felt very empowered to achieve our wish.  The thing we appreciated about this class was that while they emphasized natural birth (without drugs or interventions), they also stated that the ultimate goal was "healthy baby, healthy mom."  That is definitely something Mark and I agreed with whole-heartedly!  Knowing that often my plans are different from God's for my life, I kept a healthy perspective on our desires.  The class also emphasized good nutrition.  I did well at getting 80-100 grams of protein per day with a well-balanced diet.

My due date was November 27, 2011.  My hope is that I would make it past Thanksgiving.  I really wanted to maintain our family tradition of shopping for our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving.  Well, we were able to do that, plus I made it to the due date.  Four days after my due date I had an appointment.  My blood pressure was way too high.  So, I was admitted to the hospital that night and the induction began.  Once the pitocin was started early the next morning(Dec. 2), things got intense.  I labored hard for 17 hours, without much progress.  My provider was concerned and stated that things might progress if I was able to really relax by getting the epidural.  I hurt so bad and was so exhausted that I agreed to the epidural.  The first one never worked, the second one caused sharp pain down one leg, but the third one finally kicked in.  I then I had a big drop in my blood pressure and got extra fluid and medicine.  24 hours after the induction, I finally got to push.  However, with one of those pushes, Little Bear didn't handle it too well.  My provider mentioned several times that she thought the baby's head was too big to fit through the birth canal.  She explained what could happen if we continued with a vaginal birth.  Mark and I both felt that the risks weren't worth it.  So we agreed to the c-section.  Little Bear was finally born on Saturday December 3 at 7:55am.  He came out screaming.  What a sweet sound it was to my ears.  It turns out his head was turned sideways in the canal.  Despite the fact that almost nothing went according to our birth plan, one thing did go right.  Mark and I got our healthy baby.  God had answered our prayers.  We truly are blessed.

Our sweet Little Bear

My first time meeting Little Bear

First family picture

What a sweet pic